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Just spent $2,300 on repairs.. Now this

2K views 30 replies 8 participants last post by  17790 
#1 · (Edited)
So i got the head gasket, the piston rings / bearkings, and the DI all repaired... I go to start the car today and i hear an aweful noise for about i second. I get out of the car, open the hood and pull on the throttle to rev the engine, and i head it. a chirpy grinding noise. I let off, the boost is released and it goes away. White smoke drifts around the engine bay.

I feel like $hit right now. I want to go buy a japanese car. Im just sad. I dont know what to do. Obviously i need to get it fixed, but i dont want to drive the car anymore, all i do now is worry that im going to break something when im in it. Its not fun to have anymore.


addition : is there something i can disconnect to keep it from boosting? Im about 100 miles away from home
 
#4 ·
I agree with Jim. The shop owes you a car that runs right. This makes me wonder if they even took it for a test drive. Sorry to hear it. I have had nothing but good experience from my independent Saab shop. I don't blame you for how you're feeling, but I certainly would put the responsibility with the repair shop before the car. Japanese cars, even new ones, are not immune to problems. I can't speak to Japanese cars in the vintage of the 9000. But, I will say that you cannot buy a new Japanese car that will do what the 9000 does, for anywhere near the cost of maintaining a 9000. That's true even if you rebuilt the entire 9000 from engine to transmission to clutch to suspension to electrical, even a new paint job. This is why I just bought an 16 year old 9000 and will be selling my 2005 Suzuki.
 
#5 · (Edited)
boon94 said:
So i got the head gasket, the piston rings / bearkings, and the DI all repaired... I go to start the car today and i hear an aweful noise for about i second. I get out of the car, open the hood and pull on the throttle to rev the engine, and i head it. a chirpy grinding noise. I let off, the boost is released and it goes away. White smoke drifts around the engine bay.
Well unless i'm mistaken, with no load on the car you're not really going to be producing any boost anyway so it could be unboost related but obviously something moving.

Furthermore, even if you run at base boost, think about it, at the end of the day, all this is controlling is the pressure in the manifold, if it were say the turbine in the turbo, you really want to stop it going round rather than alter the pressure by opening the wastegate. I can't see how you could do that but it might not be this anyway.

Can you locate it anywhere at all? White smoke could oil burning off from somewhere, a leak perhaps but if it's pretty thick then sounds like it's getting onto a hot bit of exhaust. Sure it's smoke and not coolant?

Sorry to hear of the problem, really I am, I had a bad experience with a regular indy that I used some years back, I know i'm remotely questioning their ability but it didn't sound like they had a clue when they started the job on your car and now you're even more screwed than you were before.

In my case, I bought an Aero whilst waiting for my first 9000 to be fixed after I towed it to a Saab main dealer (correction, my wife towed me 20 miles - nearly ended in divorce as she didn't quite get how to tow properly and I was shouting at her via a two way radio.) I've subsequently done everything on the Aero myself, runs sweetly so consider doing the same next time, own maintenance that is, they're not that hard to work on.

In the UK, if the person hasn't shown reasonable care and skill in the execution of their job then it's pretty clear cut in consumer law, check yours, I agree with the other guys, they owe you a working car and shouldn't leave you further out of pocket to fix yours.

David.
 
#6 ·
im pretty sure its the turbo, and i know its boosting because i can hear the blow off when it releases pressure. When its really loaded, it stops sounding like slow grinding and more like a sharp nail against a high speed rotating piece of metal (on top of the normal boost noise), a very high pitched metalic noise, the noise is only there while boosting and changes in pitch with the fluxuation of the boost.

As for the smoke, theres bearly any, and it came out of various parts of the tubocharger. I could only actually see smoke with my first encounter with it malfunctioning, i cant see any anymore.

Im wondering how difficult it would be to repair myself, the problem is i dont think i have time with classes and not being near a decent saab dealer in college.

Anyways, im pissed
 
#7 ·
boon94 said:
im pretty sure its the turbo, and i know its boosting because i can hear the blow off when it releases pressure. When its really loaded, it stops sounding like slow grinding and more like a sharp nail against a high speed rotating piece of metal (on top of the normal boost noise), a very high pitched metalic noise, the noise is only there while boosting and changes in pitch with the fluxuation of the boost.
Sounds like either the compressor or turbine blades scraping against the casting?

I'm just so suscpicous of what you've had done, a DI that failed just after you left and now a possible turbo?!

I reckon they've rebuilt your car with everybody else's dodgy bits and are getting you to pay to replace them! :D

David.
 
#8 ·
I'm puzzled as to why you would now have what sounds like turbo problems. The repair work you listed above wasn't anywhere near the turbo, and would not have required them to even touch it. Obviously you didn't have the problem before. While it's possible for additional unrelated problems to coincidentally occur just after you come back from the shop, it's highly unlikely. I'd say this is especially true of the turbo. Normally they don't fail in this manner just out of the blue. In fact, they rarely fail in this manner at all. If it is indeed the turbo that's failing, as opposed to the other work they just did, I would say the burden of proof is on the shop to prove that the turbo was already failing when you first brought the car in. Any shop worth a darn would have noted the noise you're now experiencing before even beginning repairs. Of course any same shop would also have not given the car back to you in that condition and claimed all was well.

In any case, they need to explain what this new problem is. In my opinion, they need to also fix it so that the car runs as it did when you checked it in for service (discounting your other problems which they did fix).

So how long did you have the car back from the shop before this problem occurred? Just one night?
 
#9 ·
Aaron Gilbert said:
I'm puzzled as to why you would now have what sounds like turbo problems. The repair work you listed above wasn't anywhere near the turbo
Likewise, the coincidental DI failure, the failure to identify the problem in the first place by pouring a little oil in to check for compression/worn rings, removal of the head to find the "problem" was elsewhere, removal of the sump, change of bearings for what reason? where the old ones worn or was this a "just because the sump was off" job, what about the reason for the new pistons (or was it just rings)?

Sorry tale all round.

Check the wheel nuts while you're there boon!

David.
 
#10 ·
They have to pull the turbo off to get the head off to change the head gasket right? The number 1 reason for turbo failures is usually crap that gets into the turbo lines when doing a turbo swap or just pulling the turbo off the car and putting it back on, like in a head-gasket job. IF the lines are not replaced or at least flushed very well and special care is not taken to keep any debris out of the turbo, just the slightest piece of carbon or debris can ruin the bearings!!!

I have heard this over and over and it usually happens within 20 miles of running the car after the turbo has been off the car and put back on. Some claimed no way anything got in the turbo, they send the turbo in for diagnosis and the turbo shop shows the damaged bearings from debris!!! Some say replace your oil line anytime the turbo comes off the car, this is the lifeblood of the turbo and it really does not take much to knock one out... John
 
#11 ·
John Z Williams said:
They have to pull the turbo off to get the head off to change the head gasket right? The number 1 reason for turbo failures is usually crap that gets into the turbo lines when doing a turbo swap or just pulling the turbo off the car and putting it back on, like in a head-gasket job. IF the lines are not replaced or at least flushed very well and special care is not taken to keep any debris out of the turbo, just the slightest piece of carbon or debris can ruin the bearings!!!
Sorry, that was my mistake. I didn't think the turbo would need to come off for the head to come off. But now that you mention it, it seems like something I have heard before. I can easily believe your suspicion about something getting into the turbo lines.
 
#16 ·
That is true, but when some mechanics think about having to pull the head, drop the oil pan and inspect the engine for damage and then install new pistons and or rings, it does come off sometimes. I am not sure if they pulled it or not, just a thought about it?

Also, did they hone the cylinder walls for the piston swap? There is a lot of chances to get debris into the system when a head job and a piston job are being done on the car.

Its really a warning for people doing turbo swaps to be extra careful with debris and especially the oil line;)

John
 
#17 ·
brewtide said:
Since I live in Maine, I've asked boon 10000 times where' he's been going and trying to give suggestions, as I've owned 3 saabs thus far, and am quite fluent with the southern maine area...

Each time, he's ignored the thread.

Where did you take it?

_bny
lol, sorry I guess i miss it every time. I take it to Lewis Auto Sales on lisbon street in lisbon. If you've drivin by, its basically a saab graveyard with a mechanic shop right in the middle. Its a bout 1/2 a mile away from my house so its pretty convenient... My DI was working perfect before the work was done also.. think they broke it as well as my turbo when they were changing something?

I thought the turbo sounded a little bit different on my test run after the work was done, but i didnt think anything of it becuase it was such a tiny change in noise, now its MUCH louder and makes an grindy noise when i pulll the throttle at idle speed (goes away when throttle speed is maintained, only grinds while accelerating the throttle, right before the blow off)..

Oh and also i was told i could keep the turbo at base boost by disconnecting the BPC. Well i did and it didnt work so i put the things back together and may have gotten lines crossed or something and now im overboosting very easily (the complete opposite of what im trying to do lol<--- But shes wicked fast haha) So what order do the vacumme lines connect to it? I also disconnected the power line going to it. Is it possible that i shorted it out by reconnecting it while the car is running? This is the pic i used as a reference
 
#18 ·
Just a thought, and i dont know how common this is on the "newer" saabs, but i have had a couple '86 turbos, and 2 out of 3 had cracked exhaust housings, and the turbine was rubbing on it.

I know the newers ones are also water cooled, but it almost sounds like the housing cracked, cooled, shifted, and then when he went to start it, the turbine hit and got lifted up a bit until it "wore" some of the housing down.

Kinda far-fetched, but it seems possible to me....
 
#19 ·
i had a similar thing my car made a horrible noise but seemed to be boosting great and really fast, on the way over to my mechanic lol....the vaccum line from the bypass valve was shoot and once replaced it worked fine...ohh and there were just a few loose bolts....down...man i cant rmeber right now..alll i know was it was a really easy fix and my guy didnt charge me anything:cheesy:

ive given that man so much business getting her into tip top shape he doesnt mind helpping me out, or lending his tools(something most mechanics are kinda touchy about:roll: )

great guy
 
#20 ·
well shes in the shop again now for her new DI and to fix the turbo noise. Hopefully my mechanic will be nice like yours, I've spend a total of $3,500 in the last year with them, and thats just on the 9000. Not to mention that we bought our 9-3 from them, got new shocks there for it, and always got our old 900 fixed there. however i suspect they'll tell me to replace the turbo becuase lately everything needs to get replaced when i bring it to them for some reason :evil:. If they do, I'll just buy a new one and replace it myself, Cant be that hard for a reasonable intelligent guy ay?

They are also giving me a new inspection sticker, that better be free!
 
#23 ·
boon94 said:
well i got some good news, there was an exhaust leak making the turbo sound really bad, its all fixed and wasnt too expensive.
That's great, glad to hear it! Since you mention exhaust leak, I just noticed one in my car yesterday. I can't tell where it's coming from - seems like the muffler or the resonator. Oh well, perfect chance to upgrade, right?! Now I just need to figure out what's the best bang for the buck.
 
#25 ·
listen boon i dont know how close u are to orange county ny...but if its not too far i got a great mechanic...i could give u his number......i mean i established a relationship with him over the last couple years but for example i needed something fixed..it took him 17 minutes...it cost me 17 dollars, another time i was replacing vaccuum line cause my boost gauage was iffy, he came out and showed me where the hose attached back by the bulkhead cause its kinda hard to see......another time some guy locktited something that didnt need to be locktited(i dont care im using locktite as a verb :D ) and he lent me his impact driver, which i really thought was cool looked like this
..granted i just used my impact wrench cause why not in that case but hes just a nice guy that likes to encourage people to fix their own cars...he knows you cme to him when your tranny is shot :evil: ...though i got a new one in a year ago and its bee great :cheesy: ....hes honest and very knowledgable..if you want his number let me know
 
#26 ·
Well, i live more than 2 hours from there i think, so i likely wont be able to drive a car with a broken transmission down there lol. Anyone try that place in portland.. umm whats it called? Sweedish Solutions? Are they any good?

omg and when i got it back after they fixed the leak, they broke the power antenna. Looks like they tried to drive it into the bay with the door not far up enough :evil:. Im going to demand a new one. Everytime i get it fixed there something else gets broken, Im sick of it!
 
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