Emailed Saab regarding sludge etc

[kieran123]

Well, I emailed Saab yesterday regarding my Saab 9-5 Aero ( year 2000 ) because it has sever oil leaks in the engine and all the hoses are perished ( missing entirely or falling to pieces ). I emailed them because in EVERY service history oil leaks have been found as well as the turbo being changed as well as so many other issues, and nowhere in the service history ahs the PCV been replaced/updated. The Saab 'certified' techs also nmever used fully synthetic probably adding to the issue, and now, my partner and I are having tp front up all the repair costs for this engine.

A lady called today and asked for all the service history to be faxed to her, is this a good sign? The car is out of the 8 year warranty extension but I noted to them that this car should of had the PCV update etc done within that 8 year warranty regardless of whether the owner knew about it or not.

I hope they will front up and pay for these costs....I really love the car, but this oil leak issue constantly re occurring should be addressed...by THEM!

Kinda sucks though as I just ordered all the hoses/PCV kit from eeuroparts about 4 days ago anyway

Has anyone else had luck regarding Saab paying for their repairs out of their warranty?

thanks!

[Jssaab]

The PVC update was never a warranty or recall issue. Good luck with the warranty, they did not cover any issues I had with mine.

[kieran123]

isnt the sludge warranty issue responsible for the pcv hoses falling to pieces etc?

isnt sludge the main reason turbos blew in these models?

[MacNoob]

Originally Posted by kieran123

isnt the sludge warranty issue responsible for the pcv hoses falling to pieces etc?

isnt sludge the main reason turbos blew in these models?

No. The sludge warranty covered engine failure due to sludge buildup in otherwise impeccably maintained engines with full maintenance records since new.

The PCV updates were installed as a result of excessive crankcase pressure causing oil leaks. Usually if you reported an oil leak a less-than-clueless dealer would install the current PCV update as a first crack at repair. Newer PCV updates are PROBABLY better for sludge prevention.

The turbos (LPT GT17, not the Aero TD04) died because they are crappy turbos - they are so small (for good throttle response/minimal lag) that the bearings are tiny and wear out quickly. Certainly any restriction in the oil lines due to sludge will kill a turbo - but there are many dead turbos out there from unsludged engines.

[kieran123]

so it probably wont be covered then?....why the **** does this car continuously have oil leaks?

[MacNoob]

Install the latest PCV update:

http://genuinesaab.com/psi/files2/ts...17ed4%20en.pdf

Retorque the head bolts if it's never been done:

http://genuinesaab.com/psi/files/headretorque.htm

Check for leaking oil pressure sensor above the starter on the rear of the engine:

http://www.eeuroparts.com/Main/PartD...px?id=55559824

Clean it up and monitor for further leakage...

[Jssaab]

Originally Posted by kieran123

so it probably wont be covered then?....why the **** does this car continuously have oil leaks?

Oil leaks From where? if its head leaks do as Macnoob suggests, your car was in teh range where it possibly had bad headbolts and/or undertorqued botls from the factory

The PCV will help to create less crank pressure as the engine gets all sludged up. That pressure is what can help reduce sludge.

J

[SaabScott]

Originally Posted by Jssaab

Oil leaks From where? if its head leaks do as Macnoob suggests, your car was in teh range where it possibly had bad headbolts and/or undertorqued botls from the factory

The PCV will help to create less crank pressure as the engine gets all sludged up. That pressure is what can help reduce sludge.

J

Originally Posted by kieran123

so it probably wont be covered then?....why the **** does this car continuously have oil leaks?

Blame the previous owners of the car.
Synthetic or otherwise, if the oil was changed frequently, you shouldn't have sludge issues.
The leaking is due more to lack of proper maintenance than anything else.
After 10 years, any car will start to have some issues ...
As was mentioned, the updated PCV kit is not a warranty thing ...
As for other leaks, the head bolts are called "stretch" bolts for a reason .. they do stretch.
Any time we replace a PCV kit in a Saab with the updated version, we recommend a head re-torque at the same time, including a rocker cover gasket replacement.

[photousa]

Originally Posted by SaabScott

Any time we replace a PCV kit in a Saab with the updated version, we recommend a head re-torque at the same time, including a rocker cover gasket replacement.

Scott, which years are you talking about? Is there a range, say '99 through '04? Is the rocker cover gasket same as cylinder head cover gasket?

[Paul in NM]

Well I've been trying to trace a small oil leak that looks like it's coming from the head gasket. Which on my 02 Aero SW (89K) I hear is quite rare. I pulled the VC and saw zero sludge other than a good amount of varnish discoloration. My head bolts were all snug tight. Oddly my leak started soon after I upgraded to PCV #6 at around 75K. Not sure they're related (I did recheck the connections to make sure it's installed properly).

My indie mentioned that they used to test pressure on these engines by putting a latex glove over the open oil filler. I assume when the engine was started if the glove blew up it was a sign of too much pressure. Or an indie with limited knowledge and a limited tool set.