Breather pipe problem

[stiletto]

After the low oil alert went off on my 9-5 estate year 2000 I found the breather (?) pipe on the rocker box cover had split in two also the fitting for the pipe into the box came away in my hands, looks like it has left bits inside box

Pictures attached

Is the bust pipe responsible for the lost oil? looks to me like the car never had the pcv change?

Any advice welcome, the other end of that pipe looks to be a long way down and very hard to get to

Thx

[srmoose]

Yes, it can cause oil loss, but it doesnt look like you have a lot of oil residue around it. Oil could be leaking lower down on some of the other tubes.
You should install the PVC update kit...
I does look like you do have the whole pvc out, they have that shape.
I would pull the oil pan (PITA) and make sure it is cleaned out and strainer is clear.
Update Kit from Eeuroparts...Genuine available too. Also can find the kit other places.
http://eeuroparts.com/Parts/PartDeta...iagramnumber=1

[srmoose]

Why does the pvc have a plug on the small outlet?
And the hose that usually goes there with the white check valve where does that go?
It might be normal but I have not seen one plugged before...
anyone?

[stiletto]

srmoose yes I wondered about that plug on the pvc but it seems official and not someones mod

Anyone throw any light on this? Ill repost it as seperate subject perhaps

--------------

so the pvc does not have to be fitted thru the cam cover, it is a push in fit?

[srmoose]

Originally Posted by stiletto

srmoose yes I wondered about that plug on the pvc but it seems official and not someones mod

Anyone throw any light on this? Ill repost it as seperate subject perhaps

--------------

so the pvc does not have to be fitted thru the cam cover, it is a push in fit?

yes it is a push in fit, but on an angle first.

[Saaber95er]

First off, that hose broke because of the pressure built up from the engine becuse someone blocked the outlet to the TB meaning your engine is not breatheing correctly. This would be a good time to do the PCV upgrade and hook every thing up correctly. How long have you owned this car? And what's the milage? Bottom line is; How long has your car been running this way? because that's not normal and it certainly not a mod that make sence.

Originally Posted by stiletto

Anyone throw any light on this? Ill repost it as seperate subject perhaps

--------------
so the pvc does not have to be fitted thru the cam cover, it is a push in fit??

How was it fitted thru the cam cover?

Originally Posted by srmoose

the white check valve where does that go??
It might be normal but I have not seen one plugged before...
anyone?

[stiletto]

Well Ill tell u what I know

Ive had the car since april 2011, it has a SAAB service stamp every year from new with the last one march 2011. All from a reputable saab main agent in my experience, I owned a 9000 cdt before, and sometimes used that agent myself for jobs i couldnt handle

I have to assume they did that plug, why I do not know, the previous owner had the car from new but as it was a company car I doubt he ever had the bonnet up much less mod the engine!

it had 135k miles on the clock and has 142 k now, yes I know, high, but the car was cheap and very clean.

the pcv pulled out of the cam cover easily

Does the missing pipe work with the turbo? The car has had never had any real oomph but I assumed it was because

a) econoturbo
b) compared to the wallop of the 9000 cdt it just felt weak to me

I cannot see any pipes that would go to that blanked off bit, they must be either removed or have fallen out of sight

Is it possible the dealer (not a saab garage) did this to disguise a dodgy turbo? dealer had it 3 weeks between its old owner and me

UPDATE

the pipe with the white check valve goes to a small outlet branch on the oil filler neck about halfway down, could this be a mod and explain the blanked off pcv?

[Saaber95er]

It sounds, like you car may have the 1st Gen PCV upgrade; which didn't work so well and now it's up to PCV # 6. That hose from the check valve normally goes to that capped plug. If you're getting the oil light it could be because of the broken hose or your sump needs to be dropped; at this point and mileage the sump should be dropped. Do you know what oils were used by the PO? And does the car burn much oil?

Originally Posted by stiletto

Well Ill tell u what I know

Ive had the car since april 2011, it has a SAAB service stamp every year from new with the last one march 2011. All from a reputable saab main agent in my experience, I owned a 9000 cdt before, and sometimes used that agent myself for jobs i couldnt handle

I have to assume they did that plug, why I do not know, the previous owner had the car from new but as it was a company car I doubt he ever had the bonnet up much less mod the engine!

it had 135k miles on the clock and has 142 k now, yes I know, high, but the car was cheap and very clean.

the pcv pulled out of the cam cover easily

Does the missing pipe work with the turbo? The car has had never had any real oomph but I assumed it was because

a) econoturbo
b) compared to the wallop of the 9000 cdt it just felt weak to me

I cannot see any pipes that would go to that blanked off bit, they must be either removed or have fallen out of sight

Is it possible the dealer (not a saab garage) did this to disguise a dodgy turbo? dealer had it 3 weeks between its old owner and me

UPDATE

the pipe with the white check valve goes to a small outlet branch on the oil filler neck about halfway down, could this be a mod and explain the blanked off pcv?

[stiletto]

yes thats what i was thinking, an early pcv mod

as the car was saab serviced every year the regular oil change probably served to keep the problem at bay but the breather tube was still squidgy

The oil warning and light only chime if i corner hard, as the dipstick reveals no oil at all i presume there is still enough left to hold the warning off except when it slops to one side on cornering

I imagine that as the car was saab serviced they only ever used good correct oil each time, i have not noticed any signs of the car burning oil, but then u need to be following it to see that really, revving it stationary tends not to reveal much.

The oil level has never dropped before in the past 14 months or so so perhaps the busted breather has caused the oil level to drop sharply, I have no idea when the pipe broke as the oil warning chime only occurred for the first time last night. Lucky it did as now I have found the bust pipe, it may have gone weeks ago

The car could obviously do with dropped sump, sludge out and pcv upgrade and fresh oil and filter, the sump drop and pcv will cost me a fair bit i suspect, the kit is £90 and then there's the labour and of course the oil and filter. Maybe 300 at least

Thats a worry, an economic quandary, is it worth it? Or just replace oil and filter, jam back on the breather after trimming the length that remains and carry on and hope for another year out of the car, at which point Ill have got my £1500 purchase price back really. This is after all a car which does barely 30mpg on motorways and around 25 in town, so it doesnt have a lot to recommend it long term and who knows what might go next?

[N.E. Swede]

"The oil warning and light only chime if i corner hard, as the dipstick reveals no oil at all i presume there is still enough left to hold the warning off except when it slops to one side on cornering"


This confuses me. Are you saying there's no oil on the stick?

[TankTak]

Originally Posted by stiletto

yes thats what i was thinking, an early pcv mod

as the car was saab serviced every year the regular oil change probably served to keep the problem at bay but the breather tube was still squidgy

The oil warning and light only chime if i corner hard, as the dipstick reveals no oil at all i presume there is still enough left to hold the warning off except when it slops to one side on cornering

I imagine that as the car was saab serviced they only ever used good correct oil each time, i have not noticed any signs of the car burning oil, but then u need to be following it to see that really, revving it stationary tends not to reveal much.

The oil level has never dropped before in the past 14 months or so so perhaps the busted breather has caused the oil level to drop sharply, I have no idea when the pipe broke as the oil warning chime only occurred for the first time last night. Lucky it did as now I have found the bust pipe, it may have gone weeks ago

The car could obviously do with dropped sump, sludge out and pcv upgrade and fresh oil and filter, the sump drop and pcv will cost me a fair bit i suspect, the kit is £90 and then there's the labour and of course the oil and filter. Maybe 300 at least

Thats a worry, an economic quandary, is it worth it? Or just replace oil and filter, jam back on the breather after trimming the length that remains and carry on and hope for another year out of the car, at which point Ill have got my £1500 purchase price back really. This is after all a car which does barely 30mpg on motorways and around 25 in town, so it doesnt have a lot to recommend it long term and who knows what might go next?

take care of your car and treat her right and she'll reward you with a life span longer than a year. Also your mileage is kinda low, could be due to the issues your having. I average around 33-36MPG on average mixed driving and im always dipping into boost...lot of straight ways when i get near my house. Also if you dont address these issues now you may not have a car to drive much longer especially if you have sludge buildup. first warning sign is that your light comes on, regardless what you know and think its always a best precautionary measure to take for peace of mind. It's also nowhere near as hard as some people make it out to be so you could easily do it yourself

[stiletto]

I would try and do it myself, I am an experienced home mechanic, but I live in London, the car is on the street of terraced houses and the street is sloping and is generally all uneven. No cover from weather, nowhere to put tools etc, generally impractical for all but the simplest tasks. Just getting the car securely up in the air would be a task in itself.

I am stuck here, I guess Ill have to spring for a garage job and hope nothing else goes wrong after

Can you actually feel boost on your car? My needle swings but there is never any boost sensation, not compared to the 9000 which definitely boosted

[stiletto]

Originally Posted by N.E. Swede

"The oil warning and light only chime if i corner hard, as the dipstick reveals no oil at all i presume there is still enough left to hold the warning off except when it slops to one side on cornering"


This confuses me. Are you saying there's no oil on the stick?

Yes! totally dry, obviously I have not driven it since discovering that.

Surprised the oil light isnt on, it must still have enough oil in the system to prevent the warning except when cornering hard

Now about parts. I need
PCV Update Kit
55561200

but it seems that kit does not include the breather pipe which has just split. Does anyone know if I am correct in that? It adds another chunk of money to the bill if not

thanks

[jcm]

You'll have extra hose to employ from hose currently in use that is replaced with the kit.

Pay attention here or the breather assembly you install will not work.

There is a SB on blowing out the lines inside the cover which connect to the breather tube. I hooked up my compressor and hose clamped a valve to the each of the 2 bent tubes. One popped shooting a lot of black crud out the hole, the other was stubborn requiring filling the vent housing with spirits along with forcing hard wire up the throat dipped in spirits - 10 minutes later it popped. This is an easy drive repair but you'll need to order valve cover gaskets unless you know recent condition of same.

[Saaber95er]

You need all this for a complete install,



1. - #3 on diagram
Crankcase Vent Hose
55560462
$7.13

In Stock
Crankcase vent hose that exits the oil trap … More Details




3. - #4 on diagram
Crankcase Vent Hose (to Oil Trap)
55560463A
$18.64

Usually ships in 1-2 days
Crankcase vent hose that exits oil trap for … More Details




4. - #2 on diagram
Crankcase Vent Hose(exits Bottom Of Oil Trap)
55560445A
$11.22

In Stock
Crankcase vent hose that exits the bottom of … More Details




5. - #7 on diagram
PCV Check Valve With Hose
9399973A
$28.22







7. - #1 on diagram

[stiletto]

This pipe is the one from my crankcover?

http://eeuroparts.com/Parts/PartDeta...iagramnumber=4

I have to say and I know you guys will tell me off, but Im thinking just flush change oil, fix breather and check valve pipes and carry on.

Mainly because having put some fresh oil in yesterday, I had to start the car to move it down the road, I now see cream on my dipstick. If the head gasket is failing then the car will no longer be worth spending the pcv kit and labour money on, head gasket repairs are prohibitively expensive and for me mean run on until the gasket is no longer viable and then goodbye car

I may get a compression test done but I dont know if it will show anything at this early stage.

[N.E. Swede]

That "cream" on the dipstick is likely just moisture from the failed pcv system. As long as the oil itself does not look like a milkshake you're probably ok

[voojchik]

Dont risk it mate, get PCV 6. I got my kit from partsforsaab and its the whole thing. I would definitely replace it as you destroy your engine. I bought my saab with original 1st gen PCV and after few weeks it would stall at idle, lose performance, steering wheel would vibrate and at the end timing chain was noisy (sounden like a diesel). It cost me over £500 (engine had to be taken out, cleaned, chaines gears sprockets etc replaced, everything cleaned, sump dropped and cleaned including strainer) and after that it was quiet but still a bit dodgy. £90 for the kit, less then an hour of labour at my local garage in Glasgow (£70 p/h) and trust me - it MUCH MUCH BETTER.

[voojchik]

oh, and I also had the mayo on a dipstick. Condensation from PCV and short drives in cold weather. None of this nonsense after PCV replacement.
I think as long as the engine runs and car drives, it should be saved, is a Saab after all