[Dave 37]

The SID warning "Time for Service" just came on. Scrolling through the menu, it says "Time for Intermediate and Main Service". Does this automatically come on at 30,000 miles?

The oil monitor says 33% or 241 days to go.

I thought intermediate service was the oil change and various checks that come on every 2 years or approx. 15,000 miles (on a 2005 model, every year starting with the 2006 model). The oil was last changed and oil monitor reset in October 2008 but I did change the oil since then, just didn't reset the monitor. I usually do the un-European practice of changing the oil when the monitor is at 50%. I was expecting the monitor to go off in October, 2010.

I know that there is a service at 60,000 mi. for the fan belt (serpentine belt), spark plugs, and other things. Is there a 30,000 mi. service? Come to think of it, isn't the air filter supposed to last 30,000 mi. (changed to 40,000 mi. in the 2006 model year)? If so, just do the other things and leave the oil alone? Or change the oil and reset the service indicator, but I don't know if that will reset the oil since it still has 33% left and I thought it has to be low, like 10%, to reset it unless you play tricks with the date.

 

[Dave 37]

How to check shock absorbers?

I checked the owner's manual and other booklets in the same owner's pouch. There is a major service at 30,000 mi. One of the things listed is to check the shock absorbers. How do you do that? If I checked to see if there were any leaks in the shock absorbers, bounced and pushed on the car down on each corner, and see how it drove, is that sufficient? Or not enough?

Since I changed the oil at 50% and since it's at 33% now, I was going to skip the oil change. When I reset the SID for major service, I'll see if the oil monitor is also reset. If so, then I'll figure out when to change oil next, maybe at 83% since I usually change it at 50% and it's at 33% now. Actually, the SID should just call for a major service, not a major and intermediate service.

 

[05saab9-3]

your suspension check should be for broken or corroded springs not leaking shocks so i would not focus your attention on the shock itself but more the springs and as for the oil you need to clear out the service menu for it to go back to 100% anytime you do an oil change as for the intermediate service alls the dealer is going to do is visually inspect all major components and check your fluids

 

[JonV]

Lets start over.... there are a dozen or so threads on main and Intermediate service. First, your manual and SID will say an Oil change is due at 15K or two years..... the 03-05 manuals all say that. From 06 on it was changed to 10K or one year.... because Mobil 1 0W40 was re-certified to that standard. The 2.0T Engines are the same from 03 until now, the Oil standard changed, think about it. So that's when you should be changing Oil, 10K or 1 year.

the Plugs, Serp, Tensioner are recommended for change every 60K. Suspension should be Inspected and re-torqued every Main (30K).

I change thew Cabin Filter every spring... My Engine Air is an Optiflow I clean and Oil myself.