Search the forum on "sludge" and read up, sounds like you are possibly impacted.

The good news is that the engine doesn't have to be removed to look at the bottom end, you can take the oil pan off with the engine in the car (you can really do it yourself if you have a bit of time on your hands)

Search on topics for " dropping the sump" or look at the FAQ. Then either do it yourself or have someone do it for you. From there you can take the bearing caps off and check for unusual wear as well as clean out the pickup screen for the oil to make sure it's flowing as it should. If you see some damaged bearings but no sign of damage to the crankshaft you can put new bearings in with the engine in the car and you just might save the engine.


Good luck, and hopefully you don't have a ruined engine.

 

You don't need to remove the engine. This is the procedure that should be followed if you suspect sludge build-up:

http://saabworld.net/f29/saab-9-5-oil-pan-sump-drop-check-sludge-7/

Edit: sorry Miltie. We must have posted at the same time!

 

Out of curiosity, what year is this 95?

 

Profile says 03 Aero

That being true, the 03 Aero recommended Mobil1, in fact there is a sticker right in front of the radiator saying so. (as I see on my 03 Aero, that is not there on my 02 Aero)

 

Oh, if you do the job make sure you have a tube of aerobic sealant, the oil pickup O-Ring and the two o-rings for the oil feed crossover pipe. They're bound to be completely hardened and useless so now's the time to change them. They're available at eeuroparts and are cheap. The sealant can be had at any auto parts store.

 

I'm sure it's just a typo, but you're actually looking for anaerobic sealant. Loctite 518 is what I used.

 

Thanks for advice. Will definitely go the drop sump route and be in touch about what I find. I just noticed this behavior in the car, how long would i need to drive on it to ruin the engine?

Getting ahead of myself but if sludge build up is not culprit, where should I look next?

 

really fast

Driving an engine with no or low oil pressure is asking for trouble, depending on how bad it can destroy th bearings in minutes.

 

If sludge is not to blame i would check your oil pump to see if it is scorn and worn, also if you pull the pan it probably wouldn't hurt to check your connecting rod bearings and mains. or check the check valve on the right of the harmonic balancer make sure its nice and clean.

 

Possible motor damages, low oil pressure...

Let's assume that sludge is the problem and oil pressure has gradually decreased with time through a slow accumulation of said sludge on the oil pick-up screen and restraining more and more the oil flow to the point of now having the sensor kick in. This is where Saab Engineers really bobooed. The sensor sends you a signal of low oil pressure when it reaches 13 psi and less. There is no light at 15, 16 17 and higher pressure. Yet if you are driving at 60 mph, and your motor is revving at 2000, 14, 15, 16 or 17 psi is way not enough to lubricate the motor components efficiently. This is where damage starts and how does one assess that ? I was tired of this piss poor method of monitoring oil pressure and my two Saabs were and are equipped with an oil pressure gage and a real dial giving me every second how the pressure is acting up : now I'm calm about the whole thing.

 

Actually the switch comes on at 7PSI, which makes your example even worse.

That said if it's 7 PSI at idle it's probably higher than that when you're cruising but you're still in trouble.

When I first did the engine re-do in my 02 Aero I had an oil pressure light come on once, scared the hell out of me. I put a gauge in and monitored the pressure for a few months after that and changed it back out with the next oil filter change. (my issue was either a stuck pressure relief valve or a bad oil pump, I changed them both at the same time and eh problem went away)

 

thanks, right. anaerobic

 

Does it mayer what type/brand of anaerobic sealant you use? Amazon has Loctite, Permatex, ACDelco, VibraTite, etc., with different types of each brand. Some say "gasket maker" others say "thread sealant" or "general purpose" and some say "high temperature" or "high pressure". Also, what is a reasonable price? Most seem to be 50 ml tubes, ranging from $10-25.

 

I had used the loctite 518 until I pulled my engine to do the timing chains. The timing kit comes with a HUGE tube of GM stuff that I'm still using. When I did the second timing kit I got another huge tube and haven't even opened it yet.