9-3SSC engine servicing

[RedLeicester]

Chaps, I'm thinking about returning to the fold, after a brief dalliance with The Enemy.

Over the years I've had quite a few and some pretty hefty mileages out of them too:
94 900SE-T - 108k
96 9000 Aero - 106k
2000 9-3SE-t cabrio - 56k
2000 9-5 Aero saloon - 100k
2002 9-5 Aero Estate - 168k (sold to a friend who ran it to 204k)
2004 9-3 Aero Auto SS-cabrio - 44k

I'm tempted with a late model 2007-2009ish 9-5 Aero again, the facelift 260bhp one, or a slightly older 2005-06 9-3 cabrio. One thing I was always disaapointed in with the 04 9-3 Aero was it was pretty gutless compared to the 9-5s that preceded it. It may have just been the early versions of the autobox whereas all the previous Saabs I'd had were manual, but it really was pretty anaemic. Anyway, I'm thinking either another 2.0T Aero and some tweakery to give it some power, or vaguely considering the handful of 2.8t V6 models.

Question is - the 9-5 Aero engine is bulletproof and runs on chains, I can't remember about the 2.0T or 2.8? Are they belts and if so when do they need to be changed?

Also any thoughts on comparative performance between the 2.0t and the 2.8t before and after tweakery? I always adored the 9-5's grunt coupled to the ability to return mid-high 30's on a run.

[griffin dai]

If you can put up with the crappy mpg I'd 100% go for a 2.8 Aero. A remap should see close to 320bhp @ 400ft/lbs. They're not that quick standard so really need a remap, budget around £450 for the map. To get similar poke from the 210 aero your looking at a few more hardware changes including to get to stage 5 iirc with a 3" downpipe, intercooler, injectors, (maybe fuel pump??) and remap.

So £450 for a stage 1 remap on the v6 is great value

Also no sludge issues like the t7 engines in the 9-5.

[RedLeicester]

How crappy is crappy, and what of the belts / chains question?

I don't think I'd bother doing more than a remap on either car - it's predominately just a airport run hack.

[RedLeicester]

Right, finally found out the 2.8V6 is belts and 60k changes.

Anyone with an auto V6 who can give me an idea of economy? My old 9-5 Aero was a belter yet still easily capable of high-30s on a run, but it was also a manual...

[loko]

RedLeicester said:

Right, finally found out the 2.8V6 is belts and 60k changes.

Anyone with an auto V6 who can give me an idea of economy? My old 9-5 Aero was a belter yet still easily capable of high-30s on a run, but it was also a manual...

who told you that? mine definately has chains on it, in fact the 2.8T has 3 of them which are suppose to be good for the life of the engine

as for economy my manual does low 20,s when i,m driving it for fun and low 30,s on a steady motorway run

[RedLeicester]

loko said:

who told you that? mine definately has chains on it, in fact the 2.8T has 3 of them which are suppose to be good for the life of the engine

as for economy my manual does low 20,s when i,m driving it for fun and low 30,s on a steady motorway run

Naughty google.

Well that's a relief. Is the 2 litre four pot chains too then, or just the V6 and the 9-5's 2.3 HOT?

[loko]

only saab i have ever owned is a V6 9-3, take a look on http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/index.php?sid=56e3a0a... theres a wealth of info on there and unlike google most of its correct

[RedLeicester]

Brill thank you

[philmh]

RedLeicester said:

Naughty google.

Well that's a relief. Is the 2 litre four pot chains too then, or just the V6 and the 9-5's 2.3 HOT?

9-3 2.0T Aero has timing chain too. Not sure about the 9-5's. Will be having a SaabNoob remap on mine soon which for the price of a tank of fuel will take it up to about 250 hp.

[RedLeicester]

I don't know about the lower models but both my 2000 and 2002 9-5 Aeros were on chains.