Saab 93 Servicing query
Discussion
Hi guys
I'm after some advice please!
I've got a 93 SE TDI, I've had it from new and it is now coming up for 4 years old. It was dealer serviced for the first three years and now goes to a Saab independent in Bristol
I used to do a lot of miles but now do very little mileage and I'm wondering how to best deal with servicing the car.
On average I now do a 1.5 mile each way journey on a weekday, the car gets used at weekends mainly just around town but in the race season on longer UK journeys and four or five trips to Spa, Le Mans etc.
It had a 66k service at the end of August last year and I've only done just over 70k now. It's likely that it'll take me until the middle to end of this summer to hit the next service interval.
I'm not terribly comfortable leaving the car what's likely to be 12 months until it gets serviced especially as the bulk of my mileage will then be at the end of the service interval and I really don't want to have any problems in France or Belguim (had this last year in Spa when Reggie Rodent ate through a hose!).
Would you recommend getting it serviced pre this summer or perhaps just having an oil change? The MOT is due in March - perhaps I tie it all in to then and then have it annually serviced before I do the bulk of my mileage?
As an additional query - it should have had a new Cam belt at the 66k service but the garage said that it a) looked fine and b) they felt that Saab were being too cautious by putting it in at 66k. I wonder whether I should at least get this done rather than leave it an additional 12 months from when it was last looked at?
Thoughts and advice greatfully received
>> Edited by Piglet on Saturday 21st January 20:28
I'm after some advice please!
I've got a 93 SE TDI, I've had it from new and it is now coming up for 4 years old. It was dealer serviced for the first three years and now goes to a Saab independent in Bristol
I used to do a lot of miles but now do very little mileage and I'm wondering how to best deal with servicing the car.
On average I now do a 1.5 mile each way journey on a weekday, the car gets used at weekends mainly just around town but in the race season on longer UK journeys and four or five trips to Spa, Le Mans etc.
It had a 66k service at the end of August last year and I've only done just over 70k now. It's likely that it'll take me until the middle to end of this summer to hit the next service interval.
I'm not terribly comfortable leaving the car what's likely to be 12 months until it gets serviced especially as the bulk of my mileage will then be at the end of the service interval and I really don't want to have any problems in France or Belguim (had this last year in Spa when Reggie Rodent ate through a hose!).
Would you recommend getting it serviced pre this summer or perhaps just having an oil change? The MOT is due in March - perhaps I tie it all in to then and then have it annually serviced before I do the bulk of my mileage?
As an additional query - it should have had a new Cam belt at the 66k service but the garage said that it a) looked fine and b) they felt that Saab were being too cautious by putting it in at 66k. I wonder whether I should at least get this done rather than leave it an additional 12 months from when it was last looked at?
Thoughts and advice greatfully received
>> Edited by Piglet on Saturday 21st January 20:28
My gut reaction is not to mess around when it comes to cambelt changes. If it breaks would the garage say "blimey, didn't expect that, never mind have a free engine on us!"? I somehow doubt it! 
Personally I would get it serviced every 12 months, maybe just an oil change service... Remember, those short journeys are much harder on the car as its never up to operating temperature.
HTH
Edited : Blimey Prof, are we psychic or something!?
>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Sunday 22 January 00:49
Personally I would get it serviced every 12 months, maybe just an oil change service... Remember, those short journeys are much harder on the car as its never up to operating temperature.
HTH
Edited : Blimey Prof, are we psychic or something!?
>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Sunday 22 January 00:49
Hmm.
No experience of cambelts on SAABs yet but my VX Omega had a new one fitted along with a new carrier component when I bought it with 65k on the clock and 30k later the carrier (or another one, had run a bearing and the result was a belt that was only about half as wide as it should have been! The upshot of that was a 3 month nightmare whilst the VX dealer faffed around ballsing up all the work they did replacing the belt and then generating more and more work. After about 1500 quid they got too embarrassed to ask for more.
The missus' Citroen Xsara just had its 'big' service at 80k and we were told the belt was just about to go AND the rubber insert in one of the pulleys was shagged so that needed changing and the timing was therefore out.
No I would like to think that SAABs are better than both VX and Citroen but whether their cam belt suppliers are any different I have no idea.
In any case the real question is who supplied the engine 4 years ago and what history do their engines have. The latest cars have the Fiat/Alfa diesel units as I understand it - was that true 4 years ago?
If it were me I would change. VX moved the cambelt change on the V6'd from 40k miles to 80k miles - and then back again about a year later. 66k to 70k sounds reasonable to me.
No experience of cambelts on SAABs yet but my VX Omega had a new one fitted along with a new carrier component when I bought it with 65k on the clock and 30k later the carrier (or another one, had run a bearing and the result was a belt that was only about half as wide as it should have been! The upshot of that was a 3 month nightmare whilst the VX dealer faffed around ballsing up all the work they did replacing the belt and then generating more and more work. After about 1500 quid they got too embarrassed to ask for more.
The missus' Citroen Xsara just had its 'big' service at 80k and we were told the belt was just about to go AND the rubber insert in one of the pulleys was shagged so that needed changing and the timing was therefore out.
No I would like to think that SAABs are better than both VX and Citroen but whether their cam belt suppliers are any different I have no idea.
In any case the real question is who supplied the engine 4 years ago and what history do their engines have. The latest cars have the Fiat/Alfa diesel units as I understand it - was that true 4 years ago?
If it were me I would change. VX moved the cambelt change on the V6'd from 40k miles to 80k miles - and then back again about a year later. 66k to 70k sounds reasonable to me.
Cheers guys, I think I'll get it booked in for a service at the same time as the MOT at the beginning of March and then keep it on an annual service with an oil service at the tail end of the year. I'm concious that the type of mileage it's doing now isn't great for the car and as I need it to last a few years longer I think it deserves a little TLC.
TBH I wish they'd done the cam belt last August when the SAAB service schedule said it needed doing - I'm so entirely risk adverse that I'd rather just pay and have it done and not have to worry about it!! The trouble is they just didn't do it and then told us at collection.
TBH I wish they'd done the cam belt last August when the SAAB service schedule said it needed doing - I'm so entirely risk adverse that I'd rather just pay and have it done and not have to worry about it!! The trouble is they just didn't do it and then told us at collection.
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