Bought a 9-3 at Auction..HELP!

[ianrbt]

I got a T reg 9-3 with impeccable history only to find that the turbo does not seem to work! Has anybody got an idea what might be wrong? It has only done 80000mls and other than this problem it is immaculate. This is my first Saab and I was really looking forward to it, now I am a little unsure.

[ClaphamGT3]

Hi, is it HPT or LPT - if the latter, you won't really 'feel' the turbo come in & out

[ianrbt]

Thanks for posting. I really dont know the difference but I do know that it is flat and is not keeping up with most traffic flows

[superviggen]

check all the vacumn pipes are connected - they are about 5mm wide or so and sometimes they can come off there are a few to check. look near the bulkhead for the thin black rubber pipes that connect to a plastic thing and go off about to different points. if one pops off the turbo wont blow so much. the pipes get crumbly with age. have a look on saab central for more info as most probs can be found on there.

Edited by superviggen on Friday 27th March 23:14

[NiceCupOfTea]

Does it have a boost guage on the dash? If not, it's an LPT and you won't feel much of a kick.

[ClaphamGT3]

ianrbt said:

Thanks for posting. I really dont know the difference but I do know that it is flat and is not keeping up with most traffic flows

Nicecuppatea's observation is right. Also, the HPT was 185Bhp and the LPT was 150Bhp, which isn't really that much for quite a heavy car, so they really don't feel that fast. Also, bear in mind that in 1999 they were still making a normally aspirated, 130Bhp 9-3 which really is slow (The all-turbo range didnt kick in until MY 2000 IIRC) so don't assume that your version is a Turbo

[NiceCupOfTea]

ClaphamGT3 said:

ianrbt said:

Thanks for posting. I really dont know the difference but I do know that it is flat and is not keeping up with most traffic flows

Nicecuppatea's observation is right. Also, the HPT was 185Bhp and the LPT was 150Bhp, which isn't really that much for quite a heavy car, so they really don't feel that fast. Also, bear in mind that in 1999 they were still making a normally aspirated, 130Bhp 9-3 which really is slow (The all-turbo range didnt kick in until MY 2000 IIRC) so don't assume that your version is a Turbo

IIRC the 2.3 n/a was discontinued in 98, very shortly after the 9-3 came out. Not sure about the 2.0 n/a, I presume the same, but it is hellishly slow. Non turbos won't have the DI cassette under the bonnet IIRC (may be wrong though).

[ClaphamGT3]

NiceCupOfTea said:

ClaphamGT3 said:

ianrbt said:

Thanks for posting. I really dont know the difference but I do know that it is flat and is not keeping up with most traffic flows

Nicecuppatea's observation is right. Also, the HPT was 185Bhp and the LPT was 150Bhp, which isn't really that much for quite a heavy car, so they really don't feel that fast. Also, bear in mind that in 1999 they were still making a normally aspirated, 130Bhp 9-3 which really is slow (The all-turbo range didnt kick in until MY 2000 IIRC) so don't assume that your version is a Turbo

IIRC the 2.3 n/a was discontinued in 98, very shortly after the 9-3 came out. Not sure about the 2.0 n/a, I presume the same, but it is hellishly slow. Non turbos won't have the DI cassette under the bonnet IIRC (may be wrong though).

The 2.0 n/a wheezed on a little longer; the Saab dealer that serviced my 9-3 had a 'T' reg one as a courtesy car

[NiceCupOfTea]

Courtesy? I'd have taken it as an insult!

Many years ago my dad traded his 9000 2.3T in against a blue L reg very early ng900 2.0n/a. What a piece of st that was. Early 900 meant it was riddled with faults and design flaws, and it was so slow it needed ragging everywhere meaning appalling fuel consumption. Dark days in Saab's history...

[ClaphamGT3]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Courtesy? I'd have taken it as an insult!

Many years ago my dad traded his 9000 2.3T in against a blue L reg very early ng900 2.0n/a. What a piece of st that was. Early 900 meant it was riddled with faults and design flaws, and it was so slow it needed ragging everywhere meaning appalling fuel consumption. Dark days in Saab's history...

Well exactly. What an awful come-down to go from a 9000 to a GM 900! I had a 1993 9000 2.3 CSE, bought for £800 in 2002 and traded in against an A8 in 2004 for £1400. It was a superb car, better in all respects except speed than the A8 that replaced it and at least as well equipped and better built than the W220 Mercedes that replaced the Audi

[NiceCupOfTea]

I love c900s but the 9000 was the best car that Saab ever made, totally overengineered in every respect. My dad bought a lovely 1 owner low miles 9000 2.3T Anniversary a few years later which he still has now, and if he ever wants rid (not likely after 6 years or so) I have first dibs

[ianrbt]

Very good, thank-you to all contributers. I have an horible feeling that this is not a turbo version I will call into a dealer ship on monday. Thank again every-one.

[dave_s13]

What's more upsetting than finding your new car's turbo isn't working and you can't keep up with traffic?

Finding out your new car never actually had a turbo and has never actually been able to keep up with traffic, ever.

I'm amazed that Saab would produce such an underpowered pile of poo.

[NiceCupOfTea]

ianrbt said:

Very good, thank-you to all contributers. I have an horible feeling that this is not a turbo version I will call into a dealer ship on monday. Thank again every-one.

Nightmare. IMHO Saab should have made it obvious, you shouldn't have to guess!

To find out for sure punch your VIN into here:

http://www.saabnet.ru/vin.html

It will tell you what engine you have - good luck.

And just to pre-empt your next question - no, it's not worth fitting a turbo, much much easier and cheaper to sell and buy a turbo.

But looking on the bright side, og9-3s (98-02) are dirt cheap, even in full fat flavour - I recommend an Aero

[NiceCupOfTea]

Update?

Just post the VIN (minus the last few digits) and we can let you know what it is!

[Prof Beard]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Courtesy? I'd have taken it as an insult!

Many years ago my dad traded his 9000 2.3T in against a blue L reg very early ng900 2.0n/a. What a piece of st that was. Early 900 meant it was riddled with faults and design flaws, and it was so slow it needed ragging everywhere meaning appalling fuel consumption. Dark days in Saab's history...

We had a 1994 900S Auto for donkey's years - it did 220,000 miles before becoming unreliable. Interestingly it was one with the B206 engine (see below) - it went acceptably for my wife, but because you used the "S" button and kick-down a fair bit, fuel consumption was not impressive - she gets better from her current 2001 9-5 SE Auto Estate.

("The B206 is a version of B204 but without the double balance shafts. It was only offered as a naturally aspirated engine B206I producing 133 hp (99 kW), seemingly a Europe-only option in 1994-1996 non turbo 900 NGs. This engine is popular among Saab tuners in Sweden (e.g. Trollspeed) due to the lack of balance shafts but with presumably equal strength as the turbo blocks with balance shafts.")

[tonyvid]

ianrbt said:

Very good, thank-you to all contributers. I have an horible feeling that this is not a turbo version I will call into a dealer ship on monday. Thank again every-one.

Can you not just look under the bonnet? The turbo is the funny roundish thing between the engine and the top of the exhaust pipe - if it doesn't look like the inards of a washing machine it isn't a turbo

[goodwoodweirdo]

tonyvid said:

ianrbt said:

Very good, thank-you to all contributers. I have an horible feeling that this is not a turbo version I will call into a dealer ship on monday. Thank again every-one.

Can you not just look under the bonnet? The turbo is the funny roundish thing between the engine and the top of the exhaust pipe - if it doesn't look like the inards of a washing machine it isn't a turbo

maybe somebody stole the turbo .....