bulkhead cracke a
Discussion
If you are in doubt then dont drive it, the crack will only get worse.
Personally you wouldnt get me in a car with a cracked bulkhead so I wouldnt drive myself in a car with a cracked bulkhead- see what I mean.
edited to add:
the crack could grow across the bulkhead, the bulkhead acts as a firewall, keeps the chassis rails apart, and serves as a mount for the brake servo and master cylinder plus the steering rack.
If the crack comprimises any of these elements which rely on the bulkhead being rigid then you could loose steering, brakes, front chassis geometry, and in the event of a crash the fire will travel into the cabin through the split.
You should take then car to a specialist engineer and get their opinion on whteher or not it can be repaired - immediately.
Personally you wouldnt get me in a car with a cracked bulkhead so I wouldnt drive myself in a car with a cracked bulkhead- see what I mean.
edited to add:
the crack could grow across the bulkhead, the bulkhead acts as a firewall, keeps the chassis rails apart, and serves as a mount for the brake servo and master cylinder plus the steering rack.
If the crack comprimises any of these elements which rely on the bulkhead being rigid then you could loose steering, brakes, front chassis geometry, and in the event of a crash the fire will travel into the cabin through the split.
You should take then car to a specialist engineer and get their opinion on whteher or not it can be repaired - immediately.
Edited by hman on Tuesday 17th November 23:16
I think all this is a red herring
The cracking is part of normal aging process of the car
Its a crack between two pieces spot welded and covered in sealant
There were worries as it makes the steering rack slightly floppy but VOSA unbolted the rack, found the car was still steerable and so refused to issue a recall notice.
There are far worse things to worry about as a car ages
However if still worried you can get the weld redone with a plate from Saab.
It's one of those things that if you dont know about it, you wont worry about it.
Waits for someone to post a picture with a ginormous crack running front to back of the car
The cracking is part of normal aging process of the car
Its a crack between two pieces spot welded and covered in sealant
There were worries as it makes the steering rack slightly floppy but VOSA unbolted the rack, found the car was still steerable and so refused to issue a recall notice.
There are far worse things to worry about as a car ages
However if still worried you can get the weld redone with a plate from Saab.
It's one of those things that if you dont know about it, you wont worry about it.
Waits for someone to post a picture with a ginormous crack running front to back of the car
From the photos I've seen ( but stand to be corrected) it's not really a crack but a spot weld letting go where theyve folded the metal sheet to make a bulkhead shape and have tack welded the ends of it together and covered in sealant to prevent it leaking. I think thats why VOSA arent bothered.
What was yours like and what difference did it make?
MAaybe there are two different issues, with different symptoms.
What was yours like and what difference did it make?
MAaybe there are two different issues, with different symptoms.
i contacted a saab specialist, -he said a crack will develop but if it gets worse, there will be more play in the steering, which can affect handling.
i got a quote for 289quid to fix it.
if i turn the steering wheel at full lock, i can hear a cracking noise and rubber brushing rubber- tyres?
the car steers as norm
if i have 4 people in the car , the brake pedal feel changes and gets heavier- is that relate?
thanks for the advice pistonheads
next call is aftersales boss Saab Sweden
i got a quote for 289quid to fix it.
if i turn the steering wheel at full lock, i can hear a cracking noise and rubber brushing rubber- tyres?
the car steers as norm
if i have 4 people in the car , the brake pedal feel changes and gets heavier- is that relate?
thanks for the advice pistonheads
next call is aftersales boss Saab Sweden
K321 said:
i contacted a saab specialist, -he said a crack will develop but if it gets worse, there will be more play in the steering, which can affect handling.
i got a quote for 289quid to fix it.
if i turn the steering wheel at full lock, i can hear a cracking noise and rubber brushing rubber- tyres?
the car steers as norm
if i have 4 people in the car , the brake pedal feel changes and gets heavier- is that relate?
thanks for the advice pistonheads
next call is aftersales boss Saab Sweden
But there's nothing in there which says it's a problem i got a quote for 289quid to fix it.
if i turn the steering wheel at full lock, i can hear a cracking noise and rubber brushing rubber- tyres?
the car steers as norm
if i have 4 people in the car , the brake pedal feel changes and gets heavier- is that relate?
thanks for the advice pistonheads
next call is aftersales boss Saab Sweden
ok the specialist will fix it for you if want to give up some cash
It's similar to going in for an MOT and being told that it's passed but the pads are getting low and the discs are rusty. There's no presumption that there's any harm in that but quite a few people will then request they be changed.
saaby93 said:
I think all this is a red herring
The cracking is part of normal aging process of the car
Its a crack between two pieces spot welded and covered in sealant
There were worries as it makes the steering rack slightly floppy but VOSA unbolted the rack, found the car was still steerable and so refused to issue a recall notice.
There are far worse things to worry about as a car ages
However if still worried you can get the weld redone with a plate from Saab.
It's one of those things that if you dont know about it, you wont worry about it.
Waits for someone to post a picture with a ginormous crack running front to back of the car
It's anything but 'normal aging process' . There have been multiple cases of cars failing MOTs due to the cracks. Definitely not normal for a car which may only be 6 years old (convertibles...)The cracking is part of normal aging process of the car
Its a crack between two pieces spot welded and covered in sealant
There were worries as it makes the steering rack slightly floppy but VOSA unbolted the rack, found the car was still steerable and so refused to issue a recall notice.
There are far worse things to worry about as a car ages
However if still worried you can get the weld redone with a plate from Saab.
It's one of those things that if you dont know about it, you wont worry about it.
Waits for someone to post a picture with a ginormous crack running front to back of the car
Advice from the 9-3 experts is to fit a steering rack clamp - this spreads the load and prevents the cracks forming.
rscott said:
It's anything but 'normal aging process' . There have been multiple cases of cars failing MOTs due to the cracks.
I know there have been a few cases of failing MOTs but as VOSA aren't worried about it, is this more to do with the MOT station than the car?Or are there two different classes of crack
Edited by saaby93 on Wednesday 25th November 15:52
saaby93 said:
rscott said:
It's anything but 'normal aging process' . There have been multiple cases of cars failing MOTs due to the cracks.
I know there have been a few cases of failing MOTs but as VOSA aren't worried about it, is this more to do with the MOT station than the car?Or are there two different classes of crack
If the tester finds cracks in the bulkhead, then the vehicle is an MOT failure. They're not always spotted straight away because the testers aren't allowed to remove the sound deadening material to check.
Lots more info here - http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t...
That still doesnt answer my question
Who's deciding it's an MOT failure?
VOSA have said it's a non-issue
That guy opening the thread over there says ' This is an important saftey issue' but doesn't back it up.
I havent seen any substance on this yet, it seems to be chinese whispers.
Photos half way down here from Will Aye with a wheel brace forcing the panel!
http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t...
Who's deciding it's an MOT failure?
VOSA have said it's a non-issue
That guy opening the thread over there says ' This is an important saftey issue' but doesn't back it up.
I havent seen any substance on this yet, it seems to be chinese whispers.
Photos half way down here from Will Aye with a wheel brace forcing the panel!
http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t...
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