Saab 9-3 1.8t only runs on three cylinders
Discussion
Hi all!
Picked up a tidy Saab 9-3 convertible as a "lockdown project". It was super cheap due to a possible blown head gasket, sure enough it had blown with water in the oil. Thought I would try some Steal Seal before getting into the engine... it worked and the car ran well for a while, no problems with temp etc.. Started blowing steam again and the problem was number two cylinder, another bottle later and there was no coolant loss or white smoke! There was however nothing happening in number two cylinder.. no bang! I checked compression and that was good, new plugs, swapped coil packs and that was fine... took out all the injectors and tested them, all good. When the car was originally running with the blown head gasket number two's plug was covered in flecks of hard white material, much like limescale which had cooked on with the heat.... could this effect the valves? Does this sound like stuck exhaust valves? I am negotiating for a replacement engine but would like to find an answer as to why the car ran well after the first "Seal" but not now although it has good compression? I might do a leak down test if I can find my pressure gauge. Grateful for any advice
Picked up a tidy Saab 9-3 convertible as a "lockdown project". It was super cheap due to a possible blown head gasket, sure enough it had blown with water in the oil. Thought I would try some Steal Seal before getting into the engine... it worked and the car ran well for a while, no problems with temp etc.. Started blowing steam again and the problem was number two cylinder, another bottle later and there was no coolant loss or white smoke! There was however nothing happening in number two cylinder.. no bang! I checked compression and that was good, new plugs, swapped coil packs and that was fine... took out all the injectors and tested them, all good. When the car was originally running with the blown head gasket number two's plug was covered in flecks of hard white material, much like limescale which had cooked on with the heat.... could this effect the valves? Does this sound like stuck exhaust valves? I am negotiating for a replacement engine but would like to find an answer as to why the car ran well after the first "Seal" but not now although it has good compression? I might do a leak down test if I can find my pressure gauge. Grateful for any advice
? ? ?
Don't think you read the post right?
I bought a project car.... head gasket failure.
I thought I would try some steel seal before swapping the engine.
In the process of getting price down with a breaker.
The post asks about valve issues causing the non firing even though there is good compression?
Don't think I said anything about being "miss-sold" or having a moan?
Don't think you read the post right?
I bought a project car.... head gasket failure.
I thought I would try some steel seal before swapping the engine.
In the process of getting price down with a breaker.
The post asks about valve issues causing the non firing even though there is good compression?
Don't think I said anything about being "miss-sold" or having a moan?
jm1489 said:
Not sure how you would come to that conclusion... "lockdown project".... "suspected headgasket" can't make it any clearer... you obviously haven't read the post in full anyway, don't worry about it.
jm1489 said:
I am negotiating for a replacement engine...
This is probably what is causing the confusion. Sorry I can't help with diagnosis. 
Clearly I bought the car as a "project" with known faults, one of which was a failed head gasket. "Before tearing into the engine" and a list of stuff done... negotiating means just that... as I hadn't put who I was negotiating with and prior to this sentence my comments were about my attempts to fix so rational thought would not link "negotiate" and "seller"? Ergo, 2+2 does not equal 5
jm1489 said:
There's dumb and then there's dumber! I wish peeps could learn to read... peace and outta here!
Indeed, trying to fix a car with steel seal is dumb !Basics as always....fuel, air, spark. Is it getting all 3, in the right quantities, and at the right time and on all cylinders.? Although helps if there is a good base engine in there...which you seem to know there is not with all the steel seal.
jm1489 said:
you obviously haven't read the post in full
I did, and managed to make sense of most of it, but it was obviously not as clear to other people as to you.Anyway, if you're chasing a misfire then check the basics, as has already been suggested.
Do you have a spark? Is there fuel in the cylinder?
gazza285 said:
If it has compression, then the valves are fine.
Depends on what the definition of "having compression" is.50psi, 100psi, 150psi, 200psi ? Details matter.
And if he says injectors are all good...he tested them ? ( how exactly ? properly tested by a company on a test rig ? ) The obvious things to check would be signal to injectors and coils.
Which all comes back to....fuel, air, spark.
stevieturbo said:
gazza285 said:
If it has compression, then the valves are fine.
Depends on what the definition of "having compression" is.50psi, 100psi, 150psi, 200psi ? Details matter.
And if he says injectors are all good...he tested them ? ( how exactly ? properly tested by a company on a test rig ? ) The obvious things to check would be signal to injectors and coils.
Which all comes back to....fuel, air, spark.
gazza285 said:
OP says it has good compression, so I would take that to mean within spec. Unless you think the OP might be a little out of his knowledge base here?
Compression doesn't necessarily mean it's moving air. For example a broken exhaust rocker would produce fine compression readings, but would prevent it firing. It needs the basics checking - and the OP doesn't seem interested in that.GreenV8S said:
gazza285 said:
OP says it has good compression, so I would take that to mean within spec. Unless you think the OP might be a little out of his knowledge base here?
Compression doesn't necessarily mean it's moving air. For example a broken exhaust rocker would produce fine compression readings, but would prevent it firing. It needs the basics checking - and the OP doesn't seem interested in that.As for the engine? I would have taken the head off first, my faith in the efficacy of a bottled instant head gasket repair is low.
gazza285 said:
I agree with that, but the engine has had a cylinder head gasket failure, and the chances of both exhaust valve cam followers breaking at the same time are pretty minimal.
As for the engine? I would have taken the head off first, my faith in the efficacy of a bottled instant head gasket repair is low.
It was picked up super cheap with a possible head gasket failure......the reality could well be very different.As for the engine? I would have taken the head off first, my faith in the efficacy of a bottled instant head gasket repair is low.
I recall a guy I know many years ago bought a cheap Omega 2.5td at an auction. It was off a cylinder....perhaps not a huge fix ?
LOL....it was a cracker.
For whatever reason....a complete rod/piston had been removed, the oil journal on the crank welded up and it thrown back together so it would start and run, clearly so it would drive through the auction, rather than being a non runner.
not such a cheap fix after all.
stevieturbo said:
gazza285 said:
I agree with that, but the engine has had a cylinder head gasket failure, and the chances of both exhaust valve cam followers breaking at the same time are pretty minimal.
As for the engine? I would have taken the head off first, my faith in the efficacy of a bottled instant head gasket repair is low.
It was picked up super cheap with a possible head gasket failure......the reality could well be very different.As for the engine? I would have taken the head off first, my faith in the efficacy of a bottled instant head gasket repair is low.
I recall a guy I know many years ago bought a cheap Omega 2.5td at an auction. It was off a cylinder....perhaps not a huge fix ?
LOL....it was a cracker.
For whatever reason....a complete rod/piston had been removed, the oil journal on the crank welded up and it thrown back together so it would start and run, clearly so it would drive through the auction, rather than being a non runner.
not such a cheap fix after all.
he realised when he tried to cure the misfire/hesitation it went rapidly back to auction the following day where someone made the same mistake to bid 
he heard no more Gassing Station | Engines & Drivetrain | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff