SAAB

[Grannygrinder]

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Would it benefit from a remap?
I know most diesels over fuel at the bottom of the rev range and under fuel at the top?

 

[hamster]

The 9-5 is based on the 9000, not a Vectra (that was the 9-3).

Having owned a 9000 for 9 years and with pals owning 2.2 TDI 9-5, my thoughts are:
1 They are reasonably well-built, but some things are a pig to change and are not designed for dismantling.
2 The 9-5 is a great long-distance cruiser, very refined and comfortable but no B-road blaster. Handling is a bit scrabbly with front wheel drive. If you are light with your foot they can be very economical (and the reverse applies!)
3 They are definitely unfashionable so good value.
4 The 2.2 GM unit has problems with the cylinder head - my Saab dealer always kept a special GM issued repair kit in stock. The fact that a special kit exists says something.
5 The better one is the 1.9 Fiat 150BHP diesel motor in later cars, while less BHP it's much more useful in the real world, smoother and more reliable.
6 The 9-5 estate is huuuuuuuge inside, refined and very comfortable for big distances.

 

[poweredbypies]

Get an old petrol saab with a b20* lump in it now they are bombproof. Someone on a saab forum took a 2.3 turbo engine apart at 230,000 miles and the cross hatching was still visable in the bores. Solid engines.

 

[hamster]

My local dealer serviced a 2.3 with 800,000 on the clock, with no rebuild yet needed!

 

[poweredbypies]

Proper saab engines are tough stuff. Some tuned there 9-3 2.0turbo to over 660bhp and was still using standard stuff for the majority of the engine

 

[legrandefromage]

Later 95 (2002 ish) are vectra based and as for using fiat diesels - are you sure? GM had owned saab from around 92 with fiat using peugeot/ citroen units so i'd be surprised. Our own fiat diesel has been fautless but would never expect that to have been used by saab.

Thing is with your expected mileages everything cries for a spanner every five minutes. The current 4th gen mondeo has so far been far less reliable than a well run in 3rd gen TDDI or TCDI. I once ran my TDDI for 18 months on the same oil hoping to kill it. Not a tging! Apart from a split pipe the damn thing wouldn't die whereas a 2008 4th gen ate its DMF at 38000 miles.

Driving them all day you start to see patterns in the cars on the back of recovery vehicles - 2 3 4 year olds with annoyed drivers scratching their heads. Mostly X Typee jags this month.

 

[s_zigmond]

I used to have a 2.2 9-3. Excellent engine and go on for ever. Mine at 150000+ on it, and was still going strong. Roumour has it the fuel pumps can be week, but I know alot of vec owners with the 2.2 and they have had no issues.

The 1.9 is a fiat engine, and has a number of common faults. Once these are fixed though the go on for ever.

Join vectra-c.com and we will answer any questions you have about the 1.9 and 2.2.

 

[suburbanreuben]

Proper saab engines are tough stuff. Some tuned there 9-3 2.0turbo to over 660bhp and was still using standard stuff for the majority of the engine

Is that still based on the Dolly Sprint lump?

 

[suburbanreuben]

GM were legally contracted to buy Fiat a couple of years ago' When push came to shove, they couldn't afford to, and the penalty payment was the cheaper option. This gave Fiat enough dough to develop the 500...
Given the tie up , SAAB using a Fiat engine isn't really a surprise.

 

[We_are_Stevo]

Why buy a big, thirsty diesel when modern petrol engines give mpg stat's that put a motorbike to shame?? :shock: