 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Saab Cars / October 2004Terminal diagnosis but car still running, and due MOT - any advice?
Hi, I have a 1996 9000 CD Eco Turbo with 70,000 miles on the clock. I bought it 8 months ago for ?2,500 and I do about 8,000 miles per year. It's been diagnosed with a faulty/deteriorating automatic gearbox pump, and I'm told that the cheapest way to deal with it - recon gearbox - will amount to well over ?1,000 if I go to a Saab approved garage, and something around that much if I go to a normal garage. I was also told (by a Saab approve garage, second opinion from non Saab approved automatic transmission workshop) that it might go on for several years with no more problem than being noisy, and it might pack up tomorrow. It also has a cracked windscreen (definite MOT failure) and is due four new tyres and who knows what else. I have to MOT it in two weeks. Does anyone have a view on whether I should do any of the following: Just scrap it - it's not worth the gamble that it could pack up two days later Pay for the MOT test, and if only the windscreen and tyres come up, pay for those and hope the gearbox pump lasts long enough to justify it Pay for all that any fairly reasonable amount of extra work, e.g. consumables like brake pads Take it through the MOT and then also pay for the gearbox pump repair if it's necessary in the next year Any thoughts would be very much appreciated. Cheers, Jez "...it might go on for several years with no more problem than being noisy, and it might pack up tomorrow. It also has a cracked windscreen (definite MOT failure) and is due four new tyres and who knows what else." Hey Jez Tricky .. you don't want to throw good money after bad.. but you don't want to junk your new car either... I remember when we bought our 9000CS just over a year ago. I *really* wanted the car, but I was paranoid about impossibly problems. So before we bought it, I took it to the local Saab dealer for a once-over. It cost ?70 and the only thing they could fault was "slightly too much oil in the engine"! (so we bought it). So - maybe you could take it a bona-fide Saab dealer for a pre-MOT checkover (?100)??? You'll get a full report and an estimate, which you could then take to a trusted local grease monkey without the scary labour rates.... If there's nothing really wrong with it, you could then get it throught its MOT for 4 tyres (?150) and windscreen (isn't that on your insurance.. ?50 excess)?? With 1year's MOT it would be easier to sell, or you could hang on to it while you save up for the gear box pump repair ... Good luck whatever... > Tricky .. you don't want to throw good money after bad.. but you don't want > to junk your new car either... Then again, money spent on tires isn't wasted if you're going to buy another Saab that those wheels will fit... > So - maybe you could take it a bona-fide Saab dealer for a pre-MOT checkover > (£100)??? You'll get a full report and an estimate, which you could then > take to a trusted local grease monkey without the scary labour rates.... Agreed, good idea. Dave Hinz Thanks guys, all advice greatly appreciated - same for all other posters. One thing, though; wouldn't it achieve the same results at a cheaper price to actually take it through an MOT, which costs around ?30? The garage would give me an estimate of the works needed. Cheers, Jez >> Tricky .. you don't want to throw good money after bad.. but you don't >> want [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Dave Hinz wouldn't it achieve the same results at a cheaper price to actually take it through an MOT, which costs around ?30? The garage would give me an estimate of the works needed. Could do, but a standard MOT doesn't cover things like failing gear boxes... Personally I'd rather be re-assured there weren't other / worse things wrong before spending more money. And although a bit more expensive, your local Saab dealer should give you an honest, comprehensive report on the state of the car / engine - not just for the MOT. If its just the noise that the trans is making more worst when it is cold. Then that is the pump, not that bad to do as Saab sells a kit that includes new pump and gasket and very easy to fit with gearbox removed. Very common problem in Australia > Any thoughts would be very much appreciated. Scrapping it and buying another car will cost you a lot more than having it fixed. And you'll still have no guarantees then.  SignatureBezit en wijsheid zijn illusies > [9000 possibly on the verge of expensive collapse] I cannot advise on your odds. But there are two intangibles you might factor in: (1) how much is peace of mind worth (ie, that it won't suddenly let you down at a really bad moment); and (2) any money you spend sooner will have longer in which to be amortised. -- Andrew Stephenson > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > being noisy, and it might pack up tomorrow. It also has a cracked windscreen > (definite MOT failure) and is due four new tyres and who knows what else. When buying a 9000T about 7 years ago, the Auckland Saab dealers inspected it and said the turbo was blowing smoke and on its way out. I factored that in when I bought it; my son now has the car and the same turbo is as strong as an ox!! Fingers crossed. If that is all that's wrong with it you could have a nice car there. SignatureRichard Sutherland-Smith 19 Webb Road, Wanganui 5001, New Zealand > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > being noisy, and it might pack up tomorrow. It also has a cracked windscreen > (definite MOT failure) and is due four new tyres and who knows what else. Get the work done, then you'll have luxury transport for years to come. Use a proper workshop that know what they're doing. 70,000 miles is nothing much for this car, but you can expect that it need some attention which the previous owner didn't bother with for obvious reasons; that's why you only paid £2,500. >> Hi, >> [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > owner didn't bother with for obvious reasons; that's why you only paid > ?2,500. Hmm, thanks for the advice, but I'm afraid I'm not so optimistic. The car came with a full Saab service history and just one owner, but as I bought it it went wrong and I had to replace the aic valve and the ecu. Also, it was diagnosed as an aic fault by a Saab accredited garage and another Saab accredited garage replaced the it. It was still faulty, hence an immediate ecu replacement, so I suspect the aic was a mis-diagnosis, but when I asked for the old one back just a day later I was told "the cleaner took it away". Also, my last car was a Saab, also low mileage and fssh, and it was always in the (Saab accredited) repair shop - fuel pump, air con, gearbox, radiator... Anyway, I've got it booked in for its MOT in a couple of weeks and I'll take it from there. Cheers, Jez > >> Hi, > >> [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > ecu replacement, so I suspect the aic was a mis-diagnosis, but when I asked > for the old one back just a day later I was told "the cleaner took it away". The aic can sometimes get contaminated, but replacing the ecu is far more expensive and sounds drastic to me. I bought my 93' CSE LPT in 97 with 50k miles on it. Soon a number of issues came up since the previous owner obviously left any concerns to the new owner (me). I did replace the aic and the DI, but the real trouble was the head gasket, possibly related to manufacturing problems as we've heard. Later on I had gearbox overhauled, new radiator, timing chain and CAT (auch). However, once fixed the car was marvelous. It has now 103k miles on and spinning like new. Slightly OT, but just to put your cost in perspective: Bought a 1995 9000 CSE 2.3 LPT in excellent condition with 150,000 km on it two years ago for [insert breath-holding pause here] the equivalent of around ?15,000 - and was fairly happy (not a bargain, but considering the state of the car - ok). Spent on a brand new car, that would have bought me a KIA something. Poor KIA. Here in overtaxed DK we pay for 2.8 cars, but get only one.... Personally, I would happily pour anything less than ?1000 a year into it to keep it running (hasn't happened yet, though). regards Per > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > > Jez Hmm... did I mention that as soon as I bought it it went wrong and I had to replace the aic valve and the ecu? Thanks for all the advice, though, everyone. I've booked it in for an MOT and will make a judgement based on that. Neo Brothers have given me a price of about ?485 for a recon gearbox when the time comes, and I reckon the fitting shouldn't be too much more than that if I stay away from Saab accredited garages. Cheers, Jez > Slightly OT, but just to put your cost in perspective: > [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] >> >> Jez |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.