Saab 9000 CS 1991 test drive - 1998 sedan

$9000

Sweden is glorious not only with its families, Abba, Kid and Carlson, the Nobel Prize and Vodka Absolute. She also has good cars. For example, Saab 9000.
 
A happy fate: whether a joke, 14 years on the conveyor, and all this time, and now, after retirement, stable popularity. Solid, but not at all pompous. Once very cool (in the perception of our public), but for some reason, for some reason is completely not mafia. Big. Convenient and comfortable. It was not without reason that former aviators built it powerful and fast. Strong and reliable, like a viking boat. It's all about him
The Swedes surprised the world when in 1984 the first version of the Saab 9000 was released: the minced meat, embedded in the car, at that time was considered very chic. A full electric package, regular, not optional ABS, climate control, decent music of such investments expected from anyone, but not from the rocky-econosa scandinavians. The car was accepted with interest. The costs of the company justified itself.
In 1993, the models made a serious restyling: outwardly, it became completely different, of course, more modern. Did it become better internally? The question is very controversial. The company, of course, claims that yes. But Russian clients, faithful to the Saab brand, believe that the old version is better, and the new (19931998) developed on the principle of the farther, the worse. Arguments? There are two of them.
The first argument. In 1993, under pressure from the Swedish green, the company changed the body painting technology: they stopped adding a useful plasticizer for the machine (holds paint) to the paint, but, they say, terribly harmful to the environment (at the stage of coating). And the paint began to roll up quickly. This was demonstrated to us on the service: many cars in the old body look still quite decent, in the new one rather flaky. Especially often chips appear on the bottom of the doors. The care of the company about the ecology, of course, is noble, but tinting one door from the bottom of the molding costs $ 150. And how many doors are there for Saab?
The argument is second. Since 1995, other varieties of plastics began to be used at nine thousandths; Probably also for the sake of ecology. And it came around. In particular, the car has an evergreen place: a gelatic speedometer. She is quickly eaten, and the speedometer lies or is generally silent. Trifle? No. The speedometer is tied to onboard electronics, and its lies are reflected on the engine: for example, idle speed begins to swim. The gear costs $ 78, and its replacement is $ 30. But Hochma is that the new one will be made of plastic of the same variety.
Well, the arguments are convincing, but there are clearly not enough of them to shit saabs in a new body. We will write off on the eternal before everything was better
By and large, in the first 100 thousand km of the SAAB 9000 run, the owner does not create serious problems. Classic 2.0- and 2.3-liter engines (both may not be turbo and not turbo), as well as a 3.0-liter (for Griffin configuration), which has been produced since 1995, deserve the kindest words. But, alas, after hundreds of thousands and their whims begin.
Gradually, a fuel pump is dying. At first, the engine is badly pulling, pulling, troit, when starting, the rattle is heard. Further worse: it will not start at all. The gas pump needs to be changed. This is $ 290 for iron and $ 55 for work.
The same symptoms are possible if the ignition cassette dies (the Direct Ignition system on 2.3 liters; for each candle its own ignition coil). The system is indispensable, so the cassette is not repaired, but thrown away. And they put a new one: $ 370 plus $ 10 for replacement.
The idle valve begins to step aside. If there are no scratches and no backwards during disassembly, then you will get off $ 4044 for cleaning. If there are scratches, then you will have to buy ($ 220230) and set ($ 3033) new.
After 200 thousand km, the timing chain rumbles and rumbles. It is better to change it with all the giblets, once and for all. Package: $ 54 (chain) and $ 174 (3 shoes and tensioner). Work $ 600.
TRANSMISSION. The natural death of the automatic box usually occurs at the age of 200 thousand km. In principle, you can resurrect the machine on the service of $ 1200 for the bulkhead and $ 8001500 for parts, but there is no reliable guarantee: as a rule, technical stations do not have stands for checking the checkpoint. It makes sense to write out a machine from the factory through dealers. The new one will cost $ 6000. Bauschy crossed at the factory and drove off at $ 3600. Replacing $ 440. Take used and do not hesitate. The plant gives a guarantee. Consider, get a new box at half -price
 
SUSPENSION. Up to 100 thousand km one problem: the rear silent blocks of the front levers. There are about 40 thousand km. Many thanks to the car for the fact that they can be changed not assembled with levers, but separately (Silent Block $ 36, replacement $ 28). After 100 thousand km, how lucky. If you are lucky with shock absorbers, change them with a package, so cheaper. Full set (up to bolts) for the entire car $ 700, replacement $ 440. Changing individually goes 1.5 times more expensive.
Small things. They defeated the headlight do not rush to lay out $ 220 per new. You can insert a new glass. It costs $ 53 and another $ 20 will be asked for work.
Weak place the muffler suspension. The elastic bands are torn quickly, just have time to unfasten $ 5.5 apiece (if you certainly want to be branded) and $ 5.5 per hang (if you reluctantly get dirty).
After 80 thousand km, as a rule, the so -called corrugation dies the reception of the exhaust system. It costs $ 200. Replacing $ 30. It seems expensive. But once every two turns around the earth along the equator you can fork out. Therefore, the corrugation is also attributed to the little things.
PURCHASE. An exceptionally subtle moment. The main thing here is not to cool the nuances of pre -sale preparation. Even the most cunning sellers often forget about trifles. Your task is to identify these little things; They can highlight a lot. A couple of examples.
The dashboard dangles slightly. Why? Most likely because it was shot. From below, the panel is attached to rubber bushes. When eating, they often fall out and are lost. They put the panel back without them (the most common puncture of sellers), and landing is loose. Why removed? You have every right to suspect: then to twist the speedometer
On the seat belts there should be white rag labels with the year of release. If they are cut off or a year on them does not correspond to the year of production of the car, that is, the reason to be warmed up. If the belt does not stretch and does not crawl back into the nest too. The front belts of the nine thousands of pyrotechnic, with a strong blow, their cartridges work with Airbeg, after which the belts are fixed dead.
Next: Airbeg worked? The lamp on the instrument panel will not help here: they will get it out and say that it has burned out. We advise you to check the Airbeg control unit at the technical station ($ 2025); You can’t hide the truth there. Without doing this, you can punish yourself for a lot of money, if the pillow turns out to be used, and you will want to bring the system into a combat state. Each shot of Airbeg costs $ 3,500 for details (you need to change the pillow itself, the control unit and the pyrotechnic belts mentioned above) and $ 165275 for work.
Saab 9000 is not a Lada, here the expert may be mistaken in the assessment. Therefore, nevertheless, we recommend that you drive the purchased car for the service. You can check the total serviceability of dollars per hundred. Compared to possible repair costs, this is nothing.
 
Text Sergey Sorokin, photo Alexey Ilyin, drawing Vladimir Belov
 

Source: "Autopilot"