Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:58:43 GMT From: nospamnospame.rr.com (Kevin Rhodes) Subject: Re: 2001 95 V6 Wagon beware
> >Yes look for oil leaks, especially at the top of engine. Leaks right >down into the spark plugs. Check for cracks in the flexible exhaust Y >pipe - poor implementation and/or design. See previous posts about the >oil cooler - very expensive to fix due to it very unique placement :-) >The timing belt is very important. If not done properply or it fails >you will be looking at a new head - not cheap. This engine has two DI >cassettes - twice the fun at twice the price. This is not what I would >call a "bullet proof" engine. I personally had the pleasure of most of >these problems and I am sticking with my C900. > So far, at 60K I have just the beginnings of the typical cover plate O-ring leak to deal with. That will cost $2 and 30 minutes of my time. Gasket replacement at high mileage is a fact of life - nothing lasts forever. I spend lots of time on the Saabnet 9-5 BBS, have not seen any complaints about the exhaust system. I think that is a large enough forum that all the typical problems are well represented. Pretty much every comparable V6 engined car uses a timing belt with a replacement interval. It is part of required maintenance. Yes, some engines have a chain instead - ask all the owners of 2.3l 9000s how much it cost to have those replaced when they wore out at early ages thanks to a bad batch. Or the several people I personally know with 4cyl 9-5s with sludge issues. DI cassettes now cost $150 each, and the car in question will get free new ones in the recall. Given that the plain old plug wires in my 91 BMW 318is are $155, and need replacing every 50K I fail to see DI cassettes as a major expense. I keep a spare in the trunk. At $150 each I could almost consider them a maintenance item - I will likely replace mine at 100K miles. Did you have a 9-5 V6 or a 9K/NG900 V6? - very different engines. The earlier V6 was certainly problematical, the newer is not. YMMV. Kevin Rhodes
