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Re: Buying a used Saab 9000 CSE - what to check for? Posted by Pete [Email]  (#2000) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Pete) on Sat, 9 Dec 2006 10:39:38
In Reply to: Re: Buying a used Saab 9000 CSE - what to check for?, davidk, Sat, 9 Dec 2006 06:35:45 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Keep in mind, I'm not an expert on mechanical issues, so this won't have much of a technical slant. I owned a 1993 CSE and in the process of restoring it, there were a couple of big ticket items:
The ignition cassette was fairly expensive to replace and commonly goes out. I think that's recall item, though. The head gasket was also quite expensive. The timing chain and the balance chain were huge. While my car was said to have had 94,000, it had to have these two items replaced. They typically go out at around 160,000 miles. Hmmmm.
The radiator was quite alot more than I expected it to be. Heater cores are a big ticket item. Driver airbag is another. Traction control can also be a mess if your car has it. My experience was that even the models without traction control had superb traction. Then you have all of the little electrical gremlins that result from other things - like incorrect spark plug gap, dirty air filters, off idle etc ... My suggestion would be to tune the car thoroughly before going after any indicator/warning light issues.
Clutches can be big if it's actually the clutch that goes out. If you let out the clutch and it spins, then the clutch itself may be shot. If the pedal seems to sporadically and then suddenly go to the floor, it might be the hydraulic/slave portion which isn't so expensive to replace. Auto transmissions are tough - at least in Aero's - because you can't hardly get them anywhere - $3000 was what I was quoted, and apparently the reliability on the rebuilds are awful. I don't know if the Aero trans is the same as the CSE. Most just convert over to a manual at that point. Be very wary of clunking when your car shifts under throttle. Apparently, the original transmission fluid turns to glop over time, so with an Aero, this problem eventully disappeared with 3 transmission oil and filter changes in a row.
Ball joints and CV boots are common and not especially cheap. On CV boots, if they go too long, the mechanism that it covers can get ruined and cost $600 or so.
I personally wouldn't buy a CSE that wasn't a turbo. They seemed too sluggish and the AC even bogged it down further. The gas mileage is surprisingly close on the low pressure and non turbo models.
Hope that helps. Good luck.
posted by 64.136.27...
, Sat, 9 Dec 2006 10:39:38 <-- Viewing This Message
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