1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
WB - -
I hate to jump in and spend someone else's money for him, or obligate him to lots of nasty work.
My approach to this would be, to judge whether the list you've been handed is really work that's needed, and also, as I'm a big DIYer, it looks as if every item on it is way overpriced.
One other poster on here has said he's never seen a 9000 that needed a new radiator. Nor have I. Even here in the salt-corrosion hell of the Northeast, they seem to go through the years in fine shape. They're well back from front of car and have pretty good skirts and shrouds around them.
Not to say it couldn't be so, and obviously, if it's been in an accident and the fan has been driven into it, maybe then.
Is it overheating? Is the car losing coolant, and if so, from where? If the heater core is bad, you'll be smelling antifreeze inside the car, and that will obviously need fixing. Sometimes even that is actually broken plastic couplings in the heater hoses, just inside the "false firewall" under the "aquarium cover."
Saab's rubber hoses are of darn good quality from what I've seen, and unless soaked in oil or otherwise stressed may be perfectly fine for life. I'd wonder about the upper radiator hose - - it sits up clear of any contamination and isn't really under any stress unless someone has overtightened the hose clamps on it and crushed it at the ends. Anyways, that one's a piece of cake to get at and change, not much money either.
E-brake cables rarely if ever go bad on these cars. Are you sure they're needed? You may have the parts already but don't pay to install something that's not needed. Be sure the cables aren't moving in and out of their sheaths before you go to the trouble on this one. It's no fun. Far more likely, if e-brakes aren't working, is that the little arm on the caliper is not moving through its proper motions when pulled on and released. They might be freed up by lubing and working back and forth, or you might need rebuilt rear calipers.
The tie rod end can be done at home; and, with luck, no alignment immediately needed unless car is pulling or something. There's a lock nut on the threaded arm of the tie rod. You crack that loose from the tie rod end, but run it back just to where it was, up against the end. Then make sure it stays there as you unscrew the old tie rod end and install the new one, just down to touching the lock nut. They may have folks scared that they're not machined the same as the originals, but most likely they are exact replacements and you'll not be off more than a fraction of a thread turn of the locknut if you reinstall where old one was.
I've never flushed power steering fluid on a car, or brake fluid, though many swear the brake fluid change helps with long life of components. That's a lot of money. I'd hold off on that till you know if you need rear calipers. If so, changing them out involves so much fresh fluid that it's a flush, at least of the rear lines and calipers.
And $50 for "battery service"??!!! Go to Sears and buy their best Diehard, brand new, and they'll clean the terminals when they install it. Buy the felt washers there too, that will add maybe $5, and you'll probably have spent around $100 and have six years of perfect battery behavior ahead of you. And this is only if your present battery is giving some trouble and is more than three years old.
Good luck. If you're locked into this garage, at least be politely but firmly skeptical on everything they say you need. Salesmanship will often back away from "needs" when faced with questions.
May I observe, you could buy a pretty good car for the kind of money you have listed there for repairs on this one.
posted by 71.173.65...
, Sun, 28 Oct 2012 08:33:38
, Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:37:11
, Thu, 25 Oct 2012 07:30:18
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