1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
In response to your questions for clarification:
The clutch feels very tight. To operate the vehicle smoothly, one must focus on precisely operating the clutch/throttle. In the course of diagnosing the problem, I drove several other 9000s, all of whose clutches were extremely forgiving. (Original clutches with mileage ranging from 35k - 97k.) Their window of proper engagement was about a 2-3" throw. Mine has about a 1/2" window of proper engagement that must be accompanied by the perfect amount of throttle.
With a normal clutch, if you release the clutch too quickly you'll get a bounce...especially when engaging 1st and 2nd gears. With mine, you almost always get that bounce - unless you are engineering-precise about the clutch and throttle.
It's not so much a question of foot pressure; although, you must use more pressure than in the other 9000s I drove.
When the line was bled, the required amount of foot pressure decreased. But the most significant improvement was in the amount of throw for proper engagement and the forgiveness of the clutch.
I'm assuming that the pieces of rubber found in the hose were at the union between the master and slave cylinders and that they were found by draining some fluid and inspecting the contents.
As for the warranty: I didn't buy the car at a Saab dealership, which would probably have made dealing with this easier. I bought it from Thompson Toyota in Doylestown, PA (avoid them at all costs - they've been miserable to work with).
In the course of diagnosing the problem, I took the car to four different Saab dealerships and a Saab repair specialist. Three of them pointed to the master and slave cylinder replacement. Two said that the clutch mechanism felt off and recommended rebuilding it, indicating that would likely take care of the problem. Of those three that pointed to the master/slave, the most recent one knew to inspect the fluid for the rubber particles, giving an accurate diagnosis rather than the others who were less committal about the diagnosis and extent of required repair.
Thompson refuses to pay for the repair, citing the different diagnoses (as well as the cost). Additionally, they're now trying to reneg since I'm out of the warranty period...despite my complaints that were well within the warranty period.
The problem doesn't seem like something that should have ever happened in the first place. This is not usual wear-and-tear. I bought the car a year ago with 32k miles and it now has 44k miles. I would be ammenable to paying the $1200 to replace the clutch if the car had higher mileage and was clearly worn. But this is not the case!!!
I don't know how to go about addressing this with Saab. I'm continuing my efforts with Thompson Toyota. How do you get blood from a stone?!
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