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I am about to buy a used 2002 9-3 from IM Saab in Falls Church, VA. The car is high mileage- 100K- off warranty but fairly inexpensive [$8K] considering it's loaded [all the bells and whistles work] and looks practically new. It has a clean CarFax and I will be the third owner. I had it checked out by a mechanic and he said it needed a tranny fluid flush, new rotors and, this is the area that most concerned me, he heard a noise he couldn't account for in the engine and his guess was it was the timing chain/tensioners. That sent up a red flag. An indy Saab mechanic quoted me $3K to fix that! He didn't get any computer codes when he ran the diagnostic and my other areas of concerns checked out fine- transmission, alternator, ignition cassette, exhaust, turbo, etc.
I test drove this car twice and I noticed nothing wrong with the engine and, from what little I know of the timing chain, if it has gone bad it is pretty damn obvious [engine very loud and car very undriveable]. This is what the dealership said and that they wouldn't even put a car out on the lot if this was a problem. They checked it out and didn't find any problems. They also said Saab engines just sound different from other cars and that was what my mechanic might have heard [my guy is not a Saab specialist]. Now, obviously they have a reason to not be on the level here.
There is a very limited 30 day/1000 mile warranty on it. I'm thinking of taking it to that indy Saab shop to diagnose the problem almost as soon as I get it. If they see the timing chain/belts/tensioners are on their last legs I'll take it back and ask for it to be repaired under warranty. From what people know of Saab dealerships is it reasonable to expect them to comply?
Does anyone here know how these timing chains work? Can the timing chain be fine one day and kaput the next? If there is a problem caught early can it be remedied relatively cheaply without the expensive repairs? Any ideas or comments are welcome.
posted by 206.103.228...
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