Changing ATF for the Saab 9-5

Yesterday evening I`ve changed the oil for my automatic transmission (ATF) of the Saab 9-5. I`ve got some help from other local Saabists because I`m not so experienced yet with these kind of things. If you want to do it yourself too, please read this how-to-do page from Frank Wulfers.

My interior filter was rather "original" so I`ve ordered a new one. If time permits I`ll do the oil change very soon. First we`ll do the ATF change of John`s 9-5 (an other local Saabist) and then we proceed with my 9-5.

Restart 9-3 production

According to Saabsunited NEVS is evaluating to restart the current 9-3 product line. The restart mainly depends on some certain key aspects: - Supplier readiness to restart supply of parts. - Customer demand. - Dealer capabilities. One of the major reasons to restart production said was that NEVS could hire back production staff and utilize the production plant even before the launch of the EV1. When NEVS bought the rights of the 9-3 it did not include the drive-train from GM. However NEVS confirms that they are exploring a number of different engines.

Mogens Saab96 Hagen

One of my Saab friends (Melle) is living in Danmark and brought me into contact with Mogens Bennedsgaard Hagen. Mogens is a Saab 96 driving vicar in Danmark and helps me if I need parts for my 95 veteran. Melle e-mailed me a link about Mogens, unfortunately I cannot understand the language but you can see Mogens driving in his 96.

According to Melle a vicar driving in an old Saab is very rare in Danmark. In the area where I live (Zeeland / the Netherlands) I know more Saab driving vicars. One of them has a black 9-3 hatchback, an other one has a "noisy" red Arrow and participates with our local Saab meets.

Saab Car Museum support association

The text below is copy-pasted from Saabsunited: Yesterday a new association deeply linked with Saab’s heritage was officially launched, The Saab Car Museum – Support Association. For a few months now I, as a representative from SaabsUnited has been part of a start-up board for this new “club” which aim is to help preserve the collection of cars, keep the museum alive with new cars to show and also help organizing serious events such as the Saab Festival. I have attended a number of meetings and together with a great team from various parts of what used to be the previous company Saab Automobile. We have worked out the guidelines of the association and also found ways for what the association can do for its members. The chairman of the association was elected yesterday, his name is Gunnar Larsson, who previously worked as Technical Director at SAAB Automobile AB. Several other great people from Saab is involved in the board for the association and I’m sure they will do a superb job!. As a first step, thanx to the sponsors of SaabsUnited, we were able to fund the costs of establishing the web-domain for the website of the association, and the Swedish Saab Club did a good job with providing the server space required. Membership for the association will come at a cost of 200 SEK per year per member and a number of benefits which are very exclusive have been proposed to be made available for the members. We’ll get back with more details once it has been decided upon! The video above is made with my phone driving the 95 veteran.

Gummi holder found / black sludge check Saab 9-5

For my veteran Saab 95 I needed just 1 small part before the car was really finished. A small gummi holder wich holds the "family-seat" to the bank in the middle. I was looking for it for a long time. Thanks to some Danish Saabists I finally have got my holders today. Thanks!

Since the 95 really is finished, I recently bought a Saab 9-5 as a new project. Fortunately the engine has MOD6 and runs well. I do not have sludge on the dipstick or an oil-pressure warning. But I want to do some preventive maintenance first because the 2.0 liter engine I have (used in the early versions of the 9-3 and 9-5) may develop sludge what clogs the oil pickup screen, starving the engine of oil (this is also a problem for the 2.3 liter engines in early 9-3 and 9-5 Saabs). Regular oil changes can help avoid sludge damage (I for myself think a service interval every 10.000km is fine). My neighbor (Robbert) offered me help with the black-sludge check (we`ll do an other 9-5 of a local Saabist at the same time).

Below the how-to that I found on the web: First drain the oil to check its condition, and replace the oil filter which allows you to see if it has any sludge inside of it. Then drop and clean the oil pan. Remove the oil pan using a 13mm socket which allows you to inspect it for sludge buildup. Use a mild detergent like transmission fluid to scrub and clean the oil pan. While the oil pan is off your Saab, inspect the oil pickup screen, located in the oil pan. If the pickup screen is clogged, your engine has been starved of oil because of sludge. Clean the oil pickup screen if it is dirty. Replace the oil pan gasket and reinstall. After cleaning the oil pan, remove the remaining gasket from the edges of the pan. Fit a new oil pan gasket or RTV gasket sealant and bolt the oil pan back to the underside of the engine. After tightening the pan, complete an oil and filter change.

Pictures Saab airportmeet

This week we had our 2nd Saabmeet at Zeeland Airport here in the Netherlands. A nice spot to organise something with other Saabists. Below (and on this page) some pictures.

Article about the Saab 9-5 in Autovisie

That the Saab 9-5 is a very interesting used car we all know, but now the Dutch Autovisie has written a nice article about it. The value of the 9-5 is much lower than comparable other cars of its age. Click here to read the article.

Today I went to the airport to prepare the 95 for the Saabmeet this wednesday (10th of october at 18.00).

Save your own Saab!

A couple of day`s ago I`ve posted something about saving your own Saab. Fortunately some Saabists really do or want to. A good Saab-friend I have is looking now for an additional 9-5 to his Saab collection. He likes the 9-5 Estate, here in Holland a lot of them are for sale for very reasonable prices.

As prices are very low here for the 9-5, the 900NG prices really are dropped to a low level. A fellow saabforum.nl member (Menno) has saved a 900NG from the scrapheap (it`s the 3rd Saab in his collection). He`s made some nice pictures of his "new" Saab, I just wanted to share his nice pictures (got his permission).

Save Saab Museum page on Facebook

Our Facebook page has more than 800 followers, (THANK YOU ALL) but still has the name "Save Saab Museum". As the Museum is saved, the name should be changed. Unfortunately this is not allowed by Facebook because the page has too many likes. I hope to write a letter or e-mail to Facebook somehow soon to ask them to make an exception. Unfortunately I did not find a way to contact Facebook. Does anyone know how to? In the mean time, please do not stop sending in pictures of Saabs.

And in case you want to Save your own Saab, above Saab (with Saab roofbox included) is for sale in the Netherlands for less than € 4000. Below a picture I`ve found on the web of an other Saab (not for sale as far as I know). I like the picture and wanted to share with the other Saabists.