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.

Saab 9-5

Since new Saabs are not available anymore I`ve decided to collect more Saabs. Recently I`ve bought my 4th Saab, this time a 9-5 more or less saved from the scrapheap. This Saab 9-5 needs some TLC but I`m finished with the Saab 95 and was looking for a new project.

The 9-5 is the Saab with the most experience in my collection with 333.333 km (and still keeps on going on).

I`ve made a page for this Saab 9-5 with more pictures to come during the restoration.

IntSaab 2012

Last week I`ve visited IntSaab 2012 in Spa (Belgium) with my 95. I have made a lot of pictures of the participating Saabs. Some of them are visible on this page. More pictures (made by other Saabists) are visible too on the Facebook page of Save Saab!

At IntSaab I`ve met my Saab friend Alexander for the first time in real life, he has a blog about Saab too and as you can see on this page, he has a better camera than I have.