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Howdy dirty guys
well I am not the dirtiest guy when it comes to cars. And I’m trying to learn a little bit more so that I can come pretty close to being dirty
On cars as compared to girls.
So I’m driving this 2000 SAAB 95 2.3 turbo manual transmission 175k . And I have some questions as regards its performance
— I kind of feel that sometimes in lower gear like 2nd or 3rd the car feel very feeble and I have to take to the right lane and let others pass before I can pick up enough speed.
I don’t really rev the car on high rpm but I expect with just normal driving I should have enough power then be pushed around in the right lane.
— many of times in 5th gear the car feels like it is idling hi. It makes me think that I’m probably not in overdrive.
— occasionally on a hot afternoon when I start up from park Isee bluish white smoke coming off from the exhaust. Typically it would only be on a summer afternoon.I am thinking of getting A air fuel mix needle
Would that help to let me know where the problem is.
What Does this sound like based on the symptoms so far. could it be the oxy sensor .I will expect a check engine light correct?
Recently I got a check engine light because one of the hoses got disconnected. I not only changed all vacuum hoses but also changed d turbo dump valve to a more advanced forge type off piston valve.
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It sounds like your turbo is not creating boost or spooling up.
check all the hoses on the intake compressor side. Does the vehicle
have an intercooler? remove the ducting and check the compressor side
for debri and that the turbo spins free.http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-performance-issues
Tired engine, clogged catalytic converter, vacuum leak somewhere, or as mentioned a turbocharger is not spooling up and creating boost.
You might think about your oil changes in the past. Turbochargers require extra care and if oil starts to coke (burnt oil) in the turbo the impeller will drag and power will go down.
I agree sound like it could be the turbo if you are seeing blue smoke. Does it smoke at idle? Do you smell burning oil when you park? Does it consume a lot of oil?
Pull the intake pipe on the turbo inlet and check for oil. Then check for radial and axial play on the compressor / turbine shaft. Some radial play is allowed but if there is significant play -especially axially – then the bearing is scrap and you’ll need a new turbo. I went through this exercise recently with a 2.0T Saab.
Check the oil too. If it’s black, sludgy with grainy particles and your turbo bearing is shot this is probably the root cause.
Thank you . yes I did see some smoke on a hot afternoon. and I could kind of smell some oil only when the car is parked and that again is on a hot bafternoon. I don’t see it when the car starts running
I just replaced all the vacuum hoses we forgot just one and I think that was the one that ran from the coolant valves all the way deep running horizontally. I have not been losing any coolant btw the past or now.Sent from my JY-S3 using Tapatalk
Also I don’t see any obvious oil leaks and my mechanic sprayed some brake spray on the underside to see if there’s anything around but could not find anything But then on the right side, if I park the car in the same spot after about a week I see a dull black spot more towards the passenger side. Hopefully that tell you something more than what it tells me and I would like to hear back from you folks.
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If you see blue smoke oil is being burned somehow. The question is it internal or external? External is generally a lot cheaper and easier to fix.
Common external leaks include: valve covers, oil pan, crank seal, timing cover, etc. Often these present themselves as rubber seals that become hard and brittle as the car ages.
Internal leaks include: oil cooler, head gasket, turbo, cracked head, cracked block, etc.
Hopefully the leak is a valve cover or crank seal. If you see an oil spot on the ground, then you’re in luck and it’s probably external. If you see blue smoke out of the tail pipe, it’s probably internal and the first thing I would check on this car is the turbo.
Thank you actually I see both . There are very faint oil spots on the passenger side front . Earlier I used to see the blue smoke come off when there was a check engine light ponting 2 the dump valve and like I said I got not only a brand new valve but also changed ,I believe ,most of the vacuum hoses.
Is there any sure shot diagnostic to see where are all the leaks like injecting some dye. Or the most cost effective way is too take your best bets , on one by one fixes and see if things change for the better. The car is already 175 k so don’t really want to put a lot of money. But if I can find out sure shot problem then I will invest in those parts and get the right fixes in placeSent from my JY-S3 using Tapatalk
There is no sure shot method, but you could try UV dye and a blacklight. I’ve used this to troubleshoot external coolant leaks and it works well. You can search Amazon for tracer dye for engine oil. I looked and it seems there’s some products available.
[quote]changed d turbo dump valve to a more advanced forge type off piston valve.[quote]
Was this before or after your problems? If it was before, reinstall the original part and see if it continues.
As Arcturus suggested pull of the intake pipe at the throttle body and check for oil, outside of the throttle plate should be dry.
If you can access the turbo you could disconnect the wastegate actuator and see if it physically moves. The wastegate is very likely on the exhaust housing of your turbo and functions to control the amount of exhaust gasses reaching the turbo thus regulating the amount of boost produced. It really sounds like something is keeping the turbo from spooling up at all, it might be worth sticking a code reader on there and seeing if there’s anything in there.
thank you I think I’ll do that. But with a 175 k , it may be that a turbo could be overdue anyways ?
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The power before and after the valve change feels the same. I changed the valve since I got the specific p1100. Was not sure what the problem was at that time – valve or hoses. ordered a new valve and hoses and got both of these replaced.
Btw the new forge like valve it’s supposed to be superior than the bosch stock valve since it uses a piston movement inside as compared to the stock valve which uses a rubber diaphragm.
I might sound a bit off topic here but perhaps while you are at it …you could throw in your valuable cents here as well.I am a bit lost with the settings for this forge valve.Kit came with the three springs + 2 washers. Now I do not have any clue about how to go about assessing if the valve installed fine. there was a green spring , a yellow spring and another non coded spring already in the container valve. The instructions said you add as many you want from zero washers at the top of the spring . But the spring itself is too wide
to let these remain on top – they just fall down at the bottom near the hole. is that where the washers are supposed to be.
How do I know if this install the way it should have. I do not really see any appreciable so called boost in the power.Sent from my JY-S3 using Tapatalk
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By the way I did confirm once again that after the car has been sitting for quite a , on starting it then, I will see the white bluish fumes and I can smell some sort of oil. Does that sound like a turbo charger ?. Should I order the full turbo charger or just the cartridge
Thank you againSent from my JY-S3 using Tapatalk
I’m not a huge fan of replacing any parts for any problem unless it’s known with 99% certainty that it’s needed.
If you suspect turbocharger seals leaking, partially disassemble the intake tract and see if there’s oil grunge before the throttle body. If it’s fairly clean the turbo seals should be fine.
As to lack of power due to a failing turbo, clogged converter, etc, that can be easily checked with a vacuum gauge. A vacuum gauge will show clogged cats and also your boost pressure. Lay it on the dash, run a small long hose to an intake manifold vacuum nipple, and check boost pressure that way. Open highway, slow speed and RPMs, start nailing the pedal hard and note the boost as speed and RPMs climb.
Clogged cats can be checked without driving the car and readings taken while the car is stationary.
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