Hard Starting Cold With Engine Misfire and Low Compression 2007-2008 9-3 B207

[ronald1980]

So my car broke 2 weeks ago - bent a valve. Lifter broke in 2... 60K Way to go GM. I'll make a thread at some point with pictures. All my parts came in Friday. Head is off and waiting repair now.

Sorry to hear that. I got mine done last Sunday so far so good. I didn't buy the tool to do the timming on mine. 60K miles that is crazy rediculas. What year is yours.

[Mark2008]

One of my 2008 SAAB is in getting the valves replaed. Has anyone been repaid for this work from GM?

[ronald1980]

One of my 2008 SAAB is in getting the valves replaed. Has anyone been repaid for this work from GM?

Not to my knowledege

[Burnsside42]

2007 & 2008 MY cars have the 5 year 100,000 mile GM powertrain warranty. Just have to have the work done @ the GM dealer/service center and it's covered if your car is still under coverage...

[Finding41]

Mine is a 2.0t 2007 saab. I don't have dollars either. Everybill came up at once and I got put in hospitial again so I'm dissabled and can't work so I gotta try to manage off what little money I have left to fix car. I can't find anywhere were they say to rechange headbolts. It don't say to change timming chain neither. Did you reuse your exhaust valves?. My head is being redone at a machine shop. I bought the replacement intake valves and seals came with gasket kit. The part that is getting me is the timming tool. I thought it have marks and it don't. So now I'm stuck on if I just should order head bolts, and a chain and pput it all together and wait till I get the money one day to buy a timming tool. Stinks cause the car I'm driving gets 16mpg and I live in country. I bought this car a month ago and it was supposed to be a map sencer and a good engine and I paid $4500 for car and another $500 to fix a bad intercooler. Now I'm fixing the engine. This problem really needs to be put out there cause I could of warmed my car up and resold it for top dollar and made someone have a really bad day. I love the car the little I drove it. Its just been a complete money loss for me so far and id wanna put it together and not do it right, but yet I don't have the income to do it. This timming tool is really messing with me.

Ronald. Read my thread "rebuild my 2.3T" It will answer allot of if not all of your questions. The timing chain I got was this shape O The one you have is probably shaped like this S.
Just set the timing marks and put the chain on. If you are off by a tooth you will be able to tell and it can be reset without breaking the chain. (I reset mine about a dozen times! Thread; Timing problem..? I think.) I got to the point that I didn't even have to take the whole timing chain adjuster out! I just took out the spring and made a tool. (Coat hanger) to push the plunger back in.
These cars are simple when you get your had around there idiosyncrasies.

[brynhildr]

Thanks for sharing this piece of information. This is very important. We all know the valves are going bad but so far nobody seem to have explained clearly why they go bad. Are they made defective or some other defective parts cause them to go bad? If the latter, replacing the valves will just last about another 50k and the head job must be done again. I am guessing at this point, all 93 that have the intake valves replaced have not run another 50k yet. It is still too early to blame the intake valve them own as the culprit.
My mechanics also diagnosed bad fuel injectors, as they leak gas when engine is shut off, causing the piston to lose sealing. From the camera, I can see the gas leaking and it seems the intake valves are fine. As both un-burned gas in the chamber and bad intake valves may cause bad compression, how can we tell whether it is one or the other? Plus, besides the compression test, how can we check if the intake valves are good or not?

[Burnsside42]

Fuel Injection has it's side effects. That is some of the cause. Add on using sub-par octane fuel (below 91) and you speed up this problem. Driving a car slow and seldom can contribute.

Run high test often
Run it hard often
Change your oil regularly
Fuel Cleaner/additives may help

[aciuca]

Hello, I have a 2008 Saab 9-3 with 104,000 miles and it will not start due to the intake valve problem. I do not know anything about engines, but the symptoms from the service bulletin match what I experienced. I live in PA and the temperatures have been well below freezing. I had taken the car to a local shop when the check engine light came on after a hard start and the code was a "cylinder 3 misfire." I was going to live with the cold starts but now have to fix the problem. I've been quoted over $2,000!! I need to know if I'm flushing money down the toilet (that I cannot afford) by getting the repair. Please let me know if you have paid for the repair, and the results. Thank you.

[AVguy]

Check this thread at saabcentral The Official (unofficial) 07-09 Intake Valve Tracking Thread - SaabCentral Forums

[Burnsside42]

Check this thread at saabcentral The Official (unofficial) 07-09 Intake Valve Tracking Thread - SaabCentral Forums

Not sure who you think will cover the costs of the problem... good luck. Eventually I'll add my details to it. Thanks GM.