360000k isni't too much is it? Looking for advice on a 04 2.3l automatic wagon.

[Finding41]

Well driving the 04 has shown me a few things.
The cabin fan is either on at a very slow speed or not on and broken. I'll get a better look when I change the cabin filter.
The R side mixer door motor is dead (just the motor). (I spent a hour in the junk yard today taking out a mixing door motor . Turns out the 01 9-5 I removed it from has different mixing door motors and drive ends! So I looked around for other odds and ends I could use. (There are only 2 9-5's in the place.)
I found a cup holder that fits in the center armrest/console. And a working dash cup holder with broken tabs ware the screws go.)
Vents that fit the center console. (I later found I didn't need vents... Mine were in backwards! Yes backwards... Who does that?)
I got a plug to cover the screw on the inner door handle and for the cigarette lighter.
Bulbs! Got some spares for the window and heated seat, etc.
4 center caps for my rims. I needed 3 on this car and one on the other.
I still need a fog light. (There may be one there. I'll have to take mine off and bring it next time.)

I will be dropping the oil soon. Most likely the trans mission oil too.
I noticed a harder than I would like down shift into 1st the other day. Accompanied by a heck of rattle! The rattle turns out to be the aluminum heat shield that runs along the middle of the car. The shield was sitting on the exhaust pipe and that was what was holding it up! It had oxadised because the fasteners are steel. I drilled some new holes and put it back up. I figure if it lasted 9 years the old what the heck.
Pictures to follow.

[zoli]

Hi Finding41,
I'm new here with an elder '98 SE ECO 2t; it has now 380K km, still running great.
I did a lot of cheap and less expensive improvement to birng it back from the (almost) dead situation.
Take a look here and start to thinking on the projects: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...rive_web#gid=1
Have a good luck with it!

[Finding41]

Thanks Zoli.
Is your car leaking oil? It seems to be using allot. I change the oil on my vehicles at 5000km. Sometimes they are down maybe 3/4 of a L. That's on the high mileage ones too. My Dodge Dakota has 255000 on it and it doesn't use oil between changes. I use Lucas oil additive, 1/2 a bottle, each change and the absolute cheapest oil I can find. Usually a recycled oil that meets manufactures specks.
I'm rethinking the Lucas additive usage because of some things I've read and seen on line. (I have to talk to my mechanic about it too... He sells it. Not that he changes my oil. I do that. I just want his opinion especially with the SAAB's.)

[Finding41]

Today I got to look at the ACC fan. Interesting as it seems someone had had the wiper arms and cover off before. Nice Job of putting it back together, One cap was siliconed on! And it was 14 mm not 17 like the other side... I had to kind of fight with my puller to get the arms off. But they came off in the end. I checked that the fan was actually spinning at the different speed settings. (It stopper at the 2 lowest settings but worked on the others...?)
I tested the power going to the fan at different speeds first thing. 12.10V great! So there is something wrong with the fan... Well I plugged the fan back in to test at different speeds again. Away it went! Full speed! (Twice as fast as before!) So I cleaned the contacts and oiled the one end bearing and let it run for a bit. Now it runs on the slowest settings and all!
I figure it wasn't plugged in properly or just dirty or corroded.
I'm quite happy I don't have to pull it out! Here are some pictures of the silliness I found.
I am yet to reinstall the caps on the wiper arms... I need to get some black silicone!

[zoli]

Thanks Zoli.
Is your car leaking oil? It seems to be using allot. I change the oil on my vehicles at 5000km. Sometimes they are down maybe 3/4 of a L. That's on the high mileage ones too. My Dodge Dakota has 255000 on it and it doesn't use oil between changes. I use Lucas oil additive, 1/2 a bottle, each change and the absolute cheapest oil I can find. Usually a recycled oil that meets manufactures specks.
I'm rethinking the Lucas additive usage because of some things I've read and seen on line. (I have to talk to my mechanic about it too... He sells it. Not that he changes my oil. I do that. I just want his opinion especially with the SAAB's.)

This old guy burning oil (1 liter per 2000 km recently from Valvoline Synpower 5W40 + Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel 0W40): it's a steady value, so I don't think on engine or turbo rebuilding till it getting to be worse (more than 1 quart per 1000 km).
Just a thoughts about additives: I tried different kind of ones, without any remarkable success; just wasted my money.
But engine flush (STP sucking through a vacuum hose into the throttle body) and oil flush (before oil change) gave a good result & smooth engine run.

[Finding41]

Well I'm glad I didn't stick those caps back on. The fan has been getting slower since I cleaned the plug. I must have nudged something while doing the cleaning.
I took the fan out today and I think the bearings are done. I did lube them and clean the commutator and picked a broken part of the brushes out. (Originally this chipped brush was stuck down and I thought it may be the problem... Wrong.) I got the motor spinning a bit freer but don't expect it to keep t up. It does cool the car down with the air on and I have to slow the speed down after a while.
I'll run it like it is for now and see if it gets any faster through the summer.