New-to-me 2000 SE causing problems

[TheFox]

Hey all,
I’ve been looking around this site for the last little while trying to find problems similar to what I’m experiencing, and I’ve found very useful information, but I thought I’d reach out for some help.

I just bought a 2000 9-5 SE and I’ve noticed the following:
-Exhaust smell in cabin
-Very loud on start-up, idle, and acceleration
-More exhaust than usual, even in the winter
-CEL
-Acceleration takes effort
-Poor fuel mileage
-Occasional oil smell
-Minor ‘clunking/jerking’ when shifting from drive to reverse (I can noticeably feel the shift)
-Pulsating/jerking while braking from 50km/h - 0

I took it to a garage for the CEL and he said it’s the cat. converter; an aftermarket one was put on by the previous owner and it’s not doing great, but that I don’t have to change it immediately and can continue to drive. The light was re-set, but it came back on while I was on the freeway, which is when it came on previously-- driving at a higher speed. He also told me it was minorly leaking oil, but that it was a common issue in Saabs and that it was nothing to worry about.

The mechanic had done oil change for previous owner and used synthetic, and he will be doing an inspection on Monday, but is there anything I should be asking him to specifically look for based on these issues, or anything that wouldn’t be in a general inspection that he could check?

I’d likely be buying parts online as I know they can be more affordable than through a garage.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, since I love this car, I’m just a bit embarrassed to be driving it right now, and getting a little high from the fumes while doing so!

Thanks in advance

[southsaab]

If you have a major exhaust leak in the cabin, get it fixed ASAP. That can be deadly.
The gear shift clunk is most likely engine mounts, probably rear.
Pulsing brakes- worn, warped rotors.
Oil leak, could be pressure sensor or front seal.
Exhaust system should get priority, IMHO.

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[XLR99]

The clunk could also be subframe bushings. The drive/reverse shift was very noticable in mine before I changed the bushings. I was a bit surprised, but the rear motor mount wasn't completely shot.

Like Southsaab said, get that exhaust fixed quickly - I'm guessing the flex joint may have gone bad. This could also be the source of the CEL, depending on where the leak is.

[TheFox]

Thanks for the replies!

The mechanic told me the CEL code was the cat converter. He said it looked like an aftermarket cat was installed and it wasn't functioning well, but that it wasn't necessary to get it done immediately. He reset the code and I was on my way, but the light came on again while driving on the freeway yesterday. The first time it came on was also highway speeds. Could a flex joint and cat present with similar issues?

Are engine mounts or subframe bushings expensive to have repaired? Is that something they check during an inspection or should I ask to have it looked at? He did tell me my rear brake pads need to be replaced within the next month, could that solve some of the pulsing issues?


I'm tempted to take my 'problem list' in on Monday, but I don't want the mechanic to think I'm questioning him, because I want good service, but I also want a better functioning car without having to replace everything it *could* be.

[XLR99]

Not sure what the cost to have a shop do the bushings would be. You can buy a set for $65 or so, but they need to be pressed out/in. I did this on one of my cars recently, and am about to do it again. I've heard that you can do just the rear pair (there are a total of 6) by just dropping the back of the subframe down.
The rear motor mount is maybe $75 or so, and needs to be removed to get the subframe out of the car. Check my wagon thread in the Garage to give a bit of an idea.

I'm kind of a poor resource with CELs and such, but if there's an exhaust leak between the two O2 sensors, that can affect what the downstream O2 sensor is seeing.
Also, if the downstream sensor is bad, it could be throwing a code for low cat efficiency when the real problem is the O2 sensor. I had this happen on my GTi in the past.
The mechanic knows more than I do, but it never hurts to do some research so you understand what's going on. It would help to know the code that he saw and cleared. You can also go to AutoZone and have them put their code reader on it for free. Also, take a look thru the Diagnostics and tutorials at the top of the 9-5 forum.

[TheFox]

Sorry I've been MIA..


I took it to a local garage that has worked on Saabs, and he essentially told me I should drive it around for a couple of months before I put any money into it.


He said it looked like the exhaust system was done aftermarket and there was now only one pipe, instead of 2 (?), and there was also no resonator. The code for the CEL is P0420.


Since then I've had some other 'weird' things happen.
-"Coolant level low", even though it was checked while cold and the level was good
-"Brake light failure" message and a strange clicking sound by the gear shifter when I press the brake


I'm really not sure at this point what I should do. If it's going to be a hassle I may just sell the car before anything major happens. It seems very difficult to find legit mechanics that know what they're doing!

[southsaab]

If you Google Saab 9-5 P0420, a Saab network thread will come up that deals with V6 cat efficiency codes that may provide some helpful insight. The other stuff may be more mundane problems that are just annoying.

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[TheFox]

If you Google Saab 9-5 P0420, a Saab network thread will come up that deals with V6 cat efficiency codes that may provide some helpful insight. The other stuff may be more mundane problems that are just annoying.

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I have checked into a few of the threads, and will start out with the most basic thing I saw, which is using an additive in the fuel tank. The next step mentioned was about the J16, but I'm not very mech savvy, is this something I could do on my own with a little guidance? I think from there would be the oxygen sensors, and finally if none of that works, replace the cat.
The mechanic told me the resonator is missing and that I should have 2 pipes instead of 1 that lead to the dual exhaust tip. Is this correct?

[southsaab]

I'm not totally familiar with the V6 SE, but a quick peek on thesaabsite.com that shows a diagram of the system shows only a single middle muffler and rear muffler. Not sure what the mechanic was referring to. Adding an additive like techron can't hurt, especially if you use cheap gas like QT or Racetrac. Always use premium. O2 sensors give their own code, so I'd put them low on the list to change if they aren't giving a CEL. Sounds as if previous owner customized the exhaust a bit, and it's giving you issues.
One other thing to check that's a bit out of the box are the plugs. Check them out for gap, wear, proper color deposits. If you think they need replacing, be sure to gap them properly. Only use NGK.

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