Saab 9-5 2.3T Serpentine Belt and Idler Pulleys

[psymon]

Great write up. I think i need to change mine soon and this will be a GREAT help. Hey you are in CT too. Wanna do mine??

[raquettelaker2]

Haha, I might be willing to help. Where are you in the big CT?

[psymon]

I am in Middletown.

[raquettelaker2]

Haha. I'm going to Middletown for dinner and drinks with some friends tonight. I live in Coventry at the moment. How soon do you need to do it? What's your car's mileage?

[psymon]

No huge rush but I have about 40K on the car so I think its time for sure. I am getting a low coolant message so I wonder if the water pump is going too? Anyway thanks for the offer, I am sure I can use the help when I tackle this.
Middletown has alot of good restaurants on Main St. Which one are you going to?

[Shazam]

I am getting a low coolant message so I wonder if the water pump is going too?

Are you getting it really frequently? A coolant message every so often is normal; coolant naturally evaporates a little bit over time.

[jlrSAAB]

my mate replaced the timing belt kit (Opel Astra 2.0 t with 104000kms, see picture) a few days ago and he said that the water pump was OK. water pumps now a days have a long durability mileage.

[raquettelaker2]

No huge rush but I have about 40K on the car so I think its time for sure. I am getting a low coolant message so I wonder if the water pump is going too? Anyway thanks for the offer, I am sure I can use the help when I tackle this.
Middletown has alot of good restaurants on Main St. Which one are you going to?

40k!? It doesn't need a serpentine belt yet. Unless it's making noise. Water pump would be the last thing I'd look at if you're getting a low coolant message. More likely your coolant bypass valve is leaking, or you're just low and need to add a little. The range before it starts yelling at you is pretty narrow.

Not going to Middletown anymore tonight. He wanted to bring me to some wine bar but forgot he made commitments with a client from work for tonight so we're just sticking around where I live.

[psymon]

the only reason I mentioned the serp belt is because when I took it in for the 30k service, the dealer mentioned the serp belt could use to be changed. I told them to leave it. Also as far as the water pump, they replaced it once last year because I was getting the low coolant message so I am not sure. I don't know how I would check either.
The only thing that I can think of is if memory serves, for the 2005 model they did a short belt mod bypassing the center pulley, and they went back to the long belt in 2006. I recall reading that this short belt was causing a high number of water pump failures.

edit
Here is the thread I was reading about the short belt.
http://saabworld.net/showthread.php/...ne-belt-change

[photousa]

the only reason I mentioned the serp belt is because when I took it in for the 30k service, the dealer mentioned the serp belt could use to be changed. I told them to leave it. Also as far as the water pump, they replaced it once last year because I was getting the low coolant message so I am not sure. I don't know how I would check either.
The only thing that I can think of is if memory serves, for the 2005 model they did a short belt mod bypassing the center pulley, and they went back to the long belt in 2006. I recall reading that this short belt was causing a high number of water pump failures.

edit
Here is the thread I was reading about the short belt.
Question on serpentine belt change

You should find out if the Dealer was suggesting that you change the belt because it was the short belt. If you do indeed have the short belt, I agree with the dealer and would change back to the long belt and I don't think I would wait any longer than I had to. I had read where the short belt was causing problems with the power steering pump. You've probably already read about the odd vibrations that people get with the short belt.