Nice one Will. Our 9-3 is going as well as ever. Doesn't use oil between services, which I do annually, even though at about 10-11k per year, the oil could I suppose last longer. I use the ESP since two services ago.
More regarding milestones: I had a basic auto oil change done last year, but soon after that every time I accelerated out of a sharp left turn the car lost momentum, revs rose, then there would be a loud bang as drive took up again. While I could have taken it back, I wanted to sort it myself. At the time, my local chap who does our MOTs and who used to be one of my mechanics when I was a service manager years ago, and who has just done the cam belt, called his 'auto' guru, a clever chap named Laurie Baker, who spoke to me and listened to my account of the problem, and advised me to add 1/2 a litre of fluid and report back. Voila - problem solved. I had thought it may have been shortage of fluid, then what made my mind up for me was when I read up later on the fluid change procedure and I remember reading on one account that finally following the change, 1/2 a litre should be added. Ya live and learn.
Despite reporting on the good condition of the parts, I'm glad the belt change has been done now, and we can blast off darn Sarf with the caravan attached on onday.
Compared to a likely £600 or so for the belt and pump job at a dealer, we spent £92 off the bay (Saab Parts Euro) on the kit, £12.74 for a Dayco poly belt discounted at Eurocarparts and £125 to my pal for labour and coolant, which I had changed as it was 8 years old even though only a small amount gets lost from the pump. I could have done it but our workshop is full at the moment with refitting and I couldn't be ar5ed to do it on the drive.
