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Hopefully, I'll get a look at it, it's currently where I left it, parked.

Garage left 40 miles worth of fuel in it....

Well guys, I picked her up from the garage after the fuel pump.

£188 fitted, not bad.

Within quarter of a mile the turbo guage started going batty, clouds of smoke, no power and engine cut out.

I've abandoned it again.

I'm I right in thinking the turbo has given up? Wasn't like this before it went in, and it hasn't actually moved since the recovery wagon dropped it off. It idles ok, but as soon as I put it into drive the turbo gauge starts behaving eratically, there's smoke and it cuts out after a short distance.


As far as I know, Vectors have the skirts and splitters as well as the larger, nicer wheels.

If this is turbo failure, the car will definitely be parted out as described above.

In the mean time, I'm on the bus.

I really like it, I bought the Arc model over a Vector on the basis of the full cream leather and walnut dash. I do, however, prefer the Vector exterior.

My plan, I think is to basically gut the car I have and find a reasonably priced Vector model to put those bits on (and fill my spare room with what isn't yet needed!)

Including the walnut dash.

I'd really like to start afresh with Saab, as I absolutely love the car I have, but I fear it's beyond economical repair, in the long run.

I strongly suspect the above, I will have it checked asap - but I'll not scrap it before I buy another and strip it for spares. The former SWMBO did once get the use of it for a while, and told me the "gravy boat" light came on a few times when cornering. Oil topped up accordingly.

It has been noted by people standing 30ft away that my car sounds like "two skeletons shagging in a biscuit tin".

It's also worth noting, I paid very little for this car, and I've ran it since August 2014. I've spent some cash on it, of course, servicing, tyres, battery, DI cassette, alternator, CPS sensor, and now fuel pump. Most of these can be transferred straight to another 2.3 9-5, of course. As well as holding myself a useful stock of everything that I can get off of it worth having, and a cream leather interior in really good, clean condition, and some 16" Arc wheels.

Thanks for the responses guys!

It's very loud, garage it's in doesn't have capacity to drop the sump at the moment - and my loaner Clio is due back tomorrow - there is a local specialist (Parkers - Ryhope). I'll try and get it in there.

When the fuel pump gave out, I whipped the engine cover off (in a bus stop, in the snow) and found a hose (the first one you see when you pull the engine cover) totally burst, I've sliced it out and refitted it - but the rest are likely in similar condition.

I'm wondering how much money it's worth pouring into this car? I love it, and nothing drives like one, but another one could be picked up for peanuts and then I have a spares car?

I'm concerned I'll be throwing money after bad.

Hello all,

New member here, I currently have a 2002 2.3 Arc 185 auto. I've had the car a couple of years, but I did only buy it as a "stop gap" car. I didn't expect it to last/keep it quite so long. I came out of a company car and wanted something fairly big, powerful, automatic, specified and cheap. It was all of the above. Unfortunately, I didn't know a great deal about these cars at the time of purchase, and it has suffered from timing chain death rattle since I bought it, despite this it's still running, but I fear it hasn't much life left in it, and I'm guilty of letting it deteriorate a little bit.

It's currently in the workshop awaiting a new fuel pump. In the last 6-8 months it's had the following: Alternator, DI Cassette, battery, 02 sensor, and a few other bits and bobs. It's also losing oil, methinks it's almost the end of the road. The thing that concerns me most is death rattle. The car has 120k on it, and had 98k when I bought it. The problem I have now is replacing it, I just can't find anything I like so much (including 9-3s).

My question is: Would I be mental to buy another one and make myself the car I want? Without a doubt, if the one I have didn't have such engine wear, I'd be looking at keeping it forever, but unfortunately there's no coming back from sludge by all accounts.

I really like the look of the Vector models, but the interior in my Arc is everything I want. I'm considering basically putting the interior (and the good bits) of my Arc into a fairly cheap Vector and making myself the car I want?

I'd appreciate opinions, in the mean time, here's my current car: