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Oil sludge, engine shot?

Trying to sanity check my Saab service shop

Brought my '96 900SE (64K miles) in w/ a rattle in the engine. Shop said it was likely the timing chain and suggested an expensive replacement. I bit. While doing that work, they noted that the engine was completely sludged up. Remedy - replace the whole engine w/ a rebuilt. They say the replacing the timing belt and cleaning out the whole engine would cost about the same thing.

Admitedly, we miessed our oil changes from 48-56K miles, which could explain the sludge, though I have had it changed twice since then. And if the timing chain mechanism is that worn, there is a good chance that other parts may be worn as well.

Questions: is this just the ultimate lesson in the importance of oil changes, or did I bite on work that was not really needed?

Reply to
crobs
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Alarm bell [1] - 64k is waaaay to yound for a chain replacement.

300k is more realistic. Unless you've had major oil starvation issues.

What?? What explanation have they given for the sludging up?

You said it was a chain - is it a belt (I4) or a chain (V6)?

Not really - missing one or two oil changes is not to be recommended, but it will by no means ruin an engine.

The whole thing stinks. You need to get someone who knows what they're doing to look at your engine.

As I said - missing a couple of oil changes is bad, but not disastrous. As long as the engine is not so sludged up that it doesn't run, the standard solution is not in fact to throw it away, but two flush several gallons of flushing oil through it.

Reply to
Grunff

I think you intended to write "is it a chain (I4) or a belt (V6)".

Skipping one or two oil changes combined with a clogged up crankcase ventilation system and many short trips has been known to cause oil sludge in some cases.

Reply to
Goran Larsson

I think you may be right :-)

Sure - a bit of sludge, but nothing to the extent of having to strip down the engine - at least not that I've seen.

Reply to
Grunff

Thanks all for your thoughts.

OK, so I headed out the the shop & took a look at this thing, and it does look like an awful mess, though I have no experience w/ engines & the like.

I put a call in to Saab customer care on the long shot that they will help me out in this matter.

Is there some sort of mechanical failure that could have caused the condition? Even a remote possibility may help me out w/ them.

thanks c

Reply to
crobs

Reply to
Happy-camper

I don't know what kind of sludge you are looking at, but the thought of water mixing with oil comes to mind. Did the car overheat at some point? Might be simply a head gasket?

The whole deal sounds a bit odd though at 64K unless something really went wrong. Even if it's the headgasket that's not worth replacing an engine. I'm wondering if your mechanics are named Larry, Moe, & Curly...........

Reply to
saabturbo

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