If you had to choose!

I should choose the fish.

Bob, you're being stranger than usual today. And that's saying alot.

Dave "I say that with the appropriate respect and admiration" Hinz

P.S. I'd buy the 4 cyl.

in article snipped-for-privacy@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com, Should I at snipped-for-privacy@sympatico.ca wrote on 20/01/2006 21:31:

I'd go for the 4 cylinder, without question; a 2.3 where possible. The V6 does not have a good reputation. That said, the 4 cylinder (both the 2.0 and the 2.3) of that era did suffer from sludging problems.

Paul

I would choose the 4 cyl because I prefer that engine. I change my own oil and so do it more often than the SAAB recomended therefore have no sludging problems. But most importantly, I prefer the sedan to a "wagon".

in article Ga2dnWy9PqWCsU snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com, Fred W at Malt_Hound@*spam-me-not*yahoo.com wrote on 21/01/2006 12:41:

How often do you change the oil, Fred?

On my C900, I change as soon after 3000 miles as I can remember. I'm of the opinion that a 9-5 HPT should be changed as frequently. I keep thinking about a 9-5 (yeah, yeah ... As well as a 9000 Anni), just to give the C900 a break and get it done up to the standard that I cannot while it is in daily and quite constant use. A 9-5 of that era (early 2000s) is within the price range that I'm prepared to pay. I'd go for a 2.3 Sedan. Very plush cars, indeed.

Do we know what the actual cause of the sludging is? From what I have read, it is a problem with the crankcase breathing/vent system, which SAAB put forward a fix and then seemed to withdraw. Was it down to the internal shape of the catch tank? Maybe that was an additional problem. Dave (Hinz) - did you resolve your issue? On a second-hand car, what would an ideal fix be?

Paul

Well, I'm not talking C900's here, but I generally change my oil at ~5000 mile intervals. SAAB actually recommends 20k kilometer intervals (12.5k miles) as a base in the WIS, shortening duration when subjected to severe duty.

It also depends on what the oil looks like. When I did mostly short journeys in my 9000, I changed oil/filter at 3000 miles. Now I'm doing longer motorway driving and change at 4500 miles. I use Halford's fully synt 5W40 cost £29.95/5L, but usually on BOGOF sale late December.

When you have a Red Box and a short shift kit in your C900 Turbo, it is always "severe duty" :-)

I did not buy that car to drive very cautiously - that is why I also have a minivan.