jdev

I recently purchased a Saab 9-3 and it is smoking. I was told that it had sat for about a year and that we just had to run it for a while and it would eventually stop. It only smokes when we start it initially. After we drive it for a few minutes it doesn't smoke anymore. I was wondering if there could be another issue with it or if it will eventually run out. Also, I am not sure if there is a Saab dealer close by, is there a certain type of mechanic I should look for with a specialization in anything?

A second issue we are having is the coolant low light keeps coming on. Not every time but some times when we start it. I have checked the coolant level and it is ok. Is there anything else I can check.

The car is beautiful and my daughter loves it but at 16 she doesn't want to drive old smokey around and i can't blame her.

Sabooo

I have a 2000 9-3 and it also has started smoking a large blue cloud when I start it just
like jdev is reporting with his.
It is not using any oil and runs great but now the check engine light has come on.
Hope someone can help us with this problem.

jdev

Ok. here is what we came up with for our Saab. We noticed the water was being drained out of the reserver tank and the coolant light was coming on quite often. After I took my time and looked into it I have discovered that it needs a new head gasket.
I also found that a new power steering pump was needed because there was fluid all over the engine.
My husband had taken this car into a guy that was supposed to be a foreign car expert to get it looked at before we gave it to our 16 yr old daughter. I would like for you all to know that I am a 34 yr old stay at home mom and with a little driving and a little tinkering I discovered all of these issues myself...sorry I just had to pat myself on the back.

Sabooo

Way to go JDV. I took mine for a code reading and it shows code P0171 ~System too lean. Don't know where to go from here as coolent is O.K. and the car runs fine, Just throws a big cloud of blue smoke on a cold start up. Oh well I am sure that if I take it to an expert they will find somthing that I will need to spend money on. What did it cost you to have the head gasket replaced?

frank301162

my 9-5 only smoked for a few seconds on start up, i thought it was the valve stem seals, but no, about 6 months later the turbo went on me, smoke everywhere,

frank301162

mine was the same, smoke for a few seconds on start up, but ended up being a turbo problem, i thought it was stem seals, glad it wasnt, changing the turbo was as easy as pie

TunnanXWD

Good work in finding and figuring out what the problems were/are.

Usually, when a car begins to "smoke", you determine the color.

blue = oil

white = coolant

A lot of times you can feel tail pipe, not when hot however, and check the feel and smell. Black oily residue versus the less slippery water like feel .. but the glycol in the antifreeze will still have a slightly oily feel. It's pretty easy to tell.

The fact you said it went away ... well, most cars will do that on a cool day till they warm up.

rcscontractors

Hi guys I hope you can help me, I bough a 2003 saab 9-3 about 6 moths ago the engine fail on me, so I bought a engine with 57k on it and I took it to a small shop to do the swap. the car wasnt smoking till then. it after couple days afetr the swap that the car start the smok came out the tail pipe. took it back the same shop and the technitian there said it was the turbo. bough a turbo with 50k on it had it change in the same place and guess what the car still smoking. the technitian there said that now I have to chage the entire exhause system. what do you guys think about that. should I just junk the car after spend over $ 3000 .