Oil Sludge Issue 1999-2003

Written by Jason Pearce from
Pearce Autotech

As of June 3, 2005 Saab has announced that they will be replacing customer's engines under a "special policy" that have been damaged by excessive oil sludge.

Vehicles covered on this policy are as follows:

9-5 models w/4 cylinder 1999-2003
9-3 models for years 2000-2003
9-3 convertibles years 2000-2003
9-3 viggens Years 1999-2002

If you have one of these cars I would suggest that you do all recommenced maintenance and keep all records. Just because your car does not fall under the policy I am still warning you about oil sludge and the need to change oil on a regular basis. This oil sludge problem can happen to any car.

Saab states they will only honor this policy of engine repair if oil change service records are complete. Saab states things that make the problem worse are short driving trips of 5 to 10 minutes, stop and go driving, dusty driving conditions and low grade oil.

Saab is making good on customers that have had this problem in the past as well. You still must document all services and apply to Saab for this "special policy". This special policy covers engine components up to 8 years after the in service date with unlimited mileage. (The day it was first sold) If you have a problem with this, Saab can be contacted at 1-800-955-9007.

Signs that the sludge is in advanced stages include Engine noise and oil pressure warning light coming on. One symptom that occurs as the oil pick up tube becomes plugged is that you will hear a high pitched noise coming from the right front of the car during idle. If you have one of these cars with the oil sludge problem you can check it by removing the valve cover and oil pan. If your car has the problem you will see a large amount of dark brown gel like sludge. If you find this I suggest you contact your local dealer's service department and let them know.

Once your car starts the sludge build up it is hard to completely clean out, but it is worth it to try this to keep things from getting worse. I suggest removing the oil pan and installing a new oil pick up tube and o-rings. You can also try changing the oil and filter every 200 miles and check under the valve cover to see if things are cleaning up. Depending on the severity you will have varied results.

Like I stated above if you follow my advice on this I can't guarantee Saab will honor it's special policy so check with Saab before you attempt any maintenance changes.