Things have been insanely busy lately. A bigger shop and an employee seem imminent. Biggest thing about Pittsburgh is trying to be centrally located to everyone, which also means being in the middle of traffic and high priced real estate.
Looking at a new shop in Oakdale soon. Is that too far out for you? Is it less convenient? Would love to hear my customers feedback on this. Will probably send out a mass email to my client list asking for opinions.
If I stay central and get the size shop I really need, labor rate will also have to increase, which is something I really don't want to have to do.
Feedback appreciated.
-Chad
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Only two new tires? Always on the rear...
Had a discussion with a customer today who only needed two new tires. If putting two new tires on a vehicle, they should always go on the REAR. Sounds like fuzzy logic, but this cheesy Youtube video will help make the point:
Friday, May 27, 2011
9-3 SS Headlight Wiring
A common problem almost since new on the early 9-3 Sport Sedans with halogen headlamps is that the wiring for the headlamp bulbs degrades and falls apart. Saab makes a kit to fix this. I installed one today, here's a pic:
The result is a professional repair near as good as the original factory wiring.
A nice and affordable fix for an unforeseen problem. The kit is about 15 bucks.
The result is a professional repair near as good as the original factory wiring.
A nice and affordable fix for an unforeseen problem. The kit is about 15 bucks.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
I changed a DI today. It was on a 2002 9-3. With 17,000 miles on it. Awesome.
These are the blog entires you get when I have lots of work to do. :)
These are the blog entires you get when I have lots of work to do. :)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The worst head gasket leak I've ever seen.
Not much to say here. The picture speaks for itself. The only reason the car was brought in was because it could not rev above 2,000rpms without misfiring. Reason being the oil leak from the head was so bad it saturated the Cranshaft Position Sensor harness to the point of failure.
I should buy stock in parts cleaner.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
9-5 Automatic Transmission Mounts and 9-3SS Front Wheel Bearings
I've been working a ton lately, and haven't been so motivated to take pictures of everything because I have so much to do. Here are some things I worked on in the past week that you might find interesting.
Also, my DSLR has been staying at home lately, so the photos are from my Iphone... sorry.
9-5 automatic transmission torque arm mounts go bad, and allow the engine/transmission to jump badly when going from Park to Drive, or Reverse. The stock SAAB replacement part isn't of good quality at all and fails almost immediately. I've been experimenting with a polyurethane replacement.
This photo shows the slack that develops in the stock bushing. It is easily compressed with just one finger. This is where the "jarring" comes from
This is the polyurethane replacement. The snug fit and firmness of the polyurethane insures no more "jarring," but does transmit a bit more engine/transmission vibration throughout the car.
Overall I was pleased with the results. The jarring was gone, but the car definitely vibrates more at idle when in gear and with your foot on the brake. I think the new mount exposed some weak subframe bushings in the 9-5 in question, as the 02-06's are known for having bushings that badly wear over time.
I also changed my first wheel bearing on a 9-3 Sport Sedan this past week. The car was an '03 and had a bad droning/grinding sound when moving. The customer had new front brakes installed around the time the noise started, and the shop had just done pads, so I thought the sound was coming from the pad riding on the lip of the old rotor, so we did the rotors and new pads first to no avail. Rotated tires front to rear to eliminate that as an option, and the sound still persisted, so a bad wheel bearing it was.
Not that bad of a job I suppose, you can use air tools on it all so that helps. All the bolts are of the E-Torx style, so don't try that one at home unless you've got a set that has a 18, 22, and 24 in it.
New 9-3SS Wheel Bearing Assembly w/ Integrated ABS Sensor vs. Old
Front hub dissembled and wheel bearing assembly removed. Note the oil in the middle right of the photos? More on that below.
As soon as I jacked the right side of this car up I heard a consistent dripping sound. Started investigating and the power steering fluid reservoir was overflowing. Turns out the seal in the power steering pump, which is run off of the engine camshaft, has failed and has pumped motor oil in to the power steering system. After some reading, it turns out this is fairly common on the older ones. The customer is returning next week to replace the pump and have the system flushed with the SAAB specific CHF fluid.
Hopefully this bad Pittsburgh weather will break and we can all start enjoying spring soon as well.
Best,
-Chad
Also, my DSLR has been staying at home lately, so the photos are from my Iphone... sorry.
9-5 automatic transmission torque arm mounts go bad, and allow the engine/transmission to jump badly when going from Park to Drive, or Reverse. The stock SAAB replacement part isn't of good quality at all and fails almost immediately. I've been experimenting with a polyurethane replacement.
Overall I was pleased with the results. The jarring was gone, but the car definitely vibrates more at idle when in gear and with your foot on the brake. I think the new mount exposed some weak subframe bushings in the 9-5 in question, as the 02-06's are known for having bushings that badly wear over time.
I also changed my first wheel bearing on a 9-3 Sport Sedan this past week. The car was an '03 and had a bad droning/grinding sound when moving. The customer had new front brakes installed around the time the noise started, and the shop had just done pads, so I thought the sound was coming from the pad riding on the lip of the old rotor, so we did the rotors and new pads first to no avail. Rotated tires front to rear to eliminate that as an option, and the sound still persisted, so a bad wheel bearing it was.
Not that bad of a job I suppose, you can use air tools on it all so that helps. All the bolts are of the E-Torx style, so don't try that one at home unless you've got a set that has a 18, 22, and 24 in it.
As soon as I jacked the right side of this car up I heard a consistent dripping sound. Started investigating and the power steering fluid reservoir was overflowing. Turns out the seal in the power steering pump, which is run off of the engine camshaft, has failed and has pumped motor oil in to the power steering system. After some reading, it turns out this is fairly common on the older ones. The customer is returning next week to replace the pump and have the system flushed with the SAAB specific CHF fluid.
Hopefully this bad Pittsburgh weather will break and we can all start enjoying spring soon as well.
Best,
-Chad
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