VF SS oil change

[Smitty]

....................

I think I'd trust the SAAB engineers over the GM ones TBH.

ummm... wasn't SAAB owned by GM ???

 

[greenacc]

Fuel dilution or a poorly designed PCV system? I don't think DI would change fuel dilution as that would be caused by fuel getting past the piston rings.

Short runs is hard on oil. Oil needs to get hot to burn off the crap that accumulates in the crank case from blowby. Also, the PCV system sucks clean air into the crank case, that air will contain a small amount of water depending on the atmospheric conditions of the day, if you don't get the engine/oil hot it won't burn off that moisture and that isn't good for the oil either.

The high compression ratio used in direct injection engines is claimed to make dilution worse. I read an article about it somewhere. So avoid doing to many short trips in a SIDI.

 

[Immortality]

ummm... wasn't SAAB owned by GM ???

Yes but it was still it's own company. There was a good story how SAAB engineers ignored GM directives because they did not agree with GM engineers on how things were done properly.

Holden was a GM company but I'm sure Holden engineers still did things how they wanted to do them.

The high compression ratio used in direct injection engines is claimed to make dilution worse. I read an article about it somewhere. So avoid doing to many short trips in a SIDI.

But that isn't the fault of DI but rather compression. If it was the same compression with port injection the problem would most likely be the same(but your valves would be clean).

Avoid doing many short trips with any type of ICE vehicle. It's also why I really like seeing engine oil heat exchangers fitted as standard using the cooling system, it helps get heat into the oil faster and keep overall oil temps a bit lower.

It was a shock to learn Holden/GM fitted an oil cooler/heat exchanger on the old ecotecs that were sold in the middle east. **** I wish we'd had those down under. Members tell us those engines were bullet proof over there and I'm fairly sure part of that was more stable oil temps.

 

[Forg]

ummm... wasn't SAAB owned by GM ???

Yeah was gonna say, depending on model it probably was running a GM engineered engine.

Looking at Wikipedia, the GM engines started in 2003 when the 9-3 became a Vectra.

Yes but it was still it's own company. There was a good story how SAAB engineers ignored GM directives because they did not agree with GM engineers on how things were done properly.

Holden was a GM company but I'm sure Holden engineers still did things how they wanted to do them.

Holden even told SAAB what to do! Well sort-of, HEC built the 2.8 turbo engine for the 9-5 and Insignia ...

 

[mstrjon32]

I had a 2006 and a 2008 9-3. They were owned by GM then, though Saab did still do most of their own engineering and design. The Saabs had their own Trionic engine management which was much more advanced than anything GM offered on other models at the time.

I can't say if the Saab oil monitoring system had commonality with the standard GM system, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[mstrjon32]

The high compression ratio used in direct injection engines is claimed to make dilution worse. I read an article about it somewhere. So avoid doing to many short trips in a SIDI.

I've heard that as well, but I can't really say if that's the reason. I had a turbo DI engine (low compression) and it will still a concern to some.

I like our SV6 quite a bit but it's a family car and we just use it when we need it.

 

[Immortality]

Probably says all we need to know about SAAB and their GM masters.

 

[chrisp]

The high compression ratio used in direct injection engines is claimed to make dilution worse. I read an article about it somewhere. So avoid doing to many short trips in a SIDI.

I think it depends upon the location of the (direct) injector and the angle that it sprays. Some cars have the injector mounted near the side of the cylinder and they spray across the cylinder. When the engine is cold, the injected fuel hits the cold wall of the cylinder, condenses and washes off the oil and gets past the piston rings.

 

[Immortality]

Eww yuk. That is a potential design flaw.

That is a rather shallow angle across the cylinder.

 

[Smitty]

Probably says all we need to know about SAAB and their GM masters.

my eldest had one .. pre GM days though
a turbo 9000i version, nice comfy swedish thing.. leather and sunroof 'mit turbo on a 2.3 litre Four.

just don't work on it! heater core died... factory manual says you -
...start by removing the camshaft (still have the timing chain tool) cylinder head and turbo (and attached zorst)!
yup
then you remove the upper part of the LH side firewall !

said enough.... ! the SAAB dealers quoted $2000-2500 to replace a $250 heater core
coz anything in front of that heater core needs removal (R&R in the manual) and the time to do
that is a killer

so I did it in a weekend, 12 hours of my life down the toilet