Check Engine Light On problems of the 2008 SAAB 9-3

Experienced hard starting in cold weather in the pacific northwest the past few years. Did research and found a TSB regarding the intake valves for 2. 0 ecotec 4 cylinder. Had a compression test following several check engine lights and multiple readings diagnose a p0300 engine code . Cold and warm compression test showed cylinder 2 compression well out of specification. Documents available upon request. Quoted $4000 for engine rebuild.

Recently, while starting the car it started up very rough. A few weeks ago the check engine light also came on and the mechanic told me there was an issue in cylinder 2. We replaced all spark plugs and coils, and the issue did not go away. In addition, the car has also started stalling randomly. Luckily, I haven't been driving at high speeds when this has happened but it's now shut off about 7 or 8 times in the last month. Been wondering if its intake valves, fuel pump, powertrain control module, camshaft timing. . . Sounds like lots of other people have experienced similar issues and hoping mines not because of the intake valves. Please email zachgrosel@hotmail. Com if you have experienced similar issues and know the fix. Car is a manual transmission.

I have owned my 2008 SAAB 9-3 for about a year now and I have had an ongoing rough running issue that seems to be getting worse. When I start my car up in the morning it runs very rough and recently the check engine light has been turing on and off with cylinder misfire codes. I have done some research and had this problem diagnosed, several times, as having bad intake valves. After doing more research on this problem, I have come to find this is a rather common issue with this specific year make and model. This is concerning because I have had this repair quoted at over $2000. 00. I am very familiar with manufacturer recalls and have been told by multiple dealerships to submit a complaint in order for this problem to be covered under a manufacturer recall due to faulty parts.

Check engine light on. . Shop found multiple engine misfires. . Checked engine compression. . Compression below manufacturers specs. . Needed complete valve job per SAAB recommendation. . Parts sent to machine shop for repairs and re-condition. . Re-install of cylinder head assembly with new head gasket and all other needed gasket and seals. . Flushed and refilled all engine transmission fluids. . Complete valve job with intake and exhaust valves. . Defective valve is reported issue on SAAB 9-3 2008. .

We purchased a 2008 SAAB 9-3 in 3/2011 with 34,000 miles. As of 2/2015 the vehicle has 104,000 miles. Last month the vehicle barely started after sitting overnight and would take several minutes to reach a normal idle. It would then start the rest of the day, sometimes after a "hard" start. The check engine light came on and the mechanic said the code read as a "cylinder misfire" code. 8 days ago the car would not start and is now sitting in my driveway. I called a SAAB specialist about 2 hours away from me who knew exactly what the problem was. He explained the intake valve problem that a lot of SAAB owners are experiencing due to defective materials used by gm and/or suppliers. He said the cost will be at least $2,200 but could easily be more depending on the severity. This is a known defect (a service bulletin has been issued detailing this issue) that should be subject to a recall. We cannot afford to fix an engine that does not work due to substandard valves. This is not a normal "wear and tear" issue, but an issue dealing with parts that were doomed from the beginning.

I'm not certain if this is a safety issue but it certainly qualifies as an emissions issue and a manufacturer's defect. On every cold start, the engine would run rough until I put it in drive and would run fine after a few minutes. I let it sit and idle for a while once and the check engine light came on as a result. A local dealership found low compression across 2 cylinders and informed me it was the dreaded valve issue (intake valve cupping they called it). The dealership had fixed a number of these and from various online forums, I see that a number of 2007 and 2008 SAAB 9-3 owners seem to have experienced the same problem. The repair consisted of removing and replacing all 8 intake valves, hand lapping them, removing and replacing all valve seals, and refinishing the head mating surface. The repair was very expensive, several thousand dollars. I've had the car back for a couple of weeks and the problem is gone. I was told this issue seems to happen around this amount of mileage and in cold weather states. Of course my warranty had expired 6 months earlier and I imagine this is the case with many other SAAB 9-3 owners with '07 and '08 vehicles. With the new parts, I was told I shouldn't run into this problem again.

While driving a normal highway speed, the check engine light came on and stayed on. This is the 4th time since November 2012. For the first two times, the dealer replaced the fuel pump. The last time they were not able to diagnose or find a problem. Today, I am told that I need all 6 ignition coils replaced as well as all 6 spark plugs. I don't think this is necessary and that the dealer just wants to make some money. The car shudders and vibrates like crazy, even at idle but this is worse when accelerating. Also, the power is much lower than normal. Has anyone with this model had a similar experience or problem?.

The problem of a cold start rough idle initially started last year around February 2013. The check engine light did come on every so often and would eventually reset itself. I had the code checked out, and I was told it was misfiring of the spark plugs. I had the spark plugs replaced, but unfortunately this did not solve the problem. I did not have the car looked at again till this year, February 2014, as I wanted to make sure I didn't have bad gas, or it wasn't carbon buildup in the engine. After informing the dealer of the problem I was having, they suggested I leave it overnight so they could test it out the next morning. That morning they called and told me the problem was with the intake valves going bad. They are in the process of ordering the parts and I will have the work completed in March 2014. I have contacted SAAB parts north America to see if they would be willing to help in anyway since my car was just out of warranty, and I was told they would not and that gm probably wouldn't either due to the bankruptcy. I will be attempting to call gm and see if they are willing to help in anyway since my vehicle was manufactured while SAAB was still owned by gm. I have also found out at SAAB central forums there are numerous owners of the 07-11 years that are experiencing the same problem at about the same mileage. I have also learned there is a spna bulletin that has been sent to dealers, so they know about this problem and have chosen not to stand behind their product by issuing a recall.

While accelerating on a freeway on ramp, the engine began to misfire and stutter. Trying to merge with the flow of traffic, power was unavailable. The engine operated normally when not accelerating. The car was unable to keep up with the flow of traffic and would only maintain a speed of approximately 50 mph. Pressing the accelerator more causes more stuttering. The check engine light flashed on briefly and then went away. The problem resolved itself after pulling over and shutting down and restarting the engine. The problem occurred again the next day under the same conditions. . . Normal operating temperature and moderate to heavy engine load for accelerating. Took the car to dealer who replaced the coil pack for cylinder #6. The problem was resolved, but there are still occasional stutters, just not constant stutters that caused the loss of power. I have researched this issue on message boards and the problem is not unique to my car. Many others have had issues with the coil packs and some reporting the same cylinder #6.

2008 SAAB 9-3 turbo x. I had a engine misfire with flashing check engine light under heavy acceleration. Caused the car to run really rough with reduced power. Would have been very unsafe had it happened while passing someone. Took to the dealership and it was diagnosed as a bad ignition coil. One coil was replaced but the car still was running rough at the dealership so they are still trying to fix it. From researching online, it seems to be a problem with 2008 SAAB turbo x. Lots of complaints on faulty ignition coils.