Saab Fix

"Godspeed11- I own a SAAB" (Godspeed11)
12/16/2013 at 17:24 • Filed to: Wrenching

So after school I headed to the Starbucks across the street. I noticed steam and thought to myself: A) Oh crap something is deathly wrong or B) the washer fluid from my headlight washers hit a hot spot on my hood and evaporated. Unfortunately it was A.

Here is the culprit. A weird design by Saab, one I don't see making sense at all. A coolant line from the reservoir into the engine directly over the turbo. It had some cracking on the lower portion and was beginning to expand under the heat.

Here's a better look at the damage:

It looks almost like dry rot. My guess is that it was caused from the car sitting outside in the cold and then being heated, cooled, and heated again four times every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday because of my swim schedule. Going from 20 degrees to 150 that quickly and that often has done it in.

It just so happened that Starbucks was a part of a grocery store, as many are. I quickly accessed my ancestral redneck ingenuity and realized that Duct Tape is the fix all. More specifically Gorilla Tape. I ran in and grabbed a roll for a temporary fix.

It didn't stop coolant from leaking out but it kept the hose from busting at least temporarily. Advance Auto offered to save the day and the attendants were surprisingly helpful. Eight inches of heater hose and some clamps should do the trick, hopefully.

Here's a look at the engine bay and where the hoses run relative to the radiator and reservoirs:

I'm currently waiting for the engine to cool off before replacing the hose and clamps. Later I'll post pictures of the fix, any tips? Thoughts? Rage comments about shoddy GM parts and hysterical rants over Saab's complicated engineering?

EDIT: Would I need adhesive to replace what was there originally? If so what kind would I need? Anything special to deal with the heat?

I replaced the hose and all is good, however the replacement seems to be a higher gauge than the OEM part. I hope it holds up fine, maybe the heat will toughen up the rubber like the old hose. I can't tell if the old one is thicker or just tougher from age.

Here's the hose detached:

After some trimming and forcing I got the new one on. The pipe leading to the engine was a small diameter (Maybe 3/8-1/2") and the plastic lead from the reservoir was larger (closer to 5/8"). The hose, being 5/8", had some wiggle room on the pipe to the engine meaning there was a lot of room to tighten and move the clamp around. The lead to the reservoir required some fiddling to get it to fit but it has a wide end to keep everything on tight.

The end result:

I cleaned all the run off up after this so it looks nice and clean. The new clamps look much better than the original ones and seem to do a better job of holding the hose.

After inspecting the old hose more I can see where it looks like it failed. The top of the hose looks like it was touching the heat reflector on the bottom of the hood. The heat from it expanded the hose and caused it to crack.

A better look:

The silver mark is where the hose was up against the reflector.

Updates about the new hose will come if/when something happens.

DISCUSSION (19)

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 17:26

Kinja'd!!!

Radiator reservoir. Instead of having the cap on the radiator itself, Saab put it up here at the top of the engine, I don't know why exactly. If you know or have any thoughts please do share.

Nibbles > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 17:30

So the reservoir is a: above the topmost portion of the radiator and b: easier to repair / replace

I imagine some of that comes from previous generation Saabs, where the plastics used for the coolant reservoir was prone to self-destruction.

Aaron James > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 17:32

Only thing that may give you a hard time is getting the hose off, sometimes they are almost glued on. A slice longwise with a razor blade will allow you to peel it off. Don't forget to put the clamps on the hose before you attach it or you'll have to pull it all apart again. I've done that more times than I'd like to admit.

d1ck > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 17:33

This is usually done when the radiator is mount lower than the coolant passages in the head. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to fill the cooling system.

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > Nibbles
12/16/2013 at 17:33

Up until '06 cracking was an issue with the reservoir itself. In '07, along with the interior update, a few mechanical bits were redone including the reservoir. Last time I had my coolant replaced the shop broke the cap but that was easily replaced. The hose is the only problem so I'm guessing that's a carry over part.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 17:34

There's a "drawing coolant through the turbo" or something like it trick employed by Subaru I've heard mention of that led them to do something like this- this could be in that vein.

Party-vi > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 17:35

Kinja'd!!!

Well, there's your problem.

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > Aaron James
12/16/2013 at 17:35

Awesome thanks! It looks like the hose was leaking a little where it met with the reservoir itself so I'm guessing I'll have to clean it up to get a good seal.

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > d1ck
12/16/2013 at 17:37

I figured it had something to do with filling the system but I didn't see the point in mounting it basically on top of the turbo. I guess space was a big concern, as you can tell the 2.8 really fills the engine bay.

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/16/2013 at 17:38

There is a second line running to the turbo. I assume the engine and turbo share the same coolant right?

Nibbles > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 17:40

That they do

Aaron James > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 17:52

Yes, that is exactly what happens, it creates kind of a cement, once you get the hose off, it should be fairly easy to clean off. I've used very fine sandpaper or a small flathead screwdriver to scrape in extreme cases but a wet green scrub pad usually does the trick. The worm clamps that I'm assuming you got work much better than the stock ones.

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > Aaron James
12/16/2013 at 18:00

Yeah I figured the stock clamps would be tired and worn so I went ahead and got new ones. Do I need to put any adhesive on or will a tight clamp be good enough?

Aaron James > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 18:12

Nope, just the clamp and all will be fine. If it leaks just tighten it a little and you'll be good to go.

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > Party-vi
12/16/2013 at 19:16

Are noting the fact that the hose is from GM or the antifreeze dripping off the hose? Either way you're right.

Party-vi > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 19:20

BOTH! :D

Godspeed11- I own a SAAB > Party-vi
12/16/2013 at 19:23

Looks like you win!

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
12/16/2013 at 21:48

I guess you could also put some exhaust heat wrap around that hose as an extra layer of protection.

mikeluscher159 > Godspeed11- I own a SAAB
01/05/2014 at 20:09

That DexCool doesn't look to clean

I'd drain the cooling system, replace the hose, and fill with fresh