Have a new Saab 9-3 Vector with 2000 miles, factory fill either mobil 1 0W-40 or Saab (euro-Mobil 1) 0W-30. On a new car I would usually run 2500 miles for the first change, but this car has a 6 quart capacity and I'm thinking of running to 5000 miles before the first change -- or, at 2500 miles just replacing the filter and making up with fresh Mobil 1 0W40. Saab doesn't think it's necessary to change the oil until the monitor says to (12k to 18k or 2 years, whichever comes first) and I can appreciate that oil, metallurgy and manufacturing tolerances and cleanliness have improved radically, but.....any suggestions?
New Saab first oil change
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What's the interval recomended by SAAB? If you will sleep better do it at half that interval.
I'm probably not the guy to answer this but I really don't beleive in leaving factory fills in for very long at all. I would go with 2500 miles or less.....all just my opinion. Nothing scientific vs. seeing the Honda factory fill analysis, seeing an oil with huge moly for extended break-in coating....
I also have a 9-3 SS. Factory fill is Euro Mobil 1 0W-30 Long life. This is what SAAB uses for their free oil changes also. The rumor is, SAAB won't be imported the SAAB oil pretty soon due to the high exchange rate of the Euro. They will be using Mobil 1 0W-40 only. The SAAB oil and the 0W-40 is the only two oils in the US that meet the GM-LL-025 spec.
I dumped my factory fill at 3,000 and did a UOA at 6,000. There was no metals to be found. Another member dumped his factory fill at 14,800. There was a butt load of metals in his UOA. Look up mine and Cosmicflashes UOA.
I now do my OCI at every 5,000 miles. I been using the SAAB oil, but it looks like they rasied the price on it now. I will either use Mobil 1 0W-40 or German Castol 0W-30 if I can find it.
I dumped my factory fill at 3,000 and did a UOA at 6,000. There was no metals to be found. Another member dumped his factory fill at 14,800. There was a butt load of metals in his UOA. Look up mine and Cosmicflashes UOA.
I now do my OCI at every 5,000 miles. I been using the SAAB oil, but it looks like they rasied the price on it now. I will either use Mobil 1 0W-40 or German Castol 0W-30 if I can find it.
The new Amsoil 5w-40, European Formula also exceeds the GM-LL-025A and 025B specifications. Given the baseline specs of the SAAB 0w-30, the Amsoil Series 2000, 0w-30 will also work extremely well in this application. I've been using it in my 1.8L, 225 Hp Audi TT roadster for the past 3000 miles and it seems to be doing fine.
Tooslick
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Tooslick
www.lubedealer.com/Dixie_Synthetics
I like the idea of swapping in a new filter. The oil can definitely handle it, & the engine (presumably) goes thru a factory break-in so they can use syn out the door, but I'm still a little nervous about extra metal bits (take a look at quadrun 1's Saab factory fill oil filter dissection post). I'd swap in a new media section sometime between now & 5,000 miles, then top up with 0W-40 & go the remainder of the regular interval.
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