saablog

You’ll remember reading that the 900 turned 120,000 miles recently. If you’re really astute (or if you look in the Saablog archive) you’ll recall that this month marks the 2-year anniversary of my purchase of the car. As Washington state requires emission testing bi-annually for vehicles in the metro area, I went today during lunch to have the 900’s emissions checked.

One of the things the testers do is look for the CHECK ENGINE light on the dashboard; if it’s illuminated you immediately fail the test. When the 900 idles for longer than a minute or two, its CHECK ENGINE light tends to illuminate. The lamp goes out when I start driving again. It doesn’t bother me, but I couldn’t risk having it turn on while I idled in line for my emissions test.

All of the “idiot” lamps for the dashboard are accessible through the driver-side speaker opening. When the rear window defroster lamp burned out last year, I replaced it with the cruise control’s lamp since the cruise control is inoperative. I won’t admit to having done anything wrong, and the 900 did pass its $15 emission test. Now I just need to pay the $49.50 and renew the license.

Of course, it doesn’t make sense to license a car that doesn’t work, or that I’m going to have to be rid of. Lately I’ve been having A LOT of smoke on startup, and I burned through the coolant in my coolant reservoir in just 800 miles, so I believe I’m consuming coolant. That likely points to a headgasket failure. Today a heavy white smoke bellowed from the back of the 900 until I was merging on to I-5, so for almost a mile.

I don’t think I have the mechanical aptitude to replace a head gasket. I certainly lack the confidence required to undertake replacing the head gasket. It will cost upwards of $1000 to have a mechanic replace it, and then I’ll still have a failed 2nd gear synchro (though I’m quite good at double-declutching) and will still need new brakes.

I need to sit down with the ledger book and see how much money the 900 has cost me this year. Having a third car is so fun, especially my eye-catching classic 900, which is a car I’ve always wanted to own, and which has practically spawned its own lifestyle brand (Black Saab Orange Stripe). Having gotten the interior up to snuff this autumn makes the car feel (on the inside) like comfortable, well-cared-for car. But I can’t justify spending thousands of dollars to bring it back to life, when it wouldn’t have as much resale value as what I had put in to it. It’s sad because I really like having the car and driving the car.