How to: Saab 900 9000 9-3 9-5 Oil Change - Trionic Seven

Changing the oil in a Saab B204, B234, B205, or B235 engine. This video shows the procedure for a Saab 9-5 Aero and a B235R engine, but the same procedure applies to all above engines. Note that the procedure for the ng9-3 (after 2003) is different.
Changing the oil is easy, but it was hard to hold the camera at the same time. Therefore, I spilled some oil on the floor (which I cleaned up afterwards).
The oil used in this video is Mobil1 New Life 0W-40 synthetic oil, but if you want a cheaper option you can use GM Dexos2 5w-30. You also need an oil filter, and do only use the original filter, GM Long-Life 55560202.
If you have a B205 or B235 engine I highly recommend that you perform this service at least every 10000 km.
Always dispose of your oil in the correct way. I have access to an oil disposal facility that takes care of the filter and old oil.
Hur man byter olja och oljefilter i en Saab 9-5.

[@TrionicSeven]

This is how you change the engine oil and oil filter in a Saab. This video applies to many of the Saab 900, 9000, 9-3, and 9-5 models.

[@Ricovalleyfoods]

Love the video. I been looking like crazy for a video of a Saab 9 3 2003 converrible oil change. And all that I find showed the oil being next to the engine under the hood and I been looking for mine forever and could not find it. Until I saw you video. Thank you sir for making it.

[@TrionicSeven]

Unfortunately, the 2003 9-3 is the next generation 9-3 which is a very different car than this. Possibly the instructions won't work.

[@CAVSAab8]

Thank you Jonathan - my SAAB knowledge is growing!! You didn't mention the oil cooler tho' - I guess that I ought to accept that, like the turbo and oil-ways, there will always be some old oil around! My service people recommend a 6-monthly oil change as the best management for the engine, 0-40W synthetic, even with my >140k V6 petrol engine [I replied to an earlier correspondent below about this - I do use Wynns engine cleaner additives, always found they work]. Thank you for the honesty - some years ago, I omitted to put a new oil filter on with my Land-Rover I had then - oil spreads very far!!!

[@TrionicSeven]

6 months is quite often, I'd say milage is more important. Glad you like the vids, but I'd stay clear of additives unless you need to solve a specific problem :)

[@jerra21]

Hi Jonathan (not sure if it's currect spelt) but anyway. Just a little tip, do not install the drainplug until you have pulled of the old oilfilter, when you pull the oilfilter, some extra old oil comes out of the oilsump :)

[@TrionicSeven]

Interesting, didn't know this! I usually put the plug back right away though since my oil catch can isn't large enough to cover both the filter and the drain.

[@bunnybrain]

Tack för dina fantastiska videor, köpte min första Saab ('07 9-5SC 2.0t bio i fusion blue) i juli och upptäckte dina videor kvällen innan jag gick för att titta på bilen. Videorna är superhjälpsamma, då min 9-5 verkar utveckla precis samma småfel som du hittar på din och fruns, så helt perfekt för mig att du finns :D Stort tack!

[@TrionicSeven]

Kul att du gillar filmerna! Frun har ju en Fusion Blue från 2006 :)

[@bunnybrain]

Ja, jag såg det, var den första videon jag tittade på :D Min gör likadan ljud när man vrider på ratten, så det blir nästa jobbet i helgen ha ha

[@Maidcroftroad]

Hello I’ve got a 2004 95 aero and it’s clocked almost 147000 miles it’s got a manual transmission and I don’t think the gearbox oil has ever been changed how to change the oil on a manual Saab 95 any help will be appreciated thanks.

[@bartoszm4993]

Thanks for the video :) It's so good to see how to change the oil+filter when I have never done this :)

[@sammylee9810]

Hi Jonathan, next time you do an oil change, would you mind showing where the lift point is under the car using a hydraulic jack? I want to change my oil but I don't want to damage anything. thanks!

[@TrionicSeven]

Great idea, will put that on my todo list, thanks :)

[@mruresm8]

Yet another excellent and very informative video, many many thanks. I too use Mobil 1 0W40 but i use K & N oil and air filter's. ;-)

[@TrionicSeven]

+Its only me!! Thanks!

[@botno69420]

Great video, thanks! I would've wanted to see how exactly you jack the car up, though. I'd expect you'd want to have the car as level as possible, which is obviously not feasible without a lift. Do you have to take that into account? I've only changed the oil to a VW I used to own, but never have I done it myself to my Saab 9-3. With the VW I used an inclination and some planks, which is most definitely dangerous and stupid. Mechanics use a lift. How would I go aobut this if I had nothing but a parking lot, a jack and a couple of those triangular things you showed in the video?

[@connyhaglund9719]

Tack för videon. Var till bra hjälp.

[@TrionicSeven]

+Conny Haglund Tack! :)

[@peteg8920]

Always a good idea to put an old piece of tapaulin under the drainpan - just in case.

[@TrionicSeven]

Yep!

[@edwardtupper6374]

I use the newspaper, usually nothing but ads anyway.

[@dontedq]

I just got a 06 9-5 and I don't know how many qts of oil I need to put in

[@the2120company]

nice video. you got into a oil world

[@TrionicSeven]

+Piotr Niewinski Yeah, I did make a mess. Not easy filming with one hand and changing the oil with the other.

[@costantineavignone]

I enjoyed the video and the honesty of your mishap .

[@TrionicSeven]

Yep, that's what I try to strive for. It makes it more authentic, and helps people to know what problems to expect :)

[@mushwar5455]

Important to note that the 0W-40 oils is only for the TTid Saabs, standard saab 9-5's use the 3W-40 full syntethic oil.

[@sven240]

Great video! But why do you only tighten the filter by hand!? won't it be starting to leak after a while?

[@TrionicSeven]

Hey Sven! No, only tighten the filter by hand. It won't leak if you put a little bit of oil on it, the only problem that can happen is that you put it on too tight, and it will be very difficult to get off. It should be looser than you expect. Good luck!

[@samjen7]

The reason you use a tool to get it off and not put it on is because it is easily damaged.

[@bingbongtoysKY]

hello greetings from mt washington ky , I recently had my oil changed at a fastlube,not doing that again, on my 1996 Saab 900seturbo, I used a bosch oil filter part # ST330, well now 8 have a leak, I'm getting a new plug and washer, is this filter ok for this model?

[@xxiamax0rxx]

Vart får man tag på Mobil1 oljan? vad rekomenderas och kan man även använda sig av OKs Formula Excel SAE 5W-40?

[@TrionicSeven]

+xxiamax0rxx Jag köper min olja från tyskland, oeldepot24.de. OKq8-oljan verkar uppfylla spec gm-ll025B, men den verkar på tok för dyr. Det blir betydligt billigare, till och med om du bara ska ha en flaska, att köpa från tyskland. Vill du ha billigare olja kan du köpa gm dexos2 5w30.

[@xxiamax0rxx]

+Trionic Seven: For Saab Enthusiasts okej ska kika på den sidan, tack för info! :)

[@whoisphantom]

Hello Trionic, I have a 2000 Saab 95 se. A few days ago I went to go pick it up and I got a notification saying that I needed to "fill coolant fluid" so I did. I also put half a quart of synthetic 10w40 oil on top of the old oil. Afterwards I went to take her for a test drive and she started up normally and felt fine while driving.. I took it back home for about 30mins and when I went to start her back up again it wouldn't start? The engine would make a really bad noise. It sounded like it was starting but after about a second it would die.. what do you think could be causing this problem?

[@TrionicSeven]

I would not want to guess from afar. Get it towed to a mechanic who can check it over. Could be something serious. And that oil doesn't seem right for the car.

[@colintatum6872]

Hi great vid. I'm worried about the nut stripping. Is it rare for this to happen? And is there an easy solution? Thx

[@TrionicSeven]

If the bolt is over-tightened, yes it can strip. In that case, I'd go to a mechanic who has better tools. Not common if you just tighten it hand tight. Don't need too tight!

[@Pallareggadetta]

May I ask, what is the point of not filling up the 4,2 liters of new oil immediately?

[@TrionicSeven]

It's an old vid. But it's supposed to be 4.0 liters, then just measure by the dipstick

[@edwardtupper6374]

Allow it time to settle into the galleries and for any air locks to cleaf

[@kevinalva4178]

Hello T7! I will be doing an oil change on my 2002 SAAB 9-3 SE and I will like a recommendation for the best oil I can use, thank you sir!

[@TrionicSeven]

GM Dexos2 5w30. Good oil on cheap!

[@ingerlindgren7281]

Hej igen:) Har du pallat upp bilen runt om eller behövs det bara fram för att tappa ur oljan ? Har köpt hem grejerna så ska snart byta i min 900, principen är väl densamma antar jag.

[@TrionicSeven]

Hej! Om du har en 900 (ng/og?) med den klassiska Saab 4-cyl-motorn räcker det förmodligen att bara palla upp på ena sidan fram, så länge du får in en oljeuppsamlare och når med 13-nyckeln så går det nog bra. Lycka till! :)

[@ingerlindgren7281]

Tack för svaret. Är en ng900. Men vet ju inte om den är 4-cylindrig förstås :) Jag testar när det har slutat regna, har ju inget garage :(

[@TrionicSeven]

Troligtvis 4-cylindrig, men oljebyte är rätt universellt på de flesta bilar. Lycka till!

[@ingerlindgren7281]

Tack :)

[@pendejoconjo]

Behöver man bry sig om att koppla ur batteriet när man gör detta? Antar att man inte behöver men better safe then sorry. /Okunnig

[@Joel..01]

Kommer inte behövas

[@markwarnberg9504]

The owners manual should say "use only GM-LL Oil" and the vicosity. Dexos has replaced the old GM-LL oil.

[@VKMFA]

If you want to properly change the oil and avoid sludge, you have to use vacuum or remove intercooler (can't be drawn in natural way).

[@TrionicSeven]

1) There is no need to drain all the oil since the oil change interval takes this remaining oil into account. 2) The intercooler does not contain oil.

[@VKMFA]

Oh sorry, I was talking about oil cooler. Prefer to have 100% fresh oil in my car. Also have a heat shield between catalytic converter and oil pen. I was skeptical, but to be honest, that really works.

[@simonvs5401]

jag har en annan fråga också, jag har en 2002 saab polar edition 2.0 T, vilken olja ska jag använda ? mobil 1 ? och ska det helsyntet eller halvsyntet ? MVH Simon

[@TrionicSeven]

Bara helsynet! Och bara rätt klassning (Dexos2), se handboken. Mycket viktigt på våra turboladdade bilar att inte snåla med oljan. Använd också Saab original oljefilter.

[@simonvs5401]

Okej ! Tack :)

[@SEDAN95]

Anch'io cambio l'olio e filtro nella mia SAAB 9000 CSE del 95

[@tompa2062]

Tack för en kanon video! Upptäckte din kanal i fredags och har nästan sett att denna helg. Jag har en fråga. Skall serva min 9-5 2,3T aut. I service programmet skall växellådans olja bytas ut. Är detta nödvändigt? Tack för en kanon bra kanal!

[@TrionicSeven]

Ja, du ska absolut byta automatlådeolja. Det är viktigt!

[@lexxluther5124]

What size copper washer are those please

[@TrionicSeven]

Sorry, I don't know! I just buy them over the counter at the local car parts store.

[@ROCKxSTARxCHILL]

Very nice video! thumbs up from me

[@TrionicSeven]

matt koziel Thanks!

[@ROCKxSTARxCHILL]

where can you buy the drain plug and copper washer from?

[@TrionicSeven]

matt koziel Any general car parts store should carry it, if not you can order from maptunparts.

[@cbp1357]

Hey. Just thought I'd let you know. over here in the us I used some mobi1 euro 0w-40 oil that meets mercedes 229.5 (that's the high end stuff) put it in my saab and when I took it to my local saab specialist to have them drop my oil pan. they asked me what oil I used. the reason being was that my oil was extremely thin and smelled of fuel. I told them 0-40 And they told me that they have had and seem really bad results of people using 0w-40. I did get into a bit of a disagreement with them about synthetic oil. in doing more research. saab Spokane (a saab specialist on the other side of the mountain's of where I live) had a article online saying that the best thing to do is if your saab is under 70K miles use 0w-40. if you are above that. use European 5W-40 oil. I used some liqui moly that we use at my shop. still burning some oil (about a liter every 2500 miles) guessing it's from my turbo. But still a huge improvement over the 0w-40. we have to remember that this engine is still a revised triumph engine. one that was designed to run on thicker oil.

[@TrionicSeven]

It must meet the saab specifications, not only viscosity. Brand name is less important.

[@cbp1357]

Trionic Seven agreed. I have just had bad experience with Mobil 1 in my saab. as for liqui moly. as I said it exceededs Saabs specs and is one of the best performing motor oils out there. as for viscosity. here is the link to the website www.saabspokane.com/preventive_maintenance.htm in Saabs with over 60K miles they use German 5w-40. guessing liqui moly. as they're aren't many German oil companies.

[@CAVSAab8]

This may be a little late but also maybe of interest - my 2001 V6 petrol Griffin 9-5 started using a lot of oil [several litres between 6 monthly oil change, no leaks], talked it over, thought was that could be turbo 'beginning to go', and needing replacement - scary! An option, after talking with Wynns, was an in-tank cleaner for the turbo - and cat also: all I can say is that I tried it and worked like a dream, no oil smoke, no oil usage, no nightmares over finding another turbo! Incidentally, to salve my anxiety, I also discovered that the turbo can be serviced as a one-day thing, not too costly - and my >140k mile car uses 0-40W synthetic - modern oils are very complicated so I follow recommendations! I hope this will be of some interest.

[@buudzian]

Hi Jonathan and everyone interested. Thanks for this video which is excellent as many other of yours about your Saabs - find them very helpful. I need your opinion on oils viscosity (of course the ones which meet GM-LL-025 A). The previous owner of my 9-5 used synth. 5w30 and hit 220 000 km on it when I bought it in Sweden. I inspected engine myself from underneath and I found it dry-clean, no leaks whatsoever. No blue smoke on cold start and original turbo in good condition. I was happy to buy this gem and have started to use Mobil 1 New Life 0w40 ever since, every 10 000 km. Did 3 changes so far. At second change I noticed leak coming from pulleys-side and PVC oil separator. Lately I can see turbo sweat. Engine consumes 0,5 litre and 1 litre between regular oil changes, in summer and winter respectively. No blue smoke, but I notoriously find few ml of oil in intake pipe every week. To your mind (and anyone experienced) should I return to 5w30 GM oil? Will it 'heal' vents through which the thin 0w40 escapes? What do you fellows think? Cheers!

[@TrionicSeven]

1 liter between regular oil changes is nothing to worry about, the Phoenix uses a lot more than that. 5w30 GM oil is great, nothing to worry about!

[@DanTaninecz]

Great vid. Is there any way to halfway fill the oil filter with new oil before installation? I have heard it's always a good idea to fill the filter to avoid a dry start. Seems impossible here to fully fill it, since it late laterally, but perhaps a half fill is feasible with minimal spilling.

[@TrionicSeven]

Nah, don't worry about it. If you are worried, pull the DIC connector and then crank the car in 10 second intervals until the oil light turns off. But really just turn it on and it'll build up pressure in under one second.

[@ingerlindgren7281]

Finns någon video på detta som har svenskt tal?

[@TrionicSeven]

Tyvärr inget som är planerat än, nästan alla verkar nöjda med engelska. Finns det behov kanske jag börjar med svenska filmer också!

[@filip1997andersson]

You don’t have to use mobil 1 or gm oil any oil will be fine i use biltema mineral oil 10w 30 in my saab 9-3 2.0t from 2003

[@TrionicSeven]

As long as it's the correct spec oil!

[@zedruph]

Tackar, mycke bra guide

[@TrionicSeven]

Tack!

[@ZurasTube]

Shit happens, you are a good man , thank you.

[@TrionicSeven]

Thanks for stopping by!

[@mhmjuste]

It is not recomended to Put a syntetic oil in an old engine due to wear and tear on all the engineparts inside, that and it can be harsh on gaskets and o rings and if they have used Othet oils the syntetic oil Will loosen buildups in the oilcanals, atleast this is what ive been tought

[@TrionicSeven]

The Saabs with turbo have had synth in them since basically forever.

[@Vinniboy88]

@@TrionicSeven Synthetic oils are really bad for these engines, especially for the ones in the 9000 where the cat is directly underneath the oil sump. It heats up the oil a lot and the synthetic oil reacts differently to mineral oil and there will be a lot of build up in the entire engine. i just had to rebuild an engine because of that

[@DanTaninecz]

I've only ever had synth recommended to me for my 9-5. Could be a difference w the 9000.

[@samuelliljeblom114]

Är detta den andra oljan du tala om? www.oljemagasinet.se/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=379

[@TrionicSeven]

Japp, detta är den billigare varianten men inget fel på den oljan!

[@simonvs5401]

hej, vad heter "drain plug" på svenska ? jag har en saab 9-3 2002

[@TrionicSeven]

Skulle gissa på "oljeplugg"

[@simonvs5401]

Okej tack så mycket !!

[@Xennox2]

Jag heter inte hasse. Men imorn blir det oljebyte

[@TrionicSeven]

Hoppas oljebytet gick bra, Hasse!

[@Vinniboy88]

Don't use synthetic oil, use mineral oil! And 10W40 is probably the best. For the B234 in the 9000 at least

[@TrionicSeven]

9000 perhaps, but disagree on the 9-5.

[@90umit]

Biltema :D

[@TrionicSeven]

+90umit Guilty as charged! But the oil and filter is genuine, of course ;)

[@speclightvisonchannels101]

John you would not believe all the problems.my saabs are in surgery.the guy who sold me it was a scammer I'm afaied.hope father hood is fun. Mike and I can't edit any film.oh well.

[@TrionicSeven]

Fatherhood is great ;) Sorry to hear about your troubles, let's hope for a quick resolution

[@sierre00]

Lol

[@piotrsmajek5295]

you will kill this engine witch 0w40, this engine need 5w30/5w40 and how can you do instruction video when you now nothing about Saab construction

[@TrionicSeven]

piotr smajek Mobil1 New Life 0w40 is one of the most popular engine oils for the 4-cylinder Saab engines, it will not kill the engine. Tell me how I know nothing of Saab construction before commenting on something you obviously have no idea about.

[@Kallemedkn1ven]

piotr smajek As long as it has the Dexos 2 class, it's fine.

[@benny532017]

+piotr smajek haha! -what a ridiculous comment!

[@bunnybrain]

My Saab original owners manual for a 2007 9-5 states clear as day that you should only use 0W-40 for the Saab engine, and that, if original oil is unavailable, Mobil1 oil is recommended. I think the Saab engineers know a little better than you do piotr. Sometimes it is better to be quiet and be suspected to be a fool, than to open one's mouth and eradicate any doubt of the fact.