Before the Saab 9-3 TTiD and Lancia Delta 1.9 Twin Turbo started confusing owners with two different oil recommendations for closely related diesel hardware, Saab and Fiat had already spent decades crossing technical paths.
The relationship did not begin with common-rail diesels. It began in the late 1970s, when Saab needed help below the 99 and 900. The Saab 96 had served for nearly two decades, but replacing it with a fully independent small-car project was beyond Saab’s budget. The Wallenberg-controlled Swedish manufacturer looked south, toward the Agnelli-controlled Fiat group, for industrial reach, platform access, and technical cooperation.
The first visible result was not the Saab 9000. It was smaller and stranger: the Saab-Lancia 600.
Sold in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark from 1980, the Saab-Lancia 600 was essentially a Lancia Delta adapted for Saab’s Nordic dealer network. It was built in Chivasso alongside the Delta and carried Saab-Lancia identification on the tailgate. It was meant to give Saab a modern hatchback below the 900, but the project never became the durable Scandinavian answer Saab needed. Salt, price, market positioning, and the basic mismatch between Italian compact-car assumptions and Nordic use left the 600 as a rare historical footnote rather than a Saab success.
The larger Saab–Fiat collaboration was more durable. The Type Four project linked Saab, Fiat, Lancia, and Alfa Romeo through the Saab 9000, Fiat Croma, Lancia Thema, and Alfa Romeo 164. Saab’s version was heavily reworked to meet its own safety expectations, but the principle remained: Saab was never isolated from European platform and component cooperation. It used outside industrial partnerships when the engineering case, financial pressure, or timing demanded it.
That history matters when looking at the 9-3 TTiD. By the late GM period, Saab was no longer rebadging a Delta. It was using a Fiat/GM diesel family that also appeared in Italian applications. The old Saab-Lancia relationship had returned in a different form: not a shared hatchback body, but a shared diesel architecture.
And that is where the oil debate begins.
Table of Contents
- 1 Why the TTiD Mattered to Saab
- 2 The Diesel Saab That Still Drove Like a Saab
- 3 The American Absence
- 4 The Same Diesel Family, Two Different Badges
- 5 Saab’s Answer: 0W-40 ACEA C3
- 6 Lancia’s Answer: 5W-40 FIAT 9.55535-Z2
- 7 Why the Engineers May Have Split
- 8 What Owners Actually Found
- 9 Saab Owners Had a Different Problem
- 10 The 200,000 km Question
- 11 What the Lancia Comparison Really Proves
- 12 TTiD Owners: What Oil Works in Your Saab?
Why the TTiD Mattered to Saab
The 1.9 TTiD arrived at an important moment for the Saab 9-3. In 2007, Saab announced major changes to the model range. The front end was redesigned up to the A-pillars, XWD and the Turbo X were introduced, and two powertrain stories stood out for the 2008 model year: the BioPower 2.0t petrol engine and the new two-stage turbo 1.9-liter diesel.
The diesel was not a minor addition. For Saab in Europe, it was a commercial necessity. Company-car taxation, CO₂ thresholds, and the growing strength of premium diesel sedans had changed the market. Saab could not rely only on petrol turbo identity when BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Volvo were selling strong diesel company cars across Europe.
The TTiD gave Saab a diesel that did not feel like a reluctant fleet-car compromise. In its strongest 180 hp form, it delivered 400 Nm of torque. That figure placed it in the same practical conversation as much larger petrol engines, but with the economy and CO₂ figures European buyers expected at the time.
Saab also used the TTiD to chase the politically important 120 g/km CO₂ line. The 9-3 Sedan eventually reached 119 g/km through a package of measures: revised gearing, adjusted engine management, reduced weight, aerodynamic changes, and low-rolling-resistance tires. That result did not arrive simply by installing a Fiat diesel and printing a brochure. Saab engineers had to adapt the car around the target.
The SportCombi was more difficult. It missed the key 120 g/km limit by a small margin at first, which mattered because fleet buyers and company-car policies were increasingly tied to emissions classes. For Saab, the 119 g/km Sedan was not only an environmental claim; it was a way to keep the 9-3 relevant in markets where taxation could decide the sale before the customer even drove the car.
The Diesel Saab That Still Drove Like a Saab
The 9-3 TTiD also had to pass a more emotional test: it had to work as a Saab.
A diesel Saab was not going to sound like a B205 or B235 petrol turbo. The character was different. But the TTiD delivered its argument through torque, response, and real-road acceleration. Contemporary SaabPlanet material described the engine as powerful, flexible, and unusually relaxed at highway speed. The 400 Nm output mattered most in overtaking and long-distance driving, where the car could gather speed without feeling strained.
In real driving, the TTiD’s two-stage turbo system was the point. The “TT” badge was not decoration. It referred to a twin-turbo, two-stage setup designed to stretch the engine’s usable elasticity. A small turbocharger supported low-rpm response, while a larger turbocharger handled higher airflow. This gave the diesel a broad useful band rather than a single narrow surge.
In a 2008 SaabPlanet road test of the 9-3 Aero 1.9 TTiD, the engine’s 180 hp and 400 Nm were treated as central to the car’s identity. The test described strong acceleration in all gears, and emphasized that the car’s 80–120 km/h acceleration was especially competitive against premium rivals of the period. That detail is important for this article because it shows what Saab expected the oil to support: not only low consumption, but repeated high-load torque delivery in a heavy, aerodynamic, long-distance sedan.
There was also a gearing complication. In the eco-focused 119 g/km version, Saab used very tall higher gears. That helped emissions and economy, but it changed the way the car was driven. The engine could feel too tall in sixth gear at low speeds, yet become very strong when used in the right gear. The lubrication system therefore had to support two different realities: low-rpm economy driving and strong torque demand when the driver asked for it.
That dual character is where the oil discussion belongs. The TTiD was not just an emissions engine. It was a high-torque twin-turbo diesel working inside a car Saab still wanted to feel sharp, stable, and long-legged.
The American Absence
The TTiD’s position becomes even more interesting when viewed from the United States. The 9-3 Aero TTiD never became part of the American Saab showroom story. US buyers knew Saab through petrol turbos, convertibles, Viggens, Aeros, and later GM-era V6 applications, but not through the 400 Nm twin-turbo diesel sedan.
That absence shaped how the car is understood today. In Europe, the TTiD is a known ownership proposition: DPF, EGR, swirl flaps, oil specification, remaps, long gearing, and strong torque. In America, it remains a “what they never got” Saab: a diesel Aero sedan that combined low consumption with the kind of mid-range punch US Saab enthusiasts would have understood immediately.
The US context also helps explain why some oil discussions became blurred. Much of the online English-language Saab knowledge base was shaped by petrol cars and US-market ownership. The 1.9 TTiD, meanwhile, lived mostly in European service networks, where generalist garages often treated it as another Fiat/GM diesel. That is where 5W-30 and 5W-40 substitutions entered the story.
The Same Diesel Family, Two Different Badges
The Saab 9-3 1.9 TTiD and Lancia Delta 1.9 Twin Turbo Multijet use closely related versions of the Fiat/GM 1.9-liter, 16-valve common-rail diesel. Both rely on a same sequential twin-turbo system rather than a single twin-scroll turbocharger. A small turbocharger supports low-rpm response; a larger turbocharger handles higher airflow and load.
The Saab version is known to owners as Z19DTR or A19DTR (TTiD4). In the 9-3 TTiD, it was rated at 180 hp and 400 Nm. The Lancia Delta 1.9 Twin Turbo Multijet used the 844 A1.000 designation and was rated at 190 hp and 400 Nm. The 10 hp difference is best understood as calibration and installation difference, not as evidence of a fundamentally unrelated engine.
The hardware connection is particularly visible in the turbocharger assembly. Parts references for the Saab Z19DTR twin-turbo unit cross-reference BorgWarner/KKK numbers with Saab, Fiat, and Lancia-related numbers. That does not mean every hose, bracket, ECU strategy, DPF installation, or calibration is interchangeable. But the core mechanical relationship is strong enough that the oil question becomes genuinely useful.
If the engine family is so close, why did Saab and Lancia not specify the same oil?
Saab’s Answer: 0W-40 ACEA C3
For the Saab 9-3 TTiD, the factory path leads to 0W-40 ACEA C3. Genuine Saab oil listings for the 2008–2011 9-3 TTiD identify the 0W-40 oil under Saab references 93165386 and 32019300, with application to Z19DTR and A19DTR diesel cars.
The choice makes sense inside Saab’s GM-era service logic. European diesel service intervals were long, with intermediate service at 30,000 km and main service at 60,000 km, while the time limit remained one year if the mileage was not reached. Saab’s service system did not treat oil life as a simple odometer number. It was affected by distance, time, and the way the car was driven. Cold starts, high temperature, engine load, and high revs could all shorten the remaining oil life.
That matters for a TTiD. This is not a relaxed, low-output diesel. It has two turbochargers, high torque for its displacement, DPF regeneration, and a lubrication system expected to work across short urban use and long motorway load. Saab’s 0W-40 choice attacks that problem from two sides: the 0W rating gives better low-temperature pumpability than 5W, while the 40 hot viscosity keeps the engine away from thin fuel-economy oil behavior at operating temperature.
This is why the common service-counter explanation – “0W-40 is only for Scandinavian countries” – is too narrow.
Yes, 0W helps in colder climates. Saab engineers did not ignore Nordic winters. But 0W-40 was not just a winter grade. It also fitted a long-service, ACEA C3, mid-SAPS strategy for a diesel with exhaust after-treatment. In other words, Saab’s recommendation was not simply about starting at -20 °C. It was about cold circulation, turbocharger protection, DPF compatibility, and oil-life stability in one package.
The formulation demand is also relevant. A credible 0W-40 oil has to cover a wide performance window. It must remain pumpable at very low temperature and still behave as a 40-grade oil when hot. That usually requires a strong base-oil strategy, although quality still depends on the exact formulation, approval, and manufacturer.
For Saab, the logic was clear: one robust oil for a demanding twin-turbo diesel, inside a GM/Saab long-service framework.
Lancia’s Answer: 5W-40 FIAT 9.55535-Z2
Lancia’s answer was different, but not less deliberate.
The Lancia Delta owner documentation separates the 1.9 Twin Turbo Multijet from the other diesel engines in the range. For the 1.6 and 2.0 Multijet engines, the manual points toward 5W-30 and FIAT 9.55535-S1 logic. For the 1.9 Twin Turbo Multijet, it specifies SAE 5W-40 with FIAT 9.55535-Z2 certification, linked to Selenia Sport 5W-40.
That separation is the key point. Lancia did not simply place the 1.9 Twin Turbo into the same oil category as its other DPF-equipped diesels. It gave the twin-turbo engine its own line.
The manual is also unusually firm. It states that the 1.9 Twin Turbo Multijet should use only lubricants with FIAT 9.55535-Z2 classification, warning that lower-specification products could cause engine damage not covered by warranty.
Why would Fiat/Lancia do this on a diesel with a particulate filter?
The answer appears to sit in the thermal and turbocharger demands of the engine. Selenia Sport is described as a fully synthetic lubricant for high-performance engines, studied to protect under high thermal stress and prevent deposits on the turbine. That language fits the 1.9 Twin Turbo application very well. Fiat/Lancia appears to have given priority to high-temperature stability, turbocharger cleanliness, and oil film strength under load.
This was not a short-interval escape route either. Lancia’s scheduled servicing plan for diesel versions was every 35,000 km, with routine checks expected between services. So the difference cannot be reduced to “Saab had long intervals, Lancia had short intervals.” Both manufacturers were working inside the long-service thinking of the era.
Saab chose 0W-40 C3.
Lancia chose 5W-40 Z2.
Both stayed in SAE 40 at operating temperature. Neither factory treated the twin-turbo 1.9 diesel as a simple 5W-30 fuel-economy engine in its most demanding form.
Why the Engineers May Have Split
The two oil strategies make more sense when the manufacturers’ priorities are separated.
Saab’s environment included cold-start performance, GM service calculation, after-treatment compatibility, and a broad European ownership pattern. A Saab 9-3 TTiD could spend winter mornings in Sweden, motorway days in Germany, and urban regeneration cycles in Britain. A 0W-40 C3 oil gave Saab a wide operating window with mid-SAPS chemistry.
Fiat/Lancia’s environment was different. Lancia had its own lubricant partner, its own internal FIAT oil classifications, and a Delta installation marketed with 190 hp from the 1.9 Twin Turbo Multijet. The 5W-40 Z2 recommendation looks like a high-load, turbine-protection choice, made specifically for the bi-turbo application rather than for the ordinary Multijet diesels.
This is not a contradiction. It is two validation paths around the same engineering problem.
Saab put more emphasis on cold flow, C3 after-treatment compatibility, and GM/Saab oil-life strategy. Lancia put more emphasis on its Z2 high-performance oil category and thermal stability around the turbochargers. The shared engine family did not force identical lubricant doctrine because the whole vehicle package was not identical.
Calibration, EGR strategy, DPF regeneration behavior, oil-life messaging, service network assumptions, warranty documentation, and market climate all influence what appears in the handbook.
What Owners Actually Found
Forum experience does not replace factory documentation, but it shows how these engines lived after warranty.
Among Lancia Delta 1.9 Twin Turbo owners, the recurring pattern is not random oil choice. Owners who study the matter usually return to 5W-40, with the argument centered around FIAT 9.55535-Z2 or a careful 5W-40 low/mid-SAPS alternative where DPF protection is prioritized.
On Viva-Lancia, experienced members identify the BiTurbo requirement as SAE 5W-40, FIAT 9.55535-Z2, full synthetic. They also discuss the oil-quality warning logic, which can be influenced by starts and DPF regeneration cycles. That is important because it shows that the Delta did not rely only on mileage; oil stress was also part of the ownership reality.
On Polish Lancia forums, owners openly question the oddity of a DPF diesel being specified with a 5W-40 Z2 oil rather than a typical low-SAPS 5W-30. Some choose products such as Meguin Low Emission 5W-40 as a compromise, keeping SAE 40 viscosity while leaning toward DPF care. One practical conclusion appears repeatedly: 5W-40 makes more sense for the 1.9 Twin Turbo than 5W-30, and 10,000 km oil changes are preferable to stretching the factory interval.
Serbian Fiat-Lancia owners show the same specification-first thinking. One Delta 1.9 Twin Turbo owner reported using Pakelo 5W-40 Krypton XT because the factory manual required FIAT 9.55535-Z2 and the oil met that specification.
The most instructive Lancia case concerns cold-start oil-pressure warnings. A Delta BiTurbo owner reported a brief warning below about 10 °C. In a later discussion, another owner with a similar issue noted that previous services had used a quality 5W-40 oil, but not the correct specification. After two short-interval oil services with Petronas Selenia oil to the required specification, including an engine-cleaning step before the second change, the warning disappeared.
That story does not prove that every cold-start warning is caused by the wrong oil. It does show why “5W-40” by itself is not enough. The actual approval, oil condition, fill level, service history, and deposits inside the lubrication system can matter as much as the viscosity printed on the bottle.
Saab Owners Had a Different Problem
Saab TTiD owners often faced a more subtle problem: many service workshops did not treat the Z19DTR as special.
Some garages poured 5W-40 because they associated the engine with Fiat/GM 1.9 JTD/Multijet service habits. Others used 5W-30 because it was common in DPF diesels and available in bulk. Owners were sometimes told that 0W-40 was “for Scandinavia,” while 5W-40 or 5W-30 was more suitable elsewhere.
That explanation may sound plausible in a hurry, but it does not hold up well against the TTiD’s specific role in the Saab range. The twin-turbo Z19DTR/A19DTR is not the same service case as every single-turbo 1.9 TiD. Saab’s strongest version was expected to deliver 180 hp, 400 Nm, long gearing, low CO₂, highway refinement, and strong overtaking performance in the same package.
This does not mean that every TTiD filled with 5W-30 or 5W-40 was damaged. Many engines survived mixed service histories. But survival is not a technical recommendation. A shop using what is convenient in bulk is not the same as an engineer choosing oil for a high-torque twin-turbo diesel with long-service assumptions.
For owners, the practical lesson is sharper: ask what specification and viscosity were actually used, not just whether “synthetic diesel oil” was poured in. The TTiD is old enough now that many cars have passed through several garages, several owners, and several interpretations of the same service myth.
The 200,000 km Question
High mileage adds another layer. Some owners assume that any diesel above 200,000 km should automatically move to a thicker oil. That is too crude.
If a Saab 9-3 TTiD has run for years on 0W-40 with no oil consumption, no smoke, stable turbo behavior, and clean starting, there is no strong mechanical reason to change grade only because the odometer has crossed 200,000 km. The engine has already shown that the oil works in that specific car.
If the DPF is still present, ACEA C3 remains the safer Saab-aligned choice. If the DPF and EGR have been removed, the after-treatment reason for C3 becomes less central, although legality depends on the country and road-use rules. In that situation, a high-quality 0W-40 A3/B4 becomes technically interesting because DPF ash protection is no longer the deciding factor. But the viscosity logic does not automatically change. The engine still benefits from cold-flow performance and SAE 40 hot viscosity.
A switch to 5W-40 becomes more reasonable if the engine starts consuming oil, becomes noisier when hot, spends much of its life in high-load summer use, or if a preferred 0W-40 is no longer available. A switch to 5W-30 is harder to justify for a healthy TTiD when Saab specified 0W-40 and Lancia’s related twin-turbo diesel also stayed in SAE 40 territory.
In practice, the interval is probably more important than the debate between good 0W-40 and good 5W-40. Owners on both sides often arrive at the same conclusion after years of use: 10,000 km oil changes are more convincing than chasing long-life intervals on ageing twin-turbo diesels.
What the Lancia Comparison Really Proves
The Lancia Delta 1.9 Twin Turbo does not prove that Saab owners should abandon 0W-40. It proves something more useful.
It proves that the shared 1.9 twin-turbo diesel hardware was not treated lightly by either factory. Saab chose a 0W-40 C3 path. Lancia chose a 5W-40 Z2 path. Both avoided reducing the engine to ordinary low-viscosity diesel logic.
The oil debate also shows why the old Saab–Fiat relationship still matters. The Saab-Lancia 600 was a visible reminder that Saab sometimes had to use Italian industrial answers to solve Swedish product gaps. The Type Four program showed that shared European engineering could still be reshaped by Saab’s own standards. The 9-3 TTiD sits later in that same historical pattern: shared hardware, Saab-specific execution, and a service requirement that should be read carefully rather than guessed from another badge.
If the car is a Saab 9-3 TTiD, start from Saab’s 0W-40 C3 recommendation. Do not dismiss it as a Scandinavian curiosity. It was tied to cold flow, long-service calculation, DPF compatibility, and the TTiD’s twin-turbo demands.
If the car is a Lancia Delta 1.9 Twin Turbo, start from Lancia’s 5W-40 FIAT 9.55535-Z2 recommendation. Do not dismiss it as an old-fashioned non-DPF choice. It was specifically separated from the other Multijet diesels and linked to turbine protection under high thermal stress.
The engine family may be shared. The oil doctrine was not accidental. That is the real story: Saab and Lancia solved the same 1.9 twin-turbo diesel problem from two different sides. One chose 0W-40 C3. The other chose 5W-40 Z2. Owners who want these engines to last should pay less attention to workshop folklore and more attention to the exact specification, the car’s actual condition, and a conservative oil-change interval.
TTiD Owners: What Oil Works in Your Saab?
We invite Saab 9-3 TTiD owners to share their own oil experiences: which grade they use, what mileage their car has covered, whether the DPF is still fitted, and how the engine has behaved over time.
I had the Lancia Delta 3, I used 5w30 and now I have the Saab 9-3 with the same engine, same 5w30, no problem and the problem of the message “insufficient oil pressure” is because of the joint between the crankshaft and the oil tank, you have to disassemble the oil pan to change it.
Same engine, different turbos… The turbo is the main reason for different oil.
it’s exactly the same engine block and the same twin turbo the only difference is the Lancia Delta makes 190hp and saab 9-3 180hp
Maybe to make different power it has different cams or something, I just find it hard to believe that SAAB would specify an oil for no reason.
I use the motul 5w30 in my Saab and for you, 0w30 is in countries where it gets very cold like Russia, Canada, the Scandinavian countries, and 5w30 is in places where it’s not too cold.
5w30 will be more than enough for warmer climates
Our NG9-5 TTiD is now using 5W-40 since the last periodical service visit which was three weeks ago. Seems to be better than 0W-40.
Why?
Well the oil sump sealing was replaced a bit over 100 000 kms because of “low oil pressure” showed during the cold starts.
The symptom returned in the beginning of this year but disappeared after the oil change from 0W-40 to 5W-40.
Our NG9-3CV TiD has never had the similar kind of issues but it has always used 5W-30.
Do you think that when exceeding a greater mileage, say 200 thousand or 300,000km, the gradation of motor oil should be increased, i.e. should you switch to thicker oil because of the protective film?
No. My theory is that 0W-40 affects the oil sump sealing and thus “low oil pressure” warning will be displayed.
If 5W-30 or 5W-40 is used from the beginning there won’t be such warnings.
I cannot prove my theory but that’s just how I feel about it.
All you are doing is masking the leaking oil seal by using thicker oil. The 0w-40 oil being thinner at startup protects the smaller turbo against premature wear. The corrrect fix is to fit a new oil seal or upgrade it to a better tpe of seal.
our NG9-5 TTiD was fitted the original seal replacement approx. 100 000 km ago.
I’ve always joked oil sump sealing and seat heating elements considered as consumables with NG9-5 🥶
I use castrol 5w40 on winter, în summer time i use 5w30
That seems to be the wrong way around?
5w30 for 9-5 1,9tid. One have 310.000km other have 360.000km. Every 10000km oil changing.
Obviously 0w40 saab oem.
I’m sure the WIZ states it’s down to the Turbo’s, not the engine as such in this case.
That’s right, I confirm. For such cases, SAAB deliberately provided workshop manuals!
Even a child would understand it’s just marketing 🤷 ♂️ selenia was a Fiat
Different Turbo set-ups. Turbo shafts run on an oil bushing, without the correct oil pressure you will kill the turbo or cause it to fail prematurely as the bushing in the turbo will contact the shaft. As will using old oil and missing services.
That’s exactly it, I can only confirm that from the workshop side, customer vehicles damage cases confirm it!
Too long a service interval is a main problem. We recommend changing the motor oil every 10,000 km. This has proven especially useful for customers with a very sporty driving style, especially with TTid-engine.
There is some pretty basic facts missing in this theory………in fact. At the time the mobil 0W40 oil was the “best” oil GM could offer from their own portfolio of spares. It is not a saab oil from start. It is for vauxhall vxr models. My own theory is that saab just made a simple prestige choice for the new ttid.
Vxr use 5w30
No matter which is the best oil, GM recommended it for financial reasons because they had negotiated a good deal. SAAB was technically inclined, consciously tested it, and wanted to satisfy customers accordingly, in order to counter as few technical engine problems as possible.
But the price alone isn’t enough; you also have to make sure that the quality standards for the customers match the technical conditions. What GM’s weaknesses were, were SAAB’s strengths. Unfortunately, the balance between these two brands never worked, because completely different philosophies.
Where GM’s oil price dealings with MOBIL led to, we saw around the turn of the year 2000, when SAAB, due to unexpected engine damages, had issued an info memo to the workshops advising them not to use the originally (by GM) recommended MOBIL-Longlife, but to use the house-tested oil instead and also recommended reducing the oil change intervals.
i use Mobil 5w30 esp in TTiD
You seem to have forgotten thst vsuxhall opel used both versions of 1.9 dieseland the recommended full synthetic 0 w 30 or 5 w 30 diesel oil bt if you read the owners hand book it recommended the different oil for different climates va8xhall recommended mobil 1 for diesels
They chose the 0W grade for the engine’s cold starts protection and the 40 grade for the two turbos’ protection in heavy use. This seems to be the logic for me, and it makes sense.
When I bought a Lancia delta 1.9 TT I had a dilemma as to which oil specifications to feed the engine because of the turbines and DPF. The first three years I poured Petronas 5w40AV and the next three Castrol 5w40 Edge Turbo Diesel both are ACEA C3 specifications, the only key thing is that I changed it every 7000-10000 km. The cat is currently purring at 380000 km and the DPF is still active with 14% clogging.
Your experience indicates that you may not need to avoid oils other than 0w40
In our workshop, we had sold a few TTiDs, and the problems were always the same: apart from short trips, it was mainly the extremely sporty driving style and the way too long postponed maintenance intervals that contributed, along with overheating and proper engine cooling before shutdown.
Examples: From our regular customers, we were able to predict in advance how the TTiD would behave, and that’s exactly how it turned out. Some “speedsters” and short-trip drivers already had problems under 100,000 km, especially with the DPF or turbine, while others went well over 200,000 km without any damage. An elderly lady still has her vehicle today, with 250,000 km and no damage except for wear parts, and a field service employee reached 400,000 km with the first DPF and turbo. And all of this with the engine oil prescribed by SAAB, of course, in our former SAAB workshop. So it’s not only just the oil or its fluidity that matters, but above all proper vehicle maintenance and the appropriate way of driving.
Few new customers who really wanted the TTid for its sporty engine performance unfortunately didn’t keep them for long; either there was engine failure or they jumped ship to the competition, and some of these vehicles came back to us through other dealers in poor condition because the engines needed repairing.
I absolutely confirm this, I had my first TTiD for almost ten years and with over 100,000 kilometers on it, it was sold to a friend who still drives it today, and I bought it with about 140,000 km on the clock. Four years ago I bought a second TTiD, with an alleged 150,000 km on the clock, and most likely it had over 250,000, and so far it has already driven over 70,000 km, – and in both cases no problems with the TTiD engine, only regular service and oil changes 0W40, mostly with Castrol C3
Because they got paid more!!
News flash – that use only “Mobil one” or “castrol edge” on the filler cap of your car, it’s paid to be there, just like the adverts on your smart TV
This is not a just put anything rant – more of, any engine oil that meets the spec, should do the job
Some engineer on saab thought it was a good idea that you just can use a special oil. Lancia/Opel uses the std oil like the ones used in 1.9 tid
My 2002 9-3 convertible 2.0T has done 154000 miles and still going strong mobil 1 5w30 every 6000 miles no leaks and no consumption
A lot of those engines self destructed because GM specced semi synthetic oil originally. Have you had the sump cleaned out and pcv system modified or updated?