Acceleration and Stability Issues

[vincenzo76]

Hi Everybody

Last year I bought a 2003 Saab 9-3 1.8t petrol, with 130k on the clock. It's been running fine for the last 8 months but recently I've noticed both a drop in acceleration & simultaneous stability issues at low speeds.

The power issues are similar to when a car is very low on fuel, juddering very lightly & not accelerating properly until exceeding 30mph. The steering is really quite dodgy at these speeds - whether on a bend or travelling in a straight line. Taking corners doesn't seem to be a problem though.

I should mention that one of the tyres loses pressure quicker, so probably has a slow puncture! The tread is also getting low, so for both these reasons a change is imminent!

But with regards to the power issues - the car is due a service & the oil has not been changed since I took ownership, only topped up.

I'm wondering if the build of old oil has affected the turbo, which may explain the poor acceleration. But would this also affect steering? Both of these problems started at exactly the same time, hence my query.

Any advice or theories welcome!

Cheers

Matt

 

[Burnerman]

All front wheel drive cars have a tendency to 'torque steer ' (pull from side to side under hard accelleration).......its what they do.
All this can be minimised by having good tyres, correct pressures, correct tracking and quality shock absorbers.
As for the loss in power, a service is the first thing to do, followed by turbo performance checking at a later date.
John