SAAB 9000 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1986-1998

For many years oil pickup problems have cause a variety of engine problems on Saabs. Oil pressure issues, Main/Rod bearing issues, Timing chain issues etc..... We are seeing even more problems with the oil pickups getting clogged up on the 93.95 cars now that the oil replacement recommendations have increased. We are seeing more and more issues with the lower ends of the engines beginning to scream or make a high pitches whining noise due to low oil pressure to the upper end of the engine. When the timing chains are being replaced we HIGHLY recommend cleaning or replacing the oil pickup tube as well. We also do NOT recommend changing the oil at intervals that are higher than 5000.00 miles. Not everyone runs synthetic oil all the time and synthetic is not available at every store in the world.

The term ABS means ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. The ABS System automatically controls braking at the front wheels individually and the rear wheels as a unit (in most cases) preventing the wheels from locking during a hard braking situation. This enables the driver to maintain STEERING control and also shortens the distance to a complete stop. In cars without ABS, the brake master cylinder actually applied steady pressure to each wheel when the brakes were applied causing the wheels to look under heavy breaking. This led to wheel lockup, loss of steering control & lengthy stopping distances. ABS systems use a hydraulic pump that applies modulating pump pressure during heavy braking. The ABS system in effect pumps the brakes for the driver a consistent frequency. This pulsing is considerably faster than even the most experienced driver could accomplish if he were to attempt to this manually!

AC Compressor clutch replacements usually cost more than compressor replacements because of the cost of the clutches and the cost of the labor added together. In most cases you end up getting a compressor that is about the same cost and may not last as long as a new one. This is why we do not sell compressor clutches.

AC Compressor failures can be a result of several factors. If a compressor is replaced, be absolutely sure to correct the problem that caused the initial failure to prevent the new compressor from failing also. One of the biggest causes of premature compressor failure is the lack of proper lubricant in the compressor at the initial installation. When a compressor operates normally the fluid in the system actually flows through the entire system not just in the compressor. Most compressors do not have the proper amount of oil in them when they come to you new because different cars require different amounts. Several factors can cause premature compressor failure. Several are listed below:
1 - Too much Freon causes high head pressure & pooling in the condenser or drier which leads to poor flow.
2 - Too small of an amount of lubricant leads to poor lubrication of the compressor and other components.
3 - Clogged condensers release particles into the AC systems causing blockage of components or poor fluid flow.
NOTE: OIL REQUIREMENTS: Seiko-Seiki compressors requires 5 ounces of oil. Sanden SD 508 Compressors require 6 Ounces of Oil. Sanden SD 510 & SD 709 Compressors require 5 ounces of oil but CHECK THE MANUFACTURERS SPECS!

Converting from R12 to R134 Freon seems to be a subject that is in debate throughout the country as to what is necessary to complete the conversion. Many mechanics say that in-order to convert from R12 to R134 you should replace the compressor, receiver drier and expansion valve. It has been our experience with Saab AC systems that the original systems will convert to R134 without major complications. We do however suggest replacing the receiver dryer, all Oring's (included in the conversion kit along with the 134 fittings), the refrigerant oil and rid the system of all of the old oil by flushing the system.

You must change the compressor oil from r12 to 134a oil. other wise the system will not properly charge or run. Please be sure you dont let any non-condensables into the systems lines when doing the refrigerent swap.

The low side port is on the largest line and the high side port is on the smallest line. Typically the high side line is the smaller of the two lines and has the highest pressure running through it.

The amount of freon needed in a Saab AC system is from 2.5lbs to 3.0lbs of freon to properly fill the system. When filling you can watch the site glass on the receiver drier or expansion valve to figure out when you have put in enough freon. Once the site glass goes from milky to clear then the system is full.

Several things can cause your AC fuse to blow when turning on the Air conditioning. The most likely cause of a Blown AC fuse is a frozen or burned up AC Compressor clutch. When this occurs the heat from the burned up compressor clutch often causes the compressor bearing to seize up and burn the AC belt off. Compressor replacement is the only repair!

In most cases AC hose failures can be determined by noting a thin oily substance at the junctions of where the AC hoses come together or at the couplings of where the hose and the alloy part of the lines come together. In many cases you may also be able to literally turn the AC hose clockwise to check for movement as well.

AC lines problems occur on any car with AC. It is primarily a weak spot in every AC system. Typically what occurs is that the lines begin to leak where the aluminum part of the lines run into the rubber line. If you grab the junction with your hand you can sometimes twist the two parts. This is a good indication that there the line crimp has let loose and the line needs to be replaced.

NOTE: If the line is leaking at the crimp you will often see a gummy substance where the leak exist.

On all the condensers you must be extremely careful when removing the hoses. When you remove the Upper and Lower AC hoses to the condenser you will destroy the condenser threads because the nut on the AC hoses are steel and the condenser threads are Aluminum or alloy. In just about every case the upper hose must be replaced with the condenser replacement. This is quite common and this will cause you to have to replace the hoses (upper and lower). In some cases you may be able to clean out the lower hose threads to remove any aluminum that is in the threads PRIOR to installing the OLD hose on the new condenser. MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS PRIOR TO INSTALLING THE HOSE. WE cannot replace a condenser under warranty if you make this mistake!!!

A roaring noise that can be heard when turning on the A/C can generally be attributed to a faulty A/C Compressor but can also come from a faulty A/C idler pulley (2.0 Liter engines). Both components fail on a consistent basis on the 1985 and up 9000's. Compressor failure should be done by a professional technician only. Idler pulley failures can be identified by removing the belt and turning the idler by hand to see if the bearing has failed!

The procedure for removal of the receiver drier follows the same procedure as the washer bottle removal imstructions. The drier is located up in the inner fender well and can be accessed from the same area.

Click here for instructions on removal of the AC Receiver Drier!

Problems with controlling the hot and cold temperature by use of the ACC temperature control is usually an indication that the stepping motor that controls the diverter flap is failing or the ACC unit not providing the correct amount of voltage to the motor. We have also seen issues with the diverter flaps getting broken which means you cannot control the heat at all. Replacement of the stepping motor or the ACC unit is the repair. There are several motors in the area on the right side of the center console behind the glove box that need to be looked at to determine exactly what the problem is.

Problems with controlling the hot and cold temperature by use of the ACC temperature control is usually an indication that the stepping motor that controls the diverter flap is failing or the ACC unit not providing the correct amount of voltage to the motor. We have also seen issues with the diverter flaps getting broken which means you cannot control the heat at all. Replacement of the stepping motor or the ACC unit is the repair. There are several motors in the area on the right side of the center console behind the glove box that need to be looked at to determine exactly what the problem is.

Troubleshooting an Automatic Idle Control Valve is easily accomplished using a digital Voltmeter. Follow the procedures on the following page links:

Air bag lights (SRS) are often triggered by the horn contact ring in the steering wheel or because of faulty sensors. The only way to turn out a Air Bag Light is to take the car into your local Saab dealer and have them turn out the light and diagnose the problem.

The Alarm module on the Saab 9000 is located on the passenger side under the dash. If you lay down in the passenger floorboard and look up you will see a cover on the bottom of the dash. Remove that cover and put your hand up and to the right. You will see the alarm control module located there.

The following links are set to help adjust alarm sensitivity for the 89/89 & up alarm settings:

The Alarm remote communicates with a control module located under the drivers front seat. The range is typically around 25 feet depending on the type of transmitter that you have. The left button is used to arm or disarm the car. The right button is used to lock or unlock the trunk.

The battery life is about 3 years under normal use. Use the distance at which the remote functions to determine the battery strength. On the newer cars the SID unit will read "REPLACE KEY BATTERY" when the battery warning is activated by the remote. To replace the batteries simply push off the back housing by pressing downwards. On the newer remotes you may have to insert a small pin on the side of the remote housing to release the cover or remove screws on the back side of the remote. Remove the batteries and replace them. Most newer remotes are powered by a 3V lithium battey. You can buy them at radio shack. After the batteries have been changed you must press the remote 5 times in a row to re-activate the remote.

NOTE: If the remote is being replaced by a new one you will have to marry it to alarm unit by going to your local dealer and having them program it to the alarm module allready in the car.

To reset the alarm remove the alarm fuse and put it back in. Make sure the interior light switch is in position # 1 and the open the drivers door and then close it. Then turn the drivers door lock to the left 3 consecutive times quickly and then to the right one time to lock the doors. Then watch the interior light under the rear view mirror and 10 seconds after the interior light goes out the alarm light in the speaker grille will begin to blink.

Alternator issues typically come from Voltage regulator brushes getting too short which causes the alternator to not charge correctly. If the battery voltage is low then the computers on the vehicle will not be supplied with enough voltage to operate the fuel system or the ignition system. Typically this range is below 11.5 volts but may vary depending on the car. When this happens it is usually the ignition system starves for voltage which causes fouled plugs because there is not enough spark to burn the fuel efficiently. You will also need to check the alternator amperage output to see if the alternator is failing internally. Many times you can have the alternator load tested at AutoZone, advance auto etc... for free.

The link below is a PDF that is designed to show how to dis-assemble your antenna assembly on the Saab 900. This proceedure also applies to many other Saabs and should be about the same with only minor differences. If you replace your antenna mast and the mast will not retract all the way then the problem is likely an issue with a piece of the mast broken off in the bottom of the antenna assembly.

Click here for Antenna removal and dis-assembly proceedure

Antenna Mast failures generally occur because people ride through the carwash with the antenna up. Once the mast is bent replacement is the only repair. As long as the antenna cord is not broken the repair is fairly simple. Simply remove the 17 or 18 mm nut off the antenna assembly top and pull out the portion of the antenna mast that still remains in the assembly (You may have to turn on the radio when attempting to remove the old antenna mast). Slide the original sleeve over the replacement mast and place the nut over the mast and insert the corded portion of the antenna into the antenna assembly until it reaches the bottom. Have someone turn OFF the radio and slowly rotate the cord clockwise until the corded portion of the antenna is pulled into the antenna assembly. Slide the mast all the way into the assembly and install the nut and tighten slightly! DO NOT WORRY if the mast does not go all the way down at first as it will adjust itself after turning the antenna on and off again.

NOTE: Remember to keep the silver sleeve that goes around the lower portion of the antenna mast as you will want to use the original sleeve as opposed to the one that is supplied with the replacement mast! (The ones that come with the replacement mast are often too thin and will not secure the mast well enough!)
NOTE: There are occasions where the antenna cords break off and will not allow the replacement mast to be pulled in by the rotation of the antenna gear assembly. In this event you will have to remove the antenna assembly and disassemble it and manually remove the broken portion!

Thanks to Michael Harvey for contributing to this FAQ!

Click here for Automatic Transmission Flush Information!

Outer CV joint failures & inner driver failures are quite common on the Saab 9000 cars and there are companies out there that sell rebuilt complete axles assemblies that end up being a little cheaper than buying the outer joint & inner driver components separately. Saabs are specifically designed to have axles that weigh a certain amount & they should be certain lengths for balance reasons and most rebuilt axles are done without taking this into consideration. We have seen issues with these rebuilt axles flying out of the inner driver causing transmissions to get torn up as well as other severe damage.

Back firing during acceleration is typically caused by a problem with the Air Mass meter. This is usually accompanied by black smoke which is an indication that the fuel mixture is too rich. One thing to check prior to replacement of the meter is to check the fuel pressure. In most cases the fuel should be in the 36 tp 40 PSI range depending on the vehicle. If it is more than this then you may have a broken diaphram in the regulator itself. These two problems are the most common failures when it comes to back firing.

Here is what Saab says about balance shafts:
Saab has used the balance-shaft principle to overcome the second-order inertial forces. Two balance shafts located with lateral symmetry on the sides of the engine block but at different heights above the crankshaft centerline incorporate eccentrically mounted balance weights. The shafts are driven by a chain and rotate in opposite directions to each other at twice the crankshaft speed. The balance weights on the shafts are positioned so as to eliminate the upward and downward moving forces generated by the movement of the pistons. Since the balance shafts are situated at different heights above the crankshaft centerline, they also counteract lateral forces. The torque generated by the balance shafts is designed to counteract the gas and inertial forces acting in a sideways direction. The balance shafts are of identical design and supported by aluminum bearing shells in the center (between cylinders No. 2 and No. 3). The bearing shells are a press fit in the block and lubricated by special oil ways. For the balance shafts to perform as intended, it is imperative that they are aligned precisely on fitting. Sprocket assemblies of different design for the exhaust and inlet sides are therefore used on the shafts and marked with identifying casting marks. If they are NOT aligned correctly a vibration at idle will exist .

Fuel leaks at the fuel line fittings can often be attributed to pitting of the banjo fittings. The small pits that develop can be fixed in most cases. To repair the pits simply lay the fitting on a piece of wood with 1000 grit sandpaper between it and the flat side of the fitting (be sure to put a cloth insde the fitting to keep the sand out of the fuel line) then move the fitting back and forth on the sandpaper to remove the pits. The completed repair should reveal no lines in the side of the fitting.

Belt replacement on the Saab 9000 is fairly simple. On 2.0 liter engines the belts are tensioned by the tech tightening the tensioner screws on both the engine belt and the AC belt. On the 1990 and on 2.3 liter engines there is only one tensioner and the tensioning is done automatically due to a spring that is located on the tensioner. Replacement of either year range requires removal of the passenger inner fender well. You then access the belts from that area. On the 2.3 liter engines you must compress the spring tensioner and hold with a special U shaped tool to hold the tensioner compressed while you replace the belt. It is quite common to see the tensioners break on this car. When the tensioner goes bad they usually begin to make a bump, bump noise on initial start. If it breaks going down the road you will be stranded and it could cause major engine damage.

Thanks to Steve Thomas for contributing to this FAQ!

On the 2.3 liter engine, and maybe others, removal of the belt required that you remove the tensioner pulley. The center bolt on the pulley is reverse thread, loosen by turning clockwise.

A loud clanking noise from the engine belt area on earlier model 9000 models (especially pre-1990) can often be attributed to a faulty crank shaft pulley. The crankshaft pulley was designed in 2 parts and was pressed together from the factory. The problem stemmed from the material that held the two part pulley together. These materials would deteriorate over time causing the pulley to separate leading to one of the following symptoms: A loud clanking noise as previously described, A loud squeak upon initial start up or continually throwing the belts off for no apparent reason. Saab eventually cured this problem by using a molded one part pulley.

Generally, A roaring noise during belt rotation (without the A/C on) will often be caused by an idler pulley bearing going bad. There are occasions where Alternator bearings will also create a roaring noise during belt rotation. In-order to diagnose either of these problems simply remove the belt and rotate each of the pulleys by hand. The pulley failure will make itself apparent by noting that the noise begins when rotating the faulty pulley. These pulley failures are very common on the 900, 93 & 95 cars. Keep a close eye on those pulleys because they will cause major engine damage if the car is driven after the belt comes off. The engine will begin to overheat instantly.

BELT REMOVAL SHOULD BE BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY! PHYSICAL INJURY CAN OCCUR!

Brake Booster failures can often be identified by noting that you hear a slight air leakage inside the vehicle that seems to change tone when applying the brakes. When the brake booster fails you will often note that the brake pedal feels hard and more force is Needed to stop the vehicle. Brake booster replacement is the repair!

Black dust on the rims usually comes from the type of material that the brake pads are made of. Most factory pads are made of a very soft material to prevent brake squeal. The real problem with that is softer means more dust. Harder usually means more noise. The absolute best thing we have seen to prevent dust is ceramic pads. Keep in mind that there is NO such thing as a pad that does not create dust. They all do. Some less than others. Ceramic pads seem to be the best overall combination to prevent noise and dust.

When you have an issue with brake fluid disappearing but you cannot seem to find a leak then take a close look at the back of the brake master cylinder to be sure that the master is no leaking into the hose that leads to the intake manifold. When this happens likely need to replace the brake master cylinder with a new one. This can be difficult to diagnose because the brake fluid will seem to disappear because the engine will burn it upon initial startup. This basically applies to cars prior to 1989 or prior to ABS brakes coming onto the schene.

Almost all cars have steel brake lines until they reach the moving portions of the wheels. Once the metal line reaches the wheel something has to flex which is generally rubber type line that connects to the caliper. What generally occurs is that the inside diameter of the Rubber brake line swells after many years of being subjected to different brake fluids etc... You then press the brake pedal and the fluid is forced from the master to the wheels but because the line is swollen internally the fluid can only move one direction causing the brakes to stick. Replacing the rubber flexible lines will generally cure these type brake problems.

In Most cases brake lights switch failure is the cause of brake lights staying on once you exit the car. What usually occurs is that one of the tabs gets broken off of the switch itself. In some cases the bracket that houses the switch gets bent which prevents the pin in the switch from touching the pedal arm. Replacement of the switch is the repair.

Brake Master cylinder failures can often be diagnosed by noting that when sitting at a stop sign or stop light with your foot on the brake pedal that the pedal seems to continue to move toward the floor very slowly. The rubber seals in the master cylinder tend to wear around the edges causing leaking past the seals. Replacement of the master cylinder or using a rebuild kit to rebuild the cylinder is the repair!

In Most cases the problem with a hard brake pedal can be attributed to a faulty ABS pump. When the pump fails the pedal gets hard because the pump is no longer assisting during the braking process. In most cases the pumps are included in the ABS hydraulic units and cannot be replaced seperately. The cost of the New complete units range between 1500.00 to 2500.00 and used units are usually around 350.00 depending on the model.

A Vibration when applying the brakes on the 9000 series can often be attributed to warped Rotors. Warped rotors can have several attributing Factors. For example, Over tightened lug nuts can cause rotors to be in a bind therefore leading to warpage during one of the next heating and cooling cycles. However, this is not say that this is the leading factor. Rotors tend to warp in general simply because of the number of times they heat up and cool during a year. When you stop suddenly or brake hard the rotors heat up and then cool back down.

Saab does not recommend turning rotors because the majority of time after turning them they are below Saabs recommended minimum thickness. The recommended minimum thickness is generally stamped on the rotors! This is not to say that Saab rotor cannot be turned. They can be turned one time but will generally warp within one year because of how thin they become!

One of two reasons. Reason 1 - The pads that were used are an inferior grade pad. Usually, an inferior grade pad will make its presence known by noting a very high pitch squeal when applying the brakes. Reason 2 - The brake pads that were used are hard use pads which contain a type of material which will cause this noise to occur. It does not mean that there is a serious problem. It simply means that it is the type of materials contained within the brake pad. Only cure - replace the pads! Hard use pads will generally not cause damage to the rotors but the noise can be somewhat consistent!

NOTE: We have also noticed that brake scrubbing sound could come from a worn wheel bearings. Although the sound is different it does sound close enough that one could confuse the two.

It is not uncommon to have a mushy brake pedal after doing a brake job. What typically occurs is that the air gets trapped in the lines during the piston push-back process. In most cases this mushy feel will go away with time but in extreme cases you may have to bleed the brake calipers at each wheel to get the air out.

NOTE: Most brake jobs require a break-in period after doing a brake job which will allow the need pads to seat to the new (or old) rotors. This can take from one week to two weeks.

Pulling left or right can be caused by numerous issues which include: Sticking brake calipers, faulty brakes hoses (that are swollen from within) and faulty brake master cylinders. In most cases it is caused by a sticking brake caliper. Depending on the application some calipers can be rebuilt and in other cases the faulty caliper must be replaced. If your vehicle is equipped with ABS brakes you may find that the valve body in the ABS system is malfunctioning or a proportioning valve is bad.
NOTE: ABS brakes are under VERY HIGH PRESSURE and should only be worked on by those who are properly trained!

When you turn the Cabin fan on and you smell a funny odor, the most likely cause of this odor is a leaking heater core. Heater core failures are quite common failures. The 2.0 liter heater cores (1985 to 1989) are more difficult to replace due to the accessibility issues.

Note: When replacing the heater core is would be logical to take a close look at replacing the cabin fan motor as well. You must remove the cabin fan in-order to access the heater core. Because both components fail on a consistent basis they both generally merit replacement at approximately the same time. The job is fairly detailed and you would hate to have to do the job 2 times in a short period.

In most cases the problem with the interior cabin fan running on one speed only can be attributed to a faulty cabin fan speed resistor or controller (for cars with ACC). The fan speed resistor regulates the amount of current that goes to the fan itself. When the resistor fails the amount of current going to the resistor will not longer regulate correctly which causes the fan to run at one speed only.

Remove the long plastic cover that runs the length of the cowling at the base of the hood. There are 8 screws in it. Remove the screws and lift up the plastic housing that covers the bulkhead. Standing at the left wheel move your hand to the left on top of the AC evaporator housing and the Flap that covers the filter has one screw in it and is located there. Remove the screw and pull out the filter with needle nose pliers. Replace the filter.

Cabin fan brush failure can often create a whooshing noise when turning left are right. What generally occurs is that the brushes wear which causes the tension on the brush hoods to lessen. This loss of tension causes the fan speed to deviate as well as (in many cases) to quit completely. Replacement of the fan motor assembly is the repair:

Note: In some cases fan speed resistor failure can also cause the fan motor to deviate speed. What generally occurs is that the resistor goes bad from the heat build up in the unit. When this happens you will often find that the fan speed will only run in one position making it impossible to regulate the fan speed. Replacement of the fan speed resistor is the repair!

Note: When replacing the Cabin Fan Motor it would be logical to take a close look at replacing the heater core as well. You must remove the cabin fan in-order to access the heater core. Because both components fail on a consistent basis they both generally merit replacement at approximately the same time. The job is fairly detailed and you would hate to have to do the job 2 times in a short period.

The mid 80's Saab 900 and 9000 fuel pump housings are designed to be sitting in the tank with the opening to the right rear taillight. If the pump bottom is not positioned in this manner the car will cutoff when turning left because the fuel to the pump looses fuel when turning left. There were also issues with the bottom sections of the pump falling off due to a rubber deterioration problem. So of the components are no longer available but in most cases you can repair them by going to a later style pump or making your own bottom half.

In Most cases faulty Converters can be identified by noting that your car will not accelerate or seems to have severely diminished power. Many times converters that are clogged up will glow red when the vehicle is running. The reason for the Glowing is because of the amount of heat and unburned fuel that collects in front of the clogged up converter. Converter replacement is the only option. A quick way to be sure that the converter is the problem when it is suspect is to disconnect the exhaust system at the header and allow the exhaust to flow without going through the converter. If the converter is the problem the cars power should be restored with the header pipe disconnected.

NOTE: There is always a cause for a clogged converter, either excess fuel from a faulty part like and ECM, Injector, wiring issue, Oxygen sensor etc....... We have seen issues with the platinum in converters breaking loose which causes a rattle but other than that converters that get clogged have to be related to a failure in the fuel system or possibly the ignition system.

Central lock issues can be attributed to a number of failing components. The most common issue on the 900-9000 is failing central lock control units which cause things like doors locking and unlocking by themselves or not all. Some of the ECM units are no longer available and some are depending on the part numbers. On cars with hatches we have also seen issues with the micro-switches in the lock actuators as well which cause the trunks to not lock or unlock correctly. The cure for this problem is to replace the rear lock actuator.

NOTE: A sign that you have a failing door lock actuator is that you hear the noise for the actuator as if it were working but it actually does not function correctly. Before replacing the door lock actuator you need to be sure that the door panel is not binding the lock button. If it is then the actuator will not be strong enough to move the lock rod.

NOTE: The central lock module is located above the clutch-brake pedal. There is silver bracket that the silver control module slides into.

Click here for the Fuse repair information sheet!

If your Saab stalls and then will not restart, then you should take a look at the timing chain to be sure it is not broken. When the timing chain breaks then engine will usually spin over by the starter but will not "start". When the chain is broken the engine will turn over faster (and sounds different) because the valves were likely bent during the break. The only cure to this situation is to remove the head and proceed with the dis-assembly of the engine ro repair the broken chain. In most cases the chain breaks due to a guide being broken or a problem with the teeth on the gears not being capable of holding the chain any longer

In many cases the voltage regulator brushes wear down in the 9000 causing charging issues. The graphite brushes have spring tension on the back of them to keep me them seated to the commutator of the alternator. What generally occurs is that the brushes wear down to a point where spring tension is lost causing the voltage to be incapable of charging correctly. The repair for this is the replacement of the regulator.

NOTE: In some cases the battery light on the dash will glow dim and can only be seen at night time. This is most often caused by a faulty diode in the alternator and alternator replacement is the cure.

If you see a Check Coolant light, Coolant Level Low or similiar message on your Electronic Display Unit or your Saab Information Display then the first thing to check is the coolant level to be sure that you do NOT have a coolant leak. Leaks can be devistating on the engine if you do not catch them before overheating occurs.

If there are no coolant leaks then check the coolant reservoir level sensor. In most cases they sensor is located in the bottom of the reservoir tank. In some cases you can buy the sensor only and in some cases you will have to buy the tank to get the sensor.

The white & gray check valve located in the upper hose going into the valve cover is a one way check valve. The purpose of this valve is to prevent boost pressure from going into the intake manifold when the turbo starts to spool up. To determine if you positioning it correctly simply blow through the valve. No air should go into the valve cover after the valve is inserted into the vacuum line. Incidentally the valve is not a PCV valve. Many people think it is so we put that info in the title for search purposes

The easiest way to bleed the clutch is to use a pressure bleeder. You apply pressure to the reservoir with air and loosen the nut on the line to the master first. Second, make sure solid fluid with no air comes out of the line. Third, tighten the line back down at the master cylinder while the fluid is still coming out. Follow the same procedure to bleed the slave as well.

The Saab clutch is hydraulically operated and self-adjusting. The unit compresses a helper spring, master cylinder, connection pipe and slave cylinder. The master cylinder is fitted in the bulkhead and connected to the clutch pedal by a piston rod. The slave cylinder is an integrated unit fitted in the clutch body that compresses the cylinder housing, divided piston and release bearing. The slave cylinder cannot be taken apart (93 only). The pressure from the master cylinder passes to the seal, which then presses the piston and release bearing against the pressure plate. A spring fitted between the cylinder housing and the release bearing ensures that the release bearing is always in contact with the pressure plate, reducing the play in the clutch pedal. To prevent dirt from entering parts of the piston and seals, there is a rubber below fitted between the cylinder and the release bearing. A hydraulic line with snap-on couplings at both ends connects the master cylinder and slave cylinder damping pipe (to prevent pedal vibration).

Rebuilding the clutch master cylinder is a fairly easy job allthough you many have to torque your body a bit to be able to access the master because the base of it is located under the dash. To rebuild it you can approach it two ways. One is the remove the master circlip from the back of the master under the dash AFTER suctioning the fluid out with a turkey baster, put a big towel down as well. You then remove the internal parts of the master and rebuild it with our kit.

The second method is remove the two bolts from the master, remove the line by removing the 14mm line head and remove the master. You can then rebuilt or replace the master as needed.

NOTE: When attempting to bleed the master you are better off using some type of compressed air bleeding device when trying to bleed the master because many times an air bubble will get trapped at the line causing it to not bleed correctly. If you do not have a compressed air bleeder you can put an air hose in a rag and slowly blow air into the reservoir which will force the air bubble out.

Becareful when working with the brake fluid as it will ruin paint and carpet!

Noise coming from the clutch area can most often be attributed to a faulty throwout bearing. When the bearing wears it is common for it to make noise especially during start conditions. Once the bearing itself warms up the noise will typically go away. In most cases this noise could last for years but should be addressed at some point by replacing the throwout bearing.

NOTE: One other area of squealing during cold start is a faulty starter drive. The bendix in the starter is the part of the starter that triggers into the flywheel itself during starter to flywheel engagement.

There are several factors that can contribute to your clutch pedal engaging close to the floor. The most like cause is worn out seals in the Clutch Master cylinder. Clutch Masters can be rebuilt but a more reliable method is replacement. Mechanics often replace the Master cylinder with out taking a look at the pedal. What generally happens is that the pin that attaches the Master cylinder fork to the clutch pedal will cause elongated holes in both components. This will cause the pedal to become active much closer to the floor. In-order to restore the clutch to original condition both components should be replaced.


NOTE: If you do not have a pressure bleeder you can open up the slave nipple and gravity bleed the air out for 30 minutes or so. Just before tightening the nipple back down have someone push the pedal to the floor and then tighten the nipple down once the pedal is depressed.

In most cases poor shifting or poor clutch function on cold mornings can be attributed a failing clutch master cylinder. Air is usually pulled in from the backside of the failing clutch master which causes the throw of the clutch slave to be to small. This condition causes shifting issues or poor clutch operation. Replacement of the Clutch master is the correct repair!

In most cases poor shifting or poor clutch function on cold mornings can be attributed a failing clutch master cylinder. Air is usually pulled in from the backside of the failing clutch master which causes the throw of the clutch slave to be to small. This condition causes shifting issues or poor clutch operation. Replacement of the Clutch master is the correct repair!

A clear or slightly brown fluid toward the middle/front area of my Saab generally indicates that there is a problem with the clutch slave cylinder. Clutch slave cylinder leakage can be seen coming from the bottom of the transmission just above where the engine & transmission comes together. There is a small opening where the flywheel teeth can be seen. Leakage can be seen from this area.

Thanks to Arthur Doty for contributing to this FAQ!

Regarding clutch slave cylinders. Attached is a PDF from FTE about the importance of proper slave mounting. The slave has a crimped ring which holds it together during transport, but is not intended to hold hydraulic pressure, proper torque and locktite on the mounting screws to the transmission keeps the slave from leaking.

Saab Clutch Slave Mounting PDF

Seeing Pink, Green, blue or red fluid on the ground in the passenger wheel area is a generally an indication of a faulty water pump. The water pumps are designed with a weep hole in the castings of the pumps themselves. Seepage is quite common but acutally see antifreeze leaking on the ground would not be classified as seepage. Fluid on the ground means that the pump has failed and is in need of replacement or that you have a leaking hose.

When changing any major cooling system component on a Saab you will need to get the air out of the cooling system. In most cases there is no coolant nipple to bleed the air. The easiest way to do that is to remove the coolant reservoir cap and run the engine. Once the thermostat opens the air will cirulate through the cooling system via the waterpump circulation. Once the bubbles disappear from the coolant reservoir you can install the cap and the air should be removed.

The typical Saab cooling system holds about 1 gallon of antifreeze mixed with distilled water 50/50. This is a general rule and may be slightly different depending on the year vehicle you are servicing.

This is the bulletin that shows how to modify the relay circuitry to enable the A/C cooling fan at the same time the radiator cooling fan is actuated. This modification along with changing the coolant temp. sensor and the thermostat allow the engine to run cooler

Click here for heating and cooling fan modification bulletin!

You must remove the inner liner for the right front wheel well by removing the 8mm nuts/10mm (depending on the year). You must secure the tensioner assembly by compressing it and installing the tool that is designed to hold the tensioner compressed. (this only applies on Later models) Remove the belt and remove the bolt that hold the crank pulley on. When doing this job be sure to replace the crank pulley seal and Oil pump O-ring as they are both problem areas for oil leakage. Both are located behind the pulley.

Failing crankshaft sensors will often cause intermittent missing from the engine and can be difficult to diagnose because they usually ocurr intermittently. A good way to test the crank sensor is to put a timing light one the number 1 plug wire (or the number 1 wire for the DI systems which is usually orange but check your wiring schematic first). On a properly functioning ignition system the timing mark will stay reasonably still when looking at it with a timing light or strobe tool. If the mark on the flywheel is moving erratically you may have a crankshaft sensor issue or a possible issue with the reluctor in the ignition distributor (if your car has one) causing a problem.

The crank sensor is located behind the crank pulley.

The most common cruise control failures on the 9000 are: pedals switch failures, The cruise control vacuum line cracks & Control module failures. The pedal switch failures are the most common problem with the 9000 cruise control not functioning correctly. What generally occurs is that the pedal switches become mis-adjusted or the ears get broken off the switches causing a no contact condition. Another common problem is that the cruise vacuum hose leading from the vacuum pump under the false bulkhead begins to crack where the vacuum fitting is located at the firewall.. The third most common failure is an intermittent functioning cruise control module. This can often be identified by noting that the cruise will work intermittently.

There are several common cruise control failures on Saabs. The pedal switch failures are the most common problem. What generally occurs is that the pedal switches become mis-adjusted or the ears get broken off the switches causing a no contact condition. Another common problem is that the cruise vacuum hose leading from the vacuum pump under the false bulkhead begins to crack where the vacuum fitting is located at the firewall.. The third most common failure is an intermittent functioning cruise control module. This can often be identified by noting that the cruise will work intermittently (900 & 9000 only).

I have an addition to the Saab 9000 FAQ-page concerning the CRUISE CONTROL. I have experienced a lot of problems with the cruise on my 9000 CSE from 1994; I replaced the pedal switches, checked vacuum and electronics and everything else that could be of any influence, but nothing seemed to help. The cruise still worked intermittent, sometimes not at all. Then, after replacing the brake light bulb on the left rear side and cleaning the contact strip and connector on the left taillight section the problems seems to be solved. An explanation could be that the cruise-ECU has a lead to this brake light bulb; when short-circuited (illuminated) the cruise shuts off immediately. At least that is my interpretation from the books... THANKS "RVJ".
The logic behind this story is that the cruise control system is set to turn off when hitting the brakes. If you apply pressure to the pedal the light turns on shutting off the cruise via a wire to the cruise ecm. Moral of the story is to check your brake lights to make sure they are not staying on. A SPECIAL THANKS TO "RVJ" from the Netherlands for the contribution of this material!!

Inner CV boots break (in most cases) due to dry rot or lack of grease. Outer boots generally fail to due to dry rot or in some cases excessively worn Outer CV joints cause excessive movement in the joint area placing strain on the boot causing it to break in the bend.

Saab uses an inverted TORX socket & E16 is the size.

1986-1900 General Service Port location under hood toward left hood shock
1991-1998 ABS/TCS Service Port locations below passenger front seat
1991-1998 Airbag service Port location center console behind misc. holder behind auto shifter

Rumors are that wrong plugs would cause issues with the DI cassette but we are yet to see this in any bench test (although performance of the fuel system can be adversly affected). The best thing to do is to install the correct plugs to avoid having to concern yourself with it. Keep in mind that different plugs are better suited for different climates. Typically the iridium style (more expensive) plugs are designed for colder climates because they are more burning fuel more effeciently.

NOTE: Keep in mind that Saab recalled many of the DI Cassettes in 2002 up years (although there were major issues on the DI cassettes prior to those years, since 1993 actually) If you have one of the Older DI cassettes prior to some redesigning in 2002 then it is a miracle that it has lasted this long) Not sure exactly what was reworked but something was because the failure rate has dropped to almost no failures.

Any car that is equipped with a Direct ignition emits what Saab calls a shower of sparks after the ignition switch has been cutoff. This usually occurs within 30 seconds of turning off the ignition. The purpose of this shower of sparks is to keep the plugs completely clean for better starts.

Turn the Cassette over & put the plugs in the holes, ground each plug to the negative battery terminal (by use of a wire about 2 feet long and skinned at length of where each plug is) and turn the engine over watching the spark. If there is a problem with the cassette, one of the plugs will have no spark or a very weak spark. Also, when you turn the ignition key off there should be a shower of sparks that runs the length of the plugs several times.BE CAREFUL! EXTREMELY HIGH VOLTAGE! There have been occasions when the DI cassettes would test ok when turned upside down but would fail when turned back over to install into the valve cover! Oil leakage from the individual coils of the cassettes have also been a problem. Oil leaks can be identified by noting that there is oil in the spark plug hole!

Some distributor rotor buttons are glued on and can be very difficult to get off. You might have to carefully crush the base of the rotor button with pliers and peel it off. Becareful not to bend the distributor shaft while doing this.

Electrical door component failures. What we mean here is that more than one electrical component on a door fails at the same time. For Example; window won't go up and down, door mirrors won't move, door won't unlock, central lock won't work, etc..... When this happens you will likely find that the connector where all the wiring runs to the door is either broken or just pinched. Some cars have a connector and some cars just have wires that run through a rubber grommet. Checking the wiring and repairing it should cure the problem.

We have seen several issues with door latches that are located on the doors closing automatically. The problem with this is that the return spring on the lock assemblies have come off which cause the door latches to automatically lock when opening the door. You simply need to remove the door panel (look at window regulator instructions to see how to remove it) and find the spring inside the door and put it back on the lock.

In the bottom of each door mirror there is a small hole in the middle center of the mirror at the bottom underneath. There is a small white keeper that you must turn to the left or right in-order to release the mirror itself from the fastener back. You can release it by using a small flat screwdriver and forcing the white section to the left or right. Once released you will see exactly what holds the mirror.

Electronic Display Unit BULB FAILURES are quite common on the 9000 vehicles. There are several twist in bulbs that are located in the back of the EDU. They can be replaced by removing the dash pad and pulling the instrument cluster out through the top. Once the cluster is out simply remove the EDU bulbs and install new ones!

In-Order to test for electrical drains on the battery you need to place a Test light between the negative battery terminal and the Actual battery cable with the two disconnected and then pull one fuse at a time until the light goes out. What ever fuse or combination of fuses that causes the light to go out will tell you where the drain is coming from. This will tell you where the problem is and you can address whatever component or relay that is causing the issue.

Cleaning the engine compartment is fine as long as several necessary precautions are taken. Be careful not to pressure was directly at the distributor or directly into the wiring harness. Don't use carb cleaner or items such as this around the harness as harsh abrasives will peal back the wire coating in the future. Try not to spray directly into the harness where water will collect and stay for long periods. If you feel that you have gotten the wiring connectors wet simply remove them and squirt a small amount of dielectric grease into them and reconnect.

High engine idle can be caused by several issues. Vacuum leaks (usually accompanied with stalling), sticking AIC motor (due to bad motor winding or dead spot) or one of the most overlooked reasons is a faulty Coolant temperature sensor that is located between the intake runners. It has a blue top. When this switch goes bad the engine will usually idle at about 1500 an no matter what adjustments are make you can't get the idle down. This problem tends to be intermittent in nature and the problem can be difficult to diagnose. Replacement of the sensor is the cure.

The valve gear incorporates hydraulic lifters which keep the valve clearance within a limited working range from the camshaft bearing seat to the end of the valve stem. Each lifter has two storage chambers and one high pressure chamber. A return spring in the high pressure chamber acts on the sliding piston so that any clearance between the lifter and the cam is eliminated. At the same time, the high-pressure chamber expands and makes up the oil volume to compensate for leakage losses through the passage between the piston and the cylinder which occur at actuating pressure. Under some conditions, the hydraulic lifters may have a chattering noise. In most cases, this noise will be short lived. This may occur after the car has been parked for longer than 48 hours. When the car is parked for a long period of time, oil drains out of the high-pressure chambers and allows air to get in. When the car is started, it will take about 15 minutes for the air to get pushed out of the lifters and the valve chatter to go away. Engine speed should be kept under 3,000 RPM until the noise goes away.

NOTE: It is very difficult to determine which hydraulic lifter is causing the clicking noise when only one fails. You can attempt to isolate the noise by using a stethascope on the cylinder just above where the lifter is but even this solution leaves something to be desired. The easiest way to assure yourself of finding the problem is to replace one lifter bank at a time worth of lifters (maybe not the cheapest way though). By doing this you may replace the one bank and if he noise does not disappear you can move them to the other side to cure the problem. Be absolutely sure that the problem is a lifter issue and not a problem with the oil pickup being clogged which would cause and issue with poor oil circulation to the lifters.

Thanks to Robert Gagne for contributing to this FAQ!

I recently had a clicking issue with valve hydraulic lifters. I checked the engine oil pressure with a gauge and it was ok (engine rpm 2000 - 38psi) ,the noise was very difficult to locate so I removed both the intake and exhaust cam and checked my lifters. I identified the faulty lifter by looking at the inner section of the lifter once you remove it and flip it over. The faulty one had its innersection (where the valve sits) down completely in comparison to the other lifters. I replaced this particular lifter and put everything together and the noise is gone.

A Clunking that comes the front end from a dead stop can usually be attributed to a broken Lower hydraulic engine mount. The engine mount that usually breaks is located at the front end of the engine just below where the belt's) are located. The engine will raise up and drop quite violently when giving the vehicle gas while in gear with the handbrakes on! A broken mount can also be identified by noting fluid (a thick viscous fluid) will be seeping from the broken engine mount. BE CAREFUL! not run over someone's foot when checking to see if the mount is broken!

Excessive engine noise can come from several areas. The most likely cause of Internal engine noise is timing chain or timing chain tensioner failure.

Another very common (and often overlooked) problem is clogged up oil pickup tube screens. What generally occurs is that they do not change their engine oil frequently enough. A waxy substance then builds up on the oil pickup screen in the oil pan which blocks the flow of oil to the upper parts of the engine. Cleaning the oil pickup screen can be accomplished by removing the oil pan.

Engine oil consumption is an indication that something is wrong either with an engine oil leak, internal engine ring problem or Turbo issue. The most common problem is excessive bushing clearances in the Turbo causing oil to leak into the intake manifold. Replacement of the turbo is only cure. Engine ring problem means replacement or rebuilding of the engine. External engine oil leaks would require locating the leaks and repairing them.

Oil leakage from beneath the car in the area of where the hood and the windshield meets (C900) or below the belt area (NG90, 93, 95) can generally be attributed to a faulty oil pump seal and O-ring. What usually happens is that the oil seal falls out of the oil pump housing allowing oil leakage to occur. When replacing the oil pump seal replacement of the oil pump O-ring is also recommended!

Oil leakage from the Valve Cover Gasket is a common problem. What generally happens is that the gasket heats up and cools down so many times that the gasket eventually hardens up to a point where it no longer seals. Replacement of the gasket is the only repair. Becareful when replacing the valve cover gasket so that you do not crack the valve cover by tightening down the bolts too tight.

There are many issues that could cause the engine oil light to come on. The first thing to do is to check the oil level. If it is full then you likely have a problem with the oil level sending unit. What generally occurs is that the unit goes bad causing the light to come on even when the oil pressure is fine!
NOTE: There are occasions where the oil pickup in the bottom of the oil pan will become clogged causing poor oil pressure. This generally will not cause the check oil level light to come on but it will cause major engine damage. To check this simply check the oil pressure with a gauge to see if this is a problem.

Thanks to Paul Arnold for contributing to this FAQ!

Another cause of the oil light coming on after starting from cold is the pressure relief valve sticking open. This is normally accompanied by noisy tappets. This has happened to me twice on B202 engines. Easily remedied by removing plunger and cleaning thoroughly. Very fine abrasive does help.

They typical engine oil quantity that is required to fill up a Saab 4 cylinder car is about 4-4.5 quarts which includes the oil filter replacement as well.

NOTE: The 8 Valve engine actually takes 3.7 Quarts.

Most of time, Overheating can be attributed to a faulty thermostat. Thermostat failures can be identified by noting that no heat exist or that the hose leading from the thermostat does not feel as though water is flowing through it. This is an indication that the thermostat is not opening! Replacement is the repair!

NOTE: Another Major problem with the 94-98 900 cars is that the fan resistor on the cooling fan itself will fail which will not allow the fan to come on. Most of the time when the resistor fails the fan will begin to come on later and later until the car is overheating before the fan comes on. Replacement of the complete fan assembly is the only solution because the resistor is not offered seperately. TIP: DO NOT replace the fan with a used one. Every fan in junk yards also have the same problem. There are guys that remove the fan resistor and attempt to replace just the resistor by going to radioshack and matching up the resistor but until now we have not found a suitable solution to this problem other than replacing the complete fan assembly.

There a tons of companies that claim to be able to get 5 more horsepower out of every performance they sell. The reality is that Saabs will run exceptionally well with a couple of basic modifications. The two that we recommend the most is an upgraded APC Control Unit (red box on the 900) and a upgraded fuel pressure regulator. Many other modifications can be done but in most cases these two will help your car run with just about any other Saab. Keep in mind that cubic inches=Horsepower and that is the bottom line. The turbo cars have tremendous power capabilities but you must compare apples to apples.

Black Smoke streaming from the tailpipe is generally an indication of a faulty Air Mass Meter! What generally occurs is that the small platinum wire gets so thin that it begins to give incorrect readings causing the fuel system to run rich. These symptoms occur most often when sitting with the car running at idle!
NOTE: There are occasions when a faulty fuel pressure regulator will cause the same symptoms! In-order to test the fuel pressure regulator you will need to hook up a fuel pressure gauge to the fuel line. The pressure should be about what the number reads on the regulator (2.5 or 3.0 bar)

Saab engine smoke from the tailpipe can be coming from a number of issues. First, crank the car up and pull the hose to the valve cover and see if any blowby or smoke comes from the valve cover after warm. If it does smoke a tiny bit then it is likely normal. If it smokes alot you either have an issue with the rings (which is allowing oil to be pulled from the crankcase because of excessive wear) or an issue exist with a pinched/clogged hose in the crankcase ventilation hose that is not allowing the engine to breath correctly causing the smoke. You could also have a problem with the Turbo Charger. Typical Turbo failures can be identified by noting puffs of smoke comeing from the exhaust when coming to a stop.

NOTE: If the engine is only smoking during cold start and you have a sweet smell coming from the tailpipe check the headgasket to see if it is leaking down overnight. You can often check this by pulling the spark plugs and looking at the piston tops. If they are silver then they are likely getting steamed cleaned because coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber during the cooldown process.

If you crank your car up after it has been sitting for several days or overnight and it smokes out the tailpipe for a few seconds upon initial start up then the problem is more than likely leaking valve guides/Valve stem seals. What generally occurs is that the guides/seals wear due to the stress of the valve moving up and down so many times. This basically causes excess clearance between the valve guide and the valve stem. Minor seepage occurs during the rest period allowing oil to leak into the combustion chambers leading to morning smoke!

Another problem that will cause your car to smoke or steam after sitting overnight could be a faulty head gasket. A faulty head gasket will allow the cooling system pressure to bleed coolant into the combustion chamber overnight causing the vehicle to blow white smoke and create a sweet smell from the exhaust until the exhaust has become hot enough to burn all of the antifreeze away. The gasket usually blows between Cylinders # 2 and # 3.

Ticking noise that occurs when first cranking the car can be caused by several issues. The most common issue is a problem with a hydraulic lifter not getting the proper oil supply to the lifter or a faulty lifter itself. The oil pickup tube that sits in the oil pan gets clogged up due to improper oil changes which causes the lifter area to be starved for engine oil. When this occurs the lifters will tap, tap, tap when first cranked and once the diminished pressure pumps the lifter up then the lifter noise goes away. On 86-88 models the lifters are actually supplied oil via oil tube that connects each cam bearing journal together. On 89 and up heads are internally oiled and the oil tube kits no longer are needed. Trying to find ONE faulty lifter can be like looking for a needle in a haystack because the noise resonates throughout the engine making it very difficult to locate. When one faulty lifter is suspected replacement of one bank of lifters is the most economical process.

Engine vibrations while in drive or reverse can often be attributed to failing engine mounts. What usually occurs is that the rubber portion of the engine mounts deteriorate causing the vibration from engine rotation to travel through the vehicle. In some cases you can move the shifter from drive to reverse to load and unload certain engine mounts to help guide you to the faulty mount.

Exhaust Diagnosis

The most common Exhaust failures are mufflers. You can often easily diagnose issues with the exhaust system by placing a rag or towel over the tailpipe hole (Just for a few seconds). BE CAREFUL AS THE EXHAUST MAY BE HOT!!!!! When you cover the tailpipe hole up for a few seconds pressure builds in the exhaust system and a whistling noise will begin to occur wherever your exhaust leak is.

Exhaust Purpose

The exhaust system is designed to carry away the engine's exhaust gases with a low flow resistance, low noise level and a long operating life. The exhaust system is composed of two parts: a front part with a catalytic converter, and a rear part with two mufflers. Both mufflers are a combination of resonance and noise absorption material. The system is delivered seamless via one unit. For spare parts there are three different sections: a front section with flexible pipe, a center section with a front muffler, and a rear muffler. The exhaust system is held up by six rubber mounts from front to back. The exhaust system is protected against corrosion because of all the parts except the outer plate of the front muffler are made of 12-18% chrome steel. The outer plate of the front muffler is aluminized. This combination gives very good corrosion stability. Heat shields are fitted above the exhaust system's most heat intensive zones to protect exposed parts where the heat radiation can otherwise cause problems.

Heat shield failures are caused by heat and rust form salt and road contaminants. The Heat shield is located above the catalytic converter. Its purpose is to shield the wiring (in the car) from the extreme temperatures that come from the converter. Faulty heat shields can cause vehicle breakdowns. The Heat Shield in wet and snowy areas is susceptible to rust and corrosion. To prevent a potential fire hazard, always check the condition of the heat shield when servicing the vehicle!

On early Saab 900 and Saab 9000 models there were issues with cracks in the exhaust manifolds that caused issues with exhaust coming out from the cracks. About the only think you can do to repair the cracks is to grind out the cracks and have them brazed by a welder.

A harsh smell coming from the exhaust can usually be attributed to the use of fuel that contains methanol (Although in most places it is not supposed to be sold). When using this fuel, a sulfur smell can be emitted from the exhaust which can range from a mild odor to a rotten egg smell. To avoid this smell try changing the place where you purchase fuel! Catalytic Converter failures can also cause this same smell!

Some Saabs have Studs in the exhaust manifolds and in the Turbochargers. These Studs tend to rust and break off when attempting to remove them. If they break off the easiest thing to do is remove the studs and simply put bolts in their place. If you are going to replace them be sure to use lock nuts on the bolts to prevent them from backing out. If the studs break off flush with the head or turbo you will have to use a easy-out tool to drill them out and remove them. If the stud breaks leaving the stud sticking out you can use a stud removal tool to simply back them out.

There are many issues that can cause extended cranking time during startup. The most common problem is the failure of a check valve located in the top of the fuel pump. What generally occurs here is that the check valve in the fuel line sticks open causing lack of fuel pressure. This usually occurs after the car has been sitting for a while or overnight. The fuel pressure leaks down causing the fuel pump to have to work very hard to push the fuel from the tank to the fuel rail. Similar to vapor lock but not quite. The solution to this is to replace the fuel pump check valve which can be difficult in itself. Another issue that can contribute to extended cranking time after the car has been sitting is a problem with a fuel leak. A leaky fuel system can also cause the exact same symptoms as above with the addition of the fuel smell. Placing a fuel gauge in the fuel rail is the correct way to test to see if the system is leaking down or if a problem exist with the fuel pressure regulator. If a problem exist with the fuel pressure regulator a gauge would show excessive fuel pressure which would also cause starting issues due to a flooding situation.

NOTE: When doing this job be careful. If you break the link with no check valve in the fitting you will have to replace the entire fuel line because Saab does not offer the fitting by itself. Being a "Bull in a china shop" would not be a good idea here.

Be very cautious when attempting this repair because of the dealing with the fuel system FIRE HAZARD!!!!!!!

A loose feeling or rattle when going over bumps can often be attributed to faulty lower ball joints! In-order to test the ball joints you must UNLOAD the wheel by jacking up the car. Then place a large pry bar or screwdriver between the steering knuckle and the ball joint and pry up and release. There should be no movement in the joint itself! By doing this you take the pressure off of the ball joints which will allow you to test them for excessive play or movement!

NOTE: Check the the shock sleeve nut is not loose i had this problem on my ng900. Contributed from Joe Walton. Thanks Joe

Thanks to Braden for contributing to this FAQ!

Make sure the strut mounts are not bad by doing a bounce test with the spring cover off. this can also contribute to a loose suspension over bumps.

There are several ways to tell if your vehicles front-end is out of alignment. One, is that the steering wheel may appear to be of center (an indication of something bent or tie rod ends off center). Second, your car may pull to the left or right when on flat ground (an indication that the alignment is off). Third, Front tire wear is an indication that problems exist in the front-End. This could mean that the caster or camber is off and in need of adjustment.

The fuel control module location depends on the car, below is the locations:

- Saab 900 - Right passenger inner fender inside the passenger cockpit. Have passenger tap toe to right They are tapping on it
- Saab 9000 - Under the false bulkhead (remove 8 screws for plastic cover just to the right of the windshield wiper transmission.
- Saab 93 and 95 - Under the drivers seat

Fuel control module failures on Saabs have been an issue for many years. The are many symptoms of a failing fuel control module and basically depends on the year model but in most cases fuel control module failures can be identified by noting that the car starts and stalls, starts and stalls and will eventually stay running fine. This usually occurs in the AM and will not occur again until the car has sat overnight. However, This is not necessarily an indication that you have to replace the module or you will break down, in some cases the cars will run for years only gradually getting worse. Complete module failures can be diagnosed by pin testing the control modules to see if the ground supply to the fuel relays exist.

The location of the manual pull is in the opening of the took kit located in the right rear quarter panel in the rear hatch area. There should be a black pull wire with an arrow on it saying fuel door (depending on the vehicle year)

Watch out for ECU problems on 1988-89 saabs. Mine went haywire. The engine ran, but idle control was lost, and it ran very rich. Failed emission test. Testing of all fuel injection system parts revealed no problem with any part. Check engine code was "fuel mixture too rich". I replaced fuel injectors and fuel pressure regulator but did not fix problem. Finally found no control voltage from ECU to idle control valve. Put in a used ECU unit and bingo, all problems went away. I've never seen an ECU go bad on a car until this. I have heard from other sources this is a known problem with these models and years. So if you think your problem saab could never have a bad computer

Thanks to Jeff Barnell for contributing to this FAQ!

All Saabs from the old ones to the new ones can run on all grades of fuel because the systems are designed to adjust the ignition timing according to knock in the engine. When the sensor detects a knock the ignition timing is reduced in-order to eliminate the knock. Keep in mind that running higher octane fuel generally allows for better performance especially in any AERO Saab.

Thanks to Tim Waddingham for contributing to this FAQ!

I received a letter from SAAB stating that I should not use 85 octane fuel in my 9-5. If I did use 85 octane fuel - any engine damage would not be covered under the warranty. 85 octane fuel is sold as "Regular" in higher altitude areas like Denver. 87 octane is "Mid Grade" and "Premium" is only 91 octane. We can't purchase any higher octane from a regular gas station.

Fuel pressure regulator problems often exhibit symptoms of failure when fuel pressure gets excessive or the diaphragm in the regulator breaks causing fuel to leak into the intake via the vacuum hose attached to the top of the regulator. You can test the excessive pressure issue by installing a fuel pressure gauge to see if the pressure is too high. Should be in the 3 bar range (app 40 PSI)

Around 1995 there was a issue with a fuel rail dampener that caused a pulsing noise. The cure for the noise was the removal of the dampener located on the fuel rail.

If you open the trunk and lift up the back deck lid to expose the spare tire there will be two screws toward the front. Simply remove those two screws and lift out the rear panel above the spare and then remove the front panel by sliding it toward the rear. Underneath the front cover is a round silver cover that hides the fuel pump!

The typical problem with a fuel pump check valve failure is extended cranking time during startup. What generally occurs here is that the check valve in the fuel line sticks open causing lack of fuel pressure. This usually occurs after the car has been sitting for a while or overnight. The fuel pressure leaks down causing the fuel pump to have to work very hard to push the fuel from the tank to the fuel rail. Similar to vapor lock but not quite. The solution to this is to replace the fuel pump check valve which can be difficult in itself. Be very cautious when attempting this repair because of the dealing with the fuel system FIRE HAZARD!!!!!!!
NOTE: When doing this job, be careful. If you break the link with no check valve in the fitting you will have to replace the entire fuel line because Saab does not offer the fitting by itself. Being a "Bull in a china shop" would not be a good idea here. If you break the valve you can replace the valve by itself only if you purchase the complete line and remove the valve from the new line and install it in the old line. They valves become brittle over time and will easily break when removing the fuel pump.

Removal of the fuel pump ring can be difficult without the factory tool. You can usually get it off by using two people tapping it on opposite sides. Trying to remove the ring by tapping on one side only will usually not work because it distorts the ring and causes it to bind on the sides of the fuel pump.

Thanks to william swift for contributing to this FAQ!

I have used the Large size Channel Lock Pliers, opened all the way and inserted into ring notches and push out and turn at the same time as not to mangle the ring. SAAB's Rule

Demetrius

The "fuel pump ring" is acually the fuel tank access port retention ring. I've encountered the same resistance in removing the ring, however, if you drissel hot water over the ring as the first order of business, then thoroughly towel dry the area. Using a wood dowel or an 8-10 long -one
square inch thick piece of hardwood, you may gently tap diagonally against the plastic tabs in a counter clockwise direction. The hot water cleans the top of the access area of crud and helps loosen the bond in the plastic threaded cover.

Thanks to Aaron Hartshorn for contributing to this FAQ!

The easiest way to remove the ring is to clean off the area, grab to socket wrench extension and then put it in a cross and put them on each small square in the plastic ring. When you pry the cover to in a counter clockwise direction the ring should turn like butter... the reason the other methods do not work is that if your only prying on one side of the ring your not putting pressure evenly on both sides making it near impossible to loosen, try it and let me know how it works...

Most fuel smells inside the car can be attributed to the o'ring for the fuel pump being deteriorated or positioned incorrectly. We have also seen issues with the charcoal canisters being clogged which causes the fuel vapors to back up into the car.

Thanks to Mark Saunders for contributing to this FAQ!

I had a fuel smell in my 1988 Saab 900, the smell was worse when I had the windows rolled down. By accident, I replaced the gas cap. When I replaced the gas cap the fuel smell went completely away. I looked at the old gas cap and noticed that the rubber ring at the base of the cap was cracked. Check the rubber gasket at the base of your gas cap, if it is cracked, replace the cap. This could be the cause of your gas smell and it would be a cheap easy fix.

The fuel system begins with an electric fuel pump located in the fuel tank pumping fuel from the tank into the fuel lines thus building up fuel pressure in the system. The level of pressure is determined by the fuel pressure regulator, which maintains a constant fuel pressure in relation to the pressure in the engine intake manifold. This way, the injected fuel quantity will only be affected by the injection timing. A fuel filter fitted in the fuel pump helps clean the incoming fuel from any contaminates. Gas is injected by injector valves (electric solenoid valves) fitted in the cylinder head close to the intake valves and connected through a common fuel rail. The injector timing is controlled by electrical pulses from the engine control module.

A word about Anaerobic sealant. If you touch it on the outside then it will always be tacky because by definition the word Aenorobic means "pertaining to or caused by the absence of oxygen" this means that it will never cure until oxygen is removed. Saab began to move away from common engine gaskets in approximately 1993. They began to replace timing cover and oil pan gaskets with anaerobic sealant. These types of sealants work well on machined surfaces.

NOTE: When using these types of sealants you don't want to slide components together you want to apply sealant to both items and then apply them together. As mentioned before the outside edges of the two pieces will likely never harden.

The most common problem with the gearshift indicator light being out is that the power supply wire gets broken where it connects to the bulb socket. The correct way to do this is to add wire by soldering additional inches and covering it with heat shrink tubing.

You Adjust the handbrakes by removing the 14 mm bolt in the rear caliper and adjusting the Allen inside to a point where the rear wheel will freely spin one turn and stop automatically. The 14mm bolt is located on the inside rear of the caliper itself.

When the Handbrake calipers on the rear fail the rear brakes begin to drag because the caliper piston is no longer moving in and out of the caliper housing smoothly. This causes the brakes to drag on the rotors and to not release. It is also quite common to see the calipers leak because the seals get worn out allowing the brake fluid to leak around the caliper pistons. Replacement of the calipers is the only repair.

The flasher relay (sometimes referred to as the blinker thinker) is located ona metal bracket above the clutch-brake pedal. When the relay fails you will often find that the turn signals just stay on when activating the stalk switch. Keep in mind that a faulty cruise switch as well as a faulty hazard switch will exhibit the same symptoms.

Almost every vehicle has headlight adjusters on top and bottom of the back of each light assembly. Most dealerships and independent repair shops use headlight aimers to adjust the headlights. It can be done without aimers by adjusting the beam of light to be directly in front of the assembly and about 24 inches off the ground. You can measure this by aiming the lights at a garage wall and making the adjustments. You will find that one of the adjusters will adjust the light beam vertical and the other adjuster will adjust the light beam horizontally.
NOTE: Some headlights have levels located in the lights assemblies. These levels should be adjusted at 0 unless otherwise specified by the owners manual.

This Information Is For Replacing Halogen Bulbs Only! Not Xenon

The 9000 86-98, 900 1979-94, 95 2003-2007 & the 93 2003-2007 Sport Sedan you must buy the assemblies. You can however purchase the insert which is the full light excluding the housing on the back on the 9000 and 79-94 900 but those inserts have gotten so expensive that it makes more sense to purchase the assemblies. Only on the 94-98 900, 98-2003 93 & the 95 98-2003 can you replace the lense only. The insert (which is the glass & the housing it is attached to) can be replaced. Insert replacement is easy but one needs to be very careful not to break the ears of the insert off when trying to push the insert into the headlight frame. Lens (or just the glass) replacement is quite easy & is significantly cheaper. You simply remove the clips that hold the lenses to the lenses housing and replace the glass portion of the light.

The reason that headliners sag on the Saab (as with many cars) is because the foam between the headliner material and the glued portion of the material erodes with time causing the white portion of the headliner to sag. The only repair is to replace the headliner material by removing the headliner, pulling the old material off, cleaning the fiberglass headliner and gluing new material on. Your local upholstery shop can re-do your headliner for approximately $150.00.

Hood cable failures are common on the Saab cars. The typical issue with the cable is that the end breaks off causing the cable to no longer open the hood. In-order to open the hood when this happens one must push a screwdriver between the hood and the grille and push the hood release back in-order to release the latch. Replacement of the cable is the only cure.

Leaking Hydraulic hoses can often be attributed to a leaky clamp which cause the hose to be able to be turned. You can repair some hoses temporarily by cutting a small 1/4 slice of the metal fitting out (being careful not to cut the hose) then put a adjustable hose clamp over the (now cut) fitting and tighten down the clamp. What happens here is that you cut just enough of the metal clamp out that when you put the hose clamp on and tighten it down that is basically creates a new clamp over top of the one that started leaking. This is a great quick fix and may last a bit but replacement of the hoses with new is the best long term solution.

Leaking Hydraulic hoses can often be attributed to a leaky clamp which cause the hose to be able to be turned. You can repair some hoses temporarily by cutting a small 1/4 slice of the metal fitting out (being careful not to cut the hose) then put a adjustable hose clamp over the (now cut) fitting and tighten down the clamp. What happens here is that you cut just enough of the metal clamp out that when you put the hose clamp on and tighten it down that is basically creates a new clamp over top of the one that started leaking. This is a great quick fix and may last a bit but replacement of the hoses with new is the best long term solution.

Leaking Hydraulic hoses can often be attributed to a leaky clamp which cause the hose to be able to be turned. You can repair some hoses temporarily by cutting a small 1/4 slice of the metal fitting out (being careful not to cut the hose) then put a adjustable hose clamp over the (now cut) fitting and tighten down the clamp. What happens here is that you cut just enough of the metal clamp out that when you put the hose clamp on and tighten it down that is basically creates a new clamp over top of the one that started leaking. This is a great quick fix and may last a bit but replacement of the hoses with new is the best long term solution.

The Saab 9000 Trim code cover will be located on the drivers door or body frame of the drivers door. The color code for the body and the interior trim color will be located on that door sticker.

Thanks to Michael Rosenfield for contributing to this FAQ!

A bearing going bad is usually because the lubrication has dried up. The bearings used in some of these pulleys have rubber covered metal seals over the bearing balls. They can be gently pried out of the bearing with a sharp tool (work it under the rubber at the inner race, carefully, and lift up),allowing the bearing to be cleaned out and fresh grease put in. The seals then snap back in place with fingernail pressure. The bearing, if you catch it early, will be as good as new. I have now done this to 5 vehicles. Two of them have 30,000 more miles, with no failure.

I have a 1995 Saab 900SE 2.0 turbo. The car would be slow to start. The idle would bounce up and down between 1000 and 2000 rpms when at a stop light.I changed the bad vaccum hoses and checked for air leaks. The car still had idle problems. I had to replace the battery. With the new battery the car now runs correctly. Check the battery for charge when idle problems occur. The electronics for the fuel system can be affected if the current is incorrect. Typically the section that requires the most current will be the one to starve the most. The first to surfer is the ignition then the fuel system.

APPLICATION: ALL 900
If the ignition amplifier (power stage} is removed or disturbed for any reason, high dielectric silicone grease MUST be applied between the amplifier and the heat sink. This grease is necessary to ensure proper heat transfer from the amplifier to the heat sink. High dielectric silicone grease is available at auto supply stores or Radio shack!

The firing order is 1342. What that basically means is that if you are standing in front of the distributor then the plug wires should oriented in a 1,3,4,2 manner. If you remove the ignition distributor cap and look at the rotor button it should point toward a little line on the base of where the cap goes. That should be number one cylinder. That means that the plug wire for number one cylinder should be in the same line at where that line and the point of ignition rotor button is. The number 2 cylinder goes below that one etc... You basically line up number one and the other wires follow that wire in a counter clockwise manner being cyl 1, 3, 4 2

Replacement of the electrical portion of the ignition switch is pretty easy. Remove the housing at the bottom of the steering wheel by removing the two screws. There are two Allen screws from the back of the electrical portion of the ignition switch that must be remove. Once they are removed simply pull out the switch and re-install the new one

The inner drivers connect the transmission to the drive shafts. They can fail from lubrication issues or from wear and tear, the thrust surfaces can develop depressions inside the carrier above on the mating surfaces. A very small depression in the driver mating surface will cause a vibration problem under loads or acceleration as the tripod bearings rides in and out of the worn area. If you want to do this job right then replace the worn inner drivers, the tripod bearings and replace the boot. Castrol Wheel Bearing Grease NLGI ( a lithium based grease) seems to work better for long term lubrication..

Saab 79-94 900 Right side failure is more common than left (especially on 900 Automatic cars) Due to exhaust location
Saab 900 94-98 drivers side tends to go bad more frequently than the passenger side.
Saab 9000 86-98 Drivers side tends to fail more often
Saab 93 98-2003 Passenger side failures are more common
Saab 95 98-2005 Drivers side failures are more common

The intake system is composed of an air filter, mass air flow sensor, connecting pipes/hoses, turbo unit and intercooler. The system is connected to the throttle body on the intake manifold. The air filter, which is located on the right-hand side of the engine bay, removes particles from the incoming air and also acts as an intake silencer. The mass air flow sensor provides the engine control module with continuous information on the amount of air consumed by the engine. The mass air flow sensor signals are processed by the control module, which monitors the air-fuel mixture of the incoming air.

When the interior light switch is in position 1 this means that the interior lights will be activated by the doors opening and closing. When the interior light switch is in the middle this means that the interior lights will not be activated by the door. When the interior light switch is in position 2 this means that the interior lights will be on as long as the switch is located in that position. On some of the 9000 vehicles a pin switch that could be pushed in and turned to the right was installed on the front doors. This would disable the lights and door chime when working on the vehicle. TIP: Be certain when trying to diagnose a problem with the interior lights not working in position one that these switches are fully extended!

You can swap from a automatic transmission to a manual transmission. The job is really not that big. You have to swap out the transmission, flywheel & shifter box in between the seat. The shifter box components can usually be purchase from our used parts division for a reasonable price.

There should be a plug 19mm bolt on the top left of the transmission. Remove the bolt and the dipstick is attached to it. There are lines on the stick to show you the fluid level.

A whining noise from the transmission during acceleration and deceleration can often be attributed to faulty pinion bearings in the transmission. Generally, what happens is that the bearings begin to get pits in them due to excessive wear or dirty transmission oil. Catching the pinion bearings prior to complete failure will result in less cost during a transmission repair!

Click here for the Saab 9000 Gearbox number Location!

Chances are your Manual shift joint has come apart. This is a very common problem on the 9000 series vehicles. The rubber portion of the Shift joint begins to separated causing the shifter to feel as though there is no gate or no real shift pattern. Replacement of the Manual shift joint is the repair.

Shift Joint/coupler adjustment and replacement. I just replaced the manual gear shift joint (the rubber piece that holds the linkages together). The info that is on this site is very helpful as far as keeping the shifter and transmission aligned, But as far as getting to the coupler to change it well thats a bit tricky. Since space is limited and you must be under the car to replace it, I've found it easier to use a ratchet with extension(s) and a knuckle joint (the attachment that swivels) To remove the Pinch bolt (1/2inch or 13mm) from the coupler that is connected to the shifter. The other end is just a tapered screw with a (8mm) nut at the end. A ratchet wrench is ideal for removing the (10mm) nuts off of the coupler that hold the rubber piece in place, and you can use a ratchet on the bottom two. Replacement is just putting things back on the way they came off.

The only manuals available for Saabs are the Workshop Information System (WIS). Saab use to sell them but no longer offer them as a CD to the public. These manuals contain the technical information that Saab technicians use. You may be able to find them on ebay but as a company we won't copy and sell these CD unless we can offer them legitimately from Saab

Neutral Safety Switch issues can cause no start conditons on the 900 and 9000 cars. What generally happens is that brass contacts on the switch itself get worn out causing the car to crank only when prendle (shifter) is moved back and forth. In Most cases you can move the shifter to neutral and the car will crank. Replacement of the switch is the cure.

IGNITION DIAGNOSIS - There are several basic things that should be done in-order to diagnose a no-start condition. First, check to see if you have spark at the center terminal of the distributor cap by removing the coil wire, hold it with rubber handled pliers and point it toward the engine about 2 inches from the block? If you have spark there and spark at the plugs then look to the fuel system for your problem. If you DO NOT have spark at the center terminal of the distributor or at the plugs then your problem is more that likely your ignition amplifier module.
BE CAREFUL!!! HIGH VOLTAGE!!!!! (If you have a Direct ignition module

DANGER!!!!!DANGER!!!!!DANGER!!!!! SAAB IGNITION SYSTEMS ARE HIGH VOLTAGE AND CAN CAUSE SEVERE INJURY!! TESTING THE IGNITION SYSTEM AND FUEL SYSTEM SHOULD ONLY BE DONE BY THOSE AUTHORIZED TO DO SO!!!!!

If you do have 12 volts at the pump then check to see if you have twelve volts between the two wires of one of the injectors. If 12 volts is present at the pump but the pump does not run, then the problem is a faulty fuel pump. f you DO NOT have twelve volts at the pump check the fuel pump connectors under the small cover to the right of the fuel pump (in the hole where the fuel level transmitter is located). Be certain that the two pin connector there is not burned! Further diagnosis would more that likely lead to Electronic control module or relay failure

Be very careful when replacing bulbs in the turn signals and taillights. We have seen issues when people install multi filament bulbs in single filament bulb sockets and visa-versa. One of the issues that we have seen is that the vehicle will run on when turning the ignition off or will not start at all. Keep in mind that different symptoms could occur with different cars. This may or may not apply to your particular Saab.

Thanks to Andrey Y for contributing to this FAQ!

I can verify this problem in my 2003 9-3 linear with different bulbs in the rear tail lights the entire car lighting system from the exterior would flash like a police cruiser and my car would not start. Once the bulbs were replaced with the correct bulbs the car started fine.

9000 intermittent no starts in warm weather can often be attributed to ignition switch (the electrical portion) failures. More often than not mechanics change the starter because the symptoms lead them to the starter as being the source of the problem. In reality what generally occurs is that the voltage going to the starter is less than adequate to COMPLETELY turn over the engine. This is not to say that Starter assemblies do not fail because they do, but an occasional ignition switch problem can be a difficult problem to diagnose especially when the no starts seem to occur only in warm weather. If you hear a click from the starter area then you need to determine if 12 volts exist on the wire from the ignition switch. If 12 volts exist there then the problem is likely a faulty starter solenoid. If less than 12 volts exist then the likely problem is the ignition switch (providing the battery is at full charge).

Generally, A roaring noise during belt rotation (without the A/C on) will often be caused by an idler pulley bearing going bad. There are occasions where Alternator bearings will also create a roaring noise during belt rotation. In-order to diagnose either of these problems simply remove the belt and rotate each of the pulleys by hand. The pulley failure will make itself apparent by noting that the noise begins when rotating the faulty pulley.
BELT REMOVAL SHOULD BE BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY! PHYSICAL INJURY CAN OCCUR!

Noise when going over bumps can often be attributed to faulty strut mount bearings. What generally occurs is that the ball bearings either fall out or get worn out which causes the weight pressure from the strut towers to pop because of excessive clearance in the bearing housing. Replacement of the strut, bearing and rubber bearing is recommended due to the amount of work required to do this job.

NOTE: We have also seen issues with worn out bushings in the suspension which cause the same type of noise. The way to test for bushings problems is to unload the suspension then then check for sloppy movement in the control arms. This is a definately indication of worn out bushings.

NOTE: Another source of the bumping noise could be worn swaybar endlinks.

In the early Saabs the sensors were located in the exhaust manifolds and could be removed from under the hood. As the engines evolved the sensors were repositioned to the header pipe and then later moved to just before or after the catalytic converters. In every case you can count on the sensors being located in the exhaust because that is where the oxygen content in the fumes can be measured from.

Depending on the Saab you have, Saab Cars uses a system call APC (Automatic performance control) which detects knock when low octane fuel is used and retards the ignition timing to prevent engine damage. This is what I call a Grandmother clause. In-other words, grandma can use low octane fuel and not do any harm or a youthful speed conscious person can put higher octane in and get more performance. With a normally functioning APC system the basic rule is the higher the octane the higher the boost pressure will go because less knock will occur in the combustion chamber.

Thanks to Aaron Kidder for contributing to this FAQ!

After moving to Colorado from the east coast with my 2002 9-3 at about 20K miles. I stubbled on a very important piece of information...I saw two similar cars in the dealer with the cylinder heads off. The pistons were badly damaged from detonation. To make this short, there was a Saab
bulletin that owners above 5000 feet elevation should use gas with an octane rating that is higher than the baseline 87 to prevent this type of engine damage in turbocharged engines. I never got this bulletin, but read the shops copy and now use 91 at every fill up as we live at 7000 feet and
drive up to 9000 feet very often. I hope this may help someone prevent an engine failure if you also live at high altitude.

Odd interior smells can come from several places. Here are a few:
- Leaking evaporators or Heater cores can cause coolant leaks to soil the carpets causing musty smells:
- Leaves in the false bulkhead under hood cause AC/Heater drains to clog causing odd interior odors.
- Clogged sunroof drians can cause water to backup and leak through the interior.

NOTE: Clogged drains can be cleaned out by accessing them through the false bulkhead (in some cases where the cabin filter is). The sunroof drains are most often located in the same place under the false bulkhead but can also be located just below the windshield glass under the hood. AC drains are typically in the right from fender well. You can clean most drains by CAREFULLY pushing a bent coat hanger up the drian to begin clearing the debris.

We have seen some issues with the crank pulley cracking at the keyway where the crankshaft key lines up with the keyway on the pulley. We suspect that the reason for the crack is because someone overtightens the crank pulley bolt which causes the crack. Once the pulley is cracked and the bolt is tighted it will provide a way for the oil from the oil pump to seap out of the crack to the face of the pulley which in-turn slings the oil over the outside of the pulley and engine belt. Replacement of the pulley is the cure.

One of the most overlooked oil leaks is cracked valve covers. If one is not very careful when using an impact wrench on valve cover bolts they can actually crack the cover itself right around where the bolt goes into the valve cover. When this happens it can cause a very bad oil leak that is difficult to trace because the leak would only happen when the engine is running. You can usually spot the crack by looking very closely at the hole in the valve cover. If a crack exist there will usually be a little of colored line leading the bolt head. Replacement of the valve cover is the only cure.

It appears that Onstar is going to a Digital system (instead of analog) on Jan 1st 2008. Here is why, FCC rules require that cell towers support both digital and analog signals until the end of 2007. But starting in 2008, the cell towers will no longer have to support analog so OnStar is hanging up on the 500,000 of its 4 million OnStar customers who have older analog units. Consumers with a 2003-2005 vehicles will need to update their OnStar system using an adapter that will cost approximately $200. (At this point we are not aware of an adapter for Saab but once there is one we will carry it and list it here.) Unfortunately there is no adapter available for cars prior to 2001 which means that you cannot use onstar any longer.

The pictogram is the door picture in the cluster that shows when a door is opened or a light is out. The relay was the typical problem. What many techs would do is to bend back the small pin on the pictogram relay. When the pin is bent back, the pictogram will still show the outline but not relay messages that bulbs are out. The proper cure is to replace the relay.

We have seen an issue the rear balance shaft bushing getting worn out which causes poor oil pressure from the piston squirter (depending on the vehicle). The excessive clearance between the balance shaft and the block bushing will cause poor lubrication to the corresponding piston which then causes failure of that piston. Replacement of the bushing or elimation of the balance shaft with a block plug (not recommended) is the only cure.

If you find that your steering causes popping when turning you might want to check the strut mounts to see if excessive play exist. Jack up the car and grab the strut with your hand. If you can move the top of the strut at all you likely have an issue with the strut bearings being worn out. If you decide to replace the strut bearings you might want to replace the struts as well.

Generally, A CONSISTENT popping noise that can be heard when turning hard left or hard right can be identified as an outer Constant Velocity Joint failure. Be sure that when trying to diagnose this that the noise is consistent or a continuous pop! This means that the shell or housing that supports the Balls in the CV joint has broken or has excessive wear!

In most cases the power seats only operating one side is an indication of a failure in one of the power seat motor cables. What generally occurs is that the plastic housing that surrounds the power seat cable breaks causing that particular cable side to no longer function. Replacement of the power seat cable is the only repair.

The power-assisted steering gear your Saab is known as a rack-and-pinion steering assembly. It consists of a control valve and servo cylinder which are placed in a similar housing, along with the power steering pump and reservoir, these are the main components of the system. Power steering fluid is pumped from the power steering pump to the control valve where, depending on which way the steering wheel is turned, it is directed to either the right or the left side of the servo cylinder. The power steering fluid then applies pressure on the rack's piston, thus providing power assistance to the rack-and-pinion steering gear. The mechanical components of the steering gear are lubricated by high-viscosity grease and sealed from the hydraulic circuit and other parts of the system by seals and rubber gaskets.

The most common cause of power steering noise is a fluid leak. Leaking fluid causes the pump to whine due to lack of lubrication in the pump. In most cases the whine can be fixed by locating the leak and repairing it but in cases where the pump is ran dry for extended periods the pump may have to be replaced. The lines are the the most common leak area. They usually leak where the rubber line turns into the metal line. If you can turn the two parts of the lines seperately that is where the leak will be in most cases.

In most cases the radiator drain plug is located at the bottom of the radiator on the passenger side. You will usually have to remove the plastic skid plate below the radiator to access this plug. Another way to drain the radiator and in some cases and easier way to flush the system is to pull the lower radiator hose.

Upon disconnecting the battery the radio will flash code until you enter the code. If you enter the code incorrectly you must either hold the band button down until the word code reappears or leave the key on for one hour until the word code reappears. This procedure depends on the year of the car. If you do not have the radio code and would like to get it you must call your local Saab dealer with the serial number off the top of the radio. Many times radio owners will write the radio code on top of the radio once you have the correct code. Typically the radio code is in the owners pouch and is a small card with the numbers on it.

Lights are out on the radio: You can often find the leds that go out on Saab radios at Radio Shack but the success rate of the repairs are minimal on this do it yourself job because the radio must be disassembled to do the job.

Low Volume: Low volume from the radio is typically an issue with amplifier being faulty or a cracked board on the amp. Replacement of the amp is the only repair. New ones are no longer available but some can be sent to the amp manufacturer for repair depending on the part number.

Thanks to Jeremy Crooks for contributing to this FAQ!

NOTE: With Clarion stereo, the amp plug in the back has what looks like a cap. This is actually a jumper which bypasses the amp out/ in and just utilizes the onboard amp of the sterio. Plugging in the cap on to the external amp plug may restore the sound level.

Thanks to Terance Love for contributing to this FAQ!

Many do not realize that one of the effects of negative camber == toe in. All wheels that are tilted will tend to go in a circle around the point at
which the projected line of their axle touches the ground. Hence negative camber produces the same effect as toe-in. Worse, with a wide tire, this
results in a tension across the tire (due to each side trying to cover a different distance) resulting in a slip-stick wear of the inside third or
so of the tire. The slip-stick effect (which is cyclical) is likely the main reason for the scalloping typical of 9-5 rear tires with its associated noise and high tire wear. The solution is to make the tires more vertical (i.e reduce the negative camber significantly). The adverse effect will be that the car will tend to change its under-steer/over-steer behavior. From reading the forums and measuring my own Saab 9-5 it's clear that the Saab 9-5 rear suspension tends over time towards excessive negative camber. The solution would appear to be to reset the camber to the middle of the recommended range by shims or by replacing the bushes on the lateral arms. The latter, on feedback from the forums, appears to be only a very temporary solution. Presumably the bushes distort quickly to result in increased negative camber. Perhaps harder bushes would resolve the issue with different problems!

Removing square switches such as the AC switch, Hazard switch, etc... can be tough at times. The correct way to remove any of the switches is to remove the Radio, ACC panel or SID unit and push the switch out from the back but in the real world its not that easy to remove switches that way. Another workable solutions is to remove the switches from the front. Try taking a towel and putting it under each side of the switch and prying the switches out from the front. It will likely be easier to remove a switch by prying on both sides. Be careful not to scratch your dash!

The Saab 9000 cars have had issues with reverse gear Syncro rings failing which causes issues with getting the shifter into reverse gear. When this happens you must disassemble the transmission and replace the reverse gear and the Syncro. Most mechanics will want to go into the transmission and build it as well.

The Rollover valves have been something Saabs have used for years. They are typically located in one of the rear quarter panels (usually right rear). They are designed to shut the fuel pump off in the event of accident which causes the car to rollover.

A Customer Says:

I cannot get the seat to accept a new memory position on my 03 Saab 9-3. Even though I follow the instructions in the manual everytime I get the seat where I want it, I press the M button and the 1 button at the same time the seat begins to move into the previous one setting. I get the same thing with the 2 button and I get nothing with the 3 button. Essentially I cannot set the power seat memory. I checked the fuse and that is ok.

Being the 2nd owner of a 00 95, I also had this problem. The fix I found was to remove the seat memory switch and clean the buttons/switched that
were "gummed" up. A good quality contact/switch cleaner will work best. You may have to lube(light silicone) the buttons so they slide easier.


Answer: Try to disconnect the switch couple of minutes and then check it once you. Once you have the seat set to your liking then pushi the M button and the number where you want the seat to set at.

Note: We have seen tons of issues with the seat modules going bad. They are very expensive (around 800.00) depending on the car but we can typically get you one used for about 250.00. You can also try tapping the seat module to get it working again.

When the seats tear at the seams nothing can be done other than removing the seat covers and having them resown or replacing them used. Finding used seats or seat covers that are not worn out can be tough. We have access to them new but the cost of new seat covers is high to say the least. They usually range from 500.00 to 800.00 just for the top or bottom

The most common thing to cause the lower seat to stop on the way back is coins in the seat track. When this happens it can cause good bit of trouble depending on the position of the seat which many cause one to have to remove the seat track to get the coin out.

Note: We have also seen power seat control modules cause the stop and go of power seats. Check the connections to the motor to see this is your issue.

The factory rear self-leveling shocks also had their own springs which were typically softer because the shocks actually did some of the lifting. Many people that have the self leveling shocks (NOVIMAT) want to replace them with regular shocks but in-order to do that you will have to replace the springs as well to go to the standard non-leveling suspension.

Recommended service intervals really depend on what year and model that you have. The earlier 99, 900 & 9000 used the 30,000 or 60,000 intervals and in the mid to late 1990's the intervals changed to 35,000 & 65,000 intervals. In the 2000 and on era the 10,000 miles service intervals seem to be the standard. We typically recommend just changing the oil at no greater than 5,000 miles and doing major maintenance at about 30.000 mile intervals. We have developed service kits that help you get all the part without having to look them up individually.

Click here for shifter vibrations issue bulletin from Shift Knob!

Shocks-Struts - Trying to determine if you Shocks-struts need to be replaced can be difficult. Most of the time when the shocks get worn out you can tell by pushing down on each corner of the car. If the car bounces more than once when it returns to the rest position then it likely means that the dampering effect of the shock is worn out. This would mean that you would need to replace the shocks. Replacing them in pairs in not required but is prefered in-order to keep the dampening the same on both sides.

Springs - Most spring failures can be identified by noting that ride height has changed. If you notice that the height of the front or rear or even one corner is not correct then the likely problem is a broken/worn spring. Replacing them in pairs in not required but is prefered in-order to keep the ride height the same on both sides.

All Saabs have protective shields that must be removed in-order to drain the coolant. Those shields provide protection against road grit getting into the engine compartment as well as keeping road debris from damaging transmission lines or radiator hoses which could result in damage to your engine or transmission. ALWAY PUT THESE BACK ON. Many people leave them off because once they are damaged they can be difficult to re-install.

The most common problem with smoke coming from the engine compartment is a leaking valve cover gasket. The rubber gasket hardens which causes it to leak on the exhaust manifold (depending on the Saab you have). The only cure for this is to rpelace the gasket.

NOTE: When replacing the gasket you should only use sealant at the front base of the valve cover gasket.

Whether or not a spark plug is pre-gapped is determined by the manufacturer of the spark plug. In most cases the plugs come preset but I would always check them to be sure they are correct. It would be silly to have to pull each one out because you did not take a few seconds to check them for accuracy. Remember that an "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

SRS stands for Supplemental Restraint System or Airbag. Over 90 percent of Blinking SRS lights are cause by the Horn Contact Rings. This ring is located behind the steering wheel and also contains your vehicle horn. The dealer fault code is 2D on the Airbag tester. Replacement of the horn contact reel is not difficult but should be performed by AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL due to the technical nature and the possibility of Airbag Deployment. The Airbag Light can only be reset or independent shops that own the Airbag tester!

The throttle when shut should have a very small gap which allows a little air through when idling. What generally occurs is that the throttle gets coked to a point where there is no longer a gap. When this happens it can cause the car to stall when coming to a stop or when letting off the throttle quickly. Cleaning the throttle body with carburetor cleaner and a tooth brush can cure stalling if the throttle body is dirty but vacuum leaks are the most common cause of stalling.

Thanks to scott chrismon for contributing to this FAQ!

I have noticed that if you turn the throttle body manually from under the hood without aid of the cable, the low idle gets altered and can cause your car to idle too low causing it to stall upon take off. A quick disconnect of the battery will appearantly allow this to reset and idle correctly. Hope this helps someone. 2002 9-5 Arc 3.0 V6 wagon. I found out that my throttle body was in limp home mode which locks the cable to the butterfly instead of the drive by wire settings . This overrides the normal settings, causing the car to idle too low and stall on take off. The Throttle Body Replacement article by the Platonoff's explains this and was very helpful in me resetting the throttle body. One thing to note is that the CEL codes must be reset in order for throttle body to operate correctly . A quick and easy way to do this is to pull the number 17 fuse from the fuse panel, wait a few minutes then replace it and start the car. Otherwise the computer will pop the little wire on the throttle body back to limp mode and you are back where you started. Thanks for the great how too articles. I was able to change my thermostat and waterpump myself last weekend, saving me 1,300 bucks!

The most common issue that causes stalling on the Saab 9000 is vacuum leaks caused by faulty vacuum hoses. A general rule is if you can reach up and pull the hoses off from the manifold easily the hoses probably need to be replaced. Another problem issue that will cause stalling is faulty AIC motor. The motor in the AIC goes bad and begins to stick causing issues with inconsistent idling.

AIC Motor Testing

Stalling is generally caused by Vacuum leaks. Check all vacuum hoses thoroughly. Vacuum hose wear can generally be identified by noting that the ends of the hoses tend to crack. On Turbo models a major problem area is the Turbo-Bypass valve. The diaphragm in the Bypass valve develops a hole and can often create stalling problems!

Thanks to Rick Blake for contributing to this FAQ!

900 NG, stalling at idle, usually about 30-60 seconds after coming to a stop can be caused by a defective charcoal/vapor recovery canister in the fuel system. A defective canister can cause fuel pressure to drop momentarily. The ECU can interpret this as a fuel leak, and Saab engineering treated this as a potential safety hazard (broken line, etc). ECU programming kicks in and stops the engine to prevent fire etc.

This was found by another Saabsite member, I believe, and when my wife's 1998 900 Turbo Conv. started doing this, it took two weeks and a DIC before the dealer tech heard my advice 'from the Internet', worked through the logic, and tried a 'spare' used canister he had around. Bingo! We put in a new one of course.

One other issue that can cause stalling is a dirty throttlebody. In general, the gap between throttle plate and the throttle body itself should be around 2 thousands but when carbon build up closes that gap the car will begin to stall when coming to a stop because the engine can no longer breath.

Thanks to Martin Leavy for contributing to this FAQ!

I had this problem,car would stall when slowing down to stop or even slowing down to about 30k's to turn a corner!! dealer took a few tries, checking for air leaks etc before he changed a crankshaft sensor which sorted the problem.

Thanks to Eric Ford for contributing to this FAQ!

A faulty purge valve caused my 98 900SE turbo to stall or bog down at stops. Took numerous mechanics and many check engine lights to track down this cause. It is closely related to the charcoal canister mentioned in a previous tip. It now idles flawlessly without any anomalies.

A whining or high pitched whirring noise that occurs at initial start up can often be attributed to a faulty starter assembly. Most of the time when starters fail you will begin to detect a funny odor coming from the starter area. The smell comes from the wires on the armature or shorting causing the epoxy on the wiring to melt within the starter.

Thanks to Rick Blake for contributing to this FAQ!

Starter noise continuing after engine starts, or a higher-pitched grinding can be caused by the ignition switch not returning to the 'Run' position. If the ignition switch binds in between the 'Start' and 'Run' positions, the starter is apparently still engaged. Another symptom to look for is that the power windows won't go up or down.

On most 9000 models high pitch whining noises my also be attributed to faulty crankshaft pulleys. These pulleys tend to separate where there were put together. One can diagnose separation by marking the pulley across the face of it and then waiting for the noise to occur. Once the noise occurs check the mark across the face to see if the full length mark has now become 2 marks. If so, the pulley is separating and the rubber seal between the two part pulley is causing the noise!

A whining or high pitched whirring noise that occurs at initial start up can often be attributed to a faulty starter assembly.

A Wandering feeling in the steering can often be attributed to faulty tie rod ends. Tie rod ends are the components that Tie the wheels to the steering racks. When they have excessive wear they tend to cause the tight steering feel to disappear. When replacing Tie rod ends be careful to count the amount of turns that it takes to remove the ends and place the new ones on using the same amount of turns. This will insure that the tow-in remains the same.

Thanks to Steven Pfaff for contributing to this FAQ!

The tie rods also connect to the rack and pinion unit with rubber bushings that usually fail within 100,000 miles. When these bushings wear out completely, the tie rods are allowed nearly 1/2" of free play. The bushing kit costs under $20 and can be easily accessed at the center of the steering rack. Often when the bushings are worn, you can easily tell with a visual inspection.

Remove the sun visor by removing the two screws and pulling the visor down and toward you. On some cars you may have to remove it by pressing the locking tab with a screwdriver and pulling the mount toward you.

Clogged sunroofs can usually be identified by noting that leaks occur during hard rains. Most of the time when this happens it is because the Sunroof drains are clogged up with debris such as leaves, acorns etc.... You can clean the drains by blowing compressed air through them or by sticking mechanics wire down through the drain to get at the clog. You can accessing the drain holes in the corners of the sunroof to try and get them unclogged!

In Most cases the sunroofs leak because the small side ramps come off and slide back into the sunroof rail. The ramps actually ramp up the sunroof to allow the sunroof to mesh with the upper roof of the car. Without the ramps (or one of the ramps) the sunroof panel will rest about 1/2 inch or so below the top of the car allowing water, wind etc.. to get in. Replacement./reinstallation of the small nylon ramp is the repair. The part number for 86-94 900 cars is 9293010 & this part can only be purchased from Saab.

The major water leak is typically the sunroof ramps but if a leak exist that you can't find it is usally because the drains are clogged and when it rains very hard the clogged drains cause the water to backup to a point where water would pour out from whatever excessive clearance it can find. Both drains run down the a pillars and can be cleaned out from either the fenders or the false bulkhead depending on the car.

Thanks to Mike King for contributing to this FAQ!

I've had this problem, the immediate fix is, I think, to get a 4-5 foot length of round electrical cable and keep pulling back and forth 'till itfinds it's way and clears a way through. I used some boiling water from a kettle, once the cable was in, to soften the way, and it helped. Job done.

In the event of a sunroof motor failure you can shut the sunroof manually. There is an allen key in the overhead console where the sunroof motor is located which can be inserted into the sunroof motor and turned manually to close the roof itself.

NOTE: On 1979-1994 Classic Saab the sunroof can be closed from the trunk.

A loud Girgling noise that sounds like it is coming from the sunroof area and occurs only when it rains can be attributed to sunroof drains that need to be opened up more. What generally happens is that the sunroof drains located under the cowling (just below the windshield on each side at the bottom of the a pillars) need to be sliced open further in-order to allow the water to drain properly!

On 9000 Models with Steel Sunroofs, Up to chassis # K1015226 & K2008474, A stiff operating Sunroof can be repaired by replacing the seal with thinner seals. See the Page below:

Wiring Repair Page 1

On 1995-98 Saab 9000 vehicles the possibility of Sunroof Rattles exist. Click on the following links to correct this rattle. The links are page one and two.

Sunroof seals tend to shrink with time causing water drips and air leaks at the sunroof. In most cases you can adjust the sunroof to take care of leaks and rattles but in some cases you must buy the seal and replace it. When referring to water leaks one thing that you need to check is the sunroof drains. If the drains are clogged then the sunroof may leak because the water will drain using the path of least resistance.

NOTE: On most newer model Saabs the sunroof seals are built into the sunroof glass meaning you have to purchase the glass in-order to get the seal itself. On cars prior to approximately 1995 the seals could be purchased seperately for replacement. Please check the weatherstripping sections to see if this applies to your Saab.

A bouncing Tachometer is usually an indication that the RPM Signal from the ignition amplifier is not being generated correctly. Replacement of the ignition amplifier module is the only cure.

The round 8 port test connector is located in the fuse box on the 900 cars and on the false bulkhead housing drivers side on the 9000 cars. The 900 cars have a 2 port connector attached to the fuse box wiring just in front of the box as well. Running test on the fuel and ignition system using these connectors won't help much as the codes prior to 1994 were not very helpful when using them to diagnose major issues.

Thanks to Karim for contributing to this FAQ!

For the Saab 900 convertible (I have a 1989 model) the test connector is located under a black rubber boot just in front on the gear shifter. There is one pin for signal and one pin for ground. They need to be temporarily shorted with a switch and a 5A fuse to read the codes via the flashing check engine light on the dash.

When cleaning out the throttle body you need to be sure that you reconnect the hoses leading to it correctly. If you do not get them installed fully back onto the throttle body or you pull the other ends of the hose off the turbo that will lead to stalling when letting off the throttle on deceleration. This is a very common problem with cleaning throttle body out with a toothbrush.

Throttle body Error Code 126002001

Throttle Body Error 126002001 means that the traction control system is in limp home mode. With this code you must clear the code then reset the limp mode. This must be done and then the car must be driven to see if the code comes back. If it does check the big connocter on the firewall unplug it and clean the pin connocters and plug it back in. That should cure the problem unless you have a permanent fault code caused by a component failure in the system.

Tightening torques are important in certain situations but not quite as much as most people think. In general most engine gasket torque for bolts is around 12-18 psi (not headgaskets). The truth is most bolt positions do lend to one being able to torque the bolts to the correct specifications in the first place. A general rule of thumb is that if you tighten the bolts with regulator hand wrachet and you have tightened the bolts to a point that you cannot turn the wrachet anymore then you are pretty close. The most common issue with any typical backyard technician is overtightening the bolts not undertightening. Remember to use gasket sealant only in places that seem logical to have it like corners of pans, covers etc..... We have seen issues with people overtightening valve cover & oil pan bolts and breaking the covers themselves.

Are Timing Chain Failures Common?

Timing chain failures on Saabs are quite common. What generally occurs is that the chain stretches due to the millions of revolutions. As the chain wears the gears take a beating as well. Once the chain cannot stretch any further it actually breaks causing the valves to hit the pistons resulting in costly engine repairs. Generally speaking, worn chains can be identified by listening for chain slap at idle. Replacement of the chain can be done without engine removal if caught early enough. Another school of thought regarding these failures is that the engines overheat causing the guide material to soften which causes one of the chains to slap causing excessive clearance issues with the chain causing it to break.

Timing Chain Damage when they break:

If the Timing Chain breaks there is usually damage to the valves. We have seen a few incidents where the valves are not being bent but only if the chain brakes at idle. There are two chains on most Saabs, One chain controls the timing area and one controls the balance shaft components. Typically when there is an issue with chain noise or chain failure the engine will need to be pulled apart for inspection which would include head removal. Make absolutely sure that you inspect the balance shaft area once the head is removed. Both the timing chain area and the balance components are susceptible broken components when the chain brakes. In-order to do the repair you would need a head set and what ever components are broken as well.

This is tough question to answer. The widest tires we would put on these cars would be a 205 60 15 but we do know that some people have put the 215 50 15 tires on with minimal rubbing problems.

Thanks to Robert Anton for contributing to this FAQ!

I had installed on my 2001 SAAB 93 tires 215 X 55 X 16 with no rubbing against the body. The ride is smoother. If using this size must be aware to keep the speed by 10% lower. For example: doing 60 KM/hour in fact you drive doing 66KM/h. Doing 100KM/h, in fact you'll drive doing 10KM/h. When calculating the gas consumption you'll have to add 10% to the mileage. For ex: you drove 350 KM. In fact you drove the car for 385KM! On a 2002 SAAB 93 I so 205 x 55 x 16 installed.

NOTE: In some cases Saab might be able to reprogram the electronics to allow for a different wheel diameter to compensate for this issue.

TCS (Traction Control System) is an anti-slip function which provides improved traction for your vehicle. The control module will reduce engine torque and control braking power to each wheel if the TCS is activated. When one of the front wheels rotates faster than the rear wheels, the TCS senses wheel spin. The magnitude of this wheel spin and the speed of the car are decisive to how the system operates. Traction is given priority when wheel spin exceeds a limit value when the speed is lower than 35 MPH. The system then employs brake application first and then engine torque limitation. The transfer of lateral forces to maintain steering ability is given priority when wheel spin exceeds a limit value at speeds above 35 MPH. The system employs engine torque limitation first & then moves to the deduction of wheel spin. A degree of wheel spin is always allowed so that the sporty feel and handling of the car remains. How aggressively the car is being driven will determine how much influence the traction control devices employ.

ESP (Electronic Stability Program) is a system that assists the driver in stabilizing the vehicle in unexpected situations that would otherwise be difficult to handle by regulating engine torque and brake application. The ESP, ABS, and TCS functions work both independently and in combination with the same control module. Certain functions may continue to operate despite a lit "ESP off" warning lamp. When ESP engages due to a skid, for example, it can counter the skid by applying the brakes on one or more wheels without the driver having to touch the brake pedal. The engine power is also limited by the ESP control module requesting a certain engine torque to reduce the risk of spin on the front wheels. The engine control module regulates the engine torque based on this request. ESP regulates instantaneously at high frequency according to the prevailing conditions. The system receives information from a number of sensors and measures: wheel speed, lateral acceleration, yaw rate, steering wheel angle, and brake pressure. These values are used by the ESP control module that is integrated in the hydraulic unit. The control module calculates the course of the vehicle continuously and compares the value (the direction in which the vehicle is traveling) with the desired value (the direction the driver has chosen with the steering wheel). If the actual value does not agree with the desired value, the system will engage as necessary to apply the brakes on one or more wheels and limit engine torque. If the car starts to under steer (when the front tends to continue straight ahead in a bend), the brakes will be applied on the inside rear wheel. If the car starts to over steer (the rear tends to drift out), the system will apply the brakes on the outside wheels until the measured and the calculated yaw rates correspond.

Some tranmissions allow the fluid to be checked with a dipstick located on the top of the transmission itself but in some cases there is no dipstick at all as the transmission units are sealed and cannot be checked. Some transmissions have a small plug that has to be taken off the top left side of the transmission. The dipstick is sometimes located on the bottom of the plug that must be removed from the top of the transmission itself.

NOTE: On transmissions that have dipsticks but no drain plug you can replace the fluid by using a turkey baster with a rubber hose on it to remove fluid from the transmission.

We don't typically suggest buying used transmissions because of the amount of wear associated with its moving parts. Transmissions typically last around 100-175,000 miles but anything after that is a "gift". This is not uncommon with any car as all transmissions have the consistently moving parts which wear out quicker than stationary parts. We do have a used parts division that can supply used transmissions but the warranty is no more than 90 days in most cases.

On 9000 4-door models, up to chassis numbers -K1 026497, and -K2016286, the trunk lid wiring harness may fatigue and fail. A damaged harness may cause a complaint of malfunctioning marker lights, alarm, or central lock for the trunk lid. An improved harness that is more flexible has been introduced into production after the above-mentioned VIN #'s. This new harness, PN 4110516 also replaces the earlier version as a spare part. See the two Pages below:

It is possible but not feasible to add a turbo to a non-turbo car. You would have to add the Turbocharger, add the APC system which would require wiring modifications or complete wiring replacement. In any case it would be huge undertaking and would require extensive modifications. Without these modifications to prevent detonation a Non-Turbo engine would surely suffer internal engine damage due to the increase in combustion chamber temperatures that accompany turbo charging.

The APC solenoid is located on the top of the radiator and has 3 hoses coming out of it going to the turbo and related turbo hoses.

Quick Note: the APC solenoid can be checked by simply unplugging the wires. if the car runs good with it unplugged thats the problem.I actually blew mine apart with compressed air, had my fingers over all 3 holes. it pops back together nicely by pressing together. This was the problem that caused turbo "misfire" under heavy acceleration on my 1987 900 turbo.

Reading the Saab boost guage is pretty simple. When in white zone that means that the engine is creating a vacuum only (usually between 10-15 inches of vacuum. When in the orange zone the boost pressure is approximately from 1-10 PSI of boost pressure. When in the red zone the boost pressure is typically above 10 PSI.

Bucking on hard acceleration into boost is most often caused by a faulty APC solenoid/Boost Solenoid. The solenoid is located on the top driver side of the engine radiator on most Saabs. When the solenoid fails it will allow excessive boost pressure which then leads to the over boost circuit being completed shutting the fuel pump off. The 9000 has a over boost switch which is designed to shut off the fuel pump in the event of excessive boost pressure as a safety measure to prevent the engine from blowing up during boost failures.

Note: In most cases Excessive boost problems come from Turbo hose vacuum leaks or faulty Wastegates (not common though)

One can test the bypass valve to see if it is faulty by removing the vacuum hose from the intake manifold and applying suction to the hose. If the valve is faulty the suction applied will not hold creating a vacuum leak. A leaking bypass valve will often cause the car to stall when coming to a stop!

Turbo Gauge Not Workging

Most non-working turbo gauges can be attributed to vacuum hoses failures. When the hoses crack then the vacuum created from the intake manifold will no longer pull down the needle on the boost gauge. Cracked hoses must be replaced to cure the non-working gauge.

Reading the Turbo Gauge

On Most Saabs the turbo gauge reads from left to right. The White is the vacuum in inches meaning that there is vacuum only in the intake manifold while in the white zone. The yellow means that you are in boost (pressure in the intake). In most cases the red color is noting that the boost pressure is exceeding approximately 10 PSI of boost pressure. As the red part widens the pressure is increasing.

When a turbocharger fails it ususally pulls oil into the engine from the compressor side of the turbo because of the suction that is created there. This engine oil can filter into the intake, the intercooler and all the hoses on the intake side. You typically will not have to worry about getting it out because the replacement turbo will push that oil out of the engine with pressure. There are cases where a very large amount of oil will be pushed into the intercooler and will not come out. you can remove the intercooler to get it out but in the majority of the cases this will never be an issue.

Turbocharger whistling is often caused by excessive bearing wear. What generally happens is that the center section bearings tend to wear allowing the impellers to rub against the compressor housing of the Turbocharger causing a whistling during acceleration. This is not to say that all Turbochargers that whistle need to be replaced. Some Turbochargers whistle for years without failure. Frequent oil changes will help prevent Turbocharger failure!

Allowing the Turbocharger to slow down after driving hard and shutting the vehicle off quickly is something that Turbo owners began to realize was very important when turbochargers came into production back in the late 1970's. As a matter of fact, Saab posted this on the back of the upper visor on production vehicles for years. The fact is, this was done because Turbochargers spin at maximum spin rate of approximated 40,000 revolutions per minute and when you drive hard and then stop the engine abruptly the oil supply to the turbocharger is taken away causing something called "Coking". This process occurs because the Center section of the turbo continues to spin without oil causing the oil to actually burn and coat the bearings/bushings with an coating that would cause the turbo to fail prematurely. In approximately 1988 Saab introduced the Water cooled center sections (actually the bearing section is lubricated by Oil and the section around the oil section is cooled by antifreeze). This, coupled with downsizing the turbochargers considerably has dramatically reduced the number of Turbo failures. Slowing down moderately and coasting to your home for about one/half mile or so would still be a good idea but not mandatory.

LPT stands for Light Pressure Turbo. These cars are not full blow turbo cars but do have turbocharges. They have fixed gate systems which means the boost pressure is not adjustable. The fuel ECM is different as well. The cars are considered Turbo cars when purchasing parts although please read the cell groups carefully when purchasing outer CV joints or boots.

Rebuild kits are available for most turbochargers but rebuilding them yourself with these kits can present more problems that most are aware of. In-order to rebuild a turbocharger correctly you must balance the turbo shaft and impellors to keep the turbo from failing prematurely. We have all the neccessary tools to do this correctly and most individuals do not. We do not offer these kits because we feel they cannot be built correctly without these tools.

Turn signal issues are fairly common on most vehicles. The problem can come from something as simple as the bulbs being burned out (usually noticed by the turn signal flashing fast) or by the turn signal just not feeling right inside the car. If the turn signal switch does not feel normal then it is likely broken and must be replaced. Another issue that does occur is the failure of the flasher relay or blinker thinker. In most cases the relay failure will cause the turn signal to come on solid without blinking.

Turn signal switch issues are fairly common on all cars. They typically exhibit issues with lights not functioning correctly or turn signals inoperative. Replacement of the switches can be accomplished by removing the bottom cover and then removing the side switch screws. A tip here is that almost all turn signal swithes have wires in the back that are held with tie wraps to the steering column. You may have to remove those before being able to pull the wires far enough out to replace the turn signal switch.

Purchasing a used Saab can be a coin toss. Reality is that Saabs are very good cars as long as they are taken care of correctly. More often than not people who purchase high end cars just can't afford them regardless of who makes them. Above all things the number one thing to look for is whether or not the individual changed the oil at 5000 miles MAX. We know that some of the recommended service intervals are 10,000 miles but we have seen so many engine issues because of this that we flag any oil changes longer than 5000 miles. Everyone says that oil can last 15,000 miles etc... That may be true but not every car is designed with the type of oil change interval in mind. Most cars have exhaust components right below the engine oil pan which basically cooks the oil in the pan. This heat alone can be catastrophic to the life of engine oil or transmission fluid. You can pull the dipstick out and look at it closely. If it is very dark color (brown) at the base of the dipstick then that is a good indication that the heat has gotten to the dipstick enough that it has baked the oil in the lower part of the engine as well.
You can count on having some issues with Saab ie.... DI Cassettes, Belt pulley issues, Fan speed resistors, SID unit failures etc.. but in the grand scheme of things they are excellent automobiles if maintained correctly.

Not all Saabs use small vacuum hoses all over the engine but on the cars that do the hose diameter is usually 5/32. It is silicone hose that can be purchased at any autoparts store. The reason we do not sell it on the site is because the hose is usually sold in 100 ft rolls. Most customers would not want to buy that much hose. Keep in mind that there are different grade hose and the fuel grade hose is what is recommended.

Vibration on hard acceleration can often be attributed to excessive wear to the inner drivers on the transmission. They tend to wear on the edges that are in direct contact with the inner carrier bearing.

Front end vibrations often occur because of lack of tire rotation as well. One can identify cupped or poorly rotated tires by rubbing your hand down the outside edge of the tire and noting whether or not the outer edge of the tire is smooth.

Washer pump failures are typically caused by debri that gets into the washer tank and gets pulled into the pump when turning on the washer squirters. We have seen tons of issues with both the washer pumps failing and the valves that protect the pump as well. You can test the pump by removing the hose from the pump and pulling the handle to activate the washer squirters. If water squirts then the pump is good, if not you can test it further by removing the pump and applying voltage directly to the pump to be sure it works.

A special thanks to Matt Hoffman for the contribution of this material!. Kudos to Matt! I did find that using a several step process of the Meguiars' Fine Cut Cleaner #2, followed by Show Car Glaze #7, and two coats of High Gloss Wax #26 I was able to make a lot of really good progress on my '91. There is no clear coat on it that I can find, except on the left front fender which I think was replaced before I got the car. All the products mentioned are in the tan bottles and I used a Craftsman 6" orbital buffer for all applications. I tried a 10" but it was useless except on the roof and parts of the hood. There are just too many curves on the classic 900 to use such a large pad. The cleaner #2 did a really nice job of gently removing the oxidation without going too far. There were still water marks visible after using the cleaner #2 but the #7 glaze appears to have helped blend them in. It's possible that a reapplication of the #2 could eventually remove the water spots, or a rubbing compound, but I'm not ready to give that a shot.
Over the past two years I had used the Meguiars ColorX cleaner wax, and on the third use it did make a difference, but the underlying faded paint seemed to nullify the wax after about 5 weeks.

Front wheel bearing issues can often be determined by loading the wheel that is suspect for the bearing to be bad. By turning the wheel left or right this will place the weight of the vehicle on or off of the suspect side. If the noise increases with load then you must replace that wheel bearing.

If you hear a grinding noise while driving and turning slowly check the dust shield and the bearing. Most common is bearing and should be replaced if needed. Also check to see if the tires are cupping on the inside as this will be noisy.

Problems with the window regulator bushings on the Saab 9000 is quite common.
Window regulator bushing failures can be identified by noting that the window goes up slowly or begins to knock when going up. The typical failure is the rollers in the regulator or the bushings that hold the regulator to the door. Most people think that the bushing issues occur because of failing bushing but they bushings usually fail because of a regulator that is beginning to torque excessive because of it being worn out. The regulators that we sell seem to hold up much better than the original regulators.

Window switch pack failures are fairly common on Saabs as with any car. They are used constantly to raise and lower windows which gradually begins to wear out the electrical contacts meaning that the switch packs fail. Replacement of the window switch packs (or individual switches) are simple. You basically pry up on the back of the window switch pack, unplug the old pack and plug in a new one.

Try lubricating the window tracks with silicone. The slowness should disappear providing no window motor problems exist. In some cases the window motors begin to seize causing the windows to bind when attempting to put them up. In this event replacement of the window motor is the cure.

The most common issue with headlight wipers going in the opposite directions is that the nuts under the wiper arms get loose causing them to not synchronize correctly. Make sure you test the wiper blades with them off the glass to make sure you have them tightened down in the correct spot. If you don't pull them off the glass to test them by turning them on then you could damage your bumper cover.

Wiper arms going in opposite directions can usually be attributed to loosening of the 14 mm nut located at the base of the wiper arm. Simply realigning the arms and tightening the nut will usually correct the issue. One tip when doing this is to pull the wiper arm off the windshield when first checking the alignment so that the arm does not hit the hood or trunk. It is also common to see issues with the arm nut being loose so long that the arm it self gets stripped out which means that you must replace the arm to cure this issue.

When your wiper arm (windshield, trunk wiper or headlight wiper) won't move the most common issue is a loose nut under the wiper cap at the base of the wiper arm. When the nut gets loose the arm cannot move the because their is no compression to hold the arm tight to the shaft of the motor. In most cases you can tighten the nut and it will start working again. There are situations where the arm has been reemed out to a point where the wiper arm will need to be replaced to correct the problem.

There are a couple things that can cause the wiper fuse to blow continually when attempting to operate the winshield wipers. If the wiper transmission binds it will cause the fuse to blow because it will require more than the alotted amperage to move the wiper arms. We have also seen issues with the wiper motors shorting internally which would cause the fuse to blow as well.

NOTE: The most common problem would be the motor itself shorting internally.

Failures with the wipers not turning off can often be attributed to faulty wiper stalk switches. The internal conacts of the stalk switch will get burned which causes the switch to malfunction.

NOTE: We have also seen issues with the intermittent wiper relay failing which leads to the same fault. This may be the best place because it is much cheaper than the stalk switch to replace.