SAAB 99 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

Bleeding the brakes can be accomplished in several ways. The most conventional way is the have someone pump the brakes and then hold the pedal to the floor. While the person holds the pedal tightly to the floor you go to the wheel closest to the brake master and release the bleeder nipple on the caliper which lets the fluid out then tighten the nipple. Repeat this process at each wheel until straight fluid comes out of each caliper nipple without any air bubbles. Be sure to fill the reservoir after bleeding each wheel. Another way to bleed the brakes is to get a hand pump that has a cap that fits the reservior, pump air into the reservoir then bleed the brakes in the same manner.

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!

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.

Continuous injection Saab 900 and Saab 99 cars have fuel lines that run from the fuel distributor to the injectors at each runner on the intake manifold. The way to test the Duty cycle or the CO mixture (oxygen content in the fuel) is to use an analog meter (one with a needle) to view the reading. The needle should toggle back and forth in about the middle of the gauge when the CO setting is correct. The actual CO setting can be adjusted by using a long Allen wrench and inserting it into the small hole between the black rubber bellows and the end of the fuel distributor. If the CO setting has never been adjusted you may have to pop out the small dowel in the hole before being able to access the CO setting screw. By turning the small Allen clockwise or counter clockwise you are effectively changing the upper and lower chamber pressure in the fuel distributor causing more or less fuel to go to the injectors during idle.
READ THIS: It is very common on the CIS cars that have sat around for a while to not start due to a sticking plunger in the fuel distributor. In many cases the car will not crank at all until you remove the fuel distributor and pull the stuck piston out of the bottom, rub it down with WD40 or Vaseline and put it back in the fuel distributor hole and make sure the plunger moves up and down freely. This issue is usually caused by the fuel evaporating leaving a gunk type substance on the plunger hole and on the plunger which will not allow the plunger to move up and down correctly. The plunger has grooves in several locations along its length which are repositioned according to movement of the air plate which is pulled and release by the suction of the valve and piston movement. The more demand and suction applied to the air plate the more the piston is dropped down out of the hole of the fuel distributor which in turn allows more fuel to be distributed to the fuel injectors.
VERY IMPORTANT: The fuel lines that run from the fuel distributor ARE DISCONTINUED BY SAAB and can no longer be purchased period. Some people go to local hydraulic line companies to get them repaired but the success rate is low. Be careful with the lines because they become brittle

Many cars that are equipped with CIS fuel system will not start after they have been sitting for a while. The most likely cause of this problem is a stuck fuel distributor piston. You can remove the piston from the bottom of the fuel distributor, clean it in gasoline and reinstall it. In most cases this will correct the problem and restore the system to working condition but in some cases the Fuel distributor must be replaced.

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).

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.

In-Order to remove the clutch in a 900 or 99 car, the pressure plate spline must be compressed fully to achieve the correct clearance that will allow for pressure plate, slave & disc removal. The Factory Saab tool is a circular metal spring that is about 1/4 inch in height & is designed is to be installed in the edge of where the spline on the pressure plate and the pressure plate housing meet (when the pressure plate is compressed) With the slave working you can have someone press the clutch in and while the clutch is in you can install the circular metal spring around the rim of the pressure plate.

Click here for a photo example and complete clutch removal instructions!

Once the person lets their foot off the clutch, the spline of the pressure plate will stay in when the tool has been installed. There are numerous schools of thought regarding alternative things to use when the tool is not available. A thick 5 gallon bucket handle, Sparkplug wire, a hood latch cable, 4 AWG electrical wire, basically anything with a 1/4 inch diameter that can be made into a circle can be used but you want to be careful that you use something that will compress the spline enough to get full clearance. If not, the clutch assembly will not come out as smoothly. When the hydraulic slave fails, you simply have no way of compressing the spline. There are numerous ways to compress the spline of a clutch pressure plate when the slave fails but none are easy. There is a long handled tool that Saab specifically designed to pry on the back of the throw out bearing to accommodate such an occurrence (but the average consumer does not have this). One way that I thought was very creative was: manually pushing each spline in with a screwdriver and installing pennies between that spline and the pressure plate housing until you work your way around the entire pressure plate. Another way is to remove 5 (and loosen the others but not all the way) of the pressure plate bolts and pry the right side of the pressure plate back against the slave and install the wire on the compressed side. Then, reinstall the compressed side 5 bolts and remove the opposite bolts and the repeat the procedure above until the spring is completely installed.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

5 speed Saab transmissions are rather fragile around where the drain plugs are made. Saab recommends tightening the drain plugs to 21 foot pounds of torque which is the equivalent to hand tight! OVER TIGHTENING WILL CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION CASING TO CRACK! Because the transmission and oil pan are contained within the same unit a transmission overhaul would be Needed to replace the oil pan!

NOTE: In the event that this occurs you can have a mobile aluminum welder come in and fix this problem by welding the crack in the casing. The repair should cost somewhere in the $150.00 range.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Do not smoke when working in the fuel area. Most Saab fuel filters in Saabs are located in in front of the rear wheel, above the rear axle or in the engine compartment attached to the battery housing. You will need two fuel filter sealing rings on both sides of the fuel filter. Remove the cover over the filter (if applicable), replace the 4 fuel filter sealing rings and the job is complete.

Fuel pump failures often cause the engine to buck when going up hills or just quit completely. You can test the fuel pressure using a fuel pressure gauge. The pressure should about 40 PSI (approximately). The location of the pump depends on which car you have. The earlier 99, 9000 & 900 pumps are located under a board in the trunk and can be removed by removing the board and lifting out the pumps from the top of the fuel tank. On the later model 900, 93, 95, 97X the fuel pump is located in the fuel tank and the tank must be removed to replace it.

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 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.

Ignition switch problems are common issues on Saab. What typically happens is that the electrical portion of the ignition switch fails which results in issues such as no start, no dash lights, no warning lights etc.... When you turn the ignition switch the dash lights for all the gauges should immediately turn on. If they do not then that is a good indication that your ignition switch should be replaced.

NOTE: We have also seen some issues with the key part of the ignition switch failing depending on the car. Most of the key cylinders have a tip on the cylinder which can also break causing very similiar issues although this usually happens on the older Saabs.

Below is what one of our fellow Saab owners in the Netherlands have been kind enough to share with thesaabsite users:
When I went trough your FAQS I found this question about Vibrations front end and maybe I have a Solution.

I had the same problem for a long time and I also discovered that the inner drives were worn out, the car shakes between 75 and 90 Km/h (50-60M/h). The bigger problem was" where to get spare parts" so I started to phone all the Saab Experts I knew one of them told me to switch them (the left to the right and v ). The car is driving smoothly again (no vibrations when acceleration) the only thing.......when you slow down on your engine you feel a little shaking in the front end. I hope this will help some Saab drivers it's worth trying. The drives come out very easy, just use a big screwdriver or a tire-lifter and they pop out. Best regards Ago Grave (the Netherlands)

NOTE: Keep in mind that swapping the drivers are an option but I have also seen where guys are having the cups rewelded and ground down to where they should be as well.

Ignition switches generally begin to bind up because of drinks that are spilled down into the ignition lock assembly. What happens is that the fluid that is spilled begins to act like a bonding agent in the lock cylinder and causes the cylinder (lock & keys) to fail. Sometimes pouring about 3 or 4 ounces of very hot water will free up the lock for a short period. Occasionally, the spring that allows the reverse lockout mechanism to work fails which also causes you not to be able to turn the key or get the key out of the ignition. It is highly recommended to replace the lock assembly w/keys, the gear set and the electrical portion of the ignition switch when these problems occur. The job of replacing the complete assembly can be time consuming and replacing all of the components within the shift box will assure a correct fix! However, There are occasions that replacing just the lock assembly w/keys will cure the problem without having to remove the complete shift box. You can access the key lock assembly plug by removing the drivers seat.
NOTE: Replacement of the Lock assembly w/keys will cause you to have different keys for the door locks unless you have a lock smith re key the locks!

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!

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

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.

It is easy to strip the drain plug when changing the oil because most technicians tighten the plug way too much when putting it back in after an oil change. When the plug is stripped by someone the best thing to use when trying to get it back out is to Go to Lowes or home depot and buy a pair of pliers that have a very aggressive bite. That are usually around 12.00. This might seem like a silly suggestion but they work very well.

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.

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!

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.