SAAB 900 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1979-1994

We have been asked a number of times can you install a 16 Valve engine in the place of a 8 Valve engine. the answer is yes but not without a good number of modifications. The engine harness must be replaced as well. The harness alone makes it a much bigger job than expected.

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!

Thanks to Bruce Rowe for contributing to this FAQ!

I recently did a conversion R12 to R134a on a Classis 900 Saab. I replaced the receiver dryer unit to no avail. From this web site I checked the expansion valve. The hose from the receiver-dryer to the expansion valve was plugged with particles from the old receiver dryer. I cleared this hose with compressed air, and had success. The hose connection to the expansion valve on my car had a small cone shaped screen filter that blocked the expansion valve from the contaminant.

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.

Most of the issue with AC evaporators on the Saab 900 occur because of stess against the bottom of the neck where the expansion valve is screwed on. If you remove the expansion valve and are not careful then a crack can occur at the bottom of the pipe that connects the valve to the evaporator housing itself. We have also seen issues where people install the pilot tube into the side fo the evaporator (from anti-frost switch) and cause damage in that manner. Replacement of the evaporator is the cure.

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.

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!!!

Common AC component failures are listed below:
One of the most common problems with the A/C on the classis 900 is the failure of the A/C button. Switch Failures can often be identified by noting that the components will work only when the switch is held in manually. Replacement is the repair!

Click here for the Saab 900 AC Switch pricing!

The primary AC hose that is attached to the compressor leaks causing the fluid pressure to drop below Saabs minimum which intern shuts the system down. Leakage can be noted by checking the joints on the hose for signs of Fluid leakage. Leakage will often attract dirt causing a gummy residue at the junctions.

The AC compressor develops noise when failing. The internal components go through exhaustive work when the AC is on. The amount of internal rotation is considerable. Failures can often be identified by noting that the compressor growls when the engine is revved and disappears when the AC is turned off. AC compressor seal failures are common problems on the Classic 900 as well. Seal failure can often be determined by noting that the a gummy residue exists just above the compressor on the hood of the car. This is a sign that seal leakage that is being thrown onto the hood by the rotation of the belt!

The AC time delay relay will fail causing the compressor not to turn on. AC Time delay relays can only be check by using a voltage meter.

The Antifrost switch can fail eliminating power to the AC time delay relay causing the AC system not to work (The Antifrost switch is located in behind the fresh air intake and has a wire that is inserted into the evaporator to monitor temperature).

On the Saab 900 79-94 testing for AC leaks can be done quickly. Simply go to the receiver driver which is located in the right fender well behind the battery and disconnect the two blue wires. Touch the metal of the two wires together and if they AC compressor comes on you know that the pressure in the drier is too low which tells you that you have a leak in the lines or the compressor itself. Most of the time if you have a leak in the lines you can see it because the line gets sticky or corroded around the area that is leaking.

Click here for pricing on the Saab 900 79-94 AC components!

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!

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

AIC motor testing click here!

8 Valve Air Filter Replacement

16 Valve Air Filter Replacement

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 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.

The black wire at the bottom of the alternator should be about 8-10 gauge. Make sure it is connected to the body of the alternator. In some cases people put a larger wire to the body of the alternator and to the block basically anywhere but most of the time the ground is put to the bracket for the compressor. You can check to see if the alternator is grounded correctly by using a volt ohm meter. Set the meter to ohms and check to the body of the engine and the body of the alternator. The ohms should be very close zero.

NOTE: Keep in mind that if the ground is grounded correctly that the issues also exist with the Voltage regulator brushing getting worn down to a point where the regulator no longer charges. If this is the case you must replace the voltage regulator to cure the problem.

Alternators shake on the classic 900 because the rubber bushings (2 Needed) tend to erode or harden after years of vibration. Replacement of the bushings can be accomplished by removing the oil filter housing and removing the long bolt that secures the alternator to the housing. You then replace the 2 bushing and re-install the alternator.
NOTE: When replacing the Alternator bushings on the classic 900 make sure that you re-install the alternator ground wire to the engine block. If not, you may have charging problems!

Green/white wire - Exciter wire has a plug on it which matches only one connector on the alternator
small black wires go to the right side ground postof the alternator
Thick ground wire goes from alternator to the AC compressor bracket. This is the wire that typically causes the most problems in the charging system. If it is not connected well enough then the reistance between the alternator and the engine block with be greater than 0 Ohms.

NOTE: When the green/white exciter wire is not connected the Alternator will NOT Charge. It must be connected for the system to charge.

NOTE: If the charge indicator in the instrument cluster glows dimly then the issue is diodes in the alternator. Replace the alternator to cure the problem.

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!

I've also found an interesting way to get power for amps, Ham Radios, etc. If you have manual seats on the 900, the wiring for the power seats is there. Just add a fuse up to 30A and use regular female spade leads to connect to the lugs under each seat. You may have to fish around under the seat near the heated seat connector block to get it up from under the carpet. There is a separate fuse for each seat side. The power is keyed to be 'on' only when the ignition is in the 'on' position. (Matt Hoffman contributed this info. Thanks Matt)

Oil leaks that appear to be coming from the transmission pans may not always be the case. There is a common issue of an (engine) oil leak between the two halves of the transmission case that is often confused as a transmission leak. The only cure to this issue is remove the transmission and replace the seal between the front and rear half. This will require complete disassembly of the transmission in-order to do this job.

NOTE: Another very common issue with transmission leaks is the pans themselves. If you do NOT have metal bands around each pan with green gaskets then you likely need to upgrade your pans. The metal bands will help keep the pans flush to the bottom of the tranmission which will keep them from leaking. The original pans did not have the bands around them and when you tightened the 10mm bolts, the bolt heads would indent the pans causing leaks. The only cure is to replace the old style pans with the updated versions which come with the green gaskets.

The transmission fluid is held in two different locations. The front half of the transmission holds the ATF fluid (app 5 qts). The dipstick for it is at the front of the transmission just in front of the passenger cooling fan on the radiator.

The rear of the transmission holds the differential fluid. You can fill the rear differential fluid (gear oil) by pulling out the side drain plug on the passenger side and filling the fluid until it runs out the fill hole.

The most common issue with the automatic shifter feeling loose is that the allen screw that holds the transmission shifter cable to the bottom of the shifter handle itself. When the allen is loose the handle will feel very loose. The only way you can access the allen is to remove the center console.

NOTE: Another issue that we have seen is that some technicians when installing a new transmission will not get the shifter cable installed correctly at the transmission itself. There is a shield type piece out under the side plate on the right hand side of the transmission. This cable end connection can be tricky to figure out when connecting the cable end at the transmission itself. If not connected correctly it may pop back out and make the shifter loose.

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.

Outer CV joint failures & inner driver failures are quite common on the Saab 900 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.

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.

Positive Battery cable failures can often be identified by noting that the cable itself (inside the red covering) is greenish in color. This is an indication of corrosion inside the cable. The symptoms of failure is usually low voltage to the starter or a no start condition. Replacement of the cable is the repair.

Thanks to Robert Van Durme for contributing to this FAQ!

Alarm malfunctioning, battery drain, and/or Interior Light remain ON in timer mode (Position 1):

Car: 1993 900S Ruby Red Convertible
Symptoms: Alarm goes off ~ 45 seconds after closing all doors and activating the alarm and/or excessive battery drain. Interior lights remain ON when interior light switch is placed into timer mode (Position 1)
with all doors closed.

Solution: Check to make sure all sensors/switches that would activate the alarm (doors, hood, trunk, and glass breakage) are operating properly. If you are experiencing all of the issues above, remove the back seat and remove the interior light relay (yellow). If this is defective, it will cause the above problems to occur and will be warm. Replace the relay with a genuine Saab replacement part or OEM replacement from Stribel. To save money, I ordered the OEM replacement and switched the yellow covers so the relay appears to be a genuine Saab part (only difference between the genuine Saab part and the OEM placement is the stamping on the yellow cover)

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.

Brake light switch failure is very common on the Saab 900 cars. Replacement is as follows:
Removal of the break light switch
Lay down in the drivers floor and look up behind the knee bolster at the black vent tube
Remove the screw that secures it on the left side
Bend back the vent tube behind the brake pedal (it won't hurt it)
Look at the brake pedal switch attached to a silver bracket unplug it and remove it
Removal can be tough because it is tabbed but you simply move it for and aft and the tabs will break
Be careful not to grab the wrong switch. Cruise switches look similar but have a vacuum hose coming out
You can make the tab on the brake switch longer by pulling on the end of it. When you install it will self-adjust
Refit in reverse but be sure that the adjustment is correct.

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!

On 1987 and earlier model 900 cars Glowing or smoking front brakes will be caused failing front calipers. This usually occurs after putting down the handbrake handle after the car has been sitting overnight. What happens is that the handbrake lever is lowered (loosening cable tension) but the caliper arm which controls the handbrake will not disengage. This causes the brakes to remain on. The symptoms are glowing or smoking calipers because the pads are actually not released off the rotors. In those cases one can simply manually pull back the handbrake lever are to get the calipers to release the pads but the only repair is to rebuild the calipers with seal kits or to replace the front calipers entirely.

Here is what a faithful customer had happen to him: "Tonight while driving home I had a very small engine fire. When I got in the car to leave for home I noticed that the Brake & Parking Lights were not full bright but everything was still operating OK so I headed for home. I made it just about all of the way when I started hearing a slight whining engine noise & smelled something burning. Then the lights started to go out & then the engine died."
The most likely problem here is an issue with the ignition switch sticking causing the starter to stay engaged. What generally occurs is that that the ignition switches get gummed up with drinks, etc... When you turn the ignition switch it sticks in the start position causing the starter to stay engaged in the flywheel/flex plate while driving down the road. This usually burns out the starter as they are not designed to turn RPMs with the engine. Replacement of the ignition key: lockset & electrical portion and starter is the cure. (you actually only have to replace the starter and the key assembly but know issues exist in the lockset so replacement of the lockset and electrical portion makes more sense)

Here is what Jeremy Crooks contributed as well. I had a sticky ignition switch in an 88 900s. The cylinder was fine, but the grease in the switch gummed up. I disassembled the switch and oiled it up with dielectric grease, it works great. Many times you can spray WD40 in the lock cylinder to free it up.

A Low pitched clicking noise that comes from the cabin fan is an indication of bearing failure within the cabin fan inside the dash. In-order to replace the cabin fan one must remove the switches located in the facia, remove the steering wheel and tilt the right side of the dash toward the passenger seat in-order to access the cabin fan. A photo is below & can be enlarged by clicking on it:

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.

A Contribution From Mike

I was trying to find info on how to remove the center console of my 93 saab 900s but failed to do so. I figured out the hard way that there are four screws located in the console that hold it in place. Note**It does NOT slide either forward or backwards** There are two screws in the back you
will see them after you remove the ash tray at the bottom. And the other two are in the front, you must remove the shifter boot and you will see them. They are the two furthest up and closest to the floor. Removal of the silver plate that holds the boot in place is unnessicary. This is helpful
for ignition replacements or Shifter adjustments.

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 900 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. A easy way to get the regulator screws out is to use a penny and file the edge slightly. This will enable you to remove the screws easier.

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.

NOTE: One other VERY COMMON issue is that the black wire that grounds the alternator to the engine block gets burned through. This wire MUST BE ATTACHED because the alternator sits in rubber bushings. Without this wire the alternator will not charge correctly. You can test to see if this wire to see if it is ok by simply checking the resistance between it and the engine block. The resistance should be 0 or very close which will indicate that the wire is grounding the two together.

Does the check engine light flash 4 times in your 900 Classic? It means that your knock sensor has problems. Replace the sensor with part number 7568801. The sensor is located directly under the intake manifold. Note the angle that the sensor is on. It is pointing at the driver side headlight, about 20 degrees off center. Use a socket and extension to remove it and slide it, along with the wiring harness, out along the front of the car. Disconnect the sensor from the clip. Check to make sure that there is no corrosion. If there is, clean it out and spray it with some electrical contact cleaner. The wire that goes from the sensor to the EZK (non-turbo) APC (turbo) is a shielded cable that is no longer available. The shielding is there so that other noises are not picked up by mistake. Look to see if the insulation around the wire is cracked or broken. If it is, get some foil tape from some place like Home Depot. It is used to seal up metal ducts. Cut about 18 inches off and then slit it into 3 strips. Peel back the backing and start spiral wrapping the wire from the plug back. Start on the plug, making a good seal. Do this with the other 2 strips, but reverse the rotation on each strip. Clean the surface of the block where the old sensor was. Plug in the new sensor, snake it back to its original place, set the angel and re-torque it to 10 ft lbs. Do not over tighten. There was a recall on the bolt many years ago. The correct part number for the bolt is part number 8125197. Your flashing check engine light should now go away.

Thanks to Randy Kirk @ Kingmailing.com for contributing to this FAQ!

Intermittent Flashing of "Check Engine" Light Issue: 10/89-1181
Application: 1989 900 and 9005 Only Some 1989 900 and 900S models may experience a sporadic flashing of the " Check Engine light. If no faults are found and there are no drivability problems. The flashing light may be related to the EZK ignition system. Check the date code on the EZK ECU. If the date code is 945 or below, the flashing light may be attributed to a programming sequence in the EZK control unit that has since been modified. Disconnecting wire 655A, as outlined in the procedure below. will have no adverse affect on the EZK system nor will it affect the LH fuel injection system diagnostic functions or the ability to register an LH fault via the " Check Engine'. light. The fault tracing of the EZK ignition with the EZK Tester is also not affected. It will however , cause the Check Engine light to no longer respond to EZK fault codes Locate the six-pole connector on the right side of the engine bay near the fresh air in- take. There are two six-pin connectors in this area. The one in question has a yellow wire in position 1 .Unplug the connector. Open one side of the connector from the back and remove the yellow wire from position 1. Insulate the loose end. Reconnect the plug, but leave the insulated yellow wire out. Road test the car to verify that the" Check Engine" light no longer flashes while driving.

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

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).

There are several tips that would be helpful when replacing the 5 speed clutch line. They are below:
1 - Remove the brake master cylinder on NON ABS cars. 2 - Loosen the clutch Master cylinder as this will allow the fitting (at the clutch master end) to line up more easily. This seems like a waste of time but it will actually save you time and reduce the risk of cross threading the new line. 3 - You DO NOT NEED the factory Saab tool in-order to remove and re-install the clutch line at the slave cylinder. You can use a 13 mm wrench and turn it sideways. You then use a screwdriver in the round end of the wrench to loosen and tighten the nut up on the slave end of the line.

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!

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. For removal and replacement with a new clutch kit including slave this works fine but we really recommend using the Saab tool during the install so you don't overextend the new slave and have to replace it again. Once you over extend the slave you can score the end and it will have to be replaced again. Some people get by with this but slaves are not designed to be extended far enough to pull OUT the ring. They extend just to the outer edges of its capability which teters on the edge of blowout if attempting to remove the ring during the install.

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.

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.

Click here for Information regarding Convertible Door Glass Adjustment!

Click here for Convertible Top Components!

It is fairly common to see issues with the convertible top not working because of a blown fuse. The fuse is located under the hood just to the right of the fresh air intake. There will be a little black fuse holder that will hold the fuse. On cars prior to 1990 the fuse holder will need to be twisted to get it apart. On cars later than 1991 a different fuse holder was used and houses a glass fuse.
NOTE: Another issue that exist is that the convertible top relay will fail. When this fails you will find that you will hear a clicking noise from under the rear seat. Replacement of the convertible top relay is the cure.

Click here to view the Convertible Top Improvement Bulletin which installs 2 new style Bushings!

Click here for Convertible Top Components!

Convertible top cylinder failures are common on the Saab 900 and Saab 93. What generally occurs is that one of the cylinders begins to leak causing pressure on the opposite side which usually causes more than one piston to fail. The on the 900 there are two pistons and on the 93 there are 4.

Most convertible top issues on the Saab 900 79-94 are from issues with the hydraulic cylinders leaking. This can usually be identified by noting that hydraulic fluid is leaking under the rear seat around the actual pump.

NOTE: Remember that the handbrake must be pulled up to make the top go up and down!

Open the trunk and look to the middle right lower section of the rear seat and there is a valve that must be opened up in-order to manually raise the top up and down. In some cases you may have to remove the tonneau cover to access the valve. You simply manually raise/lower the convertible top after opening the valve.

Click here for Convertible top components!

Failure of the convertible top pistons on the Saab 900 79-94 can generally be identified by noting that hydraulic fluid begins to fill up the right rear floorboard behind the passenger from seat. This is an indication that the right rear piston has begun to leak. Replacement of the convertible top pistons can be accomplished by removing the small screws and matching colored washers from each panel beside the rear seat. Removal of the rear seat will make accessing the screws for the panels an easier task. Once the panel screws are removed you will be able to lift the panels straight up. You will then be able to remove the pistons from each opening behind the panel. You may need to move the top with the top switch which will swing the top pistons into view. The top pistons that we offer on the site will typically be quieter than the original pistons due to technology. We have seen that replacement of a weak piston will lead to failure of the opposite side as well because of the change in pressure as well.

Thanks to Jim Pescosolido for contributing to this FAQ!

The 900 convertible 1991-1994 hydraulic piston can be rebuilt, as most failures are from the o-rings at the ends of the cylinders. Read the faq on how to remove them from the car. They are fairly straight forward to disassemble and the o-rings can be replaced for a few cents on the ends of the pistons. 30 weight motor oil works great for hydraulic fluid as well. Be sure to bleed the lines of air bubble. A bit messy, but will save quite a few bucks.

The relay of your convertible top is under the rear seat on the passenger side. The fuse for the convertible top is on the right hand side of the engine bay under the hood by the fresh air intake.

Thanks to Mark from Hillsborough NC for contributing to this FAQ!

Saab 900 86-94 Convertible Top Replacement instructions

The Saab 900 79-94 Convertible top is in two pieces. If the glass does not need to be replaced then you will only have to replace the front half. If the glass needs to be replaced you will have to replace the glass and material which surrounds it. Most people think that the top is one complete unit but it is not. You can remove the front 3/4 section of the top and when you do you will expose the glass in the rear half top section which shows that that are separate.

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.

Noticing Fluid on the pedals or on your feet is an indication that the HEATER CONTROL VALVE is leaking. The Heater Control Valve is located in the dash just below the left speaker grille on the 1979-1994 Convertible 900. Faulty Heater Control valves should be replaced Immediately because this can cause your feet to slip off the pedals when trying to break quickly!

THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT!

Tow things cause the fan fuse to blow. Either the drivers fan bronze bearings in the back of the drivers fan or the passenger fan motor is coming apart causing the armature to short which blows the fuse. There are guys out there that say that you can replace the bearing in the fan to save money but we have not seen the bearing available yet. Replacement of the fans are the cure.

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 can remove the crankshaft pulley and replace it without pulling the engine. One the earlier models you must remove the outer part of the crank pulley by removing the 3 10 mm bolts and the ac pulley (outer pulley for the crankshaft) you then access the pulley bolt to remove the crankshaft pulley. On the 90 models and up the area to work in is much smaller which really makes the tool more necessary. The tool is a very narrow piece of metal that looks like a big wrench with a socket that fits into the end of it. When you have the tool you can simply install the tool on the crank pulley nut and lean it against the ac compressor and carefully bump the engine over until the nut breaks loose. You can also stop the flywheel by inserting some into the teeth on the bottom of a 5 speed transmission or at the starter of an automatic transmission. Definitely replace the Seal behind the crank pulley and the O-ring seal behind the oil pump when replacing the pulley as both of these areas are major leak areas.

There have been many issues with the crank pulley's on the Saab 900 cars. The main problem with the pulley is that they are of a two piece design. There is an inner and out section that is separated by a rubber gasket. When they begin to fail they squeal during startup or under load until the rubber seal heats up an catches making the two pieces are one again. The way to test for this is to mark the face of the crank pulley all the way across with chalk and see the two mark move. This is an indication that the pulley has separated and must be replaced. Replacement of the crank pulley is the only cure. When replacing the crank pulley it is a good idea to replace the oil pump seal and o-ring as well.

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. Replacement of the crank sensor requires that the crank pulley be removed. See below for information on how to remove the crank pulley:

Cruise control problems can be created by a number of components. The most common cruise control component to fail on the Classic 900 cars would be the cruise switches. What generally occurs is that the cruise switch (or switches if Manual transmission) will become misadjusted or will often need to be replaced. Another very common problem is that the hose leading from the cruise switches will become cracked and will cause vacuum leaks. One can test the entire hose vacuum system by applying suction to one of the cruise hoses at the cruise switch. DANGER!!!!!!!!(MAKE SURE THE VEHICLE IS OFF! IF NOT, THE IDLE WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY!) If the throttle plate opens and will stay open then the hoses and switches are OK.If the switch (or switches) check ok then the most likely cause is the Speed sensor (located in the back of the instrument cluster) or the Cruise control module (located under the dash just to the left of the brake or clutch pedal.

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).

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

Dash light problems are common on the Saab 900. There are two rheostats. One is located in the right side of the instrument cluster & it controls the two lights in the cluster. There are also know issues with those lights going out because the contacts get loose. You simply remove the speaker grill to access those bulb sockets. Many times you can turn the sockets left or right to get them to come back on.
The second rheostat is located to the left of the steering wheel and it controls the lighting to all the instruments including the radio. You can access the bulbs for the instrument housing by removing the radio and pull the wires to the bulbs out through that hole.

NOTE: Another VERY common issue on the 900 cars is a problem with the Instrument cluster lights go out. There are two bulbs located at the top back of the instrument cluster that can be accessed through the speaker opening on the left side of the dash. If you remove that speaker holder you will see the two lights at the top of the instrument cluster. Most of the time you just have to turn those bulbs and they will come on.

There are several diagnostic ports on the Saab 900:
1979-1994 General Diagnostic port location under hood in fuse box
1986-1994 Airbag Port location behind change holder behind autoshift handle below radio

The small black wire that runs from the ignition coil to the side of the distributor is a noise suppressor for the radio. Its purpose is to eliminate any noise that comes into the radio speakers due to non-resistor type spark plug use.

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.

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.

On the classic 900 cars it is common for the door panel material to peel back or get loose. This occurs because the material backing releases from the material itself causing the panels to look bad. Saab has discontinued the majority of the panels. You can replace the material yourself depending on your level of ability. The panels remove by taking of the plastic door handle and pulling the panels toward the bottom. Most upholstery stores will sell you material for pennies and auto supply houses sell spray glue. This method actually works very well.

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.

You can determine if it has a 16 valve by opening the hood and looking at the valve cover. (Just above the exhaust manifold) The 16 valve engines will have a black valve cover and they will say 16 VALVE on them and the 8 Valve engines will have a silver valve cover and say 8 VALVE.

Classis 900 cars are all enclosed crankcase ventilation therefore if the Oil filler tube is left out or not correctly installed it will make the engine basically non-drivable, poor idling, stall, etc.... If you will note the earlier model dipsticks have a small o-ring on the top to seal them and the ones with red or yellow tip dipsticks have a core/rubber seal in the cap! The comments below are what happened to a gentleman in London who was kind enough to remind us to add this FAQ. Thanks ENID! TW
"Whenever any of my 900's idled out, it was because the engine oil dipstick wasn't screwed back in properly. this always happened after an oil change at a chain like jiffy lube. The first time this happened, I had all the valves and my fuel filter replaced and stopped just short of junking the car when one of my customers asked me if I had an oil change recently. I answered yes, and he asked for my keys. Before I knew it, my car was capable of idling again (without feathering the gas). A lot of time and money could have been saved if someone had just screwed the bloody dipstick back in...

Excessive engine idling can be attributed to several faults. The most common failure would be a sticking Adaptive Idle Control valve (AIC). There is a small motor inside the AIC that fails causing a stuck shutter. This usually causes a very inconsistent idle and you can sometimes tap on the motor to make the idle change.

NOTE: Another common failure is with the Coolant termperature sensor. What typically happens here is that the sensor reading begin to get excessive which fools the fuel control module into thinking the engine needs more fuel. The resistance reading causes the idle to stay at around 1500 RPM and usually cannot be adjusted down. Replacement of the sensor is the cure

NOTE from customer: My fix to this similar 1500 rpm problem was a simple little vacuum leak.
Check the section on vacuum leaks before you spend any money on parts, you will be glad you did.

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.

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!

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!

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.

On the 2.1 liter cars (91-94 900 NT) The gauge temperature may read excessive and can be changed by following the procedure on the following page: Click on the link below to view the Saab Bulletin:

2.1 Liter High Temp Reading SI Bulletin

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.

Here is what a faithful customer had happen to him: "While accelerating from a dead stop, a loud pop was heard and the engine slowed measurably without lowering the accelerator. The engine stalled during a shift from 1st to 2nd gear. The car would restart but only stall once the accelerator was released. An inspection of the engine revealed that the air intake tube leading into the turbo (the short black hose on the compressor/silver side with the bypass valve in it) had gotten blown off the turbocharger because the clamp had loosened up. Replacing and retightening the clamp resolved the problem. (thanks Greg Palmer for the info)

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.

A common problem on the mid 1980's Saab 900 cars was an issue with the throttle cable sticking which cause the engine to rev way up. In extreme cases you could actually blow up your engine. The mid 80's cars came from the factory with a metal style heater control valve which was located under the drivers speaker and over to the right. The metal style valve was gold in color and was superceeded to a plastic black valve because of binding issues. The newer black plastic valve was larger in size and required one to grab the top of the gas pedal arm and bend it over to the left about 2 inches. This would allow the pedal arm to clear the new valve. If you did not bend the arm you could have a problem with the throttle arm getting stuck against the side of the new valve when pressing the gas pedal down over half way.

NOTE: The newer black valve did prevent binding issues but created other issues when this valve failed. In some cases when the new version failed coolant would seep right onto the brake pedal causing obvious problems when applying the brakes.

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.

Thanks to Troy Lamoreaux for contributing to this FAQ!

Our Customer Says:

A friend gave me his 900 S. After 14 years it needed some work and his wife just didn't want him to spend any more money on it. I recently replaced the head gasket and it runs good now. However I believe that it is time replace the timing chain. The tensioner is measering at 20mm and the guides are worn. I wish I would have done the timing chain at the same time as the head gasket but I needed to find out if it would run. The guide below is an example of the wear on the guide.

Thesaabsite Reply:

Guide wear as seen in the picture above typically comes from chain slap. We have seen issues where guides get worn from the engine overheating causing the guide material to soften up increase the speed at which a guide wears but in the case shown above it is doubtful that heat caused this. On the 900 1979-1994 Saab 900 guide wear comes from the timing chain tensioner wearing out which leads to the chain slapping the guide causing grooves like are shown this picture. Replace of the tensioner and guide is the cure.

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.

There is a red button located just above and to the left of the clutch/brake pedal. It is located on the bracket that holds the black vent with a screw. All of the above components are located behind the drivers kick panel. Simply push the red button and the EXH light will go out. The EXH light on the classic 900 comes on every 30,000 miles to alert you that a Major Service is necessary.

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.

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!!!!!!!

Most of the time when the flasher relay fails the turn signals will just stay on when turning the signals on.

The Flasher Relay is located above the clutch/brake pedal. If you lay down in the drivers floor with your head at about the brake pedal (with a flash light) and look up behind the kick panel. There is a screw in the vent over close to the hood pull. Remove that screw and pull down the vent tube and put it behind the brake pedal to get it out of the way. The metal bracket that you pulled that screw out of is where the 3 pronged flasher relay is located on top of.

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.

Fuel Accumulator failures usually cause hard starts or extended cranking time because a failed accumulator causes the inline pressure to the fuel distributor to bleed back to the tank causing a fuel "vapor lock simulation". In most 8 valve Saabs the fuel accumulator will not actual fail internally but they will begin to leak out of the small hose at the back of the accumulator. Replacement of the component is the proper repair

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.

NOTE: The fuel control module is located on the right kick panel in the passenger side behind the carpet where the passengers foot would rest.

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

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)

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.

The fuel pump relay and system relay are located to the just above the fuel control module. If you sit in the passenger seat and tap your right foot over to the right you will be tapping on the fuel control module. You should be able to see the outline of it on the molded carpet. You must remove the black metal strip that secures the carpet via 3 screws. Once you remove that you can pull back the carpet, remove the fuel control module and the relays are on a bracket just above where the module is.

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.

Rear hatch opening failures can be attributed to the white nylon piece on the rod that contacts the open handle horizontally gets out of adjustment which causes the rod not to pull tight enough to open the rear hatch. Other times the horizontal arm that connects the two falls off. You can access both pieces by getting the hatch open (by crawling through the rear seat and opening it at the base with a screwdriver). The failing pieces are located under the brown cover that you see when you open the trunk and look at it from the trunk. You can remove this piece to access them by taking out the plastic screws located on each corner.

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.

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 ignition distributor has a black plug on the side that holds the 3 wires for the ignition system. There is a common issue with that plug getting broken and pulling the wires out of the plug itself. When this happens the car will not start. The plug itself is only available in the distributor rebuild kit itself and some of the kits are no longer available which means the only other option is to epoxy the one you have back together.

The Saab 900 has a fairly common issue with the ignition distributor leaking oil onto the top of the turbo exhaust gasket located below the distributor. The real issue is that the distributor contains a cotton type material inside the base of the distributor where the taper of the distributor begins to narrow. That material over time begins to shrink due to heat which causes a leak onto the base of the distributor which seeps out the distributor cap. The new distributors were forsale for years but now Bosch and Saab have discontinued them. Rebuilding the distributor will not cure the problem either as the material is not contained within the kit. We are looking for something to replace this material at this time.

Thanks to saabreur for contributing to this FAQ!

There is a plumbing product that might be used to replace the cotton packing around the distributor shaft. It does not shrink, and should be
well wearing and reasonably oil tight. The product is a graphite string used to re-pack the bonnet of faucets or screw type water shut-off valves. Simply wind the graphite string around the stem/shaft and tamp tight, but not too tight so the stem still fits.

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

It is not uncommon on cars that have the reverse lockout to see the following issue. A good idea would be to always go to the mechanic and literally SHOW him how to turn the key on FIRST then pull the shifter out of reverse. This may help you eliminate a fight over why the shifter won't work right.

A customer says: Whenever I would drop my Saab off to a mechanic, I would always tell them that the shifter must be in reverse for release of the key. I would even leave a note in the car. Upon picking up my Saab, every time I would notice that the key felt more loose and less smooth while inserting or releasing. Conclusion: The mechanics did not heed my reminder and were trying to force the key out in the neutrual position.
thus causing the damage to the system after multiple times of this observation.

Thanks to Malcolm Sharp for contributing to this FAQ!

I had problem with electrical portion of Ignition Switch, no dash lights etc, starter would work but not start, removed ignition switch, stripped down and cleaned contacts with points file and electronics spray, reassembled using small self tappers to replace "riveted" section and presto a perfectly operating Ignition Switch. Took around 45 minutes.

This may only be a temporary fix but it may get you home! Replacement of electrical portion of the ignition switch is the best fix!

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

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.

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.

The first thing to remember when attempting to diagnose a failing interior light system is to be sure you are familiar with the way it is supposed to function. Position number one on the light switch means that the interior lights will only come on with a door open. Position 2 means that the light will come on anytime the light switch is pushed to the # 2 position. The middle position of the switch means that the lights will not come on at all, even with the door opened. The most common failure in the interior light circuit is the switch itself. You can sometimes toggle the switch back and forth to make the interior lights to begin to work. Another common failure is the door light switch contact. A small contact in the door tells the interior light relay that the door is opened or closed (in position one only) by providing a ground to the relay. The screw that holds the switch in often gets loose. When this occurs the light relay will not function correctly.

When trying to use the defrost/AC/Fog light or hazard light switch in my 900 I have to manually hold the switch in in-order for the switch to work correctly. The reason for this is that the switch is faulty. A small tab on the bottom of the switches will wear to a point where it cannot keep the switch from returning to the non-working rest position. Replacement is the repair.

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!

Removal of the kick panel can be tough. The most difficult thing is gaining access to the 2 10mm bolts under the hood. They are located under the hood up close to where the door hinges are. Look in the holes against the body and you will see black gummy looking material that covers the two bolts. Remove the 2 10mm bolts, remove the center console by removing the 14mm bolt behind the ashtray. Once you get the console removed then remove the 10mm bolt that holds the kick panel in. Once the 3 bolts are loose you can wiggle the kick panel toward the front seats to remove it.

There is a "nipple" on the side of the cylinder that can break or the housing may be wallowed out that causes the lock cylinder to turn 180 degrees. Replace the lock cylinder to correct the issue or replace the housing that the cylinder fits into.

Lower control arm failures on the Saab 900 79-94 are quite common. They usually break at the welds because the vehicle has hit something but we have seen some of the arms break at the welds. TW

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.

On cars prior to around 91 models there was a dipstick that went up to the exhaust and you could check the fluid there. On 91 on cars the dipstick was in the side cover of the transmission. The dipstick is there you just have to pull out the 19mm bolt in the side cover below the exhaust to check the fluids on the manual transmissions.

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!

Under the front of the Saab 900 5 speed transmission there is a small weep hole that you can see the flywheel from. If you look at this hole and notice fluid leaking from it the fluid could be coming from two different spots. The most common leak would be a slave cylinder leak which could be caused by a faulty slave or a slave that was scored/scratched during the installation. The other leak source could be black seal behind the slave that the input shaft goes through.

NOTE: We have also seen leaks from the allen screws that hold the slave to the transmission. There are 3 screws and if you do not tighten them all the way then the oil slinger for the transmission will build pressure pushing oil out of the bolt holes.

There are several things that can cause difficult shifting in the classic 900 cars. Several are listed below:
There is a thin rod that runs the length of the shifter shaft (it actually sits in the mushroom that you pull up on) This long, thin rod is attached to a pin in the bottom of the shifter rod and can be adjusted (by turning clockwise or counterclockwise) to make the pin length longer or shorter. The pin length actually controls how the shifter assembly moves in the preformed gate located in the shift box. If the pin length is not correct then you may have Problems with the shifter going into reverse without lifting up on the mushroom.
Another problem that can cause difficulty in locating the gears is bushing failures in the shifter box. There is a nylon bushing and a rubber bushing both of which are located in the front section of the shift box on the 5 speed cars. Unfortunately both of these parts can only be purchased directly from Saab. 8375156 is the rubber bushing & 8373078 is the nylon bushing.
On 1991-94 model Classic 900 car shifting problems can be caused by a shifter joint separating between the shift rod inside the car and where it attaches to the actual transmission shifter rod. Shift Joint failure can generally be identified by noting that there is no shifting pattern when attempting to locate gears.

Click here for a Photo of the shift joint!

Click here for Transmission Components!

The most common shifting issue is that the shift coupler at the transmission gets loose or broken which causes the shift lever to feel loose. When this happens you cannot find gears easily. Replacement of the manual shift joing is the cure.

Note: We have also seen issues with the shift rods and ball companion flange breaking as well.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Changing the oil on the Saab 900 is fairly easy but there is a couple of things you should keep in mind when doing this for the first time. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER over tighten the drain plug on a 5 speed car. You can crack the transmission case if you over tighten and if you do this you will have to remove the transmission and disassemble it completely to repair it. . The drain plug is a 13 mm plug (you can also use a 1/2 inch wrench but it will be tight to get on). The engine will hold about 5 quarts of oil when changing the oil and filter if the engine is completely drained. To avoid cracking the case you only need to tighten the drain plug to about 15 to 20 ft lbs when changing the oil. The oil filter should be installed only hand tight but check to make sure no leak exist.

NOTE: We have seen guys who do portable welding be able to repair this crack in some cases. The key to repairing this crack by welding is to get the oil 100 percent out of the transmission case prior to attempting the weld job.

Onautomatic transmissions we have seen repair facilities remove the transmission SCREW & drain the transmission fluid (thinking it was the engine oil) on more than one occasion. When they do this they will typically fill the engine oil back up with 5 more quarts of engine oil. The outcome will be that the engine will begin to smoke terribly and then the transmission will begin to slip. If you catch it quickly enough then no damage will be done but we have seen circumstances where massive oil leaks occur (due to excessive pressure) an

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.

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 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.

One of the most common leaks on a Saab 900 is the hose clamped hose on the power steering pump of 16 valve 900 cars. The common issue is that the clamp manually works itself loose and caused fluid to run down the hose onto the suspension on the passenger side of the car. The common cure is to simply tighten up the hose clamp to eliminate the leak.

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.

Thanks to Brian Crown for contributing to this FAQ!

Hood Removal Instructions:

STEP 1

Drain the radiator by loosening the drain cock at the bottom left of the radiator with a 19 mm socket

STEP 2

Remove the top radiator hose

STEP 3

Remove the ignition coil If Turbo: After Step 3, if the model is equipped with turbo, (like 1985 2 litre turbo H type pictured) one is well advised to disconnect the coolant tube to the turbo intercooler. - allowing better access to Bottom hose, the Drivers rad fan housing and the disconnection of its' Wiring connector plug.

STEP 4

Take the screws out of the each fan motor at the top. Depending on the year of the car the screws will be Torx 20 or Phillips head screws. In most cases you won't have to remove the drivers fan but you will have to remove the passenger fan. Don't forget to disconnect the wiring for the fans prior to attempting to pull them out.

STEP 5

Remove the two radiator fan securing screws at the top. There should be two Step 5; Upon removal of the two top securing screws from each fan housing, Note that the third bottom one fits in a SLOT not a hole, so the fan CAN be wiggled and pulled upwards... Eventually freeing the housing from the screw.(provided the previous mechanic was good and did not over-tighten on installation.)

STEP 6

Remove the bottom radiator hose and remove the radiator. Step 6: Remove the bottom radiator hose at rad junction and first pull the top of the rad back towards the motor until you see the whole top of the rad, remove the rubber protector from top leading edge of unit to increase your clearance. Remember the pins on the bottom of the rad? Reach down under the core center and lift the unit far enough to make the pins clear the frame, PUSH the BOTTOM of the rad forwards - tilting the rad. At this point make sure the top is back far enough to clear the frame, the reverse tilt will allow you to now pull the rad up and out. Take care not to damage your HT leads or other wirng or tubing. Highly recommend have a friend to guide/lift the rad top from drivers side while one performs the lift and push from passenger side.

STEP 7

Refit in reverse

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!

The likely cause of the problem is the trailing arm bushing probably came out of the trailing arm. On the earlier model cars this was a common problem. Replacing the trailing arm or bushing is the cure. You may also want to check the rear shocks to be sure the problem is not there.

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!

Loose vents on 79-94 Saab 900 are a pretty common problem. The issue is that the vents become loose in their slots & they won't stay pointed in the right direction. Remove the vents by putting a small screwdriver at the top and prying out the vent. Put a small o-ring at the top of each vent and re-install them.

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.

On early model Saab 900 cars the seat platform was made of burlap material with rubber strips down the sides. What generally happened is that the rubber strips would break due the pressure from a persons weight. To correct a collapsed seat platform simply install the seat webbing kit PART # 7872948.

Seat lift handle failures on the Saab 900 79-94 are quite common. The handle usually breaks inside causing it to come off the seat lift metal arm. Replacement of all three pieces is the cure.

There is a handle on the front lower section of the front seat. You can release the handle which allows the seat to be moved up or down. In some cases you may have to get out of the seat to release this handle. If you look closely at the back mounts of the rear seat you will see two sets of grooves which the seat can be positioned in to raise or lower the seat. When you release the seat handle you will see that the seat beomes very loose and this will allow you to push down on the rear of the seat so you can place the seat in the lowest position height wise.

Removal of the front DRIVERS seat can be accomplish by removing the 2 front Allen bolts that secure the seat to the frame of the car. Remove the two allens and tilt the seat toward the rear of car and lift out the seat (be sure to unclip any wiring that may exist under the seats for the seat heater or electric seat.). The passenger seat also has two allens in the front of the seat that secures the seat to the frame but the rear of the passenger seat is secured by two 13mm nuts. The passenger seat can be lifted straight out as well. (be sure to unclip any wiring that may exist under the seats for the seat heater or electric seat.)

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.

There are several common problems with passive restraint systems. Seat reel micro switch failures are common and can only be serviced by replacing the lap belt assembly. Another common failure is the micro switch in the transport mechanism. This micro switch can only be service by replacing the transport mechanism as well. Testing of the Passive restraint system can only be done by pin testing the electronic control which is located under the rear seat.

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.

The shifter lever popping out of gear generally means that a Syncro ring in the transmission is worn and in need of replacement. Second and third gear Syncro are the rings that begin to wear on the classic 900!

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"

Speedometer failures can be caused by numerous issues. There are three common problems.

STEP 1

One is that the ball cup in the back of speedometer fails which means the speedometer will bounce. This failure is most common on high mileage cars.

STEP 2

The Speedometer cable gets work out or kinked which causes the speedometer to bounce

STEP 3

The plastic gear at the base of the speedometer fails. This part is located in left side inner driver housing. We have seen both the gear at the speedometer cable fail as well as the one in the driver.

Speedometer noise can come from either a failing speedometer cable or a faulty speedometer head. Replacement of the cable is the usual failure and would be the best place to start when trying to diagnose this noise.

SPG stands for "special performance group". The difference between the turbo cars and the SPG cars is the suspension, the ground effects package and the rims. The SPG has 1 inch lowered suspension with Heavy duty shocks. It also has a black ground effect package that goes all the way around the car. The rims on the SPG are of a 3 spoke design and are the most desired for the 900 cars. The SPG car is a desirable car in the classic 900 community especially in the convertible version because there were only a few made.

NOTE: The 1985-1987 models did not offer a SPG car (1988 up in the USA) but did offer a car called an "Airflow car" which eventually led to the SPG car. The real difference was the way the bumpers led back into the bumper extensions where they were integrated on the 1988 and up cars.

A Special thanks goes to Ryan Anderson for submitting this info. The SPG cars also came with a high peformance Red box in some cases which increased the horsepower about 25%. Those boxes are hard to come by now but the information to modify your standard box via the potentiometers is available on the internet.

There are wire/rods that hold the spoilers down through the extra thick areas of the side spoilers. Often when the spoilers are removed the wire/rods end up breaking. Most of the pieces for the side spoilers are no longer available including the spoilers themselves. The only cure is to have those pieces braised back together from a local muffler shop.

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.

Thanks to Jerry Clark for contributing to this FAQ!

NOTE: On Cars that the starter is located under the exhaust (prior to 1987) The bracket on the starter motor can be left on and the starter can be pulled out by carefully pulling it toward the rear of the engine. It WILL come out without having to disassemble other pieces but you basically have to be patient.

On a 1986 900 8 valve, starter removal required removing the bracket bolted to the rear of the starter and block, as that kept the starter firmly in place. When it was removed from starter and block, the starter
came out in a jiffy.

If you are having to replace your starter very often the likely problem is an issue with the ignition switch sticking causing the starter to stay engage even after the engine is running. This is usually caused by soda being spilled down in the ignition and never being cleaned out. You can pour very hot water into the ignition cylinder to try and fix it but most of the time you will need to replace the ignition switch kit which includes the lock cylinder, gear set and electrical portion of the ignition switch

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

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!

Electric sunroof failures occur on a consistent basis. A Great percentage of the time sunroof failures can be attributed to 2 8mm screws backing out of the sunroof motor. This failure can be identified by noting that the sunroof motor sounds like it is working but the sunroof will not move forward or backwards. The motor is located under rear deck board to the right of where the spare tire is located (look down and toward the rear bumper). If caught early enough, reassembling the motor with new and larger screws will cure the problem. If not, replacement of the motor will be necessary!

Occasionally, Sunroof switches fail causing the motor to run at all and switch replacement is the only cure!

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.

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.