Anyone familiar with Saabs ?

ZENER

Recently bought a 1996 Saab 900 2.0 petrol with a couple of minor issues. Is there anyone on Boards familiar enough with these cars that might lend a hand ?

Can keep the conversation to PMs or phone if you prefer or I can post here.

Thanks in advance.

Ken

Nissan doctor

Whats the problems your having?

ZENER

Nothing major but 3 issues serious enough to cause problems come NCT time. This is a copy of the post I submitted to http://www.saabscene.com.

1. At switch on I get a "Low Coolant Level" warning on the S.I.D. The coolant level is to Spec though. I'm guessing there's a sensor gone faulty but I've looked all over the coolant reservoir and can find no sensor or connection other than the hose taking the coolant to the system ! Where is the coolant level sensor located ?

2. The temperature gauge behaves oddly. It never reaches it's "normal" 9 o'clock position unless the car is stopped with the engine running and will quickly revert to a low reading once driving speed is achieved. I've read about temperature sensor issues with these cars but most suggest that the gauge NEVER reaches "normal" ? Could this be another issue or should replacing the sensor sort this one out ?

3. "Check Engine" occasionally lights up during long drives. It will extinguish after a few minutes but will come on again after a while. The time it takes to go out varies from a few seconds to a few minutes. I've checked the plugs and they seem to be the right colour indicating correct mix, and all 4 are similar. The only thing I've found was a slightly loose HT lead to No. 2 cylinder. The performance of the car remains constant, no hiccups or loss of power can be noticed. Any suggestions ?

4. Parking Brakes. Or lack of !! The pads and discs all round are in good condition but even with the lever pulled all the way up the park brake only barely works if the car is parked on a hill going upwards ! Even then it seems to be only catching on the Right hand side. If parked with the car facing downhill the park brake has no effect. I've read there are 2 Allen nuts that require tightening on the rear brakes to restore operation but could it also require brake liners too ? I read that they are very awkward to replace ?

5. S.I.D. Scrolling through the various displays on the S.I.D there are 2 relating to MPG and Ltrs/100Km. Neither of these show any values just "- - -" How do I get these to work ? Is it possible that the relevant sensors were not installed on my basic spec model ? I've discovered that certain combinations of Keys (e.g. CLEAR & INFO held for a few seconds) give different hidden menus. Are there more combinations I might need to get the fuel readings working or perhaps stop the coolant level warning appearing ?

I think 1 and 5 may be because the car wasn't fitted with the required sensors but not sure how to stop the "Low Coolant Level" displaying on the S.I.D. I'm sure this would be a FAIL at the NCT ?

Thanks

Ken

JP 1800

Is it possible for you to post a picture of your SID, you may have the later SID or SID 2 installed which is not compatable with the earlier model, also regarding the temperature gauge you thermostat may be stuck open or missing.

Nforce

ZENER wrote: »

Nothing major but 3 issues serious enough to cause problems come NCT time. This is a copy of the post I submitted to http://www.saabscene.com.

1. At switch on I get a "Low Coolant Level" warning on the S.I.D. The coolant level is to Spec though. I'm guessing there's a sensor gone faulty but I've looked all over the coolant reservoir and can find no sensor or connection other than the hose taking the coolant to the system ! Where is the coolant level sensor located ?

2. The temperature gauge behaves oddly. It never reaches it's "normal" 9 o'clock position unless the car is stopped with the engine running and will quickly revert to a low reading once driving speed is achieved. I've read about temperature sensor issues with these cars but most suggest that the gauge NEVER reaches "normal" ? Could this be another issue or should replacing the sensor sort this one out ?

3. "Check Engine" occasionally lights up during long drives. It will extinguish after a few minutes but will come on again after a while. The time it takes to go out varies from a few seconds to a few minutes. I've checked the plugs and they seem to be the right colour indicating correct mix, and all 4 are similar. The only thing I've found was a slightly loose HT lead to No. 2 cylinder. The performance of the car remains constant, no hiccups or loss of power can be noticed. Any suggestions ?

4. Parking Brakes. Or lack of !! The pads and discs all round are in good condition but even with the lever pulled all the way up the park brake only barely works if the car is parked on a hill going upwards ! Even then it seems to be only catching on the Right hand side. If parked with the car facing downhill the park brake has no effect. I've read there are 2 Allen nuts that require tightening on the rear brakes to restore operation but could it also require brake liners too ? I read that they are very awkward to replace ?

5. S.I.D. Scrolling through the various displays on the S.I.D there are 2 relating to MPG and Ltrs/100Km. Neither of these show any values just "- - -" How do I get these to work ? Is it possible that the relevant sensors were not installed on my basic spec model ? I've discovered that certain combinations of Keys (e.g. CLEAR & INFO held for a few seconds) give different hidden menus. Are there more combinations I might need to get the fuel readings working or perhaps stop the coolant level warning appearing ?

I think 1 and 5 may be because the car wasn't fitted with the required sensors but not sure how to stop the "Low Coolant Level" displaying on the S.I.D. I'm sure this would be a FAIL at the NCT ?

Thanks

Ken

I had the same issue with my Omega. The coolant sensor is built into the expansion tank. Check to see if the float in the tank is free to move. Replacement is the best option...€40 from the dealers in my case.

ZENER

The SID is the same as this one here.

The stat being stuck open had occurred to me actually ! Thanks for that ! Do you think this might have something to do with the Check Engine light by any chance ? AFAIK there is a pretty basic ECU in these cars as there isn't any fuel injection system, just a carb. Would the engine never reaching "running temp" cause the ECU might complain ?

Thanks for the replies lads !

Ken

ZENER

Nforce wrote: »

I had the same issue with my Omega. The coolant sensor is built into the expansion tank. Check to see if the float in the tank is free to move. Replacement is the best option...€40 from the dealers in my case.

Thanks Nforce but there doesn't appear to be ANY type of sensor on the tank ! I've been all around it and aside from the hose at the bottom there's nothing else !! The side of the tank does have a moulding where a sensor may live if it were installed but there is no wiring or sensor attached ! That's why I wondered if the spec on my car didn't include these "luxuries"

Ken

Nforce

If it's like the Omega...the sensor is built into the tank. Are there any electrical connections under the tank?

ZENER

Nforce wrote: »

If it's like the Omega...the sensor is built into the tank. Are there any electrical connections under the tank?

I've checked all around and under it but there's no connections ! I'll take a photo of it and post it in a while, maybe someone can tell where the sensor might go. That said it's fairly easy to see all round the tank !

Ken

ZENER

This is the coolant tank in my car. You can see the moulding where a sensor might have fitted but it's blanked !



Ken

Nforce

Yep...it's missing the sensor...see



Is the SID the original part for the car?

JP 1800

The SID looks right but could be a replacement as they all suffer pixel damage, have a look around the coolant bottle and see if you can find a piece of the wiring loom that might correspond to the coolant sensor. A stuck open stat will cause your car to run a lot richer than it should and could cause emission problems i.e check engine light.

SonOfPerdition

ZENER wrote: »

2. The temperature gauge behaves oddly. It never reaches it's "normal" 9 o'clock position unless the car is stopped with the engine running and will quickly revert to a low reading once driving speed is achieved. I've read about temperature sensor issues with these cars but most suggest that the gauge NEVER reaches "normal" ? Could this be another issue or should replacing the sensor sort this one out ?

Replace the thermostat in the coolant system, your symptoms are describing a thermostat not closing fully.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cooling-system8.htm

ZENER

Nforce wrote: »

Yep...it's missing the sensor...see

Hmm . . .

Is the SID the original part for the car?

Makes this question more relevant I think. To be honest I've no way of telling whether it's the original or not. I've only had the car about 6 weeks but bought it fully aware of these issues. I'm reasonably familiar with cars and engines and am quite comfortable undertaking most tasks to do with maintenance and repair (did the timing belt on my Prelude a while ago) so figured this would be a fixerupper.

There's no loose connectors on the loom near the coolant tank and it looks like it's been there since new so I'm guessing that someone has replaced the S.I.D. at some stage which also answers the question about the MPG display that doesn't seem to work.

So I suppose I'll have to do a bit of trawling for the original S.I.D. for my model !! Anyone know a good place to start ? Somewhere that does reconditioned units or a breaker that may have a 900 for breaking ?

I'll order the new thermostat on Monday and hopefully that should clear up 2 & 3 on my list . Might also order the temperature sensor while I'm at it and preempt that problem. Will post back my success/failure on this.

Just the parking brakes to figure out now

Thanks for the assistance lads !!

Ken

Nforce

Parking brake is probably down to worn brake shoes/linings. If adjusting them doesn't work you'll need to replace them.

PADRAIC.M

Hi very familiar with this car, you will need to remove the rear discs to see if the are worn but probably just need adjusting, which can be done through the access hole in the disc turn the adjuster with a screwdriver till wheel locks up the let off 6 teeth! Your sid mightbe wrong type or just set up wrong when programming with tech 2, as for engine lamp you will have to get the codes read,And yeah sounds like your stat is stuck open..

ZENER

I've just had a closer look at the S.I.D. and the dash in general. The finish on the S.I.D. is slightly different to the Stereo and the surrounding plastic. There's a slightly rougher texture to the finish on it. Probably means it's been replaced so !

Thanks Paidric.M for the info. Is it possible to program the S.I.D. I have to not show the coolant level error ? I'm afraid that when the NCT get to see it they will fail it due to a fault that isn't really there at all !! Do you know where I might get the proper unit for my model ? If I go to a breakers yard how will I be able to tell the difference between them as they all seem to look the same just with different software ! Is there a specific number or type I should look for ?

Have found a good guide online for adjusting the park brakes and for replacing the shoes so will tackle those when I do the thermostat.

Thanks again.

Ken

JP 1800

If you are worried about the SID error just disconnect the unit before the NCT, they can not fail you for a non functioning SID as all the important warning lamps are on the speedo but check that the horn works after as some units will cause the horn to stop working

PADRAIC.M

Yeah +1 as above, what erea of the country you in?

ZENER

Sounds like a plan Clever !

I'm in Donabate on the Northside of Co. Dublin.

Ken

PADRAIC.M

Your best bet is call into a Saab dealer get the codes read, and ask them just to remarry your Sid, €50 Max may fix your coolant warning issue and they should give you a rough idea why engine lamp is coming Ion and if not put it up here or pm me and I should be able to give you a dig out

ZENER

Fair play to you Paidric !! Tom Walsh Motors in Baldoyle is the nearest dealer to me so I'll give them a call on Monday and see if they can help me.

I don't really want to spend a fortune on this car - it only cost me 450 Euro on Adverts, a couple of hundred tops just to get me about while my main car is fixed up. It's NCT expires in January 2012 so just need to get it through that. I'll probably have sold it on before its next NCT is due.

Thanks again for the help lads !!

Ken

ZENER

Adjusted Parking Brakes today so they now work great after just 4 clicks, job done.
Replaced thermostat tonight and now the gauge gets to 9 o'clock and stays there throughout the journey ! Time will tell if that cures the CHECK ENGINE light problem.

Have been looking at an OBDII Scanner on Deal Extreme mentioned by another poster here on the Motors forum. I'm guessing my car is too old to have OBDII - or is it ? Does anyone know if a 1996 SAAB 900 supports this and if so where can I find the connector in the car ?

Thanks again !!

Ken

JP 1800

Try the panel under the steering column, 96 was the first year for OBDII but that was for US cars.