Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 08:58:13 -0400 From: doug <douglas75nopsamntmail.com> Subject: Re: 97 Saab 900 S "Quirks"
Diana Those problems that you reported are normal for the Saab 900; at least that is what the dealer and Saab America kept telling me. So I got rid of my 1997 900SE that I leased in August 97. I could not stand driving it because the noises got worse and worse. There are some things that you can do:: A)Look under the cover in the rear hatch and make sure that the spare tire is fastened tight. Also, be certain that nothing is loose and rolling around in there; the floor is metal and things will rattle like a tool box. There should be little slots in the styrofoam around the spare tire- put all of the tools etc. in their correct slots. Wrap anything else back there (jumper cables etc.) with a towel. B)Get a real thick wool blanket (Army Surplus Store) or a horse blanket and lay it folded but flat to cover the entire rear hatch area. This will insulate some of the road and suspension noise from reaching you and will also serve you well in an emergency or to protect the car when moving large items. C)Tuck the rear seat belts into the seat bottoms; they hang loose and rattle. D) Sometimes, you will find that by opening and then refolding the rear seat back, you will fix some rattles temporarily. E) Try to tighten up some of the screws in the interior and rear hatch area. Use the star-ended screw drive that is in the Saab tool kit near the spare tire. Do not over-tighten anything as you will strip or break the plastic behind the screws. F) A dealer installed license plate frame will rattle as it is installed with only the top two screws. Remove it. Use 4 screws and firmly attach you license plate to the rear hatch. You can steal some screws from the front license plate frame that came in a plastic bag in your trunk when the car was new. You could also put a piece of thin foam or Rubbermaid rubber drawer liner between the plate and the hatch; this will help as well. G) The rattle from the AC unit cannot be fixed, but it can be reduced. I was told by Saab's regional service manager that the main accessory belt can be replace with a slightly different belt and it will help. The new belt should not be the Saab OEM belt, it should be from a NAPA Parts Store. I think it is a Gates belt and it happens to be slightly shorter. The service rep will not know what you are talking about, but the mechanics will if they know anything about these cars. Also, the bearings in the Idler Tension Pulley may be wore out. H) The shimmer and shake when cold cannot be fixed; the Saabs idle rough and stall easy when first starting. Try to let the car idle for about 10 seconds before attempting to turn the steering wheel (power steering) or moving the car; the car should run smoother. Also, turn the AC off before shutting the car down so that it is off when you start it. Wait until you are moving before turning it back on. I) You could let some air out of your tire to smooth out the ride and quiet some rattles. Do not go below the recommend air pressure as it will harm performance and fuel economy. When it is time to replace the tires, find some that have a quieter smoother ride. Do not use cheap tires though, as the car will handle poorly. I hope that Saab fixes their problems so that I can buy one again some day. They are fun and the hatch-back is awesome. I am afraid though, that the hatch back design is part of the rattle problem. Good luck with your car. People that love Saabs will tell you that the noises are part of the car's character; well for $30,000, I can do without those quirks! -Doug Diana M. Le Roi wrote: > I got my SAAB at the of August last year. I love the power and great gas > mileage from the 4 cylinder engine. The thing has so much room it's > unbelievable. And lastly, it's great to look at---it really is a great piece > of art. But there are several "quirks I am experiencing and they are > becoming annoying. I'm just wondering if anyone else is experiencing them > too. > 1) The wipers don't go down all the way sometimes--sometimes they get stuck > half way in the middle of the window. I would think the mechanism on a > $28,000 would be strong enough to park the wipers correctly. It's really not > a serious problem ----they work ---it's just annoying > 2) There are several knocking noises all over the car---especially when > going on bumpy surfaces. Notably the drivers window (after opening and > closing) rattles like metal is loose. There is a rattle in the dash on the > passengers side. The driver's seat sometimes sounds like there is a spring > loose. All these noises and many others come and go---so it's difficult to > complain to a dealer about ghosts in my car. > 3) The air conditioner compressor sounds like it is having a heart attack > when I stop at a light or stop sign. > 4) Also the car shimmers and shacks sometimes when I start > 5) Lastly, the car makes a terrible smell when I go in reverse (usually up a > hill--but not always) > I think both 4 and 5 have something to do with the catalytic converter -- > 6) The clutch is very stiff and it is really beginning to bother my left > knee > Again you'd think they would have worked all these little bugs out of a car > that cost so much money. Don't get more wrong I love the car but I wish I > didn't have all these little quirks. It would feel good to know if someone > is having at last one of these problems. > Thanks, > Craig > email me at mdtocdnopsamcom
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