Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 20:39:06 -0400 From: Four Weis <mweinopsamcom> Subject: Re: used saab 900s questions
In reference to your problem with reverse and 5th gear - did you get an owner's manual with the car? If you did, did you read it? The car needs to be in reverse when you remove the ignition key. This car is unique in many way, the reverse-ignition lock design being just one. If you and/or other drivers of this car 'removed' the ignition key with the transmission in gears other than than reverse, things can get interesting. BTW, 5th and reverse are very close, as you have found out. When my Saab was new, the reverse lights would come on while in 5th gear, if I applied slight pressure on the shifter. P.S. The shifter on the Saab 900 is not known for being one of the smoothest. The non-synchro reverse does not help. Putting the transmission in 1st gear at a stop can be challenging. johnw wrote: > I just bought a 1984 900S cheap. The body is excellent, interior is > clean, and previous owner claims 103,000 miles (the odometer reading). > When I arrived at his house to test drive it, he said it had been > sitting for a while, and it looked it judging by the Maple tree seeds > and small twigs that had collected in the rear spoiler. We jump started > it, after which it ran super smooth, and it performed perfectly through > all five gears on my test drive. Clutch grabbed fine, great > acceleration, steering was tight, etc. Almost everything on the dash > (lights and controls) works except the defrost fan is a little weak, and > the rear defrost button doesn't seem to work. > > Now here's what's really wrong: > > -- Even thought I shut it off and restarted it afew times, no problem, > after test driving it, now that I have it, it won't start. First it > turned over a few times, and started twice, now it's just cranking. I'm > hoping it just needs a new battery. > > -- The clutch makes periodic vibrating sounds, but works fine. I'm > hoping it's just the plastic cover vibrating at certain rpms. > > -- It was difficult to get into reverse once, it just ground, until I > killed the engine, put it in reverse, and restarted it. Five out of six > times it went into reverse fine. > > That's about it. This is my first Saab after a few VWs and I'm clueless > about the engine. Any comments/advice or similar experience with these > problems much appreciated. For instance, how much does a new clutch on a > Saab 900S cost if it comes to that? > > Also (long shot), can anyone recommend a good Saab mechanic in the > Providence RI area? > > Thanks for any info, > > -johnw > -- > john s. webster/jwebsnopsam.net > the vortext group -- writing svcs. > 218 waterman st. #306c > providence, rhode island 02906 > phone/fax: (401) 273-5567 > ---------------------------------------------
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