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Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 20:53:29 -0600
From: Captain Freedom <data61aS_P_A_Mnopsamcape.net>
Subject: Re: 1989 has battery drain


I responded to the original post and saw this post after that. On mine it also was the drivers side. I took the passive restraint system out of the car and went to a junkyard and bought regular seatbelts for a 900 and installed them. The mounting holes are there for the manual belts but I did have to modify some of the interior trim to fit the belts. They worked fine and were every bit as good (safe) as if they came with the car. I hate passive restraint belt systems. Always getting hung up on the shoulder strap getting in/out of the car. John Brandon Thomas wrote: > On 17 Mar 2003 15:01:45 -0800, alyoungnopsammarble.net (Amy Young-Leith) wrote: > > >>I few weeks ago I bought a 1989 900 (non-turbo). It's a POS with over >>225k, but looks great and is fun to drive. I paid diddly for it so I >>figured if I had to tinker with it... well, it would be a challenge. >> >>I seem to have a power short somewhere. The battery will be DEAD, and >>it'll jump start just fine, and charge the battery up enough to start >>again if you shut it off. But overnight, it drains back down to zilch. >> >>This happened once when I first got it... then didn't happen for a >>while, and now is happening all the time. >> >>My first thought is to replace the battery, but a few people have said >>that since it'll charge back up, they don't think that's it. It had a >>new alternator on it about a year ago. >> >>The answer may be that I have to take it into a professional, but >>that'll have to wait a while. Anything a handy but car-dumb person can >>do to self diagnose? >> >>Amy > > > I'll repost this in case it fits the bill. I can't say if it is your problem, but may > be a place to start. > > ---------- > > I have been down this road before. The draining of your > battery is caused by the passive restraint system on your car a bunch of > trouble!! Saab only used this system on > 1987-1989 models. The problem is one of your seatbelt reels has shorted out. > These are very expensive to buy new. It is most likely the drivers side > being > that it is used most. If your not familiar with what I am > talking about it is the female piece that has the red button > that attaches to the moving chrome piece. > Usually it takes a day or so to drain the battery completely? right?? > maybe longer. Sometimes you can get in the car the next day and it will > barely start. Saab at one > time offered a kit to bypass this problem. Nothing much > a relay and some wires. Since I sell parts I can probably > locate one. The dealer will probably frown and tell you > it is no longer available or never made. They don't care > much for older models and it is a for them to try and look > this item up. I know I worked at one, they are more interested in selling > late model fast moving parts. > I tell you what you can do to correct the problem for the > moment. Lift your rear seat up. The bottom cushion should have a loop buried > in the middle of the seat that you simply pull and the seat moves forward. > After you > discover all the loose change that and anything else that > has been lost underneath your rear seat. Look to the left > side, mounted on the floor is a black box marked "passive control unit" > attached to it are 2 black relays and 2 fuses > one for each belt. Remove the left (drivers side or both fuses" This will > disable the passive system. Although a > light may come on the dash ignore it. Your automatic > belts will not work or only 1 will if you take out one fuse. So all you will > have are lap belts. Your battery > should not have a drain anymore. This will fix the battery > problem most likely but Your shoulder belts will not > work. At least you can find out if this is the problem. > Let me know how it goes. > Thanks, > David Matthews > saab27nopsamsouth.net

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