Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 12:40:12 -0700 From: "Hogan Whittall" <hoganwnopsamspeed.net> Subject: Hard(er) question (Was: Odd knob, no markings...what is it?)
<davehinznopsamcop.net> wrote in message news:b673uf$27ngq$2nopsam34476.news.dfncis.de... > Someone who looks an awful lot like Hogan Whittall <hoganwnopsamspeed.net> wrote: > > That was it, thanks! > > Great. Got any _tough_ questions? We like a good mystery around > here ;) > Now you've done it... :-) I posted a couple of things over on saabnet.com in the past but never got much of an answer on either... Ok, for the mystery...my 91 900 5spd has a transaxle drainplug. Apparently the drainplugs went away in 1990 or thereabouts? So the mystery is, why does mine have one? It's not one that someone drilled and tapped, it's factory. The transaxle part # on the cover matches the car and year, the VIN on it matches the rest of the car. The only thing I can think of is that either a) US-spec cars got them or b) my 900 got a left over 1990 transaxle. The guys over on saabnet.com couldn't explain it, just that "your year doesn't have drainplugs." ;) While we're on transaxles, will synthetic oil do anything to cure the lazy syncros on 1-2 shifts? How about adjusting the clutch, going into 1st or reverse often results in a *thud*, typically to get into 1st at a stop I'll touch on 2nd gear and then move into 1st. Acts like the clutch isn't fully disengaging. Another mystery...erratic boost. My gut tells me the APC solenoid for the wastegate isn't doing its thing right. Often times I'll only get 1/3 into the orange, sometimes it'll go right up to the red, other times it'll head to the red and then drop back down to 1/3rd. The weirdest only happened one trip, but at part throttle and marginal boost the gauge would waver from boost to no boost and back again. It's not the gauge, I can feel the car's speed change at the same time and I haven't changed how much throttle I'm giving it. I've checked the electrical connections, everything is clean. Maybe it's coincidence, but if I pull over, unplug the solenoid and then plug it back in that seems to fix it, if only temporarily. Sometimes when I plug it back in the solenoid will click about 20 times and then stop. My vacuum lines and intake hoses are tight with no cracks, this is something somewhere messing with the wastegate. The other weird thing is when I do get decent boost it's not always the same amount. When I'm lucky the needle will sit right on the line where red and orange meet, other times it'll be down a couple of needle widths. Only thing I can think of is with 146k miles, the solenoid isn't holding shut under boost as well as it used to and pressure is leaking past, opening the wastegate and killing my boost. Possible? Heard of this happen before? If I could get this boost problem dealt with I'd be sooooo happy, tracking down this problem makes me really appreciate the simple turbo setup on my diesel. :) Thanks guys, -- Hogan W. 1991 Saab 900 Turbo, 5spd, red, leather, 146k miles, etc...
