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Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 23:54:18 +0000 (UTC) From: Craig's Saab C900 Site <c900nospam.apana.org.au> Subject: Re: 1985 sputters. broken level sending unit???
"Rod H" <rodhoggnospamnet> writes: >I have a 1985 900s that after driving approx 200 miles from a full tank of >gas it will start to sputter. as if it is running out of gas. (although I >don't know what that's like have never done it). Seems to run fine after I >fill it. >The gas gauge does not work. My suspicion is that maybe the gauge is simply >floating in the tank and when it gets down to approx 5 gallons left, the >gauge is blocking the line that would feed the engine. any thoughts out >there? Your car should have the later style of VDO fuel level sender with a small 3-pin connector that is seperate from the fuel pump power feed wiring. When I first got my 1985 900i it's fuel sender was completely dismembered inside the tank and the only part left in place was the top and 5 percent of the steel rod that the float slides along. The rod had broken where the threaded section right at the top stopped, so the whole body of the sender, plus the float, had fallen to the bottom of the tank. 8-) Used level senders are not hard to find - just borrow one from a wrecked 1983 or later classic 900. Providing you don't get the white plastic bodied sender (used up to about 1982), you can do a direct replacement as far as I know. Saab had a retro-fit kit to upgrade from the old type sender so I don't know if that was a factory recall type mod or something optional. Or you can get them from sellers on Ebay fairly often. >If you think this could cause it should I wait till gas is low before trying >to get broken pieces out (If indeed that's what it is). or should I have a >full tank of gas to try to remove broken pieces. I will assume that the >pieces float and I would want a full tank to remove pieces easier. Well the metal rod, etc. won't float. I used a pair of long kitchen tongs to fish around through the fuel sender hole in the top of the tank to find some of the parts of the old sender and the float is still in there somewhere. If you want to remove the fuel pump out of the tank you'll get a much larger hole to get into the tank through, but you might create more work if you find the fuel pump pickup is breaking down as well (however it could explain some of the problems if the pick-up is falling apart or it's blocked somehow). Regards, Craig. -- Craig's Saab C900 Page at | Craig's Classic Saab Workshop - Sydney .au http://nospam/~c900 | http://www.classicsaab.net and other URL's Email: c900nospam.apana.org.au | For Saab 99/C900/9000 Enthusiasts World-Wide! Alternate: saabonautnospaml.com | Web-forums, galleries, library, links, etc.
