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, Wed, 25 Jun 2003 18:13:42
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OK, here's some first hand knowledge of what can go wrong when you clean the engine compartment. This is backed up with many more horror stories from John Moss, the lead technical trainer at Saab USA.
Basically, if you get the ABS module wet you could be in for a VERY expensive repair. On the NG900 (dunno about the 9-3/9-5's) this module is NOT watertight! The connector points UP which is just waiting to collect water and short out the pins. Imagine this:
I thoroughly wash the engine, being careful not to get water where it shouldn't go... I get in the car and start the engine. The tach reads 1000 at idle (normal) but the speedometer is pegged at 150 MPH!! I try to move the car out of the wash bay and it sounds like total crap. I'm guessing this is the Trionic ECU trying to compensate for what it sees...
"Hey, we don't do 150 MPH in first gear buddy! I'm gonna cut the fuel!!"
So, then I go to hit the brakes... The ABS light comes on and it's pulsing like mad. At this point I shut the car off and start looking under the hood. I dried EVERY connector I could find (not thinking about the ABS module at this time). Restarted it... Same deal.
I left the car to dry at the car wash lot and got a ride home. Came back the next day and it STILL was acting up... Finally I took apart the ABS module and dried it out. Put it back and everything was pretty much back to normal.
Best of all, I was LUCKY that I didn't short out the ABS module or worse!
John Moss has said that several people have had $$$ repair bills (That ABS module lists for over $1200 alone). Also, there have been reports that the odometer starts going nuts when the ABS module shorts out and you quickly put a couple thousand miles on the clock before you even realize it! (There is no way to "crank it back" so those with leases would be bummed!)
In short... be VERY careful when washing the engine bay! If you think you got water in any of the electrical components, take them apart and dry them out FIRST before starting the car. Otherwise, when you "let the smoke out" of something it's gonna get expensive!
posted by 209.213.20...
, Wed, 25 Jun 2003 14:48:28, Thu, 26 Jun 2003 11:39:39, Wed, 25 Jun 2003 18:13:42
, Thu, 26 Jun 2003 05:47:11
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