1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Running fine one minute, horrible the next. I first noticed it last week when for some reason the engine began hesitating and sputtering while accelerating uphill. And it was randon too, so I couldn't make a proper analysis as to what the cause might be. The only thing I could come up with was since the gas tank at the time had less than three gallons, the fuel pump having trouble drawing fuel. I had a good two miles of uphill driving still ahead, so I decided to turn around, refuel and drive the longer, flat route. A week passed without incident and I soon forgot about it.
But then last night two things: the engine wouldn't idle proper during warm-up. It would surge from normal idle, down to almost a stall, then back up to normal in a repeated pattern. Since I had to get to a job I drove on, but then the sputtering began. This time with a full tank of gas and driving downhill! I managed to get to my job and back home with both symptoms raging. Obviously, my Sunday was going to be spent trying to figure out this latest quirky problem.
Since the idle dipping from the night before seemed to settle as the engine reached peak operating temp, the first thing I thought to check before I even popped the hood was the warm-up regulator plug connection. Sure enough, the plug was loose. OK, next problem.
I suspected the fuel pump relay. Perhaps it was dying, or there was a loose connection. With the car started and the relay/fuse box opened, I began jiggling the relay, the box itself, then the inside wiring plug connecters below the dash along the side of the wheelwell. Bingo, a clicking relay, plus sputtering. So then it was a matter of finding which wires and respective connectors were loose. It turned out to be one of the two wires which connect to the over-boost cut-off switch. And since I jumpered those wires together a long time ago, the short was in the multi-wire plug connector itself. Diagnosing and repairing that plug appeared far too difficult, so I decided instead to bypass the plug connector entirely and permanently jumper the connections together beneath the relay box.
Mission accomplished. Next?
posted by 205.188.1...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |