1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
When you are cranking the engine and it isn't starting, is the tachometer needle bouncing? When it won't start, does just letting it sit for a while make you able to start it again?
If the tachometer needle is not bouncing when you are cranking the engine, there is a problem with the ignition. There are three things which could cause this - well that is, things you haven't checked already (plugs and wire/cap/rotor are obviously ok if it runs at all). First, the ignition coil, but those are quite reliable (308,000 miles on mine). Secondly, you could have a failing ignition amplifier module. This is a integrated circuit looking thing that sits atop the fender well outboard of the battery, naturally has a wire harness going to it. These are fairly cheap as long as you don't buy them from Saab! ($45 or so). This went out in my car about 230k or so, I think. Finally, you could have a failing hall effect pickup. Unfortunately, that's inside the distributor, and you can't change just that part, well, not without rebuilding the distributor that is, so often it's easier to just swap in a known good or new distributor. I had this problem on my car also, exact same symptoms as the ignition amplifier. My problem was the car would die suddenly, and could not be restarted until it had cooled off, typically at least a few hours. Initially it might run for another couple weeks, then it was a week, then a few days, then I could not drive the car more than 20 minutes before it would fail. I had a used distributor put in, has been fine ever since (about four years ago).
So! If your tachometer needle IS bouncing, then I would go with your suggestion and look to something wrong with the fuel, my guess would be the fuel pump. Unfortunately, I have no experience with that problem in my car. I highly doubt it is an injector issue, my car went 240k on the injectors with no cleaning or any service, ditto for the rest of the fuel system except for fuel filter changes. In fact, I am still on the original fuel pump at 308k miles - though it's bound to die soon since the rest of the car has been replaced around it, except the turbo. :)
Aaron Gilbert
1987 9000T 308k miles
posted by 64.40.51...
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.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
