1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I have a 99 SE HOT with 44K miles on it, which I've owned for about 2000 miles, running only 93+ octane fuel. I love the car, and am having a great time driving it and musing about why the previous owner took so many trim screws with her. Dynamically, the car is a blast; however I've noticed the following when I'm passing or powering up hills:
In third gear, the boost gague usually does not pass the midpoint of the yellow. Once in a while it will go almost to the edge of the yellow, but falls back to the middle or below regardless of throttle position and rpms (which gives the car a sort of lumpy/surging feel when I'm pushing it).
In fourth gear, on the same road section under the same conditions, the boost needle usually hits the bottom quarter of the red zone, and then drops back into the middle of the yellow. Sometimes it too only gets into the middle of the yellow.
My social conscience and the suicidal local deer population are preventing me from testing the boost gague limits in fifth gear.
Both gear pulls were done on the same hill on the same night (humid, 40 degrees F). My only modifications are a K&N drop-in filter and a little wire snipping to disable a certain light that distracted me when the engine was at "European" speeds.
Is the boost limit lower in third gear than in fourth? Fourth gear acts like my manual says it should: temporary boost into red, settling into yellow; third seems to be an underachiever. Is the boost gague inaccurate? Does this signify problems brewing with the APC or other components (turbo, intercooler, engine)? Should I worry?
I'm bringing the car into the dealer this week to get a few other things fixed on warranty (aforementioned trim bits, as well as a coolant leak) and would like to get your opinions on this boost issue so I know if I need to do more.
You guys seem to know a lot about these sorts of things, and make me happy to be a newly fledged Saab owner!
Thanks in advance for your help,
Peter
posted by 24.58.62...
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