grindy clutch pedal on ng900 s '97

Sounds like the throw-out bearing on the clutch.

Hm...do you have a habit of resting your foot on the clutch when you're not using it? (are you sure?)?

Dave Hinz

I might have done with the golf but that taught me to be paranoid about the clutch so not on the 900. would this throw out bearing thing be expensive to sort out? and does it have to be done by a saab specialist?

I don't know the NG900, but it's exactly as complicated as doing a clutch. It's worth considering doing the whole clutch while you're in there for the bearing.

Dave Hinz

sorry one more thing. should i stop driving it or is it just something that will get worse and then conk out?

Naah, it'll just get noisier, I can't think of a disasterous failure mode of a throw-out bearing. Anyone else?

I have only ever replaced one. I would not do anything about it ... if it was to fall apart (never heard of it) it would damage the clutch pressure plate but that should be replaced as a matter of course if the clutch is getting done.

Whihc one is the NG 900. Is it the first model after the classic 900? It has to have the gear box lowered in order to do the job, right? If that is the case it will not be a cheap repair.

Regards Charles

although thinking about it, it does make the noise a bit when it's in neutral as well. not really when it's in a gear. does that change the diagnosis at all?

Not sure. Try this: have the car stopped, en neutral, with the engine running. Noise, right?

Now, lightly depress the clutch pedal; does the noise change right when you feel the play in the pedal take up (at the very top)?

Wouldn't hurt to take it to someone who knows Saabs for a second opinion, it's hard to diagnose these things at a distance sometimes.

Dave Hinz

Throwout bearing wear-out is not unheard of in the NG900. To prolong it's life, you can avoid "standing" on the clutch at stops by shifting into neutral.

When it gets really bad, do it and the clutch. A clutch is about $1K USD to have done because the ng900 not only needs the tranny dropped, but the engine has to be lowered a couple inches on one side to do it.

yes it changes more or less all the way down. not enormously but a bit. slightly more grindy at some points and quieter at others

This is just a guess from a thousand miles away, but I'm thinking that you have:

a. A clutch cable making noise. Is it a scrunchy sort of noise and feel rahter than an actual grinding ?

b. A throwout bearing getting noisy... not unknown in your model.

The cables are normally replaced about every 50K miles. I think you should have a "Saab tranny man" look at it though... with an eye towards replacing that cable unless you know it's good. If you like to DIY you can do the cable and see what happens. It will not affect the noisy bearing one way or another.

hopfully it's a

and yes, more of a scrunch than a grind

either way it's bloody horrible

If it's been a while since the cable was replaced (40K miles) then have it done. See what happens. You won't really be spending money twice if you end up doing the clutch itself since the cable is a small, mostly separate job. Cable is about $40 USD, I think there is an hour's labor.

well today i took it down to the dealer who sold me it. the noise had been getting even worse, it was happening even when the car was in a gear. then all of a sudden the grinding noise and the rough feeling of the clutch vanished and was replaced by a loud screetching noise at certain points between up and down but otherwise seemed fine. the fella seemed to think it was bearing of some kind. i'll be picking it up on wednesday when i'll find out exactly what it is

it was a bearing of some kind. i forgot exactly which one ten seconds after he told me.works fine now anyway