My daughter has a 1999 9.3 manual and phoned me because she got an engine warning message. The car was harder to start but seemed to run ok except the aircon stopped working. She then found the fuel cap was loose. When she tightened it the warning disappeared and the aircon now works again. Can anybody explain if all of this is related and whether something needs to be reset? It's booked into a Saab mechanic next week but she wants to have some idea of what might be happening before she sees them. Pete
9.3 Engine warning message and fuel cap
Feb 27, 2009
2 Replies
If that is the only reason she is seeing the mechanic, cancel the appointment.
If the gas cap is loose, you will always get a check engine light. The fuel system is supposed to be sealed for emissions reasons and the check engine indicates an emissions issue. This is normal. In fact, when you get a check engine light, the first thing you should check is the cap.
The warning will disappear within a few start cycles if you correct the problem. Note that while you have a check engine light, the ECU may move into "limp home mode" where it drops back to some poor performance, but known reliable, settings.
Drive the car a little. If it seems normal now, you are all set. The engine will return to normal mode and retune itself.
Thanks for the response That certainly fits the picture. Cheers, Pete
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