If a Saab expert wants to make some money quickly, I believe I have a fairly minor problem with my '88 900T. The problem is with the gears. Whatever is involved with locating gears with the stick is the problem. It's stuck in one gear. The clutch still works, but will only engage this gear and no neutral. If someone knows the solution and feels they can easily fix this for about one hundred or less, then I'd like to try. If so, E-mail me at snipped-for-privacy@netscape.com
I'd suspect that the linkage isn't quite right. When did it start, was it all of the sudden or gradual? Does the center console around the gearshift move around when you try to shift?
Sir, the problem is the stick goes all around pretty loosely though stuck in one gear. Car can't run without clutch held or in transit revving to rpms req. for this gear. Occurred all sudden, although third gear transmission is gone, runs well otherwise though. I was told trans will eventually go, sooner or later. Console doesn't move. Thanks
Sounds like you lost the linkage at best, or tranny worst case. Go under the car to look at the linkage from the car to the transmission. It's just forward of the firewall on the right side. Have someone else move the gearshift around attempting to shift & see if the linkage moves with them, or not.
If the whole thing is jammed, try taking out the tapered pin that links the tranny to the linkage (you'll need to anyway if the tranny is shot, so it's no extra work). Once that's out, pull the tranny side of the linkage out of the u-joint on the car side of the linkage (or just move the shifter to first, third, or fifth gear and it'll pull out). See if you can move the linkage on the transmission as you'd expect - back & forth, left & right. You will be able to feel each gear as you go if it's good, the pattern is hard to describe but you'll recognize it.
Depending on what you find there, you know what's bad. If third has been rattling around in the tranny for any time at all, I have a guess as to what's wrong....
I've read a couple reports in this group of the shift lever breaking off inside the boot (where it meets the ball). Perhaps yours is partially broken off? It's easy enough to check, by peeling back the boot and peeking.
Mr. Hinz, Thanks for your help. But I wish you would finish your statement as to the third gear, which only rattles when it is engaged. But I always skip this gear because it is shot. No rattling otherwise and runs fine. Are you saying there is an indication of trans failure because of the current malady? Because I have not engaged the gear but a few times since it shot. Is this a doomed situation? Please let me know, just curious about the future of this vehicle. Thanks Quen
If you have a known problem inside your transmission, it is only logical to think that a new problem will happen in the transmission, rather than in the relatively simple mechanism of the gearshift and linkage.
Can you define "shot" as you are using it here please? "third gear shot" usually involves gears having fewer teeth than previously or similar problems.
I don't know what's wrong, that's why I suggested a way you can find out.
It could be simple, it could be a new gearbox which isn't the end of the world. It could just be an adjustment issue, but as the center console around the gearshift isn't loose, I doubt that. I'd bet it's a transmission problem at this point, but there's no way to know until you disconnect the linkage and see how it behaves as I previously described.
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