Tonight my friend's '87 900 started running really rough. I went an listened to it, and it sounds like my BroncoII has been doing lately. For my BII I'm told it's most likely the fuel filter (and will find out in the morning!). My friend said the car also has no power. It sounds as if a cylinder isn't firing or some (or all) have not enough fuel or something like that. In the few seconds I listened to it, it was a steady roar; not surging like my BII does. It was idling ok, not threatening to stall, like my BII. (Similar symptons, but slightly different) What about for the Saab? What are the key points to check? I plan on taking my dad's spark plug socket and taking a look at the plugs and also checking the distributor cap and rotor. (I just replaced those two weeks ago on my BII - first time for that job. I'm learning at the School of Hard Knocks until class starts at the local community college at the end of January) Is there a way to check the fuel filter, or should I just go ahead and replace it anyways? How much do Saab filters run? ($7 USD for my Ford :-)) Where is it located?
Did this happen "all at once"? Car ran great, parked it overnight, ran like crap the next morning and ever since? Or is it more "car has been harder and harder to start lately, doesn't idle right, now it stalls sometimes at stoplights..."?
Could be any of about 4,000 things.
Replacing the fuel and air filters is a good place to start if they haven't been done in awhile. Fuel filter is mounted on the drivers' side of the engine compartment right beside the wheel well, can't miss it. Air filter is forward of and below the fuel distributor, drivers side of engine compartment. The fuel distributor has lines which run to each injector. The fuel filter for mine was about $20 I think. Replacing the air filter is kind of a bitch... do a search of this newsgroup for my email address, I recently posted instructions and don't feel like repeating myself.
If you haven't replaced plugs/wires/cap/rotor do that too, cost maybe $40.
If the car has >100K miles and hasn't had the injectors replaced, they might need it. Dirty/worn/clogged injectors are a common source of rough idle and/or poor performance. You can check the spray pattern; find a helper and use a trouble light to brightly illuminate the injectors... the helper makes things go a lot easier and faster. If you don't know how to do this, consider buying the Bentley manual, about $70 MONEY WELL SPENT.
If it was an "all-at-once" thing, think air leak, or more accurately, vacuum leak. There is a diagram of all vacuum lines on top of the drivers' side wheel well just aft of the fuse box... check 'em all, replace any that are worn or brittle. It's cheap to replace them all and believe me it is well worth the hour or so it takes.
I have read that a "non-performing" ECD (evaporative control device, takes vapors from the fuel tank, runs 'em through a charcoal canister filter, then injects into throttle body) can cause rough idle. Apparently you can replace the filter, although I have never done it on my car. It's located at the very front driver's side corner of the engine compartment directly in front of the wheel well... make sure and check the vacuum line on this guy too, lots of people miss it.
Non-functional EGR valve (stays open) can cause rough idle/poor performance as well, bastard of a location to check, it's underneath the throttle body.
Good luck. Remember, eliminate the simple and inexpensive things first.
Yes, I printed your detailed explanation two weeks ago (right before break) when I asked specifically how to get to it. No problem not repeating it in this post.
Sometime in the daylight I'll check the underside of the car and see if maybe it isn't easier taking it out the bottom.
[more really good info]
Replacing the injectors is something I haven't heard of before as typical maintenance. (well, I haven't heard of it at all, but that's not necessarily saying a whole lot) I'll try putting some injector cleaner in the gas tank before I go for replacements. (I'll try the filters first, too, of course)
Is Bentley comparable to Haynes and Chiltons or to Helm? In other words, is it a short "generic" overview type of manual, or a detailed specifically for a given year manual with lots of exploded view diagrams and the like?
Thank you very much. The information you provided is exactly what I wanted.
Thanks also for the price estimates. I like to have an idea what something is going to cost before deciding to do it or before going to the store and spending the money. Its interesting, too, that the parts seem fairly consistently twice as much as the ones for my Ford. ($7 for fuel filter, $22 for spark plugs and distributor cap and rotor)
No manufacturers seem to mention that injectors are a) spring-loaded and b) constantly under pressure. They do get dirty. The springs do get weaker. They do get etched over time and leak. Problems usually manifest themselves at lower RPMs, though not always.
The Bentley is set up exactly like the Saab factory manuals, same numerical section headings, etc. They are about 500 times better than the Haynes or other manuals, they have ALL the factory specs... torques, clearances, intervals, etc. They have lots of pictures and diagrams. Can't tell you strongly enough how much I feel it is a worthwhile expenditure (I have Clymer -- basically useless, Haynes --better, and Bentley -- only one I use any more).
Import parts still seem to be about twice as much as domestics... also bear in mind the age of the car and the cost of stocking those parts all those years. There are tons of web sites devoted to saab aftermarket and OEM parts, many have some smokin' good prices. Start at
It turns out to be a break in the exhaust pipe right behind the middle bracket. The car does have power, lots of it!, although I was told otherwise. I put new spark plugs in anyways since the old ones were dirty and the engine is even louder now :-).
I found the fuel filter and will replace that, too, soon. Unfortunately I couldn't find my torx driver when I replaced the spark plugs. (Doh! It was in my trunk too!)
I figure I'll spend a few hours one of these nights working on that. It can't hurt to have a new filter as long as I don't break anything else in the process :-).
New rotor is supposed to arrive at the parts shop Wed. morning. The plugs, cap and rotor weren't really any more than for my Ford. The wires alone are $43, so I'll leave them alone for now.
I don't ... yet. Since you're suggesting that I can do this myself, maybe I'll learn on my BroncoII first :-). (it is having an intermittent fuel delivery problem; just shy of 167K miles)
I will, if I get into any serious work on the car. It's good to know that the Bentley is actually worth it, like Helm for domestics. The Haynes I've had before weren't terribly helpful.
Oh, btw, in the daylight I saw the gear box oil dipstick right where you told me it would be. I just didn't find it in the dark with a flashlight before.
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