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[Saab_c900] where is the ignition control unit on my 1983 900S?

My 1983 900S should, going on the Bentley manual, be fitted with an electronic ignition control unit mounted near the wheel well in the left side fender cavity (where it is in my 1985 900i), but it's not there! The manufacturing plate on the car says it was actually built in the factory in Sep 1982 but it's compliance plate is marked March 1983, if that matters.

Anyway, I've looked and looked and I can't trace where the two wires from the coil run to. I've removed the fuse block to check under it and there are wires which match the colours of the wires from the coil but they connect to the headlight relay! I think I'm looking at the wrong pair of wires under the fuse block. 8-)

The mounting points where the ignition control unit should be have never had anything attached to them as the paint is undamaged.

I'm trying to work out why my car will not start properly when the key is first turned to 'start', but if I release the key, turn it back to off, then turn it to start again, it will fire properly. I think it's the fuel system (possible the fuel accumulator not holding pressure in the line after the car was switched off last, or the fuel pressure regulator being faulty) but I've been trying to work out where all the ignition components are located just so I know. I'll put the distributor cap back on in a moment and try some of the other checks that the Bentley manual talks about...

BTW, the distributor does not have the same electrical connector on the side as does the one in my 1985 900i, so I am assuming that the car does not have hall-effect ignition control and has conventional points instead (which contradicts the Bentley manual). Still, being a car build after mid-1982 it should have electronic ignition control (which the book says existed in cars build from 1981 on).

Any advice on where to look if the control unit isn't where it should be? Were Saab 900's imported into Australia different in terms of ignition system configuration to those imported into the USA in the early to mid

1980's?

Regards,

Craig.

Reply to
Craig's C900 Workshop
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'compliance plate is marked March 1983, if that matters' no - just tells you when it got local ADR certification.

'I'm trying to work out why my car will not start properly when the key is first turned to 'start', but if I release the key, turn it back to off, then turn it to start again, it will fire properly' - go simple first - take the cover off the ignition lock and spray all the contacts and under the lock with contact cleaner, leave for a while to dry off and try it again. May not help but it's free!

'Were Saab 900's imported into Australia different in terms of ignition system configuration to those imported into the USA in the early to mid

1980's?' - you never know! My 1981 & 2 handbooks both list standard breaker ignition, current 81 900T has hall effect ignition (but could be a replacement 8V engine) while my previous 81 900GLI had stanadard points setup.
Reply to
hippo

that the Bentley manual talks

If the australian market is like UK market they didn't have electronic ignition until '84 (except turbos), pull the cap and see if you've got some points!

Also 2 types of electronic ignition were fitted, early turbo's had inductive ignition, later '84 models had the hall effect system.

Reply to
chris

I did today, and yes it has points. sigh. At least I now know that the Bentley manual is not correct (at least not for non-US markets).

Yes I read about that. It seems that could explain why non-US C900's had conventional points until hall-efect breakerless ignition systems were fitted as my 1985 900i has the hall-efect ignition installed.

Now the next, and obvious, question... I'd very much like to get rid of the conventional points ignition system and replace it with hall-effect. I have one of the ignition control modules (later style) which I bought new as a spare for the 900i, and I know someone who has one of the later Bosch distributors with the hall-sensor, etc. instead of points. Apart from the required wiring changes, what else is needed in terms of parts? Are any

3rd-party hall-effect ignition systems available that can be retro-fitted into C900's which didn't have breakerless ignition as a standard fitting?

Regards,

Craig.

Reply to
Craig's C900 Workshop

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