Hi folks. When I bought my '91, it had the wrong fuel door on it, as clearly shown in the picture below. The door is the old square style present on early 9000 and while it works, it just looks weird. So I thought no big deal, I will just order the proper door. I found one on eBay from SaabDepot just a few days later, stating it was 1991+. It looked to be the right shape, and was even the right color. I just got it today, and it won't work. The door is the exact shape and size needed, but the hinge is wrong. The hinge that came on the door is about twice as tall as needed, ie it places the door much to far off the body. So I thought hmm, I will swap it for the hinge on the existing door. WRONG. That hinge puts it flush with the body, but the door is too far forward, so it cannot operate due to interference with the body.
Can anybody clue me in as to what's going on here?
Hi, is your car the early boxy shape or the later CSE shape? The later CSE shape has a 'finger ' lift on the rear edge of the flap. Don't know about the early shape one.
My car is the early, boxy shape. Yet the recess in the body fits the larger, more rounded door from the newer body. That's what has me so puzzled. I have seen other 1991 that didn't have a door mismatch.
just a thought but is it actually a 9000 flap you had to start with - maybe another saab model flap but with a different hinge? that looks really wrong.....does it have a part number on the hinge?
just a thought but is it actually a 9000 flap you had to start with - maybe another saab model flap but with a different hinge? that looks really wrong.....does it have a part number on the hinge?
I am pretty sure that the one on the car is a 9000 flap. It looks identical to the one that was on my '87 9000. I'll check part numbers on both when I get home - didn't think of that. But that still doesn't explain why the new one, which is the correct door, has the hinge that puts it so far off. I'm starting to wonder if '91 and '92 are exclusive years for this part - using the same door as the '93-98, but a different hinge than either older or newer models. I emailed Saab Depot, but haven't heard back from them yet.
I just spoke with Saab Depot. They too were at a loss to explain what's going on. As far as they knew, there are only two style fuel doors for the 9000, that being '86-90 and '91-98. I'm going to email them pictures tonight or tomorrow of both doors and the car. However, it's looking like I will probably just have to fabricate my own mounting bracket/hinge to get the correct door fitted. How very odd... Does anyone have a parts list to verify whether Saab indeed lists only two possible fuel doors, for the years described above?
Not much help from the EPC, or maybe I'm not reading it right, however it suggests there was once a different part no. for 90-92, then at some stage later, that was superceded for just the one part no. for all 90-93.
That later number is also the same for 94-98. Hmmmm
EDIT: Found it.. its called a cover... p/n 4305421 see second pic.. '90-93.. this applies to the 4DR I think, since the above part no. and description came from a 5DR spec.
Sounds weird, but maybe the 4 and 5 dr are different? If you look at the second pic, it looks a bit squarer to my eyes. I can't find an exploded view of the 5DR part, and naming it a filler cap when it really is a "cover" seems a bit odd.
Sorry none of this is much help, but might give some clues.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
SaabCentral Forums
3M posts
119.1K members
Since 2001
SaabCentral forum the most comprehensive Saab resource on the internet. Join our discussions on the Saab 9-3, Saab 9-5, Saab 900, Saab 9000 and all other Saab models, choose your forum.