Short story: car ran fine.. tried to start her up yesterday, battery light was on when I turned the ignition on. Car wouldn't start.
Found there was some acid on the (very old) battery, so replaced that with a new one. Tried to start again today, no luck. Radio works, everything's fine, except the battery light is still on and the car won't start.
I am thinking the regulator in the alternator?
How hard is it to replace this? In a c900 it's a little work but pretty easy. I haven't worked on this 9k alot but I see that the alternator is somewhere "back there"
Any help will be greatly appreciated. I'm on holiday, and I *hate* a no-start condition :evil:
How could it be? are you sure that what you're looking at are volts and not... outside temperature, perhaps? Thinking of it, if you can read the voltage, it means that your on board computer is working, hence the voltage is not zero...
We need more infos about this no-start condition: does it crank? when you try to crank it, what do the lights do? does the tach needle bounce when the engine cranks?
Might be the ignition switch or the ignition relay. "Won't start" isn't enough information.
I very much doubt it is the alternator. It is a PITA to R & R as it is under the upper dogbone engine mount which has to come off partly to get the alternator off. My 1986 9KT is stil running fine on its factory installed alternator 310,000 km, two starters and 7 or 8 batteries later.
We are helpful people, but with your post our reply would have been: that's too bad, what else seems to be wrong?
1) I never noticed the battery light being on when I switch on the ignition. This is normal? Never noticed that. It didn't come on last time I drove it either. That's the weird part, car drove fine all the way to my driveway, but now it's stuck. Well, beter on my driveway than in the middle of the interstate, but still...
2) when I opened the bonnet there was acid on the terminals of the zillion year old battery that came with the car. I didn't pay that much for it but since I'd like it to start every day I went and bought a new battery.
3) new battery's in now, switching on the ignition makes everything work, radio, dashlights, windows, you name it. Indicated voltage is zero though, this is something I had before. Last time I jump started the car (the old battery drained like crazy) it indicated zero too but it went back to fourteen after a few seconds with the engine running.
4) I can crank the engine no problem, needle bounces like it's supposed to.. it just won't start. That's it. No strange behaviour other than it doesn't even sputter. First time it didn't start the engine still gave a little puff of life, but now even that's gone.
It just cranks and cranks... If it were fouled plugs it would at least sputter a little, no? I really sounds like an ignition problem.
Maybe the acid'ed battery fried a relay somewhere? Ignition relay? Injection relay?
Sounds like you have an altinator problem. ther is a silinoid on the altinator that goes bad. you might be able to replace just it or the whole thing might need to be replaced......Good Luck......
If a relay went bad it would cause your meter to read low vaults. On the altenator there is a silinoid that goes bad and will read an incorrect powel level, Resulting in the car not starting like it should. If the car cranks over and no start. Check every fuse in the box. Saab has a wierd wiring system that if (example: radio fuse goes, turn singals don't work). Even thought they have nothing to do with each other. I had a similar problem with fuses on my car.
Also follow all you positive cables to check for breaks and corrosion. Make sure all connection are good.
Let me know and I will show you a site with wiring diagrams for saab if you would like........
Hmmm.. tried priming the fuel pump with a jumper wire and heard nothing.
I'm beginning to think that may be the culplrit.
It would also explain the symptoms: car cranks fine but doesn't start, all the lights work, etc...
Tomorrow I'm going to get out the multimeter to see if I get any voltage at the fuel pump fuse..
Ok, I get what your saying. Cranks over but does not start. Fuel seems to be the problem. The fuel pump is not working? Do you hear a HMMMM from the fuel pump when the car in on accessories. Check all relays and fuses for the fuel pump. If you want to go to www.saabnet.com And enter teh chat ask ask them. They are some good mechanics their that know Saabs well.
Over the years 9000s have had like 6 different fuel pumps, none of which is interchangeable with the others. Even same year cars had different pump installed (different suppliers, Walbro and Bosch) from the factory, and even those are not interchangeable. C900s must have had a similar amount of different pumps over the years. What are the odds that a pump out a C900 will fit a 9000? very small.
Turns out is was the fuel pump
So I got to it :roll:
Checking the fuses.. seemed to be working. Hotwiring the fuel pump did nothing... Also, what a dimwit decided it was a good idea to put all those relays in there???
Taking everything apart.. (excuse the crap pics.. I blame my Razr)
LPG tank was in my way a little... kaboem!
Le culprit:
Hmm... will it fit?
According to my research my '87 900T16 pump was most likely to be the same as the 9k one.. But they didn't even look anything alike :evil:
Took a look at the pump in my '91 c900 n/a, and that one looked similar.. a little. So.. let's play Lego!
In the end I was able to take the pump out of the c900 assembly and put it in the 9k basket.. hooked everyting up. Zoomzoom! Appears to be working.
It's dark now, tomorrow I'll try and put everything back together.
Hope for the best!
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