Starting / electrical problems

[sagedil]

My 89 vert generally starts up no problems. This morning I went to the doctor and back with no problem.

This afternoon, I go to start her up, dash lights come on, but nothing. No click, won't turn over. I try again, and now all the dash lights are off.

I check the fuses, and 10 minutes later, try again. The dash lights come on again, but again, no click, nothing. And again the dash lights won't come on on my 2nd try. Nothing works

Basically, the electrical is dead. So, I come in and start reading the 6 pages of starting problems that come up in my search. Every 15 minutes, I go out, tug at cables, re-check fuses, and nothing. The parking light won't come on. After reading the last post on page 6, before I am about to yell hear for help. I go out, once again tug at the battery, check ground wires, all looks good. Go to try her again and she comes alive and starts right up.

So.... now to try and better understand what is happening. I still have been unable to get my hands on a Bently, so I am flying kind of blind here. And tweaking cars is not my strong suit. Can anyone give me ideas on why this happened, what I need to look at so it doesn't happen again? As always, any help is much appreciated

on a completely unrelated note, I now know why my right high beam didn't work. who wudda thunk that each high beam has their own fuse. Sure enough, it was toast. Why I love my Saab, I learn a little more every week

[16saabs]

sounds like crap battery connections, take them off and give inside of leads and mounts on battery a good clean with glasspaper 80-100grit should do, and put a bit of grease /vaseline on the battery mounts and reconnect, and hopefully of you go

[sagedil]

That's on my list for Saturday. Figured that I should at least do that much. what I find so strange is that she will be perfect for a month, then do this, then be perfect another month before she does it again.

[nuclear_jimbo]

Check the main earth connection on the front crossmember where the engine is earthed. Take the bolt out, separate each ring terminal and clean both sides until bright and make sure that there is bright metal on the body where it all bolts onto. If this doesn't fix it (and I'd be surprised if it didn't), repeat it with the earthing point on the other side of the crossmember.

Multiplexed earths seem to have a habit of causing otherwise inexplicable electrical faults - my favourite was turning on the ignition, having everything come on OK until I turned the starter. The left-hand indicators came on dim but steady, main beam warning light lit up and the rev counter read 6,500rpm, accompanied by a howling noise from the ignition switch relay until I turned the ignition off. This was caused by the tiniest bit of muck under the main engine earth...