[ygdude]

Hello
Just picked up a 89900 turbo convertible

Previous owner said it died on his way home. He could get it to run when jumping the fuses

When I checked the car out it did crank over.

We hauled it home on a flat car hauler trailer

Now I cannot get it to crank over to start diagnostics on the no start issue.

The key seems pretty loose. Hard to tell when you go past ignition and on to start position.

In what o think is ignition spot the battery light comes on and move it the key a bit more clockwise the check engine light comes on. I do get a rely click above the ecu and one in the fields box.

Lights and other features work

Acts like an open switch or immobilized somehow.

I’ve tried moving the shifter around in both park and neutral with no luck.

Any thoughts where to look on getting it to turn over?

Thanks

 

[ygdude]

I guess another question is what is a good way to test.

Is there a place to jumper without taking the console apart or jumping at the starter?

And is it likely the electrical switch part or the key tumbler unit?

Thanks

 

[16saabs]

1 first push and hold the gear selector really forward,when you turn the ignition on to start postion. we had one that would 'play up' occasionally, might be the electric switch on the bottom of the lever is not lining up correctly, but then another time it works?, or it's come loose, so then looses contact, so circuit breaks=car stall/stops or not start.

 

[jvanabra]

Search TSI socket on this forum - within the last month or two I posted the pinout.

 

[ygdude]

Thanks
I couldn’t find your post with the pin info. And of course the pins aren’t labeled either

However. I talked to the PO and he said he had some trouble with stiff key and lubed it withWD40. So I sprayed some penetrating oil in and let it sit a bit and sure enough I could turn the key enough to kick the starter in.

So I took a minute to look at some things ( not much as the car is at a friends house) and we Do have spark.

I noticed that when turning the key on to ignition the tach needle jumped a bit. When cranking the needle wiggled a little like it did with ignition on did but did not move or bounce while cranking.

Distributor sensor check next?? Need to read the book (Bentley).

Thanks

 

[jvanabra]

Sounds like the ignition switch, honestly.

 

[Jim Mesthene]

You could run it from the TSI socket if it's just a bad ignition switch.

 

[ygdude]

a good thought. I hope it is that "simple" (looks like switches are hard to find) which pin is which in the TSI socket? I couldn't find jvanabra's schematic when searching. and of course there are no pin #s on the socket it's self. The #1 clockwise or Counter clockwise from the blank pin (hole with no connector closest to the front of the car)?

THANKS!!

 

[jvanabra]

This thread:

900S starter not spinning

Like the title says the starter is not spinning. I have not started it for a little over a year. I put in a new battery and when I turn the key I get no response from the solenoid or the starter. Not even a click. I hear the fuel pump going briefly, the lights, windows, etc. all work. While...

www.saabcentral.com

9th post.

 

[ygdude]

got it
1 is +30 (battery power)
2 is ground
3 is starter solenoid
4 is +15 (switched power)
5 is RPM signal
6 is empty

Which pin is #1? and which is #6? i can sort the rest out from there. when i probe with meter the pin to the left of the blank hole towards the front of the car and probe each of the other pins they all read battery voltage. i don't want to just jumper and short something out.

THanks again.

 

[jvanabra]

Put the meter in VDC mode on the terminal next to the empty hole and the body. If you get battery voltage, that's #1. If you get nothing, that's #5.

 

[Rodentmaster]

I gather this is your first venture into a classic 900....?
There have been many examples in this forum of ignition key/start issues where the degradation of the ignition key 'function' has been the result of contamination of the key barrel mechanism.
This condition appears to have a high occurrence in convertibles where the cabin has a higher exposure to the outside world - sun, sand, rain, snow, drinks, coffee, food.....you name it.....all collecting in the low point of the console.
It might be worthwhile to take the time to dismantle the centre console and discover/learn the construct and mechanism involved in the ignition switch function.
It is not conventional - (as in key barrel directly turning switch rotor).....the key barrel rotates a gear set which, rotates the ignition switch, mounted away from the key barrel..
Awkward? yes......repairable? yes.
If you have the time and dexterity (and patience) the key and barrel assy can be removed and serviced, new tumbler blades etc... and the ignition switch can be removed, dismantled, cleaned and re-greased.
Depending on what you want from the car, I would be avoiding any drastic wiring alterations to add or ad-hoc into service points etc...opens up other points to failure to possibly let you down later on......just a humble opinion

 

[ygdude]

Thanks for the info I thought at some point I would go into the console and clean and lube things.
Will try the TSI jumper next to see if it will run that way and continue the non-running diagnosis

Not our first 900 classic but it’s been 23 years and I didn’t have to do much on the 83 turbo other than cv boots ball joints and header pipe. Of course it ran fine too. This one I picked up reasonably priced but not running. Needs some tlc but is solid as it was in Florida much of its life. It is a 30 year old car so I know it’s going to have some things to work on.

Thanks

 

[ygdude]

Tonight I checked the ignition by jumping the TSI.connector. And it did not start. So it seems that rules out the ignition switch

I was going to check the hall sensor in the distributor. But I could not figure out how to unconnect the connector. How do they come apart? I didn’t want to break anything so I didn’t try to hard. Does the wire slide off??

Thanks.

 

[ygdude]

I forgot to mention
The connector on the side of the distributor is very loose. Actually it’s not really attached

 

[jvanabra]

Just to be clear, when jumping with the TSI socket you powered both the +15 circuit AND the starter, true? If +15 isn't energized, the ECM is off so the car definitely won't start.

Also, please define "crank over." This phrase means "the engine doesn't spin." This is a starter or ignition switch issue. If you mean "it won't start" (the engine spins, but the engine doesn't run) that's a different issue. That could be the Hall sensor. It sounds to me you have a running issue, not a cranking issue.

On an '89, you should have the square connector on the distributor. It disconnects just like virtually every other connector in the engine bay - IAC, injectors, TPS, O2 sensor, etc. Release the wire clip, withdraw the connector. It should take virtually no effort.

 

[ygdude]

understand the confusion. the post started out as a no crank = starter is not working post. Now that is solved (sticky switch/key needed lubed) i'm back to figuring out why it wont run. The PO said it would run when jumping the Fuel pump relay. I have not actually tried that yet.

No i did not jump both pins, 3 and 4 in the TSI socket at the same time I jumped #4 and then used the key to turn the starter. I"ll try jumping both at the same time.

on the connector. "releasing the wire clip" is where i am stuck. too hard to tell/see on any of the connectors like that which way to push/pull slide the clip. I'd rather ask than break stuff and have more to fix

Thanks again for the help

 

[ygdude]

I jumpered the TSI plug 3 and 4 at the same time. Nothing

Poked around and jumped the fuel pump fuse and could hear the pump running and hear fuel flowing in the engine components

Jumped the 3 and 4 TSI pins again and it almost started. Tried again nothing
Touched the fuel pump fuses again and back to the TSI pins and it tried to run again. Ha. No fuel pump power. Basically when I activated the pump for a short bit it pressurized the system enough to get it to try to run.

Pressurized the fuel pump again and tried the key and again it almost started.

Didn’t have a good way to truly jump the fuse box by my self.

So. I think I’m looking at a bad fuel pump relay or bad ECU. unfortunately I won’t have time to go back at it for about a week.

Thanks

 

[jvanabra]

'89s are notorious for killing the fuel pump energizing circuit in the ECM, so given your problems, that's a likely explanation. You can energize the fuel pump directly through the fuse in the fuse box, or by jumpering the relay at the ECM. You could also go back to easier techniques and check to see if you have spark (inline spark tester), injector pulses (noid light), and fuel pressure (fuel pressure tester).

 

[ygdude]

Computer

got one from eebay and it fired right up

first place sent me one from a 1990 9000 turbo. Didn’t try it as I didn’t want to mess anything up. This one is from a 1990 900 turbo. Will probably try to get a spare if I can find one. Maybe a spare distributor and ignition switch. Not too many yards here have 900 classics. Even the euro yard doesn’t. Of course northern Indiana was not a popular spotfor Saab.
Thanks for the help. Now on to the other things that need attention. But will make a new post for that.