first thing, take the battery out and recharge it over 24 hours on a trickle charger. then see if the symptoms go away. connecting the battery backwards is likely to have damaged a number of things though, if the car was off when this happened, the damage may be limited. the alternator is permanently connected to the battery so it's likely that it's suffered damage. given that the car starts and runs, other stuff may be ok though i don't think that's likely...

 

Charge the battery like cdaly said and then get a voltmeter, even a cheap one would do, and see if the alternator is charging the battery.
Just the battery being run down tells you there is a problem in the charging circuit somewhere.

As cdaly has said there are a number of things that could have sustained damage when the battery was put in backwards, possibly even the ecu.

The gear selector is an easy fix. There is a cable that runs from the tranny to the shifter. This cable is secured at the gear selector by a little screw/bolt. Over time the cable can strech and/or slip leaving the gear selector out of wack.

Take the center part around the gear selector and handbrake off and loosen the screw/bolt and move the gear selector to where its supposed to be and tighten it back into position.

Of course I can't restart it then as it is so difficult to get into P.

Put it in neutral, or in your case whatever position is neutral. It should start there as well. The park/neutral switch is doing this, its there to keep autobox driver from starting it in gear. Auto's will only start in P or N.

 

as cdaly says if connected wrong way the first thing to be hit would be the alternator , hence part of the flat battery(not charging well enough)but it has damaged other items(electronic management etc) as the fuse protection is last in line so no use at all, and some items may have suffered and just by being used are deteriorating(thats a mouthfull to spell) so affecting the cars running.

 

After you get it charged and running check the output of the alternator.
Just out of curiosity, switch your voltmeter over to AC voltage, maybe the rectifier is fried but not open. God only knows what would happen if you were charging AC, but it might do what you describe.
8 valve or 16?

 

Need some pictures and more advice

Is there anyway someone could snap a couple pictures to let me see what the alternator wires look like? Also the engine control computer--where is it? I could just swap it from my 85 900t. If they are the same. Lastly I don't know what the alt. volt regulator looks like. No prob if no one can do this, I thank you for your help. There IS a wire attached to a bolt at the top of the alternator that is clearly...CLEARLY after market and is going nowhere. The alternator has definately been replaced, it looks as though recently. It is painted gun metal grey and is clean. If the alternator was not hooked up right, could that cause the engine to stall? Some type of fuel injection problem due to no juice going to the computer?

 

try the Electrical section of the FAQ http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62123

 

There IS a wire attached to a bolt at the top of the alternator that is clearly...CLEARLY after market and is going nowhere.

Sounds like that might be the ground wire. Saab alternators ride on rubber bushing and so must be grounded. If this is indeed the ground wiring it would keep the alternator from charging the battery and the car would gradually run down and start running like a three legged dog before eventually dying. I ran one about 10-15 miles with the ground wire disconected before it finally ran the battery down so far it died.

I've seen them grounded to the fender and to the engine but never both, check and make sure the wire is not hot and you do not already have a ground wire, and then I'd replace the wire and ground it to one or another, your choice.

 

If you look thru my threads, I just went through some of the same things with both my cars....the electrical issue on one, and the shifter issue on the other! Hopefully they can help you with your problem. I wish I was in Chicago I'd come get that free car with the BLEEP starter.

Anyhoo good luck! $200 is not bad

 

ALternator diodes

Having witnessed first hand a battery installed in reverse polarity, I can tell you that the smoke from the diode pack was green.
With that said, and to affirm others in the posts, conduct alternator tests to confirm proper operation. Question: when the person connectec the battery in reverse polarity, did he immediately stop and restore it to normal or did he go into the car and turn the key? I am just guessing that this would cause problem with anything electronic.

 

When, like an idiot, I managed to connect the battery on my 8v up the wrong way the only thing that got fried was alternator. I'm still not sure whether it was the voltage regulator or the diode pack, but I suspect the latter.

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Yahooooooo

Well I replaced the ignition coil from my other defunct 900t and grounded the alternator via a huge, goofy-looking wire running from the top of the alternator. I had no idea what the wire was--thought the previous owner might have gone insane. It's running great now, but for one thing. It doesn't want to shift out of fourth. What RPM should an automatice be running at when you are 55-65mph?

 

It's running great now, but for one thing. It doesn't want to shift out of fourth.

Saab automatics were a 3 speed, a Borg Warner T37 or some such thing I believe. You have no 4th gear or overdrive and the tranny was geared to run at 55mph as that was the speed limit of the era. Because of this highway use is going to result in a rather high rpm and fuel economy at higher speeds is going to suffer as a direct result. Quite truthfully they are poor highway vehicles but are absolutely great for city runabouts.

I haven't driven my automatic in a while but if my memory serves me right you will be running around 2900-3000 rpm at 55-60.

 

Cool. As I said before in my post I am having a bit o traouble getting it back into park. If I push the shifter forward to where it should be and give it a wack the button will pop up and it will stick in P. Is tightening the cable tension on that going to help? Is there a guide anywhere to doing it?

 

Saab automatics were a 3 speed, a Borg Warner T37 or some such thing I believe. You have no 4th gear or overdrive and the tranny was geared to run at 55mph as that was the speed limit of the era. Because of this highway use is going to result in a rather high rpm and fuel economy at higher speeds is going to suffer as a direct result. Quite truthfully they are poor highway vehicles but are absolutely great for city runabouts.

I haven't driven my automatic in a while but if my memory serves me right you will be running around 2900-3000 rpm at 55-60.

AH-HA I was going to ask the same question! This is my first (and last) Saab automatic, and I thought it was odd that I was hauling at 60 and the rpms were, like you said, 2900-3000...I miss my 5-speed already. This auto will be my daughter's so I can keep looking for a 16V 5-speed to replace my 8V.

I wonder what'll happen if I try to get it up to 75-80 mph?

 

80 mph is certainly attainable. But I'm not sure I'd want to actually cruise any higher than that. An auto is certainly capable of getting near the ton, but that's about it. Been there, but mostly cruised it at >3000RPM.
I too had the exact same thought regarding kids. My 5 year old asks me a lot if I'm going to keep my T8 forever. I know what he's thinking...I want to drive daddy's car! But I'm putting him in an 8V auto. Stylish, safe and slow:cheesy:

 

Cool. As I said before in my post I am having a bit o traouble getting it back into park. If I push the shifter forward to where it should be and give it a wack the button will pop up and it will stick in P. Is tightening the cable tension on that going to help? Is there a guide anywhere to doing it?

I just did this last weekend. You have to remove the center plastic console around the shifter and ignition switch first.
If you practially lie down on the driver's floor and look under the shifter, you'll see sort of a 'notch' in the metal. You'll see a little black allen head screw thru that notch...you might have to shift back and forth to move it to the opening. It was a pain, but you loosen it and adjust your shifter. I blocked the wheels and put the tranny in N (no matter what the shifter says, as long as the tranny is in neutral) then loosened the screw, adjust the shifter, and tightened it back up.
Took a handful of tries to get it right. Be patient!
Good luck!

 

80 mph is certainly attainable. But I'm not sure I'd want to actually cruise any higher than that. An auto is certainly capable of getting near the ton, but that's about it. Been there, but mostly cruised it at >3000RPM.
I too had the exact same thought regarding kids. My 5 year old asks me a lot if I'm going to keep my T8 forever. I know what he's thinking...I want to drive daddy's car! But I'm putting him in an 8V auto. Stylish, safe and slow:cheesy:

HAH! same here! My son wants the red 8V for some reason, and daughter wants the silver automatic 16V. This is probably the only reason I'll keep them around (the cars I mean) I'm wanting a turbo, 16V 5-speed in the near future. When I turn 40 I want a convertible!

 

we have an lpt vert auto the speed for 3000 rpm is 60mph where in a 5 speed is 70mph. it only works out about 5mpg less. as regards top speed it has been at 100mph no problem, even saw off a70's v8 corvette stingray for acceleration at 70mph. main reason i believe for no 4th gear not enough room with the torque converter/ other bits required being front wheel drive, where as we had a jag xjs auto (which is rear wheel drive) plenty of room and that had a 4th speed what came in at about 50 mph giving you good mileage (30mpg) for a 3.6 ltr car, although the v12 5.3 ltr(later 6ltr) only had a 3 speed box. but who worries about petrol mpg if you have a v12

 

we have an lpt vert auto the speed for 3000 rpm is 60mph where in a 5 speed is 70mph. it only works out about 5mpg less. as regards top speed it has been at 100mph no problem, even saw off a70's v8 corvette stingray for acceleration at 70mph. main reason i believe for no 4th gear not enough room with the torque converter/ other bits required being front wheel drive, where as we had a jag xjs auto (which is rear wheel drive) plenty of room and that had a 4th speed what came in at about 50 mph giving you good mileage (30mpg) for a 3.6 ltr car, although the v12 5.3 ltr(later 6ltr) only had a 3 speed box. but who worries about petrol mpg if you have a v12

I agree, there was simply not enough room to cram another clutch pack in there.

The powerbands on the autobox's are awesome though, I would love to get a autobox turbo.

Am I right in assuming there is virtually no turbo lag inbetween gear changes 16saabs?

I belive there were 2 final drives/rear ends/whatever you want to call them available for the autoboxes, a lower and a slightly higher. I'm not sure how they decided which to put what on. Perhaps they put the lower on the n/a's because of the lower torque and the higher on the turbos because of the higher torque and it would give a wider powerband?? :roll:
Or maybe 16 valve n/a's and turbos had the higher and the 8 valve n/a's got the lower. Maybe it was up to a little troll sitting on the assembly line who said yea or nae.

I always believed my 88 n/a had the lower rear end because it was such a peppy car and ran so high rpm-wise but I don't know for sure. I do know that now that I've dropped a 1992 2.1 in it and tuned up the tranny it will hit 60 in apprx 10 seconds, (timed by the driver's wristwatch while he was busy driving). Like I said its a peppy little car.

Before putting the 2.1lt in it it maxed out at 105-107 mph. This was due to power not redline, however if I recall right it was rather near the redline too. I found this out when I was responding to an emergency, I do not recommend takeing your car out to the max on public roads for the fun of it. :nono;

I've not maxed it out since I put the 2.1 in it and have no intention of doing so, but if one did, and if one opened up the rather constrictive factory intake with say a K&N :cheesy: before doing so, then I am quite confident you could take it out to the Redline.

They may not be highway cruisers but as I've said before, they do make great stop and start vehicles in town.

 

Knowing is half the battle...

Now that I know it only has three gears I'm enjoying the hell out of it. The last vehicle I rode in that was a three gear was a Jeep CJ-3 with a 396 in it. This is my sixth 900, and have had SPG and straight Ts but this is fun for the pure uniquness of it. I'm not uncomfordable cruising at 80mph, the least worry I've had with any of my Saabs has been engine integrity. I'm sure they presumed that, even back in 1986, that the "bedrock madmen" of the times would be running steady at 75+. It still gets satisfactory gas mileage (compared to most cars out there today) and only 124,000k on it--which is only halfway there as far as my experience dictates.

On another tip: can anyone direct me to a good brake change thread or FAQ?

Danke,

Orph

 

Which bits are you looking to change? Pads, discs, calipers, hoses or fluid!

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