[Spoolin Joe]

Hey fellow members. I own an 86 900 Turbo , there's a couple of things I need some help on. So bare with me.

-The bouncing speedometer. I've read on "That Saabsite" and read the FAQ's.

-How should my Dash lights come on before startup?? My gearshift light flashes and doesn't illuminate while driving. The Check engine light flashes for about a second. The battery / charge light stays illuminated and the oil pressure one too. Are the other two lights supposed to be the same way?

-The light behind the rear view mirror ONLY illuminates when the passenger's side door is open.

-My heater doesn't blow very hot. Is the switch faulty? Bad thermostat? Is the climate knob supposed to "click" like the fan switch. Because mine doesn't.

-What engine oil should I use for a 220 thousand mile Saab? I wanna change the oil , but I'm not sure what to choose. ( Thickness wise ) I'm probably gonna go with Mobile 1 synthetic 5W-30 turbo diesel and K&N Oil filter.

Thanks.
Joe.

 

[JasenMorrow]

I dont know about the heater issues and the gearshift light. As for the bouncing speedometer could be a loose connection at the back of the instrument panel where the cable connects or possibly a worn drive gear in the transmission. For dash light the battery/charge light and oil shift light are doing exactly what they should do. Cant remember bout the check engine light but I believe it is also functioning correctly as all it does when you first turn the key on is a bulb check. For the light behind the mirror only illuminating when the passenger door is open it may be an issue with the switch that is uses to sense when the door is open is faulty. Easy test is to pull it out and directly ground it and see if the light lights up. And for oil the recommended oil is 10-30 for temperatures above 0 degrees Fahrenheit. I personally only use full synthetic oil and that is what I believe is generally suggested by the majority on here. If you do a quick search for engine oil you will find several threads about it.

 

[Spoolin Joe]

Thanks!!
You guy's are great help.

I also wanna add , my Driver's side fog light does not illuminate. The bulb is good. The connection to the casing is good..
I'll look more into it soon. Has to be a connection / wiring somewhere..

 

[S900t8v]

Hey fellow members. I own an 86 900 Turbo , there's a couple of things I need some help on. So bare with me.

-The bouncing speedometer. I've read on "That Saabsite" and read the FAQ's.
worn speedo cable or dry speedo cable - lube with silicone high temp lube if you want to try to extend it, a new cable is the real fix I believe.

-How should my Dash lights come on before startup?? My gearshift light flashes and doesn't illuminate while driving. The Check engine light flashes for about a second. The battery / charge light stays illuminated and the oil pressure one too. Are the other two lights supposed to be the same way?
check vacuum connectons to shift up light, in fenderwell most people disconnect it because it's dumb and annoying.
other lights normal. No only batt and oil come on,

-The light behind the rear view mirror ONLY illuminates when the passenger's side door is open.
check the door switches are not stuck, check for continuity to ground with door open IIRC. someone else may have better ideas!

-My heater doesn't blow very hot. Is the switch faulty? Bad thermostat? Is the climate knob supposed to "click" like the fan switch. Because mine doesn't.

remove left speaker grille and observe heater control valve -ensure the valve moves when you turn the knob, cold heater can be caused by incorrect thermostat (if temp gauge doesn't climb off the floor) or blocked heater core

no the temp control knob is not meant to click, the air vent selector and others do.

-What engine oil should I use for a 220 thousand mile Saab? I wanna change the oil , but I'm not sure what to choose. ( Thickness wise ) I'm probably gonna go with Mobile 1 synthetic 5W-30 turbo diesel and K&N Oil filter.

Use whatever, just change it and the filter reasonably regularly.
Thanks.
Joe.

Hope this helps