My 9-3 has been running pretty trouble free for about a year, maybe too well. Starting the car one day, I got the dreaded “Gearbox malfunction. Limited performance. Contact dealer..” on the SID. Was thinking the Saab was done for since it sounded like an expensive fix. First stop was to go straight to Saab Central forums and soon had hope that things might not be too bad. Seems more and more like the issue was with a malfunctioning Crank Position Sensor (CPS). The local O’reilly autoparts store put in a special order and it arrived later that day. Total cost was about $24. Still was dragging my feet since a lot of people were saying the car had to be lifted in order to remove the starter motor to get at the CPS. That’s when I came across a comment by Jn2 saying that he was able to replace the CPS from the top in about 10 minutes. This is the thread
http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194998
Took me about 30 minutes because I wasn’t sure where everything was. Hopefully the pictures and write up will make it easier for the next guy.
Replacement part: ACDelco #213-4704, made in Germany
Tools required
- 10mm socket
- 6” socket extension
- torx bit
- pair of pliers
- screwdriver
- flashlight
Procedure
These were the steps I took and am not responsible any damages or injuries that may occur. I tried inserting the pictures in line, but it said access denied. Now that’s out of the way, begin by using the 10mm socket to remove the negative battery cable and tuck it out of the way. Next use the torx bit to remove the plastic engine cover. I removed the fan plug to give a bit more room to work with (see pic below). Remove the 10mm bolt. Pinch down on the tab and pull the plug off the CPS.
Once the plug is off, use a plyer to gently wiggle the old CPS out. Make sure the rubber seal on the old CPS also came out. Take the new one and lightly lube the rubber seal with some vaseline. Push the new CPS in, making sure that the hole for the bolt aligns with the one on the engine block. Install the 10 mm bolt and put everything back (fan plug, engine cover, battery cable, etc..).
Started the car and still got the gearbox malfunction message. =\ Turned the car off and started the car again. This time there was no more error message and haven’t had one since. =) This was about two weeks ago so hope this will last. Hope this works for you. The picture of the flashlight is what I used to light up the area. Not sure where I found the idea for this flashlight but it really helps to get the light exactly where you need it. Cheap $10 flashlight with zooming focus, microphone holder with flexible camera tripod.
http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194998
Took me about 30 minutes because I wasn’t sure where everything was. Hopefully the pictures and write up will make it easier for the next guy.
Replacement part: ACDelco #213-4704, made in Germany
Tools required
- 10mm socket
- 6” socket extension
- torx bit
- pair of pliers
- screwdriver
- flashlight
Procedure
These were the steps I took and am not responsible any damages or injuries that may occur. I tried inserting the pictures in line, but it said access denied. Now that’s out of the way, begin by using the 10mm socket to remove the negative battery cable and tuck it out of the way. Next use the torx bit to remove the plastic engine cover. I removed the fan plug to give a bit more room to work with (see pic below). Remove the 10mm bolt. Pinch down on the tab and pull the plug off the CPS.
Once the plug is off, use a plyer to gently wiggle the old CPS out. Make sure the rubber seal on the old CPS also came out. Take the new one and lightly lube the rubber seal with some vaseline. Push the new CPS in, making sure that the hole for the bolt aligns with the one on the engine block. Install the 10 mm bolt and put everything back (fan plug, engine cover, battery cable, etc..).
Started the car and still got the gearbox malfunction message. =\ Turned the car off and started the car again. This time there was no more error message and haven’t had one since. =) This was about two weeks ago so hope this will last. Hope this works for you. The picture of the flashlight is what I used to light up the area. Not sure where I found the idea for this flashlight but it really helps to get the light exactly where you need it. Cheap $10 flashlight with zooming focus, microphone holder with flexible camera tripod.
