[jor_pau]

Been trying to fix the blend doors on my 2004 9-5. I’ve got the codes 08 and 11. Upon inspection of the passenger side, I do not see an issue with the blend door arm or shaft. Everything seems to be in place, no significant cracks, doors move freely when I pull on the aluminum arms. I went to remove the drivers side but was daunted by the obstructions to remove the step motor to see the blend door arm. Additionally, the recirculating motor on drivers side will often run after shutting the car off.

My questions are, is it possible to get a false reading from running the ACC diagnostics? is the recirculation motor impacting the ability of the diagnostics to be correctly determined?

FWIW, the AC blows cold on the passenger side, the drivers side is cold but not as cold as passenger and the passenger side sometimes blows cold from the right vent when the heat is on.

Appreciate the help!

 

[Doug]

I too have a 2004 9-5.

I believe the recirc motor running after shut down is normal - my 2002 9-3 also did this - its default position is closed for a shut down car. Try manually closing it, shutting down, and see if you can still hear it.

Is your ACC panel the original for the car? They are programmed for what the car left the factory with. For example I have tested "alien" panels in my car and they might report the coolant bypass valve u/s (my car never had one) and the aux pre-heater u/s (not fitted to all, but available as an option).

Even with my car's original panel I once had a ghost fault code, which wasn't there next time I ran the interrogation. I believe I've also read that the diagnostic can't register all faults. It certainly doesn't show a fault for low refrigerant.

Mine needs a re-gas at the moment. The outer vents just do their own thing and get very warm. The design of the HVAC unit is such that even if max cool is requested, the air comes through the filter, then the evaporator, then passes up the face of the heater matrix. A more sensible design would involve avoiding the heater matrix altogether.

Point is, someone on here wrote that when the refrigerant has leaked and the evaporator doesn't get very cold, it does so unevenly. Parts of it get cold, others don't, so it affects the temperature distribution of air from the HVAC box. I can't remember exactly but for example the centre vents are near a certain part of the evaporator and/or heater, the outer outlet ducts leave the box in a different position.

The issue which affects it all the time is of course that the outer ducts involve heat gain due to the length of the ducts. Whereas my 9-5 even when re-gassed has the outers a few degrees warmer than the centres, my 9000 is able to maintain the outers to within a degree of the centre vent. The 9-3 was good too in this respect.

 

[jor_pau]

I too have a 2004 9-5.

I believe the recirc motor running after shut down is normal - my 2002 9-3 also did this - its default position is closed for a shut down car. Try manually closing it, shutting down, and see if you can still hear it.

Is your ACC panel the original for the car? They are programmed for what the car left the factory with. For example I have tested "alien" panels in my car and they might report the coolant bypass valve u/s (my car never had one) and the aux pre-heater u/s (not fitted to all, but available as an option).

Even with my car's original panel I once had a ghost fault code, which wasn't there next time I ran the interrogation. I believe I've also read that the diagnostic can't register all faults. It certainly doesn't show a fault for low refrigerant.

Mine needs a re-gas at the moment. The outer vents just do their own thing and get very warm. The design of the HVAC unit is such that even if max cool is requested, the air comes through the filter, then the evaporator, then passes up the face of the heater matrix. A more sensible design would involve avoiding the heater matrix altogether.

Point is, someone on here wrote that when the refrigerant has leaked and the evaporator doesn't get very cold, it does so unevenly. Parts of it get cold, others don't, so it affects the temperature distribution of air from the HVAC box. I can't remember exactly but for example the centre vents are near a certain part of the evaporator and/or heater, the outer outlet ducts leave the box in a different position.

The issue which affects it all the time is of course that the outer ducts involve heat gain due to the length of the ducts. Whereas my 9-5 even when re-gassed has the outers a few degrees warmer than the centres, my 9000 is able to maintain the outers to within a degree of the centre vent. The 9-3 was good too in this respect.

To answer your question, the ACC panel is not original to the car. I have another ACC panel that I could install and see if I get the same codes.

I don’t think it’s low refrigerant as I had the system recharged in early summer. Also, passenger side blows nice and cold.

 

[Mimmi]

Recirc and temp actuators have tiny electric motor, which have gear who comes up and thus do not reach gearbox gear any more. Press gear back (do not tap it!).
Newer models have hex tube, which cracks and causes similar issues. New version hex tube P/N: 12765864.

 

[EdT]

What's the temp out of the vents on LH and RH side when ACC set to HI temp?

Ditto for ACC set to LO temp?

Saab changed the design of the stepper motors around 2004. It might be that the ACC is expecting a different design of motor.

If the left hand vents don't go cool enough when the A/C is on, but they seem to change the temperature otherwise (like when they have to heat), the A/C system may be undercharged. Low charge seems to first affect the left side of the car. Happened to me and other people here.

If you can find threads (not sure with this new format) we've had discussions about how to get at the LH/driver side blend motor. It's quite possible to leave you stooped and unable to straighten up for days.

 

[andtheHawks]

In short, to your question about ACC showing false codes, YES.

-I have a 2004 9-5 (chassis # after the new stepper motor split, so i have hexagonal blend door tubes (blue) and no disengaged stepper motor gear situation) that has had both blend doors fixed, successfully, and yet the ACC will 8 out of 10 times show at recalibration the 08 and 11 codes.... It will show every time on my tech2 the fault codes (b2495 or something like that)

but the problem is resolved. My very good saab specialist attests to this as well and had no luck clearing codes so they are cleared permanently... just bizarre , and i have learned to live with it (including reopening both sides multiple times to manual check and verify and using tech2 adjustment/run features to verify all is resolved a million times....out of paranoia)

I fixed the blend doors this spring, and now at end of summer, my wife came home saying the a/c was blowing hot and warm.... oh fart... i opened everything up again and verified manually that it wasnt the blend doors (as of course acc recalibration always show blend door codes)
I just started there first.

but yes, the air on drivers side was like warm to hot... the passenger side tepid to cool.....

a quick look using tech2 showed the high side pressure on the system was low (like 120 psi or 8 bar when it should be over 16 or 225psi)

i took it to be recharged and man, the a/c works like i never knew it could (we bought it used and a/c was always a little week (compared to our 9-3 and 9000)

I hear you say that it was recharged this year.... but maybe its time to do a quick pressure test... verify no leaks..

Youve got to be sure about the pressure, and if thats good then yes, the driver side has to be opened up to verffy blend door workings...the driver side is a bear. try sourcing a carburetor screw driver with long flexible shaft. the screws on the stepper motors are very equivalent to 1/4 drive bit-end of these... and the bending shaft helps a lot to reach the screws....

also just take time to remove the brake stop arm thing....two 10mm blots i think... it makes so much more room to work in.

and it cant hurt to check the cabin air filter... clogged ones can show a variety of symptoms....including warmer air temps from vents....

i dont know quite why the 08, 11 codes remain, i have a few thoughts....but thats a different opera.

good luck.
pressure test to be sure sure....

 

[jor_pau]

What's the temp out of the vents on LH and RH side when ACC set to HI temp?

Ditto for ACC set to LO temp?

Saab changed the design of the stepper motors around 2004. It might be that the ACC is expecting a different design of motor.

If the left hand vents don't go cool enough when the A/C is on, but they seem to change the temperature otherwise (like when they have to heat), the A/C system may be undercharged. Low charge seems to first affect the left side of the car. Happened to me and other people here.

If you can find threads (not sure with this new format) we've had discussions about how to get at the LH/driver side blend motor. It's quite possible to leave you stooped and unable to straighten up for days.

I don’t have a proper thermometer to check the actual temperature of the lh and rh side. I think you might be onto something about low charge. I’ll look into it. Thanks for your input.

 

[EdT]

I don’t have a proper thermometer to check the actual temperature of the lh and rh side. I think you might be onto something about low charge. I’ll look into it. Thanks for your input.

You don't really need a thermometer for a very basic check.

Run the car. Shut off the A/C by pressing ECON. Now run the temp on both sides to LO. You should get air out of vents on both sides at pretty much outside temperature, maybe a touch warmer. (Assuming the rad fan isn't blowing hot air back towards the air intake at the base of the windshield.)

Now run the temp on both sides to HI. Both sides should go full hot.

The difference in temperatures between LO and HI are obvious. The sides should feel about the same temperature. (Let the system run for a minute or two on each setting to bring the ducts etc. temp to equilibrium.)

If one side or the other does not change temperature, then it's one or both blend doors. If both sides do change temp in sync with the temp setting on the ACC, then the blend doors are working fine on both sides. Since we're doing this with ECON selected, the A/C condition does not enter the picture.

Now if you turn on A/C by switching to full AUTO, and the driver side does not go nearly as cold as the passenger, then the system is undercharged. It should be charged by weight, not by pressure. And it may be leaking as well.

 

[jor_pau]

In short, to your question about ACC showing false codes, YES.

-I have a 2004 9-5 (chassis # after the new stepper motor split, so i have hexagonal blend door tubes (blue) and no disengaged stepper motor gear situation) that has had both blend doors fixed, successfully, and yet the ACC will 8 out of 10 times show at recalibration the 08 and 11 codes.... It will show every time on my tech2 the fault codes (b2495 or something like that)

but the problem is resolved. My very good saab specialist attests to this as well and had no luck clearing codes so they are cleared permanently... just bizarre , and i have learned to live with it (including reopening both sides multiple times to manual check and verify and using tech2 adjustment/run features to verify all is resolved a million times....out of paranoia)

I fixed the blend doors this spring, and now at end of summer, my wife came home saying the a/c was blowing hot and warm.... oh fart... i opened everything up again and verified manually that it wasnt the blend doors (as of course acc recalibration always show blend door codes)
I just started there first.

but yes, the air on drivers side was like warm to hot... the passenger side tepid to cool.....

a quick look using tech2 showed the high side pressure on the system was low (like 120 psi or 8 bar when it should be over 16 or 225psi)

i took it to be recharged and man, the a/c works like i never knew it could (we bought it used and a/c was always a little week (compared to our 9-3 and 9000)

I hear you say that it was recharged this year.... but maybe its time to do a quick pressure test... verify no leaks..

Youve got to be sure about the pressure, and if thats good then yes, the driver side has to be opened up to verffy blend door workings...the driver side is a bear. try sourcing a carburetor screw driver with long flexible shaft. the screws on the stepper motors are very equivalent to 1/4 drive bit-end of these... and the bending shaft helps a lot to reach the screws....

also just take time to remove the brake stop arm thing....two 10mm blots i think... it makes so much more room to work in.

and it cant hurt to check the cabin air filter... clogged ones can show a variety of symptoms....including warmer air temps from vents....

i dont know quite why the 08, 11 codes remain, i have a few thoughts....but thats a different opera.

good luck.
pressure test to be sure sure....

Thanks for that great info. Time to take it into my Saab mechanic. I also appreciate the encouragement to check the drivers side step motor. Good to know it’s just 2 screws in the way holding that brake thingy. FYI...The date of manufacturing for my 9-5 is 11/03.