[FoxEWolf]

Hello All,

Firstly, I have never joined a car forum before, so forgive me if I say or ask something stupid.

I have purchased a Used '97 NG900 and it has been a wonderful car, but I have recently ran into 2 issues that may need to be addressed. I am aware that Saabs can be expensive to fix, so I want to make sure that I talk with some experts on this.

First issue is that when I fill up with gas, There is a dripping leak that is present from a rubber hose that leads from the filler cap to the tank. What do I do to go about fixing this. It drives fine, no leaks after 10-20 miles of driving on highway.

The second is that a Pulley seems to now rattle and wobble when I drive at lower speeds. It started about 2 weeks ago. I have attached the pulley that is the culprit.

My 900 is a 2.3 N/A with 137k miles and 4sp Auto.

I have been meaning to join these forums as I love my Saab, but in turn I need my Saab to love my wallet too as I am still in College.

 

[jakejm79]

For your first issue, I suspect the rear tire has rubbed a hole in the filler neck, what happens is the bolt/nut that holds the filler neck in place rusts away and then it has a little movement and can be rubbed by the tire, alternatively wider wheels/tires could have been installed. If that is the case I would throughly clean the area then patch it with some kind of epoxy that isn't effected by fuel or the like. It could also be that the clamp that holds the filler neck to the tank has rusted away and is no longer holding the neck tight, a simple clamp replacement should fix this, though if it's leaking from higher up I suspect the first one is your issue.

That pulley is attached to the water pump and is only replaceable has a whole unit, over time the bearing wears allowing some wobble, which then allows the pulley to make contact with the timing cover on that side of the engine. You want to get this taken care of sooner rather than later, expect to pay around $500 for a professional to install or spend around 4 hours of your own time on this 2.5/5 spanner job. Consider having the other hoses replaced around the same time, particularly the U shaped hose that sits right behind the pulley.

 

[FoxEWolf]

Thank you so much for the information. I will have my mechanic take a look at these issues. It sounds like the Water Pump may be a higher priority. I will probably have them replace the belt as well. Do you think this Water Pump issue could wait for 1 month?

As a whole, especially inside the car, I think Saabs are easy to work on. I had to replace the SID already.

 

[jakejm79]

If it is already wobbling enough it is hitting the side of the engine, then unfortunately not (it can wear a hole through the timing cover and then life becomes very difficult and expensive). If it just has a slight wobbling then you might be OK for a while, can you hear a metal on metal sound from that area?

 

[FoxEWolf]

When I see it wobble, I only see it hitting the side towards the frame. It is just a slight wobble that i can hear at low speed. There is no scraping as far as I can see.

Any advice on keeping the SID legible?

 

['97 Saab SE Turbo]

Send the SID to BBA-Reman.com. They give a lifetime warranty on their work. They also sell their services on eBay for less than their website... Ron

 

[BobSaabit]

If the pulley is wobbling enough to hit anything, you need to replace the water pump ASAP. If it just has a little wobble in it then you might be able to wait a little while, but not very long.

 

[limon]

You have a great new car, with good attention and care it will last a very long time! When you say 4 speed, do you mean automatic transmission?

The year and model car you have is the best for saabs, at least I believe it is. My '97 900 S was a manual transmission with excellent mileage 31-36 mpg and nothing ever happened to it other than every 50-80,000 miles I had to replace a component or tires. Things like that. After a while, you can anticipate which one is about to go next and prepare for it.

After nine faithful years and 283,000 miles I sold it and it should continue to run indefinitely. Enjoy your new car! the repairs are worth what you pay, for the investment you will get.

 

[FoxEWolf]

I totally agree that I have a great car. I have made a service appointment with my trusty mechanic who wanted to sell me his personal 900 S 5spd. He knows about Saab repairs, so I trust him.

I do have a 4spd Auto Transmission in mine and I have NEVER seen one on the road like mine. I have the Coupe Hatch, which I have only seen 2 of in my area, Mine and my mechanic's.

There is only two things that I had trouble getting used to. Ignition Position and NO cupholders. Everything else is a dream.

 

[EdT]

I do have a 4spd Auto Transmission in mine and I have NEVER seen one on the road like mine. I have the Coupe Hatch, which I have only seen 2 of in my area, Mine and my mechanic's.

There is only two things that I had trouble getting used to. Ignition Position and NO cupholders. Everything else is a dream.

I have a coupé too. (Saab used the é so I do too.) The doors can be awkward to open in a crowded parking lot, but the car looks better than the five-door. Cleaner body lines, more like a classic 900 CombiCoupé.

Once you are used to the ignition location, it will be second nature. Anyone who tries to drive your car will be poking around the steering column in puzzlement.

In theory, you have, or can get, a cupholder that sits under the door at the back of the console. It holds a cup or bottle just fine, but maybe a bit too well, since it often stays with the cup/bottle when you take it out to drink, and not in the console.

 

[BobSaabit]

You can pick up the console cupholders/changeholders on Ebay for a reasonable price most of the time.

If you can't find one, turn on "Private Messaging" in your profile here and then PM me. I have one I was planning on selling that you can have for a good price.

 

[Saabohème]

If you can't find one, turn on "Private Messaging" in your profile here and then PM me. I have one I was planning on selling that you can have for a good price.

Wait until you have 10 posts before you attempt to PM, as I see you only have 6 posts at the time I am writing this. When you hit the 10 post count, log out of SC and then log back in. You should then be able to send a PM.

 

[FoxEWolf]

You can pick up the console cupholders/changeholders on Ebay for a reasonable price most of the time.

If you can't find one, turn on "Private Messaging" in your profile here and then PM me. I have one I was planning on selling that you can have for a good price.

I will hit you up on that. I am still posting stuff to this forum, but I am 3 posts away.

 

[FoxEWolf]

Wait until you have 10 posts before you attempt to PM, as I see you only have 6 posts at the time I am writing this. When you hit the 10 post count, log out of SC and then log back in. You should then be able to send a PM.

Only 2 Posts to go.

 

[FoxEWolf]

Thank you to everyone here. I have finally gotten the rattle fixed. Just as said, the Water Pump pulley got misaligned and was killing the belt. I got into the parking lot of my mechanic as the belt finally snapped.

3 hours later, my car is once again quiet and I am reassured that my Saab is in working order. Now, I need to work on my tie-rods (I think they have about 9-12 months left)

 

[Tap804]

Coupes are a rare sight, i know of two in my region my self and another, at least with a hatch. You see quite a few more verts crawling around, almost none with mods

congrats on you new car, and welcome. Glad you got it all sorted out.