You already know P0442 indicates there is a small leak somewhere in the pipework,easy enough to check in the engine bay but unfortunately if its on the tank side it wont be so easy.
Troubleshooting will require pressurising the system and maybe eventually dropping the tank,following the steps in the WIS.
If you can pressurise the system it should be possible to work out which side has the leak.

 

yea, I have the same schematic from the WIS, I was just hoping that someone would say " look behind the thingamajig and that pipe is likely the one that broke" so I wouldn't have to be looking from here to eternity

thanks, looks like a trip to my dad's house where my compressor lives now is in my future

 

****…I’m still looking for it…cnt seem to find any diagrams or videos on the 97x

 

I would try a smoke test of the evap system

 

I've been looking for some kind of "canned smoke" that I could use for this but can't seem to find anything. Plus I need some way/fitting to go on the EVAP test port.

Any suggestions?

 

My .02 c. I spent time with my good friend and genius electrical/HVAC tech Tim on a similar problem on an Ion Redline ( not mine) not long ago. I volunteered my fancy Mac Tools smoke tester, but Jedi Tim said that smoke testing is not a great idea, as the hoses are long and the charcoal cannister is a pretty large chamber at the back of the car. It will be hard to see a smoke trail. But a vacuum test is absolute and easy to see. So Jedi Tim said to Vacuum test it. Post the purge solenoid on the engine, pull vacuum. If there is an issue ( a simple mity vac and a 3/8 efi hose adaptor into the line will work) it wont hold vacuum . Then Jedi Tim went to the canister, and pulled vacuum at the canister. This failed. In fact, the rear solenoid (vent) was good but the cannister itself had a small hairline crack in the case. Some cannisters have a fuel line pressure sensor on the canister ( most Delta post 2004) and otherwise the pressure sensor is on the fuel sender itself. I am racking my brain to remember where the fuel pressure sensor is on my 9-5 I cant remember.

Anyway, a vacuum leak is a good bet. A faulty purge or vent solenoid is a good bet. A leaking gas cap is generally the first thing folks go to, but buying a new cap without identifying as the root cause just drives up sales of gas caps (lol) But most recently I am seeing issues with cracked vinyl vent lines. That's why pulling vacuum at each end of the system is a good diagnostic aid. Good luck.

 

It has been a while but I recall replacing the purge valve solved it. I took a gamble and bought a used valve on eBay and it cleared the code.

 

Start by the purge valve, unplug its electrical connection and the pipe going to the tank, start the car and press ur finger against the open end side of the valve (where it has the fitting going to the tank) u should feel zero suction. If there is any sign of suction, its bad valve.
U can try to clean it with brake parts cleaner and then WD40.
This might get it back running if it was the issue.
But this is how u test it.
If u have a tech2 or similar level scan tool i can guide u to test the vent valve, which is more complex.

 

I do in fact have a Tech 2

 

Start by doing the purge valve test i mentioned above, its one of the most common causes.
Before that, did u try to erase the code after making sure the gas cap is secured and see if the code return.
And then we move to tech2 tests.

 

I took a flyer and bought a cheap used valve (the one in the engine bay) and put it on last night and the code went away, even without clearing it.

I went into the Tech 2 and cleared the history so we'll see but I think that was the issue.

 

P0442 Small EVAP Leak - Dont miss this Vacuum Hose

 

It's easy to test the evap purge valve. Apply 12 volts to the pins and you should hear it click. They're usually silent if they're faulty. At least used ones aren't horribly expensive. New ones are ridiculously expensive.

 

Thing is when you google something specific like "Saab 9-5 starter replacement": the first five results that come up (after a bunch of YouTube video's some of which are helpful) are directly from Saab Central which can be a good thing (more traffic is mostly good) but also a quick pseudo answer for their issue/question then sends them down a bit of a rabbit hole.

As long as SC comes up as first source from a google search it is what it is, path of least resistance.

 

Except when you do that right after saabcentral hits there is saabworld.net and WIS quotes. See what I mean? GDS

 

Counter-point to GDS: Why would we want to push people away from SC? Part of the reason people come here is to connect with like-minded owners, to socialize with other Saab nuts. It's not just about the information/fix; it's also about community and camaraderie. Why send them away to Google? I'll never understand telling people to "Google it" when they come to this forum. My $.02. We should be happy newer, younger members are still seeking out this forum and driving these vehicles. We're a dying breed!

 

That moment, when you google something, find a place with the same problem, and the reply is - google it.

 

Exactly.