[Johnfwells]

Switch on ignition. Get sound like small plastic motor - sounds like somewhere behind the speedo/tacho area - followed by a "CLICK" then repeated with period of about three seconds. Only happens at ingition on - nothing to do with running engine. Switch off ign and try again - after three or four attempts it stops doing it John

 

[Chris 9-5]

When you turn the key, various things start coming to life including the ACC, perhaps a motorised flap is trapped. What happens if you immediately switch the ACC to OFF, does it still make noises?

 

[Johnfwells]

Yes - no change at all. The only thing to make it change is mutiple switch ON-OFF cycles for the ign.

 

[Chris 9-5]

John what year is your car and is it an auto?

 

[Johnfwells]

It is a 1998 launch version manual 2.0 with abt 78k on the clock

 

[Chris 9-5]

Hmm, I struck out again, there is a noisey vacuum pump on the autos

Sorry John, maybe the others have some ideas

 

[Johnfwells]

Thanks for trying! I'll sit tight and wait for some ideas rather than taking it to the SAAB distributor - always pricey!! John

 

[Johnfwells]

Back from hols and still got a problem (worse now - happens continually)! Have isolated area noise comes from though. It is definitely coming from "within" the air handling system, cos when I close off the air vents it sounds muffled. Does that help anyone with a diagnosis at all??

 

[Kermit]

Noisy ACC flap control motors? :roll:

 

[Raven18940]

I get the exact same noise when I turn the key. I always assumed it was the fuel pump or throttle body or something of that nature.

 

[Saaby]

I have the noise too and I think it's normal, just a normal operational sound.


IN fact I'm pretty sure it's just the fuel pump priming the cynenders. That's why it stops after a couple of cycles, don't want to flood the cynendars.

Do you have more than 1 car? Go to another of your cars, turn off the AC and the radio, and then switch the key to "On" and I bet you'll hear a similar noise.

 

[Raven18940]

Yeah, the jeep I used to have did the same thing. WHIRRRRRR-CLICK I like to wait for the click before I start the car so I no the fuel pressure is ready.

 

[Johnfwells]

Hey - thanks for the interest guys! Well now - it sure as hell isn't anything under the bonnet - absolutely right within the dash somewhere - and it doesn't stop!! It just makes an (annoyingly loud) WHIRRRRRRRR (for a few secs) then immediately a click - like a plastic cog slipping a couple of notches - then it repeats exactly the same procedure, and again - and again - and again......etc

 

[mfong]

haha
i love this convo.

yes i hear the sound too. i always think "oh wow, my antenna is going up as i speak!"

but yah, you know now. it's not =)

~Mike

 

[Johnfwells]

Well now - things have "improved" - At least the problem is clearer. Kermit suggested noisy aircon flap motors. The noise went away but has now returned more quietly - and I get HOT air out of the RHS face vent and COLD air out of the LHS air vent. Seems as if it is likely to be a flap valve problem of somer sort. So how do I get at them to fix it??

 

[Kermit]

First thing you need to do is a diagnostic on the ACC system....
with the engine running press AUTO and OFF at the same time until the ACC system goes into its diagnostic mode, it should take about 30-40 secs and will give you a fault code reading like this 1.................13 (meaning one fault on system, fault code 13). Let us know what you get, and we can take it from there. ​

 

[Johnfwells]

Hi,

It immediately gave a "0" on the LHS of the ACC display. After about 40 secs holding the two buttons depressed the display returned to normal. During the test cycle I heard the fan go up to max speed and the whirring noise kept on for several seconds but then stopped.

 

[Kermit]

0 means no faults on the sytem. The fact you can hear the whirring confirms that its a noisy flap/motor. It shouldn't be apparent all the time, only when you change the ACC settings. If you run the ACC on AUTO it will constantly change flap settings as the interior temp dictates. If you manually select the settings you should only hear the noise if you change air outlets. Unless the noise is really intrusive i'd leave well alone, accessing the system is a time consuming job best left to a Saab specialist.

 

[Johnfwells]

Many thanks - I'll certainly heed that advice. But why was I getting HOT from RHS and COLD from LHS last night? Could it be that a flap was sticking?? - I had had the car parked outside in all the heat for a week whilst off on hols and only noticed the problem on first using the car on my return.

 

[Kermit]

The system could have done a diagnostic on itself without you noticing. It occassionaly does this when it feels like it!! Mine will speed the fans up, turn cold to hot...hot to cold and rearrange all vent settings before returning to normal after 30 secs. Its possessed i swear.