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My 93 TiD (2000 reg) cut out completely on the motorway last week. It was on cruise control doing a steady 80mph when the engine management light came on and the engine stopped at the same time. Has been in a saab dealer for a week. They have replaced the engine management unit claiming the existing one had virtually melted but the car still wont start and they are baffled. Any ideas?
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If the ECU failed at 80 it has probably also done serious damage to the injectors and or fuel pump . I presume they have checked them? If there is no fuel it will never start...
madf
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Thanks, I'll mention it to them on Monday. They did suggest the fuel pump at the outset so I'm assuming they've checked it but if each of the injectors have gone as well....... I guess my overdraft is going to be converted into a loan if you're right!!
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Mmmm.
The engine management light came on with a virtually melted ECU? Not impossible but certainly unusual for such a catastrophic failure. My guess would be that one or more of the output circuits has been damaged by an earth fault or short circuit in which case the new unit is possibly fried too.
Kevin...
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If the new unit fries, then that's Saab's issue. The problem seems to be they can't trace any electrical problems but I'll ask them to check the output circuits and earthing. Thanks for the reply.
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I had a similar problem with my T reg Saab95 cutting out and refusing to start though at town speeds. the fault still appeared after having the Coil cassette and the Ignition replaced. The fault was finally traced to the cam sensor. Everything was fine when that was fixed but I got rid of it asp
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Didnt' know such a thing existed so I'll mention that to them as well. Interesting you got rid of yours. This has been the only car I've owned from brand new and in 23 years of motoring it wins the prize for most time off-road and most expensive repair bills. In fact, it has spent more time off-road and has cost more in breakdown repairs than all my previous cars added together; despite main dealer servicing. Don't think I'll ever go near a SAAB again!
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Didnt' know such a thing existed so I'll mention that to them as well. Interesting you got rid of yours. This has been the only car I've owned from brand new and in 23 years of motoring it wins the prize for most time off-road and most expensive repair bills. In fact, it has spent more time off-road and has cost more in breakdown repairs than all my previous cars added together; despite main dealer servicing. Don't think I'll ever go near a SAAB again!
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I recently owned a 93SS from new, and I think they are a car which requires constant and expensive attention, and like yourself, I got rid of mine, which although financially unsound was still a welcome relief.
My car never actually broke down, but always had niggling problems. SaaB dealer servicing is also extortionate, they charge as much as Mercedes etc, £90 Hour in this neck of the woods.
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I think up north we're a bit better off in that they 'only' charge £60/hr but I know what you mean about the niggles. It's also the fact the dealers seem hopeless at finding the faults. I once drove mine for over 4 months with a lack of power and even though the car was less than a year old the dealer couldn't trace the fault. I dropped in to an independent who immediately identified a cracked hose from the turbo and replaced it within 20 mins. Ah well, no repeat business for SAAB from this customer!
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The fault was finally traced to the cam sensor.
You're probably thinking of the crank position sensor - but this is only used in petrol engines to correctly time the spark, so it won't be that.
Sorry to hear you've been put off Saabs, but I guess that a bad experience like yours would colour your views, and clearly others have had problems. Rest assured there are good ones, and a lot of people put up with the bad bits because of their other virtues!
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Yes, I agree. To be fair, the car has been the most comfortable and practical day to day vehicle I've owned and it's generally been great fun to drive (yes, you can have fun in a diesel). The issue comes when trying to put a financial value on this!
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Try posting your problem on the Saabscene forum, a specialist Saab site, at tinyurl.com/czocz
Best of luck. I had a 1999 9-3 TiD as a company car for 3 years and was quite happy with it.
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UPDATE
Dealer has confirmed today (after 2 weeks!) that the injection pump has failed and probably ECU as well. Quote is £2178 for pump plus another £520 for ECU on top (no doubt some labour for diagnosis as well). Now feeling very sick!
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£2178 for a pump ? ????!!!??!!!????
Are you sure that doesnt include the labour for diagnosis ?
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This is the main reason why I would not entertain a modern Diesel for my own use (or direct-injection petrol).
A few years ago I sort out a VW Sharan with a faulty injector - the injector was the one with the lift sensor integrated into it - cost over £700! Modern Diesel injection parts are just too expensive.
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Obviously Mike, phone around yourself and get a quote for a new pump. GSF (German French and Swedish)would be a good start, as over 2k for a pump is horrendous! If you get a much cheaper quote, queery the SAAB dealers price, and if necessary get it towed to a respectable independant garage (after paying them whatever you owe them!).
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Thanks for the tip. GSF don't list the part on their website but I'll give them a ring whilst I'm shopping round anyone else I can find who may stock the part. I have also written to SAAB UK giving them the usual 'not fit for the purpose and expected life of the vehicle' story but I think I'm on a sticky wicket with that one!
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Much in line with the AA's agent who recovered me. He said that modern diesels are just so complicated and expensive to sort it he'd never own one.
I'm not really into conspiracies but isn't it odd that people have been encouraged to go diesel by Govn't CO2 tax breaks on company cars, no sooner done and then diesel ends up 4ppl more than petrol and to cap it all, the cars are more expensive to repair - more highway robbery under the guise of 'greener and cheaper motoring'?
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£2178 for a pump ? ????!!!??!!!???? Are you sure that doesnt include the labour for diagnosis ?
I will try to convince them it should but the quote is for pump, fitting and VAT. I'll get 10% discount for being in the 'SAAB service club' but oddly enough hasn't really cheered me up much!
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