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Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2003 01:18:05 -0400
From: Dexter J <lamealameadingdongnopsamlamelame.org>
Subject: Re: 1990 SAAB 900i problems


Salutations: Janis Cukurs wrote: > > Hi! > > I am writing from Finland, Europe. I recently bought my first car ever - a > nice 1990 4D SEDAN 900i, it is a good, solid car, it is clean, it has been > kept well, the engine test returned excellent results and it drives well. I > am happy with all except for a few things, which need attention (as it > naturally is with older cars). Here's my list: > > 1. When I accelerate while steering left, I can hear this rumbling sort of > noise in the front right wheel. Sounds like the mechanism that joins the > drive shaft with the wheel. What would this problem be caused by? How > could it be best checked and fixed? > > 2. When I drive at a speed of about 100 km / h, I noticed a funny thing > about the car. When I hold the steering wheel while driving it drives nice > and straight. When I take my foot off the gas pedal, it slightly starts > moving left, (I don't changed the steering wheel position) and it > straightens back in the normal driving direction, when I put my foot back on > the accelerating. What does this problem sound like? How could it be > fixed? > > 3. When I park the car, I have noticed a few drops of oil leaking from the > engine, over a period of two weeks or so. How serious is this? Is there a > way to fix it? > > Any help and advice would be appreciated. By the way, there is one more > thing, which I am sort of embarrassed to tell you, but I will anyways... I > am not a native English speaker, I am Latvian (living in Finland) and I > don't know all these technical terms. A lot of what I read in the other > posts simply doesn't make sense to me. So, is there some internet reference > where there are descriptions of car parts, especially if it relates to my > type of car. I need to learn to communicate to the pros! :) > > Thanks! > > Cheers, > Janis Cukurs > Finland Brother grunff is correct on all points - it's a 13 year old car however well it's been maintained and you are running into mileage related maintenance items that are perhaps coming up for the first time in it's long and venerable service.. The timeless and endlessly fascinating engineering marvel that is the SAAB forward suspension and lower drive line (FS-LD).. It's at this point in the automobile it actually gets down to why SAABs are such snappy cars to drive.. When you do this round - you will be utterly amazed at the change in her general drive-ability.. It's like viagra - but for your greater SAAB / Driver relationship.. I will assume spring is the killer it is over here as regards road condition - the first thing I'd go in for was an alignment (and not some cheapo free one either - a pro shop with some older guys in it).. By proceeding with the alignment - they will have to go over most of the parts that are probably beginning to show signs of their age.. If they come back with a show stopper - like the CV's are screwed - or it's time for a whole new set of rotors - ball joints and/or bearings - then you can pull out and take it easy looking around e-bay for cost effective parts and a competitive service bid.. Good alignment shops are busy places and you don't what to spend their hourly rate any more than they want you hogging up a service bay waiting on parts.. Bring it back for the final alignment if most of what they told you turns out to really need replacement - they will do a great job on that very tricky assignment.. If you follow my other posts - you will know I usually wait for the 'vintage to mature' before I buy in and you are at a stage where I normally try to drive more carefully and shop around for bits and pieces as the cheques clear.. It is less expensive to do as many parts as you can when you are into the FS-DL.. While replacing a given FS-LD component is a snap - if you have a wrench miester taking it all apart and putting it back together again - it is advisable to have most of the FS-LD load bearing parts on hand as you are in there anyway.. It should take a busy shop about 5 hours to pretty much rebuild both FS-LD systems from the tires in.. Again - working on the premise that it will be cheaper to do this in one pass.. Most of the components are not very expensive if you can track down after market cross references and most of the rebuilt parts are pretty good.. SAAB OEM FS-LD parts will likely outlive the car - so I price compare before I decide.. The oil? I'm almost willing to wager you have a small leak at or in the distributor.. If you are so chandlered, get your hand underneath the distributor cap between the wires and block and see if it's wet under there.. If she's dry there - check around the steering rack boots - work forward - then look up when you see a dry metal or rubber surface.. You can go a fair time on a lumpy CV - but not a long time and letting it go too long will mean the horror and humiliation of the pubic towing.. Polite and stately starts are good 'carma' and no long naughty highway runs into Amsterdam you lucky Finnish dandy!.. :) .. The upside to all this is that it sounds like you have a real kitten otherwise.. Fix this and you are very probably going to fall in love with her all over again.. But beware - hoses will be a likely concern next spring.. -- J Dexter - webmaster - http://www.dexterdyne.org/ all tunes - no cookies no subscription no weather no ads no news no phone in - RealAudio 8+ Required - all the Time Radio Free Dexterdyne Top Tune o'be-do-da-day En Vogue - Giving Him Everything He Can Feel http://www.dexterdyne.org/888/118.RAM

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