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Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 00:39:34 -0500
From: "Kenneth S." <nimrodnopsams.com>
Subject: Re: Check engine light on 1996 900 SE


Four Weis wrote: > > "Kenneth S." wrote: > > > j–rg harnisch wrote: > > > > > > i have a 94er 900 V6 with 175.000 km. > > > when it is wet outside from time to time the check engine symbol lights. > > > after a while it is gone. > > > greetings > > > j–rg > > > > Thanks for this comment, Jorg. I don't think the weather is a factor > > in my case, because the light came on while I was driving the car in dry > > weather. In addition, it has stayed on. > > > > (Until I get the problem fixed, I have found my own simple way of > > resetting the system. You take a piece of black electrical tape, and > > cut it into a shape a little larger than your thumbnail. Then you take > > it out to the car, and stick over the check engine light. The light > > goes away immediately.) > > I understand this solution works for the Upshift light as well. There's an update on the check engine light saga. When I first took the car in, the dealer could not find anything wrong and reset the system. The light stayed out for about a week, and then came on again as I was driving the car, for no apparent reason. Since the dealer had suggested that the light came on originally because I had not tightened the gas cap properly tightened after filling up, I took the car to a place that does the state emissions test, to see if by any chance the gas cap was defective. This entailed taking off the gas cap, and bringing it into the garage to have them test it. So the gas cap was off the car for about 20-30 minutes. Nothing was wrong with it, but when I put it back on -- bingo! -- the check engine light had disappeared. Alas, it came back on again after about 10 minutes' driving, and stayed on. This was four days ago. A scientific experiment clearly was called for. This morning I removed the gas cap and left it off for about an hour. When I put it back, and started up the car, the check engine light immediately came on again. HOWEVER, after taking my daughter to the airport (a journey of about 10 miles, there and back) the check engine light went out as I was pulling up in front of my house. It has stayed out so far, and I have subsequently driven about 20 miles. So, my dear Watson, what are we to make of all this? When you have eliminated all other possible explanations, the only remaining explanation -- however improbable -- must be the answer. Apparently, this problem has something to do with the gas cap. Apparently, if you leave off the gas cap for a period of 30 minutes to an hour, the check engine light will go away. There remains, however, the possibility that the light will come back on again, for no accountable reason. In that case, I am considering the possibility of resorting either to prayer, or to burnt offerings to the Viking gods. Are Saabs always this much fun? I never had these problems with my Mercury Grand Marquis. The check engine light came on once, at about 95,000 miles, I had the oxygen sensor replaced, and that was it. No more check engine light. In the course of my researches, however, I did discover that the Magliozzi brothers' CarTalk website has a link to another website that publishes details of all the Technical Service Bulletins that have been issued by the manufacturers for all makes of vehicles. That's very useful to know, and I have printed out the list for 1996 900 SEs. I also see that several people say, in regard to other types of cars, that you can reset the system by taking out the appropriate fuse, and leaving it out for about 10 minutes. This would seem to be more satisfactory than disconnecting the battery terminals for 10 minutes or so.

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