Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2001 09:31:53 -0500 From: "Kenneth S." <nimrodnopsams.com> Subject: Check Engine Light on 1996 900SE: More Developments in the Soap Opera
I've previously asked if anyone has any experience of the check engine light on a 1996 900SE coming on for no apparent reason, staying on, and providing no trouble codes that can be discovered by the dealer's computer. I'm still having the problem, and I'd still be interested in comments. I bought the car a couple of months ago. The first time the check engine light came on was about a week after I bought it, as I was driving on an interstate at about 60 mph. It stayed on, and I took the car to the local dealer, who's supposed to be very good. I was thinking oxygen sensor, since that's always been the problem with previous check engine messages on American cars that I've owned. The Saab has 67,000 miles on it, and that seemed early to need a new oxygen sensor, but it seemed the obvious solution. The dealer said that no trouble codes showed up, and reset the system. The service manager suggested that I might not have tightened up the gas cap enough -- and there IS a message on the gas cap saying that, if it isn't tightened properly, the check engine light will come on. I drove the car for about a week after the visit to the dealer, but the check engine light came on again. At that point I took it to a place that specializes in emissions inspections, to see if there was a problem with the gas cap. There wasn't. However, oddly enough, when I put the gas cap on again after they had checked it, the check engine light was off when I started the car. (The gas tank had been open for about 20 minutes, while they checked the cap.) Alas, the check engine light came on again after I had driven the car for about 2 miles. So last weekend, I tried an experiment. I left off the gas cap for about an hour, and then put it back on again and drove the car. The check engine light came on immediately after I started up the car, and stayed on, but after after 20 miles, it went out, and stayed out. There was another period of several days free of that confounded light. Then it came on again, and stayed on. I had to take the car to the dealer earlier this week to fix an unrelated problem under the warranty. I asked that the check engine light problem be fixed. They said that they found some indications of an oxygen sensor malfunction, and put in a new oxygen sensor. Again, everything was OK for several days, but the damned light came on again two days ago. There is no indication that anything else is wrong. The car runs well, and there is no difference between the way it runs when the check engine light is on, and when it isn't. I am expecting soon to be told that the problem is all in my head. Can anyone suggest a systematic plan to diagnose, and fix this problem? I THINK I can reset the system myself by taking out the appropriate fuse for the car's computer for a while, and then putting it back in. So I am open to suggestions for diagnostic experiments. In the course of my researches I came across a very useful website, <http://www.alldata.com/consumer/TSB/>, that allows you to look at all the Technical Service Bulletins for all vehicles, including Saabs. However, there's nothing there that seems relevant to my problem (although there IS a TSB on the antenna problem that was discussed here a few days ago). This thing is driving me crazy. Have I not been living my life right, and is THAT the reason why I am being tormented in this way? I am a first-time Saab owner, and I hadn't realized that these cars have a moral, as well as a transportation, function. The Mercury Grand Marquis that I traded in was far less judgmental.
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