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Re: Check Engine & O2 Sensor & Fuel Type
Posted by David Prantl (more from David Prantl) on Fri, 16 Mar 2001 02:07:46
In Reply to: , Kok Chen, Sat, 17 Dec 1988 12:00:00

Wow. I wish I had not (stupidly) wrecked my trusty '84 900S a few years
back. Anyway, I find that there's really no comparison between that car
and the Trionic-controlled balance-shafted 2.3-liter-turbo CS-bodied 9000.
By that I mean, the latter is infinitely superior in pretty much every
respect,... or would be if it weren't for that flakey (and supposedly
*optional*) ETS system.

The basic problem with the ETS is that, as far as electronic control
systems go, it does a LOT of physical work, 100% of the time the engine is
running. Every minute throttle-pedal input is processed and translated to
a movement of the stepper-motor in the ETS throttle-body. Even with no
pedal inputs at idle, the throttle motor works continuously to control the
idle-rpm, modulating for changing auxillary engine loads and ambient
conditions. It also controls throttle opening when the cruise-control is
in use.

Basic engine parameters change very slowly over time. A good example is
how oily grime accumulates in the throttle opening. The various sensors
associated with the ETS system also age, and their signal properties may
deteriorate, or creep, or be set out-of-whack inadvertently when other
maintenance is performed on the car. It is because of such changing engine
conditions that the ETS system needs periodic calibration, and this is
compounded by the amount of WORK the system has to do all the time.

The other problem is the general lack of awareness, knowledge and expertise
demonstrated by many professional SAAB-Certified dealership-employed
technicians when the ETS system is concerned. Using the scan-tool
(Tech-II) to pull fault-codes from an ETS 9000 turbo car requires
separately interfacing with not only the engine computer (Trionic), but
also with the throttle computer (ETS) and brake-system computer (ABS/TC).
The climate control (ACC2) and passive-restraint system (SRS) also have
their own separate Tech-II interface.

The result of all of the above is that ETS-equipped 9000 cars often
experience strange behavior, and the infamous ETS-limp-home mode (which is
when the ETS system stops controlling the throttle and a backup cable
allows the car to continue to be driven with great difficulty).

In many cases, an ETS fault-code can cause the ETS computer to send
incorrect communication signals to the Trionic computer, leading it to set
it's own 'Bad-O2-sensor' fault code. I know for a fact that this happens
anytime the ETS-limp-home-mode kicks in.

Find a competent technician. What the heck, ask them to show you the
9000-TCS section of the SAAB service manual (which anyone can buy from the
dealer for less the twenty bucks BTW), and quiz them on it !

I have not done a NINES write-up of my ETS removal saga, partly because it
was so complex and tedious that I could not with good conscience recommend
that anyone else do it at home, and because it is absolutely NOT endorsed
by SAAB as even being *possible*, and because I have simply not had the
time to put such an article together. I do have a day-job that's
completely unrelated to cars...

Anyway, I could not deal with the complete reliance the ETS has on the
Tech-II scan-tool (which is one tool that I can't afford to buy!), along
with the general lack of ETS knowledge exhibited by the one and only SAAB
dealer within 200 miles of where I live. That's why I undertook the
time-consuming, expensive, and totally un-documented conversion procedure.

It basically entails purchasing several sections of the SAAB service manual
(*at least* the 1993 9000 Trionic, 1993 9000 Traction Control, and 1993
9000 Electrical Diagrams), studying every last detail of the ETS and
non-ETS versions of the Trionic system, and converting the ETS-equipped car
to match the latter exactly. I had to source the appropriate components
(e.g. the non-ETS Trionic computer) from as far away as the United Kingdom!

Even though the car runs perfectly now, the conversion is still not
complete. I have yet to install the complete Cruise-Control system (that
is *missing* from ETS cars since the ETS does the cruise-job), and remove
the 'TCS-CTRL' warning-light bulb from the instrument cluster.

Best regards,

David Prantl
david_prantlno39sdcx6spamx782hotmail.com
'84 900S, 5M, 210kMi, RIP
'86 9000T, 5M, 185kMi
'88 9000S, 5M, 142kMi
'90 9000S, 4A, 133kMi
'93 9000CSET, 5M, 67kMi
'89 900, 3A, 116kMi
'68 97 Sonett V4, 76kMi, #000467


Posts in this Thread:

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