Troubleshooting Saab problems for pre-1994 engines: Can you do it?
Troubleshooting Saab problems for pre-1994 engines: Can you do it?
Troubleshooting Saab problems for vehicles made before 1994 is covered under Saab outboard diagnostic 1 system or Saab obd1. This covers all fuel injected engines made in early 1980 up to 1993 models. Knowing how to use this troubleshooting process should help you get to the bottom of what’s going on inside your engine.
Computer-controlled engines and older engines have one thing in common: they both experience breakdowns that can be tested and repaired with simple troubleshooting steps. The engine computer can do special tests to diagnose vehicle problems prior to making DIY repairs or taking the car to a garage. However, on OBD1 Saab engines, there are necessary procedures before using the engine computer for troubleshooting.
For example, if your fuel filter is clogged up and not allowing enough fuel to be delivered to the engine, you can get trouble codes for oxygen sensor low voltage (too lean) because of it, even though the oxygen sensor itself is fine. This is why a hard code is not necessarily an indicator of a failed sensor which a lot of garages will replace as soon as they see the code.
Assuming you have a check engine light in your dash for a 92 S900 Saab indicating a hard failure, troubleshooting this can be done in 3 stages. These stages of troubleshooting Saab engines for OBD1 system are:
1.) Basic test
First part comprises mostly of visual inspection of engine wirings, wiring connections and vacuum connections including the routing of the wires and vacuum hoses. A damage wire or vacuum hose can cause the check engine light to come on even if the electronic components (like sensors) are OK.
Second part refers to mechanical inspection like compression test, back pressure test (max 2 psi allowed), fuel test (like regulator and fuel pump pressure) and ignition test (like testing the spark integrity). When doing these tests, try using remote starter to avoid using the ignition key which will activate the engine computer. If for any reason the computer programming is disturbed by using the ignition key, the computer can be reprogrammed by running the engine for at least 10 minutes.
2.) EGR test
Ported egr valve should be tested for operation by introducing vacuum to the ports and watching the engine if it changed rpm during idles. A simple test like checking the egr vacuum hose for cracks or leak can be easily performed. If the egr ports are clogged, the egr valve can be removed so the ported holes can be serviced.
3.) Test for fault codes
The engine fault codes can be retrieved in 2 ways: using a jumper wire in the diagnostic connector or using an organic scanner good for Saab obd1 codes. If possible, reset the code first and then take the code again after a road test to make sure you are chasing the right fault code. The diagnostic scanner connector is located under right front seat. Remember: clearing the code can be done either using a scanner or a jumper wiring switch.
Higher gas prices, increasing repair costs and required emissions testing are important reasons for today’s Saab owners to test and tune their cars to keep them running smoothly. A detailed report about troubleshooting Saab engine can be found when you visit the author’s website that gives assistance to Saab car owners.
Mr.Richard Trent is an automotive article writer specialyzing in car and truck repairs. Save $200-$300 on vehicle gas right now by watching his video at: http://www.automotivetroubleshootingsecrets.com
What Makes a Supercar?
Have you ever wondered, what makes a car a supercar? Asking what makes a car super is like asking, what makes a woman beautiful - everyone has its own opinion. A term supercar was coined to describe extremely expensive, extremely beautiful and extremely fast cars. But the proper use of this term is often subjective and disputed, especially among enthusiasts. There is no clear definition of what characteristics a car must have to be a supercar. What constitutes a supercar is often a matter of opinion. Also, the use of the term is heavily dependent on the era - a car that is considered to be a supercar at one time may lose its superiority in the future. It is also important to know that the term supercar refers to factory-built, usually unmodified, street-legal cars. Heavily modified and potentially street - illegal vehicles do not fall into the supercar category. Supercars are not muscle cars or tuned up sports cars. And there is no such thing as a cut price supercar. A supercar is a car that combines speed, handling, unique design and represents the pinnacle of the automaker’s art. Supercar is the car equivalent of a supermodel or a race horse. There are, off course, some basic criteria for measuring whether a car should be considered a supercar or not. Things to consider: design, acceleration, top speed, handling, power-to-weight ratio, style, rarity, price - all of these has to be super in a supercar. Want an example? Here is a prime example of a supercar - The Bugatti Veyron. The Bugatti Veyron is currently (2007) the most expensive (around $1.5 million) and fastest fully street legal car in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records included Bugatti Veyron under the heading - Fastest Production Car. With 1001 horsepower this supercar champion features all the most recent automotive advancements and is able to achieve a top speed of 253 mph (407km/h). This is faster than any production car ever made, it’s actually faster than Formula 1 cars. Supercars are not just fast, they are blazingly fast. Other supercars include: Koenigsegg CCX, Pagani Zonda, McLaren F1, Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, Enzo Ferrari, Lamborghini Murcielago and so on. On the fun side, if you ever doubt whether a car is a supercar or not, consider this: A car might be a supercar if - you have a wallpaper or a poster of it, it’s worth more than your house, you drool when you see one, it can break the speed limit in 1st gear, you will probably never own one, but if you do, you would never give the keys to the valet. In conclusion, a supercar is a car that changes your idea of what a car is and what a car can do.
Robert Hill is a car lover and a big admirer of the first true American supercar: <a href="http://www.s7tt.info">Saleen S7</a>
Improve Gas Mileage - Stop Idling!
Ever heard the old saying, “idle hands are the devils workshop”? Well let’s take a little creative license and stretch it to include an idling car! Want to improve gas mileage? Here’s how
Water Fuel Cars - Install HHO Generator To Increase Mileage
Learn how to run your car on tap water as car fuel. Yes, you heard it right. I am talking about running a car on plain tap water. If you think it is brain surgery then you are not right. It is very simple chemistry of water and the power that it has within itself. I am not the only one running my car on water, there are more than 10,000 people who have already done this on their cars and trucks. Well more than 95% were able to get comfortably increase the mileage by at least 40%, while for others the gain was not that convincing. The number of people trying this technology is increasing every minute. Before hand I would like to make some strong statements about the procedure. This is completely reversible, just in case you do not want it anymore or you are selling your car then you can remove the installed kit. It is 100% legal, safe and will also help in lesser emissions. The procedure is as follows. You still have to fill gas in fuel tank as you were doing over the years. There is a separate kit that is attached to the fuel system and it sits below the hood of your car. This kit generates HHO gas from water by using some minimal electricity from the battery of your car. This gas is then mixed with regular gas and fed to the engine. As a result the consumption of regular gas will decrease which means that the exhaust system will be cleaner and result in higher mileage as lesser gas was used in the process. The cost of such a kit is usually less than $200. These kits will allow you to convert your car into running with fuel and water. It is said that this is a much more cost effective way of running your vehicle. You will spend far less in fuel than you normally would, plus it is much safer for the ozone as you are not putting out emissions that can harm people. It also allows your fuel system to run much cooler and at a higher power level. The average that is reported to us is about 44.3% gain in mileage, although some people have gained more than 200% means if they were getting 30 miles per gallon of regular gas now they are getting more than 90 miles per gallon. Which in itself is a fortune looking at the rate which fuel prices are going up. The conversion of running car on water along with regular gas is 100% environment friendly. Since your car would be running on HHO gas generated by the generator kit installed in your car. Any excess vapor that gets generated will go back to water so you are not harming either engine of your car or environment. Let me put it this way, by not having this kit your car is producing harmful gases and eating engine at a faster rate. So you might have by now realized that this is a must have solution for your car to run on water along with gas/petrol.