2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

turbo model? blown head gasket would be my guess, hard to start cold?

It can be alternator itself.

if the engine is still running without noises , stop worrying the turbo could have died in which case have it replaced yes the fault codes may reveal the area of the fault but if it is a mechanical failure , it may not show up engine lights report on engine AND transmission faults so the indicated problem may be electronic related to the transmission controls

A car I owned the left rear window did that. I could pull it up by taking a hold of it while another person held the switch. They told me the problem was the track was made out of plastic and it had broken. They had to replace the track. Yes it was expensive to repair but is ok now.

Here is what I could find on it: P1300 Random Misfire Detected. Catalyst Damaging. Chances are that the Saab Ignition cassette is failing. You can find them on ebay, I recommend a new one since it is a common failure. Best to put new plugs in it while you are at it. Easy to change, you just need a T-30 Torx (4 small bolts) and one electrical connector on top of the engine. Oh and a good spark plug wrench.

I see no one else has posted an answer for you here yet so I will take a stab at it for you. The P1300 codes I am familiar with on the Saab's are P1334 and P1312 which almost always means the ignition cassette is failing. Most of the time the car will still run good, at least at first anyway getting worse over time. They are not cheap, ebay has the lowest prices and most availability that I know of. They are very easy to replace, just one electrical connector and four large torx screws right on top of the engine. If you have a black one replace it with black, red with red. To be absolutely sure you get the right one it's best to match part numbers. That being said most of the ones I have used have been interchangeable as long as they are the same color & # of cylinders.

It's gone into "limp home mode"

Use google & typeOBD2 Code P1300 2000 Saab

When this type of a problem occurs you must have the electronic engine control module scanned for fault code before any other work is done, it is step one.

go with the mechanic he is there and able to see it, I would only be guessing, but this is a common leak area.

Hi Angie:The check engine light is reserved only for Powertrain problems that could have an impact on the emissions systems.Exactly what the OBD system looks for depends on the make, model and year. The original systems varied widely in their capabilities. Some did little more than check whether the various electronic sensors and actuators were hooked up and working.I suggest scanned the PCM computer (Powertrain COntrol Module) to know exactly what fault code is stored there.Hope this helps; also keep in mind that your feedback is important and I'll appreciate your time and consideration if you leave some testimonial comment about this answer.Thank you for using Fixya, and have a nice day.

It's a common problem with these cars i am actually fixing mine as of now. That car is all about oil pressure and when it is low you'll start to get a tap and or what sounds like a knock due to the lifters not having enough pressure. Try taking your oil pan off and check your oil pick up line going from the oil pan to the turbo. A lot of times it gets a lot of sludge build up and makes the pressure little to none. If that looks clear check the slump inside the oil pan and see if that has sludge build up. Well hope this helped

P103 Mass or Volume Air flow Circuit High Input P107 Manifold Absolute Pressure/Barometric Pressure Circuit Low Input
Maybe the P103 code trigger the other one, you could try cleaning the MAF sensor. Then put the scanner and erase the codes.
Another trick that sometimes work is to cover half of the tube just bebore the maff with duct tape, that will make the MAF to percieve less flow making the car to work a little better.

Best to take it to a shop or a delaer to get codes, but I think the top latch above the rear view mirror is not clamping down the top tight enough. The second message "Check Soft Top Motion" leads me to believe this - the OBD thinks the top hasn't finished opening/closing. Unfortunately there isn't too much in the way of adjustment that can be done, besides R&R of the microswitches (that you mention are in good shape).

Here is a link to a Dayco PDF file that will have a belt diagram for you. Find you car on the main page, fine the number to the diagram and thats how you belt routes. Depends on month of manufacture yours could have 2 guide or tensioner pulleys. Facing the engine, one should be the top left pulley, that one is common to all. The optional tensioner will be the next pulley to the right. If one is missing it may have fallen off and you may be able to run a shorter belt.

I had the same problem on my 9-5 vector 3.0 TiD with the top up coolant warning. Nearly became bankrupt trying to diagnose the problem and trips to Saab. Header tank, sensors, pressure tested etc. The Saab squaddies couldn't figure it out until it got worse. It's a head gasket failure despite passing pressure tests initially...sounds like it's still early days on yours. Had to replace the engine for near £5000.but under warranty :-) Reckon 2.5-3k at a good specialists.

usually an indicator that there is a fault in teh transmission. You need to get the fault code read with a code reader. Auto Zone or most other major auto parts stores will do this for free. It will most likely involve a transmission repair.

Your mechanic may have forgotten to reset the light. Also if the time for service light is your check engine light a fault code may be stored in the vehicles on board computer. Have the codes pulled to determine if a fault code is present or not. If there are non you can have the light reset, however if there is a fault code and you just reset it the light will keep coming on until the problem is corrected.

CODE P1260 THROTTLE RETURN SPRING WEAK SPRING FORCE. CODE P1251 THROTTLE POSITION MOTOR FULLY CLOSED POSITION. CODE P1231 THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR 1 AND 2 RANGE PERFORMANCE PROBLEM. SOUND LIKE PROBLEM IS MECHANICAL PROBLEM.YOU HAVE WEAK THROTTLE RETURN SPRING.GO TO DEALERSHIP PARTS DEPARTMENT FOR NEW RETURN SPRING.

The light you're referring to isn't a check engine light, the check engine light merely says "check engine" in orange and is on the lower right hand side of your instrument panel. It is reserved for telling you that something annoying is happening with your engine, but is usually related to a bad sensor reading in your emissions control system.

That other light, (the exclamation point in the red triangle, in the center of the instrument panel,) indicates that something very bad is happening with your engine, it only comes on if continued driving could severely damage the engine. I highly recommend against driving it at all, as doing so will probably just make your problems worse.

What's your temperature gauge reading? If it's going really high, or remaining pegged at the bottom, you may have some kind of coolant system issue, and the motor is shutting down due to an overheat. (Which can then result in a blown head gasket, which I have done...)

I have experienced this twice: once due to a coolant line blowing and overheating my engine, and once due to a major oil leak. (Oil running straight out of the bottom as soon as I put it in. Yikes!) Neither of these problems is something you want to drive your car with until you have discovered the source of, and rectified; the problem. Check all of your fluids and oil, watch all of your gauges, and see if anything out of the ordinary is going on.

If you can't see any obvious reason for this, take it in to the shop, because your car is trying to protect your engine, and getting an estimate is a lot cheaper than replacing your engine.

Good luck,

-R