Saab 9-3 1.9TiD Vector Sport (150) - Advice please

[FFSport]

Evening all,

Was driving to work today and the EML came on then when I was going up a hill had a total loss of power, Now there is no power atall. I'm stumped as only last week the car was in the garage getting a new inlet manifold & actuator for exactly the same problem £700 not exactly cheap right but I paid it because I love the car!

If it has only lasted a week and gone back to the same problem, does anyone have any ideas as to what it could be that is causing the EML to come and and have a total loss of power???

Any help would be greatly apriciated.

[packman10_4]

Sounds like its going into limp home mode. You basicly have a Vectra there its the same engine as the Vectra so it will have the same problems.

Google the problem , they do suffer from sensors getting covered in sludge IE the air temp and air flow sensor.

Hope this helps.

[FFSport]

Little bit of a update... Finished work at 7am this morning but when I got to work there was no power, started car up went perfect with the EML on got home all great, Though balls to it will take it to work again, and on the same bit of road (Quite a Hill) It cut out again, In exactly the same place.... WTF?

[packman10_4]

Need to get the codes read , will be something like the airmass meter or similar....

[NotDave]

EGR valve. Clogged up I'd put money on.


Mine did simillar, without limp mode.

Get it code read, or go thrash fk out of it (on a warm engine & box) for 20minutes.


It'll be like a smoke-screen

[FFSport]

Dave, the EGR valve has been replaced when the Inlet Manifold & Actuator was done. So it's deffinatly not that, I was possibly thinking it would be a problem maybe Pipe from the MAF to the turbo has a leak, or its a sensor because when the car starts back up after cooling down it has power untill it gets to a hill. I am going to take it back to the garage and get a reading off it to see what the fault codes say and then get them to fix it as this is why I paid the £700 for the other jobs to be done because of this problem.

And for ovb reasons it hasnt been solved.

Will update when I get some progress.

[NotDave]

Clumsy mechanic not sorted route cause?

[FFSport]

It's normally a really good garage, I have spoken to him on the phone and told him that I will bring the car down to them after christmas because I'm in work untill then and need the car, I could be going fine with the EML on no problems then it goes into LHM "Limp Home Mode" but if I pull over and turn the car off and start it straight back up it works fine again. Very odd situation.

[powerstroke]

FFSport said:

It's normally a really good garage, I have spoken to him on the phone and told him that I will bring the car down to them after christmas because I'm in work untill then and need the car, I could be going fine with the EML on no problems then it goes into LHM "Limp Home Mode" but if I pull over and turn the car off and start it straight back up it works fine again. Very odd situation.

!! maybe waste gate sticking or faulty MAP sensor?? ECU detects over boost so goes into limp mode?? should have a code/s stored..

[Sparks]

I have a similar engine in my Fiat, and I have had a very similar issue, that turned out to be the EGR.
Might be worth running with the MAP sensor disconnected, and see if it improves (will have MIL on permanently if you do)
If you were in Surrey, I have software & cable to read the codes, to confirm, but if the garage have done work, then they should read the code and confirm the problem.

You can clean the EGR (long and dirty), or as already suggested, warm it up and run at high reves for an extended period and some WOT, to try and clear it a little. Lots of short journeys will gunk it up.

HTH

Sparks

[FFSport]

Final Update on this one, I have had the car in a garage over a period of time and been using the Mini for a daily driver, I took it down to Lookers (Vauxhall) to see if they could solve the problem I was having with my car the first mechanic to look under the bonnet without plugging a Tech 2 into it. Let's just say he got it completely spot on.

Anyway the problem was the intercooler had a split in which was taking in too much air and clogging up the DPF. So the intercooler got replaced and the car is back with me and is now my daily driver and enjoying it again.

So Thank you Lookers in Chester great service and great people who work there!!

[Sardonicus]

FFSport said:

Final Update on this one, I have had the car in a garage over a period of time and been using the Mini for a daily driver, I took it down to Lookers (Vauxhall) to see if they could solve the problem I was having with my car the first mechanic to look under the bonnet without plugging a Tech 2 into it. Let's just say he got it completely spot on.

Anyway the problem was the intercooler had a split in which was taking in too much air and clogging up the DPF. So the intercooler got replaced and the car is back with me and is now my daily driver and enjoying it again.

So Thank you Lookers in Chester great service and great people who work there!!

That's an easy one it s a common problem on that model (and the dealers know it) the inter-cooler is GM obviously seeing as that what it is based on and very expensive from Saab main dealers and can be sourced much cheaper and i bet it was burst slit in the middle at the bottom easily recognised by the oily gunge that accumlates below it on the under tray good to have your wheels working again I bet

Edited by Sardonicus on Friday 1st February 13:43

[FFSport]

Sorry took me so long to reply to this, been off work with a badly fked up hand, anyway, yes car is brillaint now, and correct it was split at the bottom, only thing that has gone wrong is I have lost the spolier off the front again, got it back from the paint shop, stuck it back on, great hit a bump on the M56 and bye bye front newly sprayed wing hahaha! Just my bd luck to be honest.

Other than that spot on... Gave me a free MOT and put 2 new calipers on for nothing which is a bonus.