UKSaabs

My 9-5 has been throwing up lots of CEL and limp home problems.

Cleaned MAP, EGR and reset (P0400 and P0234 were in the system, cleared out after I cleaned the MAP and EGR) took it for a run, drove great.

Then it CEL'd and went into limp home again.

Tech2 said new P0234 - overboost problem.

So. What's my next move?

I have a tame VX dealer near me so if the boost control valve is a likely culprit then I can get one if someone gives me a GM number ... pretty please?

Oh, and this is my first post here. Just got the car recently, loving being back in a Saab. Also have had a GM900 and classic 900 in past. Also run a W124 Merc estate for giggles. Living near Belfast, Northern Ireland.

I'm fairly handy with a spanner, got a mate who has a Tech 2 laptop and cable and I live about half a mile from the legendary Steve Smith, NI's top Saab specialist who is a good chum as well, always helps.

Loving this forum so far, expect me to be a regular.

In the meantime, I'd love to clear up this problem if y'all would be so kind as to give me some feedback.

Laters!

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Cheers

CJ

look a the small pipes that supply the waste gate.i had the same promblem refixing the pipe fixed it.

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JIM BURTON

Cheers Jimbo. I had a good rummage round the pipes, all seemed ok to me.

Anyone else got some suggestions?

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Cheers

CJ

Spoke to Belfast official Saab dealer. Said it was either boost control valve or plumbing - pipes or intercooler.

Someone suggested crank sensor but the man from Saab, he say no. That would give starting issues, and I don't have any of those.

So I have to check my pipes again and the intercooler. Joy.

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Cheers

CJ

try removing small pipe cut off a about 1/4 inc them refit if any are leaking this will fix it jim

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JIM BURTON

That's a great idea.

Borrowed an obd scanner. Found p0244 today: Boost sensor signal low.

Had a look while a mate revved it, wastegate arm moving ok so I'm still with you on it being plumbing. Hope it's nothing more. Could do without replacing the boost valve or intercooler.

When I clear the codes out, it drives fine for a while then the light comes on and it goes into limp again. Cleared it twice tonight and twice it threw up p0244 again.

I assume if the boost valve was away it would fail immediately? Further supporting a plumbing issue?

Please?

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Cheers

CJ

TRY ALSO SPRAYING THE WASTEGATE ARM WITH COPPERSLIP IT MAY BE STICKING DID YOU CLEAN THE ARM AT THE END OF THE EGR VALVE? EASY OFF COVER ON THE OPPSITE SIDE TO MOTOR CLEAN AND SPRAY WITH CAB CLEANER THEN COPPERSLIP TRY THIS NO COST FIX JIMBO

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JIM BURTON

I did clean and lube the wastegate arm and EGR lever / roller bearing assemblies.

Trimmed a few vacuum hoses, still same problem. Going to have to replace them all, test the intercooler hoses and the cooler itself. Oh joy joy joy.

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Cheers

CJ

Did a full service - all 3 filters.

Air filter was in shreds. Oil filter was as expected, black and ... oily.

Fuel filter was pretty minging, black derv all in the bowl, plus some gunge too. Cleaned that out with WD40 and replaced the element.

Ran great but still pinging up faults. One brief one was P0402 - excessive EGR flow.

When under the car I looked at the hoses for the intercooler - all seem ok.

Bottom of the intercooler is covered in black oil and the lower core is enlarged and the fins slightly bowed out - so I am thinking the cooler is shot. I suspect I can hear a hissing when it is on boost (after I clear the dang codes for a wee burn) which might agree with that.

Also, when it is working properly (briefly) it is pretty smoky when you are in too high a gear and floor it (30mph on 5th) or when you just nail it hard. Seems to get worse round town, and open road blast seems to clear it a little. Hope that fixing the boost pressure with a new intercooler sorts that out too.

Have an offer from Neo Brothers of a cheap used intercooler but my gut says buy a new one.

Thoughts?

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Cheers

CJ

So I changed the intercooler and crank sensor for good measure today.

The old intercooler was completely shot, oil everywhere, bottom core very distended.

The intercooler swap was fiddly - on axle stands in the drive. Didn't take off the bumper, just played clever and cut up my arms. Got it done easy enough though.

Car running great. Better than ever.

One question though: the turbo seems to be coming on boost about 3000 revs. Is this the normal boost zone? I seem to recall it came in sooner when I got it.

Any help gratefully received.

Thanks.

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Cheers

CJ

the turbo comes in at about 3000 revs thats ok

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JIM BURTON

Thanks Jim.

The car is an animal now. Turbo starts about 2k then it comes in at 3k with a shove and a half. Turbo does seem to spin up properly at 3k then off a bit then back on, even with a wide open throttle from idle, but I guess that's just a characteristic.

Really very different to how it was when I bought it (just a few months ago). Loving the power hike and the improved economy. 700 miles to a tank? Excellent. Compared to my old truck which did 18mpg.

Also loving not forming a smokescreen everywhere I go.

Thanks for all the advice. Hopefully that's this one sorted. Just got to fix the broken back wiper (estate) and I'm done fiddling. for now.

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Cheers

CJ

well done just keep egr valve clean. if the promblem with the back washer pull on the bottom of blade at the spindle you can remove it
you will find rust and junk in washer feed clean out with wire clean the jets with a neadle try r/ washer
before you reasemble if still no water there is a non return valve in the tailgate just change it . jim

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JIM BURTON

Cheers.

The problem is the back wiper - fuse is ok but no movement. Might need to swap the motor, just need time to strip it and check if it is getting fed.

EGR will be a monthly clean job!

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Cheers

CJ

LOOK AT THE FEED WIRE TO MOTOR POSSIBLE BREAK JIMBO

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JIM BURTON

Wiper fixed - £20 to a auto spark who fixed the motor up.

Replaced all the vacuum pipes with lovely silicone stuff off of ebay.

P0244 still comes up time to time along with limp home mode and CEL lit up.

Clearing the code makes it ok for a while then it happens again - usually at motorway, steady speed in the boost zone.

Plus, the turbo is coming on boost with a little more noise and the noise (and therefore boost) seems to not be linear - it comes in, falls away a little then comes back as the revs rise AND the whine is louder - sounds like a siren heard from far away now.

I'm getting the sinking feeling. Is it worth trying to change the boost control valve (part number anyone?) or am I staring at a dying turbo?

Almost no black smoke mind you so I don't think it's leaking air at all.

I'm going to have to decide to try and fix it or get shot of the blighter before it calves big time!

any help will be as ever gratefully received.

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Cheers

CJ

Talking to a friend and he said the siren sound is an unbalanced turbo. Said it would explain my poor mpg, the whine and the fault code and limp home issues.

He said to stop driving it before it lunches the engine.

I took the manifold off (it's almost impossible to get the blower off the manifold and I hate etorx!) and as you can see he was bang on: the dirty side vanes are starting to break up.

Lucky break. If it were the clean side the fragment would likely have torn up a cylinder or two.

So it's off this week to be rebuilt.

Lesson learned: don't ignore fault codes. They are not always phantoms.

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Cheers

CJ

HAnded it over to the local turbo guru (MCM Turbos and Transmissions in Ballymoney) and the immediately told me the shaft was fairly well not well.

The broken vanes are only one part of the blowers woes.

VERY glad I whipped it off when I did.

Confession: This fault appeared a year ago. I've driven on with it for about 10,000 miles.

Lucky lucky lucky...

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Cheers

CJ