My 2002 Saab 9-5 will crank over but failed to start 2 days ago. Before that, I drove to work and home without any indications there were issues with the car.
I inspect the DI cartridge and swapped with my spare with no luck. I inspect the fuel pump fuse and that didn't have any effect. I proceeded to jacked up the rear-end of the car and crawl underneath the car with a mallet hammer and start banging on the gas tank for several minutes. Waited...start the car with no effect. Wait for a few minutes, now, I had my wife crank over the engine and I started to bang on the gas tank once more. Well, what do you know, the car started!!
This whole time, the car will not start the pump could be the culprit, but the whole time I could hear the pump pumps for about 5 seconds everytime I turned on the ignition key.
Could it be the pump or my fuel filter is glogged or something else???
Please Help!!
Thank you in advance.
Quincy
It could be the anti-drain back valve (check valve) is stuck or it could be the Walbro fuel pump which is known to be good up to the 80,000 to 120,000 mile range. The banging on the tank trick working usually means fuel pump.
The typical symptom of a fuel pump check valve failure is extended
cranking time during startup. What generally occurs here is that the
check valve in the fuel line sticks open causing lack of fuel pressure.
This usually occurs after the car has been sitting for a while or
overnight. The fuel pressure leaks down causing the fuel pump to have
to work very hard to push the fuel from the tank to the fuel rail.
The symptom is similar to vapor lock but not quite. The solution to this is to replace
the fuel pump check valve which can be difficult in itself. Be very
cautious when attempting this repair because of the dealing with the
fuel system and this always presents a potential FIRE HAZARD!!!!!!!
NOTE: When doing this job, be
careful. If you break the link with no check valve in the fitting you
will have to replace the entire fuel line because Saab does not offer
the fitting by itself. Being a "Bull in a china shop" would not be a
good idea here. If you break the valve you can replace the valve by
itself only if you purchase the complete line and remove the valve from
the new line and install it in the old line. They valves become brittle
over time and can easily break when removing the fuel pump.
Fuel pump failures often cause the engine to buck when going up hills
or just quit completely. You can test the fuel pressure using a fuel
pressure gauge. The pressure should about 40 PSI (approximately). The
location of the pump depends on which car you have. On the later model 900, 93, 95, and 97X the fuel pump is
located in the fuel tank and the tank must be removed to replace it.
I had briefly considered the CPS since it is a known failure part. Among other things it sends the ECU a signal telling it which cylinders are on the upstroke on startup so the ECU fires the plugs in those two cylinders to start things rolling and the Trionic can then tell by which cylinder fires where things stand and sequence firing thereafter. Your comment about pounding on the fuel tank sent me off to thinking along fuel delivery issues.
I have replaced the CPS on NG 900s, OG 9-3s and a few 9-5s. The former two are easiest as they can be done from above. The 9-5 is a little more crowded on that side of the block so I do them from beneath. This is a good DIY to know since they can fail as early as 40,000 miles. The job takes about 1/2 hour and the part is only $68.40 for the 2.3 L turbo at eeuroparts.com. A single T-25 or T-27 (IIRC) Torx screw holds it in place.
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To eliminate the hassle of dropping my tank and breaking any
fuel line links or retaining clips, I replaced the banjo bolt leading into the
fuel filter with one that has a check valve built into it. For my 2001 9-3 SE, the bolt is a
14M x 1.5 pitch. I used BMW part # 32416781261. It is a one-way check valve of the right dimensions,
flowing in the proper direction and comes with 2 copper crush type washers. The BMW application is for newer model power
steering units but it has worked perfectly in this application on my car for
the past 2 months. Fuel pressure is not
reduced, even at WOT and the car starts within 2 or 3 seconds of cranking
regardless of temperature or how long it has been sitting.
8 years later the BMW check valve I wrote about above is still working perfectly in my 2001 Saab 9-3 SE
Oh, answering Quincy N. the location is at the fuel filter, on the side from the tank. It only threads in one way, so you can't screw it up.
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Hi and thanks for your help. It was coincidence that the car started by me pounding on the gas tank while my wife cranked over the engine. However, I couldn't get it started again, therefore, I had the car towed to the dealership. It turn out the the Crankshaft Posiition Sensor was bad. I had them replaced the Crankshaft Position Sensor and off I go again.
Of course, they tried to sell me about $1600.00 more services since my car was "neglected" they said. I told them no thanks, I will pay only for the work on the Crankshaft Position Sensor.
Again, thanks your advice on the fuel line.
Quincy
I know, the symptom sent me a loop as well when the car started while I was pounding underneath the gas tank. Unfortunately, I am live in a very cold climate at this time of year (MN) and no heat in the garage. I will definately DIY next time this thing goes out.
Again, thanks for sharing your knowledge with all of us.
Regards,
Quincy
Happy New Year everyone!!
It's been awhile since the last time we talked about fuel pump and fuel delivery.
My car has been running flawlessly since the CPS was replaced. Now, I have a question about replacing the Fuel Pump check valve. My Saab does suffer from extended cranking from sitting 5-10 or up to a day. This has been a problem way before my CPS went out and I been meaning to do something about for the last 2 years now.
So, how do I replace this fuel pump check valve? Should I let the professional Saab Technician do the work or something I can easily take care of it during the summer warmer months?
Your thoughts on this matter.
Thank you.
Quincy
Happy New Year everyone!!
It's been awhile since the last time we talked about fuel pump and fuel delivery.
My car has been running flawlessly since the CPS was replaced. Now, I have a question about replacing the Fuel Pump check valve. My Saab does suffer from extended cranking from sitting 5-10 or up to a day. This has been a problem way before my CPS went out and I been meaning to do something about for the last 2 years now.
So, how do I replace this fuel pump check valve? Should I let the professional Saab Technician do the work or something I can easily take care of it during the summer warmer months?
Your thoughts on this matter.
Thank you.
Quincy
I have a 2001 Saab 9-5 that will start and run for a minute or two, then stop. It seems like it is not getting fuel, but I would think that if the fuel pump went, it would no longer start. Could this be a clogged fuel filter?
So, the BMW check valve banjo should be installed from the line that came out of the gas tank or going to the engine instead? Otherwise, this is a great suggestion!!
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