partial sidelight failure, dash lights failed

[multiviggen]

more info; dipped headlights still work fine, interior courtesy lights work ok(bar one) pictogram says rear light fault(intermittent front light fault) brake lights and indicators working fine.

[billj]

Originally posted by andyorr:
[qb]mine has a nasty hole where a piece of scrap metal came hurtling thru the windscreen and embedded in the seat.[/qb][/b]

I hope you didn't have a passenger at the time! Sounds like you had a lucky escape

Anyway, welcome to SaabScene, Andy.

Do you mean you have no lights at all, except for the nearside taillight? You mention that the pictogram works. Does it show a fault on all the lights that don't work?

Anyway, I found out recently that those dash-top screws can be a bit if a bu66er. I had the dash-top off my '87 9000 years ago and I remember it being quite easy. However, I've recently done the same to both my '96 9000s and found in both cases that:

a) There is a screw just above the rev counter that I'm sure didn't exist in my '87, and it can be confusing until you find it and can be difficult to get back in afterwards.

B) The screws at the ends (under the speaker grilles) are of a shakeproof type (sort of like a curved triangle in cross-section) and they are designed to increase the friction between the screw and what they're screwed into. I assume these are used so they don't rattle loose (duh!). They are screwed into threaded inserts that don't seem to be fixed very tightly and will start turning quite easily. The screw is turning, the hole it's in is turning. Bu66er!

Anyway, the trick I used was to wedge a flat-bladed screwdriver (there are probably plenty of other tools that will work as well or better) between the edge of the insert and something that can be levered against. Then turn the screw slowly, keeping pressure against the insert to stop it from turning. I suppose a dab of Araldite or a splash weld would be a good fix. I've only just thought of it. Unfortunately

Given that I had no trouble with the '87. I'm convinced that Saab started to buy cheap fixings at some point. The cr4ppy panel fixings on the plastic front underpanels are another bugbear. On a car where the engine and gearbox will go for hundreds of thousands of miles, and with a body that hardly knows the meaning of rust... don't get me started

[multiviggen]

Originally posted by andyorr:
[qb]thought I'd tap into your fountain of knowledge; as I am a complete novice at car repair, need some advice on fixing my lights. only got n/s/r sidelight working, all bulbs and fuses appear ok, and I've run out of ideas! any of you chaps encountered this b4? also, all but the pictogram and warning bulbs are not working, but busy trying 2 get fascia off(just 1 screw that won't go) * * *winter's approaching fast, and I'd like to get my baby sorted(1992 2.3CSE,144k). and does anybody have a front passenger seat in tan leather they don't need? mine has a nasty hole where a piece of scrap metal came hurtling thru the windscreen and embedded in the seat. (pic on request * * ) speak to y'all soon,cheers * * [/qb][/b]

[sgould]

If your 9000 dashboard is similar to the 9-5, all the lights except the pictogram and the warning lights work through the rheostat dimmer switch. I'm not familiar with the 9000 but if you have a dashboard dimmer, that would be the first thing I would check - broken switch, loose connection etc. (I'm assuming that it's not just turned down to minimum?).

Can't help with the side lights.

[billj]

Good thought, sgould. I should have remembered - I just told someone else this the other day