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Saab 9-5 estate, rough idle and excessive fuel consumption.

8.8K views 7 replies 2 participants last post by  Mike Brennan  
#1 · (Edited)
Hi Guys,

I recently purchased a 2001 saab 9-5 estate with 168K ks on it.
when i purchased it it was in immaculate condition but it had the signs that it had been sitting around for a while.
To begin with it a really rough idle and was doing 16ltrs per 100Ks, i serviced it with new spark plugs, and filters (oil, air and Fuel), this settled things down a little, and recently i replaced the vacuum hoses. It did go through a stage of stalling at idle but this stopped when i replaced the fuel filter and coil pack.

*2 days ago the mechanic went over it and said it all checks out, he couldn't see any worn engine mounts etc (he acknowledged the bad idle but couldn't diagnose at the time).
*I also bought a cheap OBD2 reader that seems to work fine, but isn't picking up any errors.

The car is still rough at idle (a lot of vibrating coming through the steering wheel) and fuel is still excessive at around 14 ltrs per 100ks. The car drives fine but it is still rough in low revs.

I am guessing it is either O2 senors or the throttle body,
Is there any way to check these?
How many O2 sensors are there?
Are they easy to replace?
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
 
#5 ·
I checked the PVC valve today, it was stained inside but had no signs of a blockage.
I looked at the top of the TB, it had carbon deposits that i removed around the opening and the valve, but there more more inside i couldn't access.
Idling seemed a little better but is still a little rough.

Also there is a lot of vibrations on the steering wheel at idle when in drive? Could this be a issue with the steering?
 
#6 ·
A couple of things. The TB needs to be removed to clean it properly with TB Cleaner. Nothing else should touch it. Then under the black cap electric contact cleaner and a soft toothbrush. Another issue is that you have 3 motor mounts under the motor, plus one under the that big par holding the motor up at the top right side and another unit on the right side of the transmission. If any of those are bad they likely all bad. Steering does not create vibration. There are also sub frame bushings that fail. Best to get them checked out by someone who knows what to look for. If your motor is bouncing around or if it moves a lot when you rev it up that is also a sign of bad mounts.