Saab: Help! check engine light on and off and engine runs cold

bmw540 wrote: 


I had persistent check engine light problems with my 1996 900SE (85K
miles). I also have problems with the engine taking a long time to warm
up on very cold days.

I won't go in to all the ins and outs of what happened with taking my
car in to a Saab mechanic to have the computer checked for trouble codes
that would indicate why the check engine light came on. Suffice it to
say that you may want to make the relatively small investment of a new
gas cap, just to see if that will cure the problem.

In a similar quick fix vein, it seems that you may need a new
thermostat. However, you may be able to cure the engine temperature
problem by putting some aluminum foil in front of the radiator. That's
what I did last winter, and then I took the aluminum foil out in the
spring.

On a recent long drive on the first very cold day of the winter here,
the temperature guage wouldn't get out of the cold at all. So I
stopped, bought a roll of aluminum foil, and put in a sheet in front of
the radiator, which took care of the problem. The radiator grill snaps
out to provide the necessary access. Of course, while the aluminum foil
is in place, you need to keep an especially close eye on the temperature
guage, to make sure that you don't overheat -- during prolonged
stop-and-go traffic, for example.

"bmw540" <com> wrote in message
news:google.com... 

Sounds like you need to replace the thermostat.

Half hour job and won't cost much

Martin