I know this isn't a car forum BUT...

[Drezliok]

I know this isn't a car forum but the forum has always been a wealth of information and kind helpful people.

I have a 1987 Saab 9000 Turbo. [Manual Transmission] I had to replace the alternator and my car guy insists that it's not producing enough volts. [he's a basic BackYard Mechanic] He admits he doesn't know too much about foreign cars or very much about the electrical systems in the car.

Well, it's producing 14 volts pretty constantly and only does less when we have the air on.

I was hoping a that we have some mechanics in the fold who can offer some knowledge on the matter. Because If I have to buy another I'll have to pay alot more money then I really want to. And I love the car, stick is so fun to drive.

Thankyou for you time
Drezliok


EDIT
The alternator is fine, on to fuel pump troubles.
This forum is awesome.

[Jose Catre-Vandis]

14 volts sounds OK to me. Any problems with battery charge?
What happens if you put all your electrical equipment on? (inc. Air con)

[rustybronco]

It use to be 13.8-14.2 volts was acceptable now a days its in the mid 14 volt range (14.6-14.8 ) and processor controlled (ecm)

[Drezliok]

13.7-13.9 when the are and music is on. But I think we have a loose wire near the fuel pump. I'm having that looked at.

[Drezliok]

14 volts sounds OK to me. Any problems with battery charge?
What happens if you put all your electrical equipment on? (inc. Air con)

20 year old car. Has a small ECU or ECM forget which.

[LowSky]

Why does he think it's not producing enought Watts?

Seems fine to me

check the battery or the belt that runs the alternator if you think its off.
Could also be the Starter or a bad ground somewhere.

as long you dont drop below 12 volt you should be fine

[tvrg]

I can't help you, but I used to drive one of those, great car, really!

You had to be a powerbuilder just to lift the hood, great build quality

[rustybronco]

1987 is too old for ecm control.
13.7-13.9 is probably ok if its at idle, what problem(s) are you having?

[rustybronco]

as long you dont drop below 12 volt you should be fine incorrect, 12 volts is too low and will not recharge the battery.

[tgalati4]

What were the original symptoms? With a 20-year-old car, all electrical is suspect. It's a pain in the butt, but go through all of the push-on connectors and clean them and reseat them. Bad grounds are also common. Put new ones between the alternator and the engine block. Fuel pumps (and their relays) also die of old age. These are easier to replace now then when they fail and leave you stranded in the middle of the freeway.

[tcpip4lyfe]

I guess Im not understanding what the problem is. Does the battery go dead? 14 volts is fine.

[Drezliok]

I am now certain my alternator is fine and the car is in good shape, albeit it seems to suck the gas up.

I got a co-working to also take a look at it and he found that there are some nice performance parts on it. He also thinks that the one who sold it to me took most of the prefomance items he could off it and if anything it's "half suped up"

The problem I am having now that the alternator is confirmed good is the fuel consumption. Which I think might be a part electrical in nature, the 20 amp fuse for the fuel pump gets hot and even melted one of them.

My co-worker consulted a freind and they narrowed it to the fuel pump or the Fuel Pressure Regulator.

I went to price check thses items and found that I won't be able to perchase one till I get it out to see it. Autozone wants 250 for the pump, but I found them cheaper online, but I can't buy one till I know exactly what I need.



I've had 4 cars before this one, all cursed in some way. I never drove any of them, this one, my fifth car, I have driven, I want to keep it.

[mips]

I've had 4 cars before this one, all cursed in some way. I never drove any of them, this one, my fifth car, I have driven, I want to keep it.

Finding the problem is usually the hard part, fixing it is easy.

Have you tried Saab forums yet ?

When is the last time the car had a good general engine service ? Bad plugs, clogged filters could also affect fuel consumtion.

What are yor current consumption figures ? (Metric would help for us across the pond)

[Drezliok]

My mechanic freind is not certain the engine itself is fine. In fact it's more than fine it's near awesome. But the it seems that the previous owner did alot of the easiest things.

We are now going to try to replace the fuel pump but before that the Fuel Pressure Regulator to see if that helps..


I think I will try to find a Saab forum to take this to, I didn't think of that. \

Thankyou all

[mips]

Keep us posted on what happens.

[LT1Caprice57L]

We are now going to try to replace the fuel pump but before that the Fuel Pressure Regulator to see if that helps.

I'm not a Saab guy, but as an ex-Volvo guy of 6 years, and considering the Snaabs(sorry, couldn't resist :D) use the same engine management systems, I'll give it a shot.

Definitely go for the FPR first. An FPR that is stuck would cause the fuel pump to overstress, resulting in signifigantly increased current draw which would explain the FP fuse getting hot/melting. Simple test is remove the vac line that goes on the FPR, if the engine speed does not increase, you've got a bad FPR. If you leave that go long enough, the fuel pump will work itself to death and you'll be on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck.

Check the air mass meter, this little **** can cause you more headache than you thought possible

Both of these were the culprits in my '89 Volvo 240 wagon, which could not eek out more than ~20mpg mixed when I first got it, and initially had a high idle problem that turned into a no idle problem, and driving it got interesting. (Heel-toe whenever stopped FTW! or not?). Replacing the AMM allowed the engine to idle again and made the check engine light shut up, but didn't correct the high idle or fuel consumption. Upon noticing the fuel pump was noisy I promptly checked the FPR - no change in engine speed with the vac line disconnected. I replaced it, and all was well, until the car literally fell apart. I got an absolute minimum of 27 mpg mixed, and that was not driving lightly by any stretch of one's imagination. Light footed driving yielded 29-30mpg mixed.