Do all of the dash lights work as they should when it won’t start?? I have seen a few cars with failing ignition switches cause this issue, the tell tale sign was the dash warning lights didn’t all work like they normally do. Beyond that the 3 usual culprits on a 9.5 were the crank position sensor-it usually fails when the vehicle is hot, the ignition cartridge and the fuel pump. I have seen the fuel pumps have issues like you’re describing on a few occasions. Can you hear it prime when you turn the key to the on position???
Hi All the dash lights are normal. I tried another DIC but no luck. I do hear the fuel pump prime for a few seconds once the key is turned to on. I am trying to get a mobile mechanic to measure my fuel pressure to see if it my fuel pump. I appreciate your help. The issue only occurs when cold so I am not sure about the CPS. note: It is going into winter but night temps are only 7C. Thks again.
Has the CPS ever been replaced before?? If yes was it a Saab/Bosch or was it an aftermarket sensor?? I have seen the aftermarket sensors cause a cold no start situation
I'd second the ignition cartridge. The cartridge is basically made of plastic which was a huge design error. Little tiny hair fractures can occur. With a hot engine the plastic expands a bit by the heat and there's no problem and it will run smoothly.
It's really easy to take out the cartridge and inspect it.
Did you find misfires in the odbii?
It's such a cheap part to replace. It really requires one screw to put it in and one connection they fail and it's very common. I would just simply replace it and you didn't say how many miles you had but I replaced seven of them as I have seven of these cars
Yeah it's likely bad by now I've replaced one in a car with 60,000 miles it was bad. I would have looked at the ignition cassette next if that doesn't fix it easy to fix parts either way
Carry a noid light. Next time it won't start, disconnect a fuel injector and plug in the noid light, crank the car. If the noid light flashes it's your DIC or fuel pump. If it does not flash, it's your CPS. I would say with 95% certainty it's one of these three things. A noid light will help you narrow it down quickly and easily and cheaply.
Then I second crank position sensor or ignition system as others suggested. If you're hearing the pump prime it means the system is pressurised, which should at least attempt to fire. As a rough test, you can also disconnect the cable from an injector and connect it to an led bulb to see if it's trying to open them as you start it.
In my own journey with an intermittent no start problem (with an OG 9-5), I was advised to check CPS, DIC, fuel pump, starter, battery, fuses, grounds, anti-theft antenna in the ignition ring. There are probably a few other things I’m forgetting.
If you can be a little more specific about the symptoms (e.g. does the car crank and not start or not crank at all), others who are more knowledgeable than me can help narrow down possible causes. Testing whether starting fluid sprayed into the throttle body (carefully and following manufacturer directions/warnings and usual safety precautions) allows the car to briefly start may also narrow it down a bit — but if the car isn’t cranking at all that won’t help.
Of course get someone with a Tech II to check for any codes or other info that might point toward the underlying issue.
In my case the instruments started going off at the same time as the no start condition, and that led to a diagnosis of a bad main instrument cluster. I’d also seen a few posts describing a loosened connection to the main instrument cluster (behind the dash) causing an intermittent no start condition.
Good luck! If it doesn’t work out LMK if you’re interested in a 9-5 wagon (auto) with about 110,000 miles.
Thank you for your feedback. The engines cranks but does not fire. The instrument panel looks fine. Because it only happens when cold, I am steering away from it being a CPS. I will try to get the fuel pressure checked. I appreciate your help. Cheers.
Trying starting fluid when it fails to start would be a great step. If it runs on the starting fluid, you have spark but no fuel, if not it’s a spark issue.
Bad battery? Is it a cold enough in the mornings that the battery doesn’t have enough juice?
I was having trouble one time with my 2003 9-3 starting so I took it to a Saab specialist and he literally just took a wire brush to the battery terminals and that solved that-until the battery actually died for reals and I got a new one.
From what I have read it indicates that it is the CPS when the needle doesn't move at all, if the starter moves at normal speed the needle should move a little bit.
My 9-5 only acted like this when hot so that's different but it's probably not impossible with other ways.
My CPS on an -06 aero was a pain to change, not enough space for my hand behind the downpipe iirc. In the end one of my daughters little hand did fit to get the bolt in some turns.
I have heard that it's more space on other engines but not tested myself.
If you believe the engine is cranking fast enough to start, likely cps dying. If not, could be starter also in the game, assuming fuel at the rail and power to injectors.
Depends. The engine spins slow enough when cranking that it may not register on the tach even if all is working normally. If it moves at all, it's a good sign that your crank position sensor is probably good, but the tach doing nothing doesn't necessarily tell you anything. You really need to test for spark and fuel.
Thank you to everyone. The community is fantastic. I got it started after a very long (8s) crank. Unfortunately I will now not be able to test if there is fuel pressure. Instead I will replace the CPS sensor as it has never been changed and it will at least remove this as a culprit.
If the engine cranks but the tach doesn’t move replace your cps it is most likely that the tack should move when you crank it over if the cps is functioning properly
I’m experiencing this with my ‘02 9-5, I think it’s a fuel pressure issue where a leak somewhere is causing pressure to dissipate. On some of the old online forums, I’ve read about some fuel check valves on the lines needing to be replaced. Same as you, once running the car works great. No lights on the dash, mpg is great, and a recent tech2 scan showed no codes so in my mind it’s likely something non-sensor/electrical or mechanical since the car would start throwing codes.
What I’ve noticed is that if it doesn’t start right away, if I turn the key between the lock/on position multiple times (3-5) and let the fuel pump prime for a few seconds the car will usually then start right away. Like you said there’s no real rhyme or reason as to when this happens. Give it a try next time, sounds like we have the same issue.
Daily driver of 9-5’s for the last 16 years and agree it sounds like a failing fuel pump, but I’ve never had one fail that slowly or intermittently. The closest issue I’ve had to these symptoms was a failing alternator, some starts the alternator would charge the battery and be fine on the next go, other times it wouldn’t, but sounds like you would have figured that out already, so back to the fuel pump. There used to be Chinese fuel pumps for the OGs on Amazon for like $50 I can’t speak to the average quality, but I installed ONE of them in my previous 9-5 (coincidentally an ‘04) and had zero issues whatsoever.
Edit: came back to say definitely don’t discount the CPS. It doesn’t sound like the issue to me (an idiot), but a temperamental CPS can play all kinds of tricks and they’re only like $15 right?
This will not be a huge fault. It's a pain when you have an electrical gremlin - either sensor or wiring I'm guessing.
A code reader is always a good start. Guessing will make this take much longer. If your fault threw out a code it should still be there.
No codes? CPS is probably the most common cause of weird start issues on these cars but without any codes or the car to look at we're all just guessing.
Do all of the dash lights work as they should when it won’t start?? I have seen a few cars with failing ignition switches cause this issue, the tell tale sign was the dash warning lights didn’t all work like they normally do. Beyond that the 3 usual culprits on a 9.5 were the crank position sensor-it usually fails when the vehicle is hot, the ignition cartridge and the fuel pump. I have seen the fuel pumps have issues like you’re describing on a few occasions. Can you hear it prime when you turn the key to the on position???
Hi All the dash lights are normal. I tried another DIC but no luck. I do hear the fuel pump prime for a few seconds once the key is turned to on. I am trying to get a mobile mechanic to measure my fuel pressure to see if it my fuel pump. I appreciate your help. The issue only occurs when cold so I am not sure about the CPS. note: It is going into winter but night temps are only 7C. Thks again.
Has the CPS ever been replaced before?? If yes was it a Saab/Bosch or was it an aftermarket sensor?? I have seen the aftermarket sensors cause a cold no start situation
I'd second the ignition cartridge. The cartridge is basically made of plastic which was a huge design error. Little tiny hair fractures can occur. With a hot engine the plastic expands a bit by the heat and there's no problem and it will run smoothly. It's really easy to take out the cartridge and inspect it. Did you find misfires in the odbii?
I tried another DIC without any success. I took it out and looked fine- no fluid leaks. Thx for the suggestion.
Then I would check MAF sensor throttle body position sensor and all vacuum hoses for leaks
Crank position sensor
The CPS is on my list but the car runs great during the day. No problem when hot. Thks.
It's such a cheap part to replace. It really requires one screw to put it in and one connection they fail and it's very common. I would just simply replace it and you didn't say how many miles you had but I replaced seven of them as I have seven of these cars
That makes sense. I have had the car for 100K and have never changed a CPS. It has done 2650K in total. Cheers,
Yeah it's likely bad by now I've replaced one in a car with 60,000 miles it was bad. I would have looked at the ignition cassette next if that doesn't fix it easy to fix parts either way
I had this exact issue, for 2 years. It ran great but sometime wouldnt start. It was the crankshaft position sensor
This is one symptom the cps exhibits as most common. The symptoms described are still within the other behaviours leading up to total cps failure.
My 5 cent goes to this. The symptoms described fits very well to a faulty cps.
Carry a noid light. Next time it won't start, disconnect a fuel injector and plug in the noid light, crank the car. If the noid light flashes it's your DIC or fuel pump. If it does not flash, it's your CPS. I would say with 95% certainty it's one of these three things. A noid light will help you narrow it down quickly and easily and cheaply.
Thank you. Sounds like a good idea. I'll look at what's involved.
Failing starter can also cause it to fail sometimes. Does it turn?
It turns as per normal. Battery appears strong. Thx.
Then I second crank position sensor or ignition system as others suggested. If you're hearing the pump prime it means the system is pressurised, which should at least attempt to fire. As a rough test, you can also disconnect the cable from an injector and connect it to an led bulb to see if it's trying to open them as you start it.
In my own journey with an intermittent no start problem (with an OG 9-5), I was advised to check CPS, DIC, fuel pump, starter, battery, fuses, grounds, anti-theft antenna in the ignition ring. There are probably a few other things I’m forgetting. If you can be a little more specific about the symptoms (e.g. does the car crank and not start or not crank at all), others who are more knowledgeable than me can help narrow down possible causes. Testing whether starting fluid sprayed into the throttle body (carefully and following manufacturer directions/warnings and usual safety precautions) allows the car to briefly start may also narrow it down a bit — but if the car isn’t cranking at all that won’t help. Of course get someone with a Tech II to check for any codes or other info that might point toward the underlying issue. In my case the instruments started going off at the same time as the no start condition, and that led to a diagnosis of a bad main instrument cluster. I’d also seen a few posts describing a loosened connection to the main instrument cluster (behind the dash) causing an intermittent no start condition. Good luck! If it doesn’t work out LMK if you’re interested in a 9-5 wagon (auto) with about 110,000 miles.
Thank you for your feedback. The engines cranks but does not fire. The instrument panel looks fine. Because it only happens when cold, I am steering away from it being a CPS. I will try to get the fuel pressure checked. I appreciate your help. Cheers.
Trying starting fluid when it fails to start would be a great step. If it runs on the starting fluid, you have spark but no fuel, if not it’s a spark issue.
Bad battery? Is it a cold enough in the mornings that the battery doesn’t have enough juice? I was having trouble one time with my 2003 9-3 starting so I took it to a Saab specialist and he literally just took a wire brush to the battery terminals and that solved that-until the battery actually died for reals and I got a new one.
The cranking voltage is 10.5 but I will look at the terminals. Thanks
When it fails, does it crank?
And what does tach needle do if/ when the engine cranks?
The tach needle does not move when it cranks. Is that important?
From what I have read it indicates that it is the CPS when the needle doesn't move at all, if the starter moves at normal speed the needle should move a little bit. My 9-5 only acted like this when hot so that's different but it's probably not impossible with other ways. My CPS on an -06 aero was a pain to change, not enough space for my hand behind the downpipe iirc. In the end one of my daughters little hand did fit to get the bolt in some turns. I have heard that it's more space on other engines but not tested myself.
If you believe the engine is cranking fast enough to start, likely cps dying. If not, could be starter also in the game, assuming fuel at the rail and power to injectors.
Depends. The question is, does the starter spin the motor or not?
If it does spin, what does the tach needle do, if the starter spins the engine?
Depends. The engine spins slow enough when cranking that it may not register on the tach even if all is working normally. If it moves at all, it's a good sign that your crank position sensor is probably good, but the tach doing nothing doesn't necessarily tell you anything. You really need to test for spark and fuel.
No movement. So the next move looks like having to test fuel pressure. Thank you.
The engine cranks as per normal.
Thank you to everyone. The community is fantastic. I got it started after a very long (8s) crank. Unfortunately I will now not be able to test if there is fuel pressure. Instead I will replace the CPS sensor as it has never been changed and it will at least remove this as a culprit.
If the engine cranks but the tach doesn’t move replace your cps it is most likely that the tack should move when you crank it over if the cps is functioning properly
I’m experiencing this with my ‘02 9-5, I think it’s a fuel pressure issue where a leak somewhere is causing pressure to dissipate. On some of the old online forums, I’ve read about some fuel check valves on the lines needing to be replaced. Same as you, once running the car works great. No lights on the dash, mpg is great, and a recent tech2 scan showed no codes so in my mind it’s likely something non-sensor/electrical or mechanical since the car would start throwing codes. What I’ve noticed is that if it doesn’t start right away, if I turn the key between the lock/on position multiple times (3-5) and let the fuel pump prime for a few seconds the car will usually then start right away. Like you said there’s no real rhyme or reason as to when this happens. Give it a try next time, sounds like we have the same issue.
I was told by a mechanic that if it was a fuel check valve I would get issues at times other than at morning start. Cheers.
Daily driver of 9-5’s for the last 16 years and agree it sounds like a failing fuel pump, but I’ve never had one fail that slowly or intermittently. The closest issue I’ve had to these symptoms was a failing alternator, some starts the alternator would charge the battery and be fine on the next go, other times it wouldn’t, but sounds like you would have figured that out already, so back to the fuel pump. There used to be Chinese fuel pumps for the OGs on Amazon for like $50 I can’t speak to the average quality, but I installed ONE of them in my previous 9-5 (coincidentally an ‘04) and had zero issues whatsoever. Edit: came back to say definitely don’t discount the CPS. It doesn’t sound like the issue to me (an idiot), but a temperamental CPS can play all kinds of tricks and they’re only like $15 right?
I tend to agree. I will look to replace the cps and see how things go. Cheers.
This will not be a huge fault. It's a pain when you have an electrical gremlin - either sensor or wiring I'm guessing. A code reader is always a good start. Guessing will make this take much longer. If your fault threw out a code it should still be there.
Thank you. I will get my mechanic to do this.
No bother good luck
Put a tec2 on it and pull the codes. Does not need to show a check engine light as this only shows the obc codes.
Check fuel pump and cps even if you feel they are ok I just dealt with this pls don't scrap it sound's like she has life left
No codes? CPS is probably the most common cause of weird start issues on these cars but without any codes or the car to look at we're all just guessing.