2002 Saab 9-3 Intermittent non starting

jose wrote:

> At apporx. 35k miles, my car refuses to start on occasion, mostly when
> the engine is warm, or after doing a couple short errands. The dealer
> has been unable to replicate it and just sold me so 44K (or something
> like that) -- a fuel additive for $25.

They sold you a *fuel additive* to cure non-starting ? Are they motor
engineers or jokers ?

> They also suggested giving the
> engine anovernight bath, for $150. The car is still under warranty.
> Any suggestions?

What size bath are they going to put the engine in overnight ?

Graham
 >> Stay informed about: 2002 Saab 9-3 Intermittent non starting 

jose wrote:
>
> At apporx. 35k miles, my car refuses to start on occasion, mostly when
> the engine is warm, or after doing a couple short errands. The dealer
> has been unable to replicate it and just sold me so 44K (or something
> like that) -- a fuel additive for $25. They also suggested giving the
> engine anovernight bath, for $150. The car is still under warranty.
> Any suggestions?

Hopefully, the symptom will develop to such an extent that the problem
will be easier to diagnose. Make sure you keep worksheet documentation
to show that the problem was evident while under warranty.
 >> Stay informed about: 2002 Saab 9-3 Intermittent non starting 

hmm...i seem to be getting the same (well, similar) problem. the car starts for the firt twenty times and then all of a sudden, the iginition will turn, the starter motor turns as per normal but no engine start. now, around two years ago, 50K miles, i had what seemed to be the same problem. the a.a. man came round and took one sniff at it (it had that burning smell) and yes, direct ignotion cassette had packed up.o.k. so that was two years ago. then a couple of weeks ago, the same thing happened. however i waited for twenty-thirty minutes whilst i spoke to my mechanic in london. then low and behold, i turned the ignition and it started. hmm, so far, so good, was it a fluke?? so i drove straight back to my apartment. then when i got there i thought "let me try it again" and...it started. now apparently, these are not the symptoms of the D.I. cassette going, as far i know and have been told, when they go, they're GONE!! anyhow, the car worked fine for the next three days or so. then one night, i left amsterdam on my way south to rotterdam, i pulled over at a service station for some service. when i got back to the car, ony five minutes max!! it failed. i didn't pannick this time. i waited and waited and waited. must have been 20 minutes. still no luck. then i call National Breakdown (much cheaper and better than the a.a.). just as i was giving the final details, i thought let me try it again...it started. i spoke to the dealer in rotterdam and he said "sounds like the crankshaft sensor". he described my situation down to a T. then yesterday (three days later) i was going to sainsbury's and on the motorway, i could feel the car starting to splutter. when i got to the car park, i switched off the engine and tried to start it a few moments after...it didn't start. did my shopping, more than half an hour later, tried again and it worked. however on the way home, it didn't drive so smoothly, almost as if the engine wasn't getting fuel or something wasn't burining it or maybe...the crankshaft sensor is on it's way out?

well folks, any offers or is it a case of try the cheapest solution first...crankshaft sensor, then d.i. casstte then .. . . ???

b.t.w. it's a 2001, 9-3 lpt conv.
 >> Stay informed about: 2002 Saab 9-3 Intermittent non starting