I recently bought a manual 92 saab, and in the past few days I have been having trouble with the 5th gear. The fluids are all fine and I have not put any real strain on the trans since I’ve had the car. It worked fine when I bought it but now when I try to put it in 5th there is a loud grinding noise as I let the clutch out. . The shifter then pops back into neutral. I tried holding the shifter in 5th to see if that would work, and as I release the clutch the grinding noise gets louder and the gear does not engage at all. I am really hoping it is just a worn down part, and doesn’t need a complete transmission overhall. I was hoping to get some idea of what the problem might be before taking it into my trans guy. Any ideas?
It sounds like a classic bad 5th gear synchronizer issue. It has to be torn down if you really want it fixed. At ghis point, a '92 Saab is pretty much a 22 year old beater with no dealer support. The company no longer exists.
You have three choices.
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Pay big bucks to fix a car that is worth less than the cost of fixing it.
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Never put it in 5th.
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Dump it ASAP.
find a used gear box have it gone over then swap it out
Does the shifter feel normal as you try to shift into 5th? I’m guessing it does.Sorry to say that it sounds like your transmission needs major internal repair. My memory is a little hazy on what the 9000 series is like for the 92 model year, but if I’m correct the transmission also functions as the engine oil pan. Maybe someone else here has a better memory?
At any rate, the transmission likely needs to come out and apart. Which I’m almost positive will require removing the engine and trans as an assembly.
There’s a possibility that it’s just the shift coupler.
On this car, the gear shift uses a 2-part rod that goes into the transmission. The rod has a rubber/metal coupler in the middle joining the 2 halves together. The idea is that in a bad accident, this coupler shears in half as the transmission and engine exit under the car, rather than into your lap.
The trouble is, after 20 odd years, the coupler shears apart anyways, and you loose the ability to accurately select gears. Usually it’s 1 and 2, and sometimes 1,2, 5 and R, leaving just 3 and 4. You’ll feel that you just can’t quite get it to go into gear. You can zip-tie the coupler back together in a pinch, and see if that improves gear selection. If it does, order the part (yes, there are lots of places left where you can do this); it’s like $30, and takes 30 minutes or so to install.
If it’s not the gear select coupler, it may very well be a broken 5th gear and/or synchro. The good news is, this gear is easily accessible through the driver’s side wheel well. Again, yes, parts are available, if you’re willing to look. If it’s just the 5th gear or synchro (which isn’t too common on these cars), you’ll be able to do it with the transmission/engine in the car. Pull the wheel, wheel liner, and then there’s an end cover on the trans that comes off and you’re staring right at 5th gear. You’ll want to check both the input and output shafts that stick through the middle of the 5th gear set for lateral play. If the can be pushed into the trans or pulled out to any degree, then you’ll need a transmission rebuild.
In most cases, ff the whole transmission needs to come out, asemaster would be right. But these swedes were clever. The car is designed with a hinged sub-frame which allows the transmission to be removed out the bottom while leaving the engine in place. It makes labour costs a lot less, if you’re taking this to an indy Saab shop. However, if you are a DIY kind of guy, I’d recommend taking the engine and trans out the top as a unit. It’s a little easier to manage without a specific transmission jack, and there’s plenty of inexpensive hoses and seals that you’d want to replace while you’re in there as well.
There is exactly one place in the U.S. that specializes in rebuilding Saab manual transmissions : Eriksson Industries. It’ll set you back around $3500 for a rebuilt one.
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Of course a used unit is an option as well, though it’s a bit of a gamble. Compatible years for your car are only '91 and '92, though if you have to, you can take the internals from a '93 transmission and put them in your '92 case - but at that point, you’d probably be better off ordering the necessary new gears, sleeves, clips, and synchros and reassembling your original gear box.
I took my car into the trans shop today and went for a drive with the mechanic. He said that 5th gear was completely gone. He recommended just driving the car in as a 4 speed instead of putting in a used transmission. He also said that the parts weren’t available to rebuild the 5th gear assembly. I wasn’t sure which parts I might need to do this, because I don’t know which parts exactly are worn out. I found a synchronizer, synchro sleeve, synchro ring, and 5th gear on this site, all in total about 400-500$ http://www.thesaabsite.com/9000/Saab-9000-transmission-manual.html. What parts would I need to replace if the 5th gear assembly isn’t working? Would I need to take apart the trans to find out? would it be insane to try and check out my 5th gear assembly through the wheel well? I don’t have a hydraulic jack but I might be able to borrow one. Is there any way to tell if it is just the sychnro or the gear?
The mechanic said it would be fine to drive around on the highway in 4th gear, but I’m a bit wary. I tried it out earlier topping off at around 75mph running at around 4500 rpms, and then dropping back to 60mph. Would this be advisable for a long trip, say about 300 miles? I watched it for overheating driving on the highway for about 15 miles and it seemed fine.
The transmission went out on my 1991 Saab 9000 about 10 years ago. I looked at replacing the broken gears, but found the process required special tools and techniques - and the individual parts were expensive - as you already found. I ended up buying a rebuilt transmission (with a core exchange) from http://www.erikssonindustries.com/. It came with a 1 year, unlimited mileage warranty; the entire job cost about $2000, including all the suspension and drivetrain parts I broke or replaced along the way - although prices might be higher now. I did the labor myself. The transmission still works well.
There is no need to pull the engine for any 9000 transmission work. Drop the lhs front wheel…drop suspension to just swivel out of the way…ho
ld up with wire…unbolt transmission… pull it out. Aero and Carlsson (mine is 2.3T Carlsson) have different ratios from standard and each other…Carlsson was a faster car point to point than the Aero. BTW some Anniversary models came with ‘leftover’ aero parts and are a very fine car. Seats by the way break their stays (seat back twists) and they are hard to buy. 9000 parts are getting scarce, wreckers are scrapping them which is quite a shame…but that happened to Bugatti also…and other fine cars…one should strip and store a disused 9000 as parts…as a service.
I’ve never had a jump out of gear so your 5th must have had a hammering or just been a lemon…
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I’m probably going out on a limb here, but I strongly suspect that after posting his problem almost 9 years ago, the OP has probably gotten rid of his 30 year old Saab.
Yes…possibly so…I bought my Carlsson over 20 years ago…I owned my Aero for 5…beautiful car…and an anniversary owned 12 years…all in top order.
I didn’t try to advise the originator of this topic of his problem but to confirm for anyone interested still with 9000’s the 'fact that one does not have to pull the engine o do transmission or clutch or auto .
That was a commonplace stunt used to take another $2000 or so from the client 'have to pull the engine mate…that’s $2200 plus the clutch change".I
had the same sort of deception when told I needed my starter motor changed!..‘have to pull out the engine to get to the starter’…Then a Polish mechanic working there told me the business owner had given me b/s…and told me how to do the transmission haul-out also. It was a widespread rip-off making SAAB’s a very unpopular car to own. The starter was not faulty…btw. My son has his 96 model out and in, in about 15 minutes.
The Carlsson suspension was all done by the best…Heasmans at Petersham NSW…along with all engine mounts changed.
I think of buying more modern cars while theCarlsson just sits with 220,000kMs. I took it recently to a garage for low backpressure catalyctic…tuning and a check up…came back after a lot of grief worse than it went there!..I instructed the exhaust bloke to NOT throw away my cat but keep it for me. Cats are worth substantial scrap money…his excuse after my reminding him twice as he dragged-out the job was "I didn’t want to put it in your car so I binned it…it’s gone now…Yep that will be the bin full of cats rturning $50 each.
Also had all my calipers done at a specialist shop at Southport which saddly no longer does the mechanicals…only reonditioning. Then I think what’s better…I’m looking at a GolF TDI sport but then…is it really so much better? than the Carlsson…which is also quite a rare car. How many were made in 2.3T?..I think it was 329 world wide. That dissertaton mich interest some enthusiast…my regards
Wow, this will probably interest all 50 of the Saab and/or their variant owners in Australia.
I guess you have some compelling need to make a fool of yourself.as you have just done. The numerous SAAB 9000 owners here and around the world hold their car in high esteem…The 9000 deserves to be applauded for its outstanding contributions to performance and safety, The three I mentioned are outstanding vehicles and the equal of most other front wheel drive cars…not rwd’s such a BMW but they are a better 'driver’s car than the BMW. I am a ‘rwd’ preferer but I have 3 of those here and my fwd Carlsson. Overseas I have my Cosworth and my XR4. They are my 131st to 137th cars and I have done many into high performance road cars. When I see a silly…or attention seeking…comment like yours I wonder what introversion drives you. When you are on your way home think about, please, what would drive you to make such a gratuitous and unfounded statement as you have…just can’t help yourself?..Anyway enjoy whatever you pedal…I have no more to say…and kindly meant…the human puzzle…
No need for the rant we can just agree to disagree. Enough said.
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Saab closed in 2011 and was never a real success in the US market . This is mainly a US based forum . I can’t even guess how long it has been since I saw a Saab . A dedicated Saab forum might be more receptive for you .
I see Saabs about as often as I see Mitsubishis–ergo–very rarely.
However, this could be very different from the situation in Australia.
Friend bought a new car years ago and we were driving on the hwy a few months after he got it and he shifted to 4th and kept going. I glanced at shifter which said 5 and asked why he didn’t use it and he was unaware. He tried it. And liked it. Funny. Shift knob was not colored to easily show gears. Darn fiat. Was his first foreign car.
Hi…I didn’t create this forum piece…I answered to the SAAB posting already on this forum…which I ‘stumbled across’ looking for some information. …Though the posting was an old one as…like myself…someone looking for info might come across the old ‘blog’ which leaves the transmission pull-out a little uncertain.
I decided to me more definite than the commentators ‘back then’ …it may be that 93’s and 95’s have same con-job issue…if they using the same general arrangement. I also decided to give a bit of a story as to how I discovered it…“and furthermore…”
For anyone interested …The SAAB Carlsson is a very rare car now in the 9.3T configuration (1991 only available) with only I think 329 manufactured…body kit different ratios, mod’d suspension, different seats, I think the Aero was dedigned as a sort of fast car but more executive-targeted car than the Carlsson…something like the Carlsson Sapphire.
Whilst fully galvanised some SAABs developed rust after repairs…or after many years on English salted roads. SAAB which had the most outstanding steering on fwd’s back then, was safest, one of the fastest road cars and so on. It went faster more quickly than the 911.
SAAB recommended they not be repaired after big hit as the massive strength may be lost. (if one watches ‘Artur’ the Russian repairing cars…on Utube…I have asked him about such matters in his own astounding repairs.) I think the Aero was very fast and handled well but still a slightly softer version of the Carlsson. Carlsson ‘got there’ faster. Both are far more tractible than many other fwd cars.
Whilst we pan GM for what they did or didn’t do to SAAB’s…they have been a brilliantly performing car as can be seen if you watch the police pursuits in Europe, on Utube. Tragically SAAB was sold to China…an appalling travesty and also now turning out garbage spares…the coil pack seemingly giving atrocious problems to many users.
Of course we al have our favorites if we like cars…I really like volvo…my daughter bought one as a ‘wagen’…beautiful looking …seemingly spot-on…for something like $12000…soon problems began with motor…and continued-on. Repairs cost so much in (over $9000) …she dittched it. Now drives a Suburu…nice cars but always have that engine issue from being a boxer engine…and I really like flat4 performance and steering. I sol my renovated WRX about a year ago…everything done. Today same car will bring twice what I got for it. Prices of ‘much to offer’ used cars has skyrocketed
So…I simply answered into a SAAB aspect of this site…There are, I agree a dwindling number of 9000’s…and SAAB wreckers have been concentration more on the later SAAB’s…it’s not encouraging however thre still are …however invisibly…a lot of 9000’s about. It may be that they are now more being stored by ‘guardian angels’ for occasional use to maintain their body and soul but many also appear at rallies. An outstanding vehicle in every sense including looks it’s such a shame that they are going into hibernation. 93’s and 95’s are in large numbers, 900’s perhaps more available but the 9000 as owners know, is a gem of a car…which doesn’t mean ‘expensive’ .I am a ‘caring’ driver even at high speed or in the mountains and have found them reliable and cheap on parts. Others may mock them, some may have issues I have never had in my 20+ years of 9000’s but they are a great car and the Carlsson Aero and Anniversary are worthy ‘collectibles’ (as are some other cars). Who’d ever have thought a VW could bring $40,000…yet the best I have seen, totally restored… just went on eBay yesterday for under $14000…BARGAIN .it’s a crazy car world these days…Voila.
whoops…Typo…‘2.3T’ not 9.3 T