Well, thank you for all the wonderful responses to my last question about buying that 1991 Saab Turbo with 108k. Turned out that car’s odometer wasn’t working and it was a 1990. SO, i bought a 1997 Saab 900 S - Hatchback and 5 speed manual 4 door from a (hopefully) more reliable individual. This car seems to be very solid and runs great. there is a fan issue. the heat works like a champ but yesterday i got a bit warm so i turned the fan on. there is no cool air at all, only heat that pours out of the vents. there is a cable that may be disconnected i guess. i’m not sure how to fix it. also the clutch is a bit squishy but shifts very easily. thanks for any advice with regard to the cool air/fan.
There may not be anything wrong with the clutch hydraulics since SAABs generally have a clutch that is easy to operate.
Your post was a bit unclear about the fan. Is the problem an inoperable fan, the fact you get heat only, or both?
I’m reading this as the fan works but you cannot get cool air. My memory is bit hazy on the '97 model but SAABs generally use a small “driveshaft”, if you want to call it that, to operate the heater valve (hot coolant shut-off valve). This shaft has a couple of spring loaded joints on each end that plug onto half-round connectors.
Many times people will aggressively rotate the temp control too hard and it will yank the joint loose on one end. This will then leave the heater valve in the same position it was in when the joint popped off.
The temp control knob will turn but it’s actually not turning anything in the dash.
It’s not a major fix at all as it simply involves plugging the shaft back into place. The temp control does not have to be babied at all, but should not be forcibly twisted as some are prone to do. Hope that helps.