If the car goes in the red again, shut it off and let it cool or risk serious damage. No idea if you damaged anything or not. If the car suddenly feels like it lost a bunch of power, than it's quite possible. Keep an eye on the coolant level. If it starts dropping but isn't leaking anywhere, check that the oil level isn't going up with coolant in it. (head gasket failure)

Let the car idle in your driveway with the hood up and see if the fan kicks on. If the car starts climbing past the halfway mark on the temp gauge and the fan never kicks on, shut it off. Then try and figure out if the fan is getting power or not. If NO power, look at fuses or the relay. If the fan gets power but doesn't turn on, expect a bad fan.

Your radiator might be clogged internally or externally. Internally means there are deposits built up in the cores and it will need replaced. If clogged externally, it means a bunch of dirt has seated in the fins and will need rinsed. Best way to rinse is remove the sprayer from a garden hose and hold the open end of flowing water right up the radiator. Watch the color of the water coming out the other side. Will be very dirty and cloudy water if clogged. Once water is clear, move to next section. This can result from driving down gravel or dirt roads too often as the dust gets kicked up and pulled into the fins, clogging over time. At idle, the airflow isn't enough and the dirt holds in the heat. Once moving, there is just enough air going thru to cool it again.

My bet is on a blown fuse or the relay if the fan isn't working. If the thermostat is sticking, it might be the problem, but usually it'd be more erratic with the temps, but who knows.

 

I'd bet on the thermostat. Every failure I've experienced had the same symtoms.

 

I doubt it's the thermostat. If the thermostat doesn't open, then the engine will run hot while moving, not just at idle. I'd wager it's the fan.

 

I'm guessing the fan wasn't running, as well. A lot of cars will overheat while idling if their electric radiator fan fails to run for whatever reason. I didn't even know my radiator fan fuse had blown in my first car until I was out on a road trip sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate watching the temp gauge creep up.

It's hard to say whether or not there was any damage to your vehicle, but I'll optimistically bet not if your coolant system held pressure and didn't boil off coolant. I would check your direct ignition cassette or spark plug boots for melting and keep an eye on your oil and coolant levels. I'm guessing a head gasket leak would be on the short list of symptoms if you seriously overheated.

 

Things I would check would be to let the car warm up and park it and see if the fan comes on. If it doesn't then I would think it could be possibly the Radiator fan resistor, unfortunately there is no separate part in saab's catalog unless you get one for the 9000 and even then you have to solder it in yourself. I got mine on ebay, I'll have to double check the resistance you need. Other things I would check, because it is easy to check is the radiator fan relay and fuses, you can test it by switching out other relays and fuses as well.

TL: DR
check radiator fan functionality if failed then check:
Radiator fan motor
Radiator fan resistor
Radiator fan fuse
Radiator fan relay

good luck;ol;

 

I think the resistor is a wire-wound 1ohm ~50w resistor. When I recently replaced my exhaust gasket, I removed my radiator fan and cowl and discovered that the wiring insulation to the fan motor had degraded into a brittle hard substance that cracked right off the conductor in the wire. I wound up re-insulating all entire radiator fan assembly wires before reinstalling. So... if the OP is lucky, they just need to replace a fuse and re-insulate the wires...

 

OP here.

Getting nervous about all the wire talk etc...
Just realized how odd the radiator set up is on a saab.

Haven't run the car to see if the fan goes on. I have to make a long trip tomorrow and I'm nervous (no time to fix it if there is a problem).

I will have time on Saturday afternoon. That being said, I snuck out during lunch today and pulled the fuses and they were good.

On Sat I'll run the car and see if the fans run. If no, I'll have to learn how to check relays or just buy 2 new ones if they're cheap.

 

Yeah, I believe there's a diagnostic procedure where you can pull the fan relay and short two of the plugs together with a wire that should make the fan run immediately.

 

I might be thinking about another model year car, but be cautious when messing with the cooling fan. If I'm not mistaken, the fan can run with the ignition OFF. If you remove the key when the engine is hot and the fan continues to run, that means that the fan can start whenever the temp sensor contacts close or something shorts the two contacts. So, if you are going to be working on the fan, remove the negative battery cable to keep the fan from running unintentionally... Ron

 

As a follow-up to previous, the fan should have two speeds: 'low' and 'high,' and I believe one relay for each. AFAIK, the 'low' relay simply draws current through the fan resistor and the 'high' relay does not.

ONLY 'low' will run when engine is off, and 'high' mode will only happen while running under specific conditions. (I think the A/C running might have been one).

 

As a follow-up to previous, the fan should have two speeds: 'low' and 'high,' and I believe one relay for each. AFAIK, the 'low' relay simply draws current through the fan resistor and the 'high' relay does not.

ONLY 'low' will run when engine is off, and 'high' mode will only happen while running under specific conditions. (I think the A/C running might have been one).

You are correct, each speed has a relay. Futhermore, the relays are identical. I suspect the OP's problem is with the high speed operation. The best way to test either relay is to swap it with a working one. If I remeber correctly, the high and low beam relays are also identical to the two fan relays.

 

It's possible that he has a failed resistor meaning low speed doesn't work and a failed relay preventing high speed.

There are 3 wires that run to the fan assembly.
White: +12V for high speed
Green: +12V for low speed
Black: Ground

Run a ground wire directly to the connector for the black wire, then alternate a +12V wire between the green and white wire, if the fan comes on with both wires your resistor is good, if only with the white wire your resistor is bad, if neither your fan is bad.
If both are good then jumper the relays if the fan comes on when jumping each relay then replace the relays, if not check the wiring elsewhere.

 

Got Nervous

ok. Haven't had an overheating issue since but havent been caught in a traffic jam either.

As the first test I attempted to run the car at idle until the H/C Gauge went past the half way point. To see if the fan kicked on.

I ran the car for 30 minutes the gauge rose from cold to the mid point early on but never went past the half way point. This made me nervous and I shut her down after 30.

Should I have let her run or does this point to a different issue. Thanks

 

Let it run a little longer. See if the temp starts to climb above halfway and if the fan kicks on. No fan indicates a fan or wiring issue. Fan on but temp still rising indicates a cooling thermostat issue.

How long has it been since you changed the cooling thermostat and/or flushed the cooling system?

 

picked up the car at an auction 2 months back. . Level always looked good except for the one time I was completely stuck at a drawbridge. So I assume fan. (stopped because I was afraid of the no fan and temp not climbing, got worried it may be some form of temp sensor)

That being said, I've never changed anything in the cooling system neither thermostat or fluid. Think I need to do a few upgrades PVC6 and Direct ignition maybe to name a few.

 

Fan probably wouldn't come on within 30 mins of start up at this time of year. IIRC, the guage is not that accurate anyway and I have heard it said that it sits at the mid position if the temp is anywhere in the "OK" region, just to give the comfortable feeling that all is perfect. I would take it out for a good drive to get it properly warmed up, then leave it idling. My fan will come on within 5 minutes if i do this. But there again, mine has dne 245,000 so is probably not at its best :lol:

 

I believe there's 16 bolts that hold the cam cover on. You will need a new gasket unless its been off very recently. I think the torque value is 18 ft/lbs for the cover and 11 for the DIC.

 

^ ... plus, you will need to move the hard (metal) pipe that goes to the turbo to get the cover up and off on a T7. First remove the screw holding it down in the cam/valve. I then like to loosen the banjo fitting on the turbo end just a smidge, twist the pipe about 10 degrees so it's just out of the way of the cover, then tighten it back down temporarily. Deal with the cover, then reverse the procedure when installing.

The worst part of the whole job will be keeping the new gasket in place while installing it. It fits into a little groove in the valve cover but when you turn the cover back over to install, it falls out. To help installation, I put at least a dozen spots of permatex #2 on in the groove around the cover. Let it tack up for a while, then put the gasket in. A little extra near the half-moons (you'll see them when you get it out) is a good idea as they are heavy and tend to fall out first when you flip the cover over.

I've heard of other guys using 3M spray adhesive, and some use dental floss and tie it in place, then carefully slide it out. Whatever you use, just make sure it stays in the groove on assembly or you will have leaks.

 

On Cam issue. I will hopefully pick up a gasket at CAP and something sticky to keep it in, (I'll use advice from here) Don't have PCV 6 will order that from europarts today

Back to the radiator.

Got it running hot Fan didn't kick on , fuses look good, now I have to check the relays some how.

 

On Cam issue. I will hopefully pick up a gasket at CAP and something sticky to keep it in, (I'll use advice from here)

Back to the radiator.

Got it running hot Fan didn't kick on , fuses look good, now I have to check the relays some how.

You can use one of the other relays that is the same and swap them.
a lot of the relays are the same just used for different things.
You can also jump the relay.
I forget which pins but nearly all relays have a diagram on the outside that shows you the circuit diagram.
update:
Pins 30 and 87
Make sure you have power at pin 30

 

From WIS

with power at pin 30;
Strap (Jump) between connections 30 and 87 in the relay holder.
If the radiator fan works, the fault is in the relay. Fit a a new relay.
If the radiator fan does not work, continue...

Disconnect the radiator fan's connector and check that there is:
12 V between pin 1 and a safe grounding point.
a resistance which is less than 1 Ohm between pin 2 and a safe grounding point.

If that is not the case, check the wiring for short circuits/open circuits between the connection 87 on the relay holder and
connector 1 on the radiator fan.

If the fan does not work in spite of these checks, fit a new radiator fan.