NHTSA Complaint #715965 — 1984 SAAB 900

THIS SAAB WAS PURCHASED WITH EXTENSIVE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. AFTER CORRECTING MOST GROUNDING POINTS IT BURNED OUT THE WARM UP REGULATOR. WITH THAT OUT OF THE CIRCUT, THE FUELPUMP BEGAN TO VAPOR LOCK. RELEASING THE BANJO FITTING AT THE DISTRIBUTOR PRODUCED A SUCKING SOUND., BACK AT THE FUEL PUMP IN THE FUEL TANK THE PUMP WAS RUNNING BUT NOT PUMPING. SO DISCONNECTED THE HOT WIRE, I PUT A WRENCH ON THE FUEL FITTING AND LOOSENED THE FITTING, SOME FUEL SPRAYED OUT AND THE WRENCH HIT THE BODYWORK CAUSING A BIG SPARK. THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE WAS SO MUCH FUEL AROUND THE SPARK HAD NO OXY TO IGNITE THE ANSWER WAS THE SAAB PEOPLE IN THEIR WISDOM PUT A RED ID SLEEVE ON THE GROUND WIRE AND EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON IT HAS WIRED THE FUEL PUMP UP BACKWARD AND THE ONLY REASON THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE WAS SO MANY GROUNDS WERE BAD IN THE REST OF THE CIRCUT THE PUMP WOULD BACK FEED AND RUN CORRECTLY. AS THE SAAB HAS A MAIN GROUND CIRCUT, NEAR THE BATTERY FOR THE REST OF THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUTS, IT WOULD BE PRONE TO THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IF WORKED ON BY SOME ONE WITH OUT AN ANGLE ON HIS SHOULDER. *AK