Saab 99 page

The 99 page

After a lazy summer it became a busier autumn.

The MOT for the GL was due in October, so I checked the previous test for advisories. The previous year I had been concerned about some movement in the steering column, but they had found nothing wrong. On later inspection I found that the pinch bolt at the base of the column needed tightening. I have found that it needs a ½ inch spanner rather than the expected 13mm.

One thing that was mentioned was a worn rear brake pad! This surprised me because in my experience these never wear; I had changed them on a previous occasion just for the hell of it, but the old pads had nearly as much material as the new. I wondered if there might be a seized piston. This proved to be the case. I managed to get new rear callipers, though I had to go to two different suppliers. My first try was Saabit’s who have always given great service, but they had nearside only. Although it was the nearside calliper that had seized, I thought it prudent to change both sides.

With a fresh MOT and a good service the car seemed to be running very well, but I did have a problem after visiting our daughter in Maidenhead, back when we could do such things. Returning home in the darkness of a wet autumn night, I took a wrong turn and had to turn around in a Sainsburys car park. Somehow, I managed to stall and found that restarting was hampered by a flat battery. A knight in shining armour, or turban to be precise, gave us a push-start and the engine burst into life straight away. More worrying was the rather dim dash and lighting, but after a tense few hundred yards the brightness was restored. You the reader may remember that I had experienced charging issues on a midnight run to Norwich at the beginning of the year, so perhaps there was still an issue?

The next morning I checked all the connections on the alternator, which seemed fine. I was a little puzzled that I had not been alerted by the charging light. On investigation I found that one symptom of worn brushes is the

failure of the charging light to illuminate! I suppose that when the ignition is switched on one should check that the oil pressure and charging lights do light up, but perhaps I have become less diligent?As the brushes/voltage regulator assembly is so easy to replace on the Bosch alternator I ordered a set. The assembly is secured by a couple of sets crews and is easy to remove /replace. The result was a charging light that did light up when the ignition switch was engaged, and 14 volts at idle.

A cosmetic feature of the interior of the 99 which has always seemed odd to me was the use of the fake wood effect vinyl below the dash. After nearly forty years this had bubbled and shrunk, looking even more tacky. I decided to remove it, which proved quite easy, but in the centre section the plastic dash had some holes and cut-outs that needed covering. During a visit to B&Q I had a look at their range of selfadhesive vinyl. Indeed they have their own version of fake wood effect, but it looked much less appealing than the Saab variety. They did have a textured dark grey/black which I thought would match the rest of the 99 dash. I am quite pleased with the result.

The headlining is starting to sag a little around the driver’s sun visor, not at all bad after nearly forty years. I think that I will wait for warmer, and dryer weather before I fix that. It is not a difficult job on the 2 or 3 door models, particularly if there is no sunroof. Perhaps the subject of an illustrated article?

We are now looking forward to another period of inactivity, oh well… Alan