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There was a design flaw in the 95 900SE cable in that there was no provision to adjust the cable...and as you probably have found out, when it inevitably stretches it gets very hard to shift into 1st or reverse without clashing the gears. By the year after, or maybe 2 years after, Saab changed to a hydraulic clutch design.
I got another 6 months and 6000 miles on my 95 clutch cable by adding a bent fender washer as a "shim" where the clutch cable attaches to the clutch arm coming out of the transaxle. The cable sheath ends and the cable goes thru a curved slot on the arm, and ends with a short metal cylinder that pulls against the arm when you push the clutch pedal down. So I took a fender washer and cut a small slit to its center hole. I also bent the washer into a curve. Then I slipped the washer over the cable between the clutch arm and the metal cylinder. (The washer will be toward the front of the car ahead of the clutch arm.) Once you get it on the cable (with the cable thru the hole in the middle of the washer), you effectively have "shortened" the clutch cable by the width of the washer, between 1/16 and 1/8th of an inch...just enough that the shifting will be like new! I even made some extra washers in case the 1st dropped out or the cable stretched a bit more. (I never needed the extra washers.)
But this is a temporary fix. When I had about 6000 miles on the repair, the clutch cable suddenly stretched A LOT, and then snapped leaving my clutch fully engaged within about 2 shifts of when the extreme stretch started.
So it was tow to a Saab dealer (when there still were Saab dealers) and have a new clutch cable installed. SAAB had put out an advisory that when installing a new cable to use 2 instead of 1 washer (at the other cable end.) The tow and new cable at the dealer cost about $1000.
When I could feel the replacement cable start to stretch about a year and a half later, I sold the car before I had another $1000 repair.
Too bad...the 95 is a great looking, driving, and handling car, whose styling was way ahead of time, still comparing favorably with high end convertibles 17 years later.
Good luck, Paul
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoAs far as I know they are not adjustable. My 91 900s has a very deep clutch ( engages near the bottom fully ). They only thing I have done to make it better is to bleed the clutch.
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What are possible reasons for a 1995 Saab 900 grinding in the front of the car when switching gears?
That year has a cable clutch linkage from your clutch pedal to the transmission, and it tends to wear and STRETCH, causing the clutch to not be fully disengaged even though your clutch pedal is pushed all the way down to the floor. It is a design flaw as there is no cable-length-adjustment. SAAB came out with a TA that instructs mechanics to use TWO (instead of just one) spacer washers when replacing this cable, to help forestall how soon this happens. There is an aftermarket replacement cable that has an adjustment built in. I postponed replacing my cable for about 6 months by shimming where the cable attaches to the clutch arm: I cut a slot in a fender washer so I could slip it over the cable without taking the cable out. I bent the washer to match the curve of the clutch arm. I then inserted the washer between the clutch arm and the ball at the end of the cable, effectively shortening the cable by the thickness of the washer...but eventually you will need to replace the cable. If you use this fix and later feel it grinding the breaking of the cable is IMMINENT!
How do you change a clutch cable on a 1993 Saab 9000 cse?
You don't because there isn't one. Your car has a hydraulic clutch--there's a master cylinder on the pedal and a clutch cylinder on the side of the transmission.
How do you adjust clutch on Saab?
To adjust the clutch pedal on a Saab the clutch line needs to be bled. Bleeding the clutch line will allow any air to escape and stiffen up the pedal.
How do you fix the button on the shifter to put it in gear?
IF it's a mid-90's SAAB (mine was a 1995 Saab 900 SE Turbo Convertible, manual transmission), it could be a stretching clutch cable that means you cannot fully disengage the clutch even with the pedal all the way down to the floor, making shifting in and out of reverse and first difficult. SAAB had a design flaw that year (and maybe a year or two earlier or later): It was a cable operated clutch, but NO way to adjust it as it stretched as it got older. This was a real problem as you could not remove the ignition key unless you had shifted into reverse. At times the trouble would be bad enough I would have to stop the engine in neutral, THEN shift into reverse with the engine off, in order to remove the ignition key. Eventually the cable stretched so far it broke. I had the dealer replace it (almost $1000)...and a few years later when the new cable started to stretch, I sold the car before it became a real problem again.
What would cause a 1994 Saab 900 manual transmission not to shift into 2-4-reverse The linkage is adjusted to the end of the shaft what is the fix?
It >might< be a stretched clutch linkage cable, that is causing your clutch to not disengage even with the pedal pushed all the way down. My 95 had this condition, I don't know how many years SAAB used a clutch cable that had no adjustments in it. If this is what it is, the trouble probably came on gradually as the clutch cable stretched with age. Normally with a worn clutch the 'contact point' gets higher and higher on pedal travel, but with a stretched cable it goes the other way and gets lower and lower. Solutions: Easiest temp (6 months maybe) fix: Cut a fender washer so there is a slot from it's outer edge to the center hole. Bend the washer in a semicircle...you should then be able to slip it over the clutch cable, between the clutch arm out of the transmission and the 'ball' at the end of the cable. Do it right and you will just have shortened the effective cable length by the thickness of the washer. I did this and got 6 months more life out of the cable before it finally streched more and snapped. If a dealer replaces the cable there is now an engineering bulletin out to put in TWO washers when installing the replacement cable, giving you that much more time for wear and tear before this happens again. OR, do some internet searches, I think someone makes an aftermarket cable for it that has adjustment capability. A year or two later SAAB solved this problem on subsequent models by using a hydraulic rather than mechanical cable linkage. If my guess is right, this has NOTHING to do with how your shift linkage is adjusted at all! Good luck, Paul
How do you tighten the clutch cable in your 1996 Saab 900s?
Bad news: You don't. I have a 95 Saab 900 and it too has a clutch cable...they do not have any adjustment. Eventually it stretches to the point you cannot completely disengage the clutch and it will grind into gears, and be hard to shift into reverse. There are aftermarket clutch cables you can buy that have an adjustment feature buit into them. SAAB has a technical advisory, so when they put replacement cables in they "double washer" it so the cable can stretch more before you have trouble. I had good luck extending the life of my stretched clutch cable by taking a fender washer (about 1" diameter w/ 1/8" center hole) and using it to shim where the end of the clutch cable contacts the clutch arm coming out of the transaxle. Take the washer and use a hacksaw to cut a slot from the other edge to the center hole, so you can slip it over the cable without taking the cable out. Also bend the washer so it is curved to roughly match the bend in the clutch arm. Have someone push in your clutch cable, then push on the arm while they release the clutch pedal so you can get some slack between the clutch arm and the ball at the end of the cable. Slip the fender washer between the clutch arm and the ball-end. When you release everything the pressure of the clutch arm will hold it firmly in place, and you will have shortened the 'effective' length of the cable about 1/16", the width of the washer. That worked about perfectly for me! BUT, 6 months later the cable started to stretch again and ultimately broke. So this type repair should be considered just temporary, and if you feel it stretching AGAIN get to a shop PRONTO or you'll end up stranded on the road. Hope this helps, Paul. prhkgh@comcast.net ...Here is another method. ,, You will note ( with the battery removed) that once you have levered the stretched cable end off the transaxle clutch throw out arm assy, the aluminum end cap on the stretched clutch cable, can be held whilst you slide the white nylon guide assembly back a few mils. This will allow you to shim the flat surface with a plastic washer or shim, again, cutting a small groove into your shim prior to placing it between the aluminum end piece and rubber cushion washer SAAB have already installed on their non adjustable cable. ,,A breaker bar or 2 ft length of small diameter water pipe or even a length of broom stick handle can be used to lever the clutch arm in far enough to fit the newly revised and shimmed cable back into place. This method is easier and more desirable from a wear perspective, simply because you are allowing the original ''nylon assy to lever profile'' to continue mating without any increased wear caused by bending a washer in an attempt to match original profile. ( I just did this for my next door neighbour and he was very happy ! ) A new cable is not expensive, but you need to be a petite contortionist to fit em ,,As a rule of thumb, 2mm minimum to 5 mm maximum should be all the shimming you need,,, cheers darylwjames@gmail.com
Where is the Clutch fluid reservoir in a 1992 Saab?
The clutch master cylinder is supplied from the brake fluid reservoir via a rubber tube.
Why do the gears grind in reverse in your Saab 900 manual transmission?
Well, it depends on what you mean by saying the 'gears grind in reverse'...If the noise is while you are trying to shift INTO reverse, and if your Saab is around the 1995 vintage, then it is a common problem caused by the stretching of the non-adjustable clutch linkage cable: The 1995 Saab (and maybe a year either side of it) used a cable from your clutch pedal to the clutch arm off the transmission. As it gets older it stretches. Reverse is the gear that will start grinding first as the cable stretches and the clutch is not actually being fully dis-engaged. Eventually the grinding will get bad enough you will have trouble shifting into reverse, and then start having grinding when shifting into 1st gear too. At least that's what I experienced. You might be able to buy 6 months if you are a little handy, but making a "shim" out of a fender washer. Take a fender washer and cut a slit in it, wide enough that you can slip it over the internal metal cable of your clutch cable where it goes through the metal arm out of your transmission. Put it on the side toward the front of the car, between the 'ball' end and the metal arm. (You will have to also bend the washer into a semi-circle shape.) This will in effect shorten the cable, because you will have moved the arm about 1/8 inch closer to the firewall. When I did this my grinding disappeared. But it's a stopgap. 6 months after I did this the cable started to stretch again, A LOT, very quickly, and within one day's commute snapped completely, stranding me and I had to have the car towed. The REAL solution is to replace your clutch cable NOW before it stretches so far it breaks. If you have a dealer do this, there is an engineering change that will have them put TWO washers in place instead of the ONE washer that was originally stock...somewhat postponing the trouble from occurring again. It's pricey, take a big wallet. This was a design flaw...it is the only cable operated clutch I am aware of that had NO provisions for adjusting the length of the cable! SAAB eventually realized it was a poor design, and by the time they came out with the 9-3 model they converted to using a hydraulic clutch instead of a cable clutch. (I'm not sure when this change was done...maybe in the 97 model year, but that's a guess on my part.) good luck, Paul H. PS: I was told by the dealer my clutch had more pedal pressure than it should have, which made the problem appear quicker. They said it was due to a part that was not lubricated properly when the clutch had earlier been replaced, and they could fix the problem but it would involve as much labor as a clutch job, so I should have the clutch replaced at the same time. Their estimate was over $2000 to do this work...I sold the car before it became a problem again.
What is sensonic in Saab fuse panel?
"Sensonic" is Saab's electrically-operated clutch. It was supposed to let you shift a manual transmission faster than a pedal-operated clutch could. It was discontinued shortly after introduction because the customers didn't like it.
What oil do you use on a 1995 Saab 900se?
5w30
How much does it cost to replace clutch 1995 Saab 900?
it cost me almost $500 us to do a 1997 900se turbo and a weeks worth of my time. === Another answer: I too had a 1995 Saab 900SE: I didn't want to tackle that big a job, even though I have replaced many clutches on traditional front engine rear drive cars, and a few front wheel drive cars, like an old VW Rabbit. I could tell the limited clearences would make this a very tough job. So I got a quote from a Saab dealership, as I couldn't find any independent shops that knew anything about Saabs (and didn't want to pay for them to start learning by working on my car.) The dealer estimated the job at $2000...and shifting was getting harder and my clutch cable was stretching again...The dealer said the previous clutch replacement probably missed a critical lube point, and that my Saab had heavier clutch action than it should have, which is why my clutch cable was stretching. Having already had a couple $1000+ dealer repairs, although I LOVED the car, I sold it before the need to redo the clutch became critical. I still miss the car, it was great looking and lots of fun to drive. (Note mine was a convertible, and although I had no top troubles I had read of even more expensive repairs if and when the top malfunctioned...another factor in my selling it before it needed repairs that totaled the value of the car...)
If you had the clutch cable replaced on your Saab 900 se turbo and now the car will not go in gear now mechanic says you need a new clutch do you?
My guess is your Saab is around a '95 or '96, isn't it? If so... There was a design flaw around that time...later years switched to a hydraulic clutch setups. The problem was there was NO provision to adjust clutch cable lenght as it aged and stretched. Eventually from stretching the clutch would not be fully disengaged even when the pedal was pushed all the way down. In my '95 900S Turbo Convertable this started as hard to shift (or even crunching) into reverse, then as things got worse hard to shift into 1st too. Got so bad I had to turn off the engine, shift into reverse, and then start up the engine. Makes it tough to remove the ignition key when you can't put it into reverse! There was an engineering modification notice about these that called for the dealer to put an extra spacer washer in place when replacing the clutch cable. (The new cable comes with one spacer washer, the engineering change was to install two...to give it that much more space before cable stretched too much.) Originally I fashioned an extra spacer that I inserted between the cable-end "ball" and the clutch arm, effectively shortening the cable by the width of the spacer, and giving me a few more months of operation. Eventually the cable snapped and I had it replaced. The way I made the spacer: I took a fender washer and cut a slot in it big enough for the cable to squeeze through. I bent the washer into a semi-circle to roughly match the curvature of the ball on the end of the clutch cable. Then I pulled on the end of the cable, and slipped the bent washer over the cable. Note a mechanic at a Saab dealer told me I had higher clutch pressure than normal, which is why after a year and 20k miles the new cable started to stretch all over again. Apparently when a clutch had previously been put in the car something hadn't been replaced, that caused excessive friction that exacerbated the situation. Faced with an estimate of $2000 to replace the high-friction part (same as cost to put in a whole new clutch), coupled with my roof was starting to have "issues"...I sold the car.
