Throttle Sticking When Changing Gears on 2003 9-3 HELP!

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OhioSAAB - 15 Oct 2005 20:36 GMT

When I change gears, first to second or second to third, the throttle
seems to stick. This does not happen all the time, only occasionally.
I can be changing gears, say from first to second, let off the gas,
depress the clutch fully and the RPM will stay where it was previously
for just a couple of seconds, then it will drop. My SAAB service tech
says that this is normal for SAAB. I am an experienced stick driver
and have never seen this on any other vehicle. Is this really normal
for SAAB 9-3’s? Other than this annoying thing, the car runs perfect.
Any help would greatly be appericated. Thanks, OhioSAAB

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Norm Boyce - 15 Oct 2005 22:14 GMT

I also have a 2003 9-3 SS. I notice that the Idle does not decrease at the
rate that I was used to seeing. I asked my Tech here in New Mexico, and
after a long discussion we came to the conclusion it's normal. Now, this is
also the first car I have owned with a turbo. If you put logic behind this
the turbo has to run down before the idle will go down. I am not sure this
will help you but I just got used to it. And I can say that my car runs
fine. I get about 35MPG, and have never had a problem since Dec 2002 when I
picked the car up.

Norm

> When I change gears, first to second or second to third, the throttle
> seems to stick. This does not happen all the time, only occasionally.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> for SAAB 9-3's? Other than this annoying thing, the car runs perfect.
> Any help would greatly be appericated. Thanks, OhioSAAB

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Pooh Bear - 15 Oct 2005 22:33 GMT

> My SAAB service tech
> says that this is normal for SAAB.

Sounds like time to find a new 'service tech'.

Might be an ECU glitch. ECUs can 'go funny' on you sometimes but normally recover on their own IME. I've had a
problem where a warm engine ( but not cold ) would sometimes cut on declutching as I approached a junction. Not
just on a Saab but with Bosch Motronic in a Vauxhall too. Both times it fixed itself after a week or so. <
shrug >

My current 9000 has developed a tendency to rev on declutching actually.

Graham

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ma_twain - 16 Oct 2005 04:15 GMT

As you said, you are an experienced stick driver. What other cars have

you driven where you did not see this behavior. I can tell you the 240
series and Classic 900 turbos I drive do not have this behavior. The one
9-5 turbo I drove did not have this issue and I believe it had the same
2.3 engine as the 9-3.

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Pidgeonpost - 16 Oct 2005 12:26 GMT

>> When I change gears, first to second or second to third, the throttle
>> seems to stick. This does not happen all the time, only occasionally.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> 9-5 turbo I drove did not have this issue and I believe it had the same
> 2.3 engine as the 9-3.

Could this also be the idle air control valve (IAC) gumming up? Have had
similar symptoms on a couple of 9Ks - presumably the 9-3 has a similar IAC
valve?
Fixed mine by removing it and giving it a good clean out with white spirit,
then a *little* WD40 or similar. Seems to fix them for a goodly time.
Secondhand valves are cheap, new aftermarket are reasonable, genuine Saab
ones dearer (of course!). Google should turn up plenty.
The removal and cleaning procedure was listed at
http://www.saab9000.com/procedures/fuel/iac.html but site seems unreachable
right now.

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john - 18 Oct 2005 18:32 GMT

> When I change gears, first to second or second to third, the throttle
> seems to stick. This does not happen all the time, only occasionally.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> for SAAB 9-3’s? Other than this annoying thing, the car runs perfect.
> Any help would greatly be appericated. Thanks, OhioSAAB

It could be normal....Some cars seem to do this as an 'emmission control'
feature - not sure if this applies to saabs...

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Malt_Hound - 18 Oct 2005 19:52 GMT

>>When I change gears, first to second or second to third, the throttle
>>seems to stick. This does not happen all the time, only occasionally.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> It could be normal....Some cars seem to do this as an 'emmission control'
> feature - not sure if this applies to saabs...

Agreed. I had an '00 9-3 that did this. But it did it all the time.
If yours is varying then it may be a different scenario.

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-Fred W

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