Traction Control caption and small drama...

[Petemate]

I'll run her over to Oxford SAAB and see if there is anything specific

Should you do that in the next few days, can I extend a welcome for a cuppa? I am about and not back to work until Thursday, and only about 4 miles away from them. I'll pm my tel number.
Regards
Pete

[Max Headroom]

Ha! Great talking Pete!

 I'll keep you informed of the progress and my whereabouts!

[Petemate]

Thanks Mark - look forward to that.
Regards
Pete

[Max Headroom]

OK here's the latest:

Wheelers in Chipping Norton took a good look at the car adn as I suspected could not find a fault 

However this morning, the battery did struggle to light the engine, and I duly mentioned this. I do know that an iffy battery can produce some spurious codes in some cars, but I would be surprised if it would cause some sort of surge and knock out that fuse (but then Im no electrical engineer and someone may think differently on that one)

So, in conclusion to todays investigations, the bad news is that nothing was found. The good news is that I have a new battery!

I think I'll take the car over to Oxford SAAB and ask if they could check for any codes that might show on a Tech-II and not on a generic code reader that might point to something.

[Petemate]

So - this could be something to do with it; low batteries can cause all sorts of maladies....
I'm sure Tech II will reveal all.
Pete

[Max Headroom]

Drove down to Northolt today and the car didn't miss a beat 

I have just spoken with SAAB at Oxford and they are of the opinion that I should sit tight and see how it goes.
They felt that unless I had had an indicating fault (I guess by that, a warning light), that it was unlikely that anything would show on Tech-II.

[Petemate]

Drove down to Northolt today and the car didn't miss a beat 

I have just spoken with SAAB at Oxford and they are of the opinion that I should sit tight and see how it goes.
They felt that unless I had had an indicating fault (I guess by that, a warning light), that it was unlikely that anything would show on Tech-II.

A bit worrying that, always in the back of your mind until/unless it stops again... would be really nice to know what caused the fuse to blow. I suppose it COULD have been the low battery - just look at my non-charging thread and see what the scenario did to finish off my alternator!!

[Max Headroom]

Yes it is a bit worrying, I agree. 

I have just got in, and both the journey down to Northolt this morning, and the return journey tonight was faultless.

With the new battery, the engine is very much quicker to 'catch' when starting from cold. The old battery was somewhat 'lazy' even when it wasn't particularly cold.

I also now have a heap of 10A fuses at the ready which I'm hoping I will never need to use! 

[Petemate]

Yes it is a bit worrying, I agree. 

I have just got in, and both the journey down to Northolt this morning, and the return journey tonight was faultless.

With the new battery, the engine is very much quicker to 'catch' when starting from cold. The old battery was somewhat 'lazy' even when it wasn't particularly cold.

I also now have a heap of 10A fuses at the ready which I'm hoping I will never need to use! 

Nice one Mark - probably will be OK now. (large qty of fuses = umbrella = no rain....)
Pete

[Max Headroom]

After the last un-scheduled stop, I now have also my arctic sleeping bag in the boot. Having no engine to keep me warm that night was terrible!

[Petemate]

Yes it is a bit worrying, I agree. 


With the new battery, the engine is very much quicker to 'catch' when starting from cold. The old battery was somewhat 'lazy' even when it wasn't particularly cold.

Just what I found after fitting the new alternator. Previously, in the two-three days prior to the flat battery episode, the starting had become a bit 'lazy', even my lad noticed that when he borrowed the car once. I reckon that was the alternator failing to charge at the proper rate.
When we bought the car in April 2010, Cumnor had fitted a brand new battery for us, a proper GM one, and up until my leaving the int light on the night of 29 Dec, had never given any problems (apart from the slightly slow starts)
Keep us all up to date!
Brgds
Pete

[phoenix]

I spent two years chasing an intermittent fault on our old C900 ABS system. Sensors, control units, pumps.  There was no trouble starting the car so I had initially ruled out the battery but a new battery did indeed cure the problem. It never came back.

[Max Headroom]

Thanks Phoenix - I'm being cautiously optomistic now   

[Petemate]

I'm being cautiously optomistic now   

So am I and it isn't even my car - lol