Frustrated with CIS

[Dsp99t]

I'm beyond frustrated and about to tear this thing all apart to install MS.

I can get a beautiful idle but nothing above that, or I can richen it up to where the idle is awful and get revs off boost but never into the boost. I'm very tired of CIS. I need someone that has the tools to properly test things and the knowledge of how it works. I know carburetors not some Rube Goldberg injection.

[Crazyswede]

Are you running points ignition?

Is your fuel pump good

Is your fuel filter clean

Is your timing correct

Is your compression good?

[Dsp99t]

Fuel pump is not new
Fuel distributor is new
Injectors have been cleaned and flow tested
Lines have been cleaned
Filter is new
Temp control valve is unknown
Idle bypass is unknown
Temp sensor is unknown

I have electronic ignition and everything is brand new from distributor out
Timing is set to factory specs

Compression is good

I could continue to buy random parts at $100 a whack and maybe get it right at some point, probably after I set it on fire.

[Jordan]

Does it have a cold start injector? Which fuel distributor did you end up getting?

[Dsp99t]

I'm running the 900 turbo fuel distributor and air door

[DrewP]

My 900 EMS ran ok at idle but wouldn't rev for shit when I got it, turned out the little oscillating valve on the fuel inlet was unplugged. Looks sort of like an injector, little Bosch 2-pin electrical connector on it, sort of behind the driver's side headlamp. It should buzz at idle. I think in the k-jet literature it's referred to as the modulating valve.

Jump the fuel pump to run continuously, pull all the injectors out and stick them in a tray, or empty (clear) water bottles or something like that. Remove the big rubber bellows on the fuel distributor, then gently jift the air plate. Make sure all injectors spray patterns look the same, and that they look like they all spray about the same amount. The higher the plate is raised the more they should spray until you max the plate out all the way up.

[Dsp99t]

I will check tomorrow.

Hearing that buzz will not be easy the car has no mufflers at all.

[SwedeSport]

The frequency valve on mine took a dump. If you hear it changing pitch, it's doing its job.

It would run fine for a few miles then shut off. It would then crank with no start. It would fire up and run again and repeat the cycle. Swapped the valve and its been fine since.

[Dsp99t]

A friend came by tonight and we ran some diagnostics. We discovered (by more dumb luck than anything) the "new" computer was bad and not triggering the valve. The old (previous owner called it bad) computer works perfectly. Now thanks to a fresh set of eyes I'm much less frustrated and hopeful about the future of this car.

[DrewP]

Yay! That's great news.

[SwedeSport]

CIS is a decent system when its all functioning properly.
It's just a bit of a pain to troubleshoot.

[Dsp99t]

To be honest I couldn't tell you if the valve was buzzing but I could feel fuel flow pulsing in the line.

[99Super]

If there was debris in the lines and injectors, there is gunk in the Frequency Valve as well. It's nothing but a fancy D-Jet injector. Not sure how you can back flush it. When mine was failing, it would do exactly what you are describing.

[Dsp99t]

I really wish I'd never seen this saab. I've spent, including the assets I traded for it, over $4000 and it still won't run right. I'm to the point I never want to look at it again.

I bought this car to be a budget race car but for what I've wasted on this complete pile I could have built two. Autocross is supposed to be fun and inexpensive. So far this car is neither.

[SwedeSport]

Building a race car of any sort is not cheap. I have way mote than 4g in just safety equipment on my car. MUCH more than that in total.

I started my 84 notchback project with the intention of trying to build a budget racer.
I crossed the 5k threshold already and it still needs another 5k worth of work.

I would venture to say that more than a few on here have 15k in their cars. Get into real rally,... and you can expect to cross the 50k threshold pretty quickly.

I wouldn't be too discouraged. The cost of everything is through the roof. A4s cost a grand these days.

CIS is a bear if you dont follow the proper procedure to diagnose and set everything. You have to systematically check everything. I think I know my way around a Saab pretty well, and I take it to a Saab mechanic when I have CIS issues.