Replacing CPS solved finicky starts, but just had one on 2001 9-5 Wagon

I was having issues with the Wagon not starting after short trips, and researched the crankshaft position sensor (CPS) problem. I bought the real BOSCH replacement part from eeuro and after some swearing with this easy job, fitted the replacement. After the fix, all was well for about 2 months. No more issues with non-starts.

Just this week, I parked the car for about 45 minutes and when I returned to start it, the issue was back. It seemed to start right back up after about 30 minutes of just hanging out, trying to start it every now and again, pushing in the shifter button and going through the gears. Opened the hood just to make sure the new connector/wire wasn't compromised in some way. Was about to fit my emergency IC just to check that, but it started right up.

New battery and all else works fine - no other issues and no codes after checking. Only thing is I feel that it runs a tiny bit rough at first after fitting the new CPS.

Any ideas, anyone?

Even new sensors can go bad, but my first guess at the cause of this problem with a recent Bosch replacement is the plug connection. Lots of heating and cooling goes on under the hood and the female plug sockets do tend to get a little loose with time. Give the female connects on the questionable socket a bit of snugging and see if the problem goes away and stays away,

Thanks for the tip. I'm not sure how much more snug I can make the connection, since it has the odd slider clip -- and it seems to be in place just fine. I do recall some trouble in getting the old one off (the slider clip seemed to have a double "step" lock in it rather than one smooth slide), but nothing that alarmed me.

Stopped to get gas and the non-start happened again today. I fiddled with the connections with no joy. Then I left the hood open for about 15 minutes and she started right up.

Does eeuroparts take things like sensors back on a return? I'm just going to order a new part and hope they will take the defective one back. I'd be happy with a discount at this point. changing that sensor was a PITA, but I'm sure now I could do it in about 30 mins.

edit: eeuro does take sensors back but I never had the chance to process it through them because I bought it somewhere else! I'm going to reach out to see if I can get a refund processed once I return the old one. New Genuine BOSCH part ordered through Amazon for $71.

I replaced the sensor AGAIN and all was well for 2 weeks but today I had another Non-start when the engine was warm.

No codes, temps are good. Is there something else I can check? I really don't like getting stuck in parking lots for 30 minutes at a stretch waiting for it to start.

EDIT: After more SAAB web searching, it seems that I might be having an issue with the Neutral Safety Switch. I'm going to install a jumper momentary switch to see if that fixes things the next time a problem arises, and then maybe replace the switch. I love my SAAB and it runs great, but these little things just keep happening at the worst times. :(

If someone can point me to a visual walkthrough of this procedure (it's explained 100 times, but never with any photos), I would very much appreciate it. Seems like every useful tutorial is being held hostage by photobucket.

Crank with no start means no fuel or no spark. Not to ignore the elephant in the room as the engine controller sits where it gets hot and when you turn the car off it gets even hotter before it gets colder. It does need to be considered, but it's not something you can easily check in a parking lot or without special tools.

At your convenience and without special tools you can check every relay in the front electrical center and in front of the battery. Wiggle them up, down, left, right to see if any are loose in their sockets. Pull every relay and look for any dirty or corroded contacts. Get eyeball close and check every wire bundle under the hood for signs of damage. Wiggle the ground points and make sure they are tight. Also check the vacuum line of the fuel pressure regulator for any sign of moisture or the strong smell of raw gas.

When not so convenient and while waiting for the car to start the next time it decides not to, give each and every relay a couple good raps with your knuckle, or the handle of a small screwdriver and test the key after every one you hit. One last thing you can tap while you're under the hood is the starter motor solenoid, one in a million chance that it would cause this problem, but what else are you going to be doing while waiting for the car to start.

If you're still dead in the water after you've hit everything in sight, skinned up your knuckles and sworn up a blue streak, pull small fuse 2, put it back in to reset your ecm and try again. After this you need to get hold of a Tech 2, either to replace the part you just found, or to have it with you for the next time so you can find the part you need to replace.

Thanks for the reply. It's not cranking at all. All lights on, I hear the fuel pump working, and just nothing. It ALWAYS starts first thing, and it will always re-start, jsut after a bit of a wait.Replacing the CPS 2x has not helped and I'm hearing that it might be the NSS. I have been meaning to go through it all to see what the deal is, and replace the small vacuum hoses one by one. I'm just afraid at this point that I will make matters worse.

I will give the thing the once over as best I can WRT the wire bundles and such. I'm hoping that installing the momentary switch will fix it and then I can just replace the part or not at my leisure. Otherwise the car runs pretty darn good and we've gotten over 4 years out of it.

The tutorials talk about putting a momentary button jump between Fuse 36 and Pin 86 of the starter relay (there is even talk of using a thick paperclip between the two largest outside wires on the NSS). For the interior solution, I supposedly can just splice the button in and use it to start the next time it acts up. If it works consistently, then it's probably the NSS. Or just keep the button installed in one of the blanks.

CPS has nothing to do with this kind of starting problem and if you are going to knock on anything under the hood, hit the starter motor first and use the tire iron. The battery cable has been off twice to replace the sensor and worked fine for a couple of months, the second time for a couple of weeks. Sounds more like wire connect at the starter motor, or the motor itself. Old starter motors do fail this way and it happens on all makes of automobiles.

Neutral safety switches do get flaky, but one in a million shot it will be your heat sensitive problem that sounds more like anti theft. Thick paperclip at NSS plug will tell you if you have a bad safety switch, with the paperclip bypassing the NSS and watching to see if all your lights go out when you turn the key to start will tell you if you have a bad ignition switch and jumping the relay or jumping the wire will tell you if you have a bad relay or a bad wire connect between the ignition switch and the relay, usually at the crimp connector of the Electrical block. Swapping the relay with one of its twins will also tell you if you have a bad relay. If giving the starter motor a couple good whacks when it's not starting hot gets you going it's time for a new starter motor, if pulling on all the wires going to the motor gets it to spin you've got a bad connection.

With the battery cable having been off twice and having worked trouble free for a period of time twice my best guess is that you will be replacing the starter motor. If you find you have a bad ignition switch your only choice for parts is Saab, for every thing else that could cause this particular problem Chevy parts cost less than Saab.

Thanks Digger, lots of stuff to check. I never removed the battery cables when replacing the CPS(s).

I read the battery cable can come loose from the starter itself. Maybe I'll check that and look into how easy it is to replace the starter as a diy.

Think I might try the jumper button too.