Saab Tech Tips
Erratic Saab 9000 Pictograms
By Don Andrews, Andrews Inc. of Princeton
Problem: Erratic 9000 Pictograms
Symptom: The 9000 pictogram still shows that there is a brake/taillight bulb out even though the brake light bulb has just been replaced
This repair is approved by Andrews Inc. of Princeton.
The Repair
The common failure is that the replaced bulb is not made by the same manufacturer. The pictogram/electrical system is set up so that it is constantly checking for the proper amount of voltage. If a light bulb burns out there will be a voltage drop. All replacement bulbs do not have the exact same voltage when "mixed and matched". If you are not able to determine the manufacture of the old bulb, replace the corresponding bulbs on both brake/taillight assemblies.
Another situation to look out for when replacing the brake/taillight bulbs, is to check and make sure that the contact points located in the bulb board socket are not pushed too far down into the opening, otherwise the contact end of the bulb is not able to make contact. If the bulb fits loosely, simply pry up the contact point with a small screwdriver until the bulb fits tightly!
Another occurrence is that some customers are calling with the complaint, "the car will not shut off via the key, and it takes the headlight switch turns to the OFF position for the car to actually stop running." The problem is when replacing rear brake/taillight bulbs, a single element (1156 bulb) is being accidentally put into the space or socket provided for the dual element (1157 bulb), thus creating a "feed back" through the ignition system. The head/parklights will stay on as well as the pictogram indicating a bulb problem. The following diagram shows the difference between the 1157and the 1156 bulbs. Notice the different height of the positioning tabs on the side of each bulb.
The 1157 bulb can only be put in one way or it will not operate correctly. The following diagram shows a passenger side taillight bulb board and from the contact points shown, it is easy to distinguish which bulb goes in which socket.
While some early pictograms (86-88) can defy all attempts at proper operation, many times the solutions noted above will solve "the erratic 9000 pictogram!"