Saab electricals - Why's it doing this?

[R9UKE]

I'll firstly introduce my turd to see me through winter when the Renaults don't work.  It had to be Swedish....

 

 

 

 

230 bhp, heated seats and headlight wipers - it'll do just great.

 

Being a Saab, it does have a few quirks, putting it in reverse to remove the key being one.... but is this one?

 

I've noticed that when in traffic, say after about 5 minutes of stop and start, the TCS OFF light comes on, and the rev counter, engine temperature and turbo gauges all drop to zero.  Everything else electrical seems to function fine and there's no battery light to signify a fecked alternator.  Start moving and after about a minute of steady driving again they all spring back to life.  WTF??

[Cheggers]

Hmmmm...the ancillary gauges switching off is what happens when you press the "Night (or sometimes Black) Panel button.

 

Most odd

 

 

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[Asimo]

Ignore it. My Saab had none of those things and worked fine so they must be optional.

 

I had a golf mk4 that behaved similarly. The VAG response was "don't use supermarket petrol".

[R9UKE]

Yup!  And they all fall back smoothly to zero just like when night panel is pushed.  Yet pushing that button and the TCS button do nothing..... 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Nice to see you back R9, I was furiously watching your 306 RG soft top on the bay but is disappeared halfway through!!!! Did it find a loving home?

[R9UKE]

Cheers Mr B, aye, I was contacted by a guy who offered me £650 to end it early.  Seeing as I paid £500, had two months fun, cracked the windscreen and broke an electric window, I really couldn't say no!

[twosmoke300]

Bad earth for your cooling fan? Just wondering if your symptoms happen when it cuts in. Could possibly share an earth with the abs/tcs unit and or clocks?

[twosmoke300]

Oh and to turn the tcs off you usually have to hold for 3 or more secs

[dome]

Have you had a look on www.uksaabs.com? Decent bunch over there, I had a 9-5 of similar vintage but didn't have that problem. Maybe a dodgy earth somewhere?

 

Brian