2002 Saab 9-5 v6 automatic with 90k miles. I have owned the car for 15 years. When the air temp is above 50F, no problem, the car cranks normally and starts fine. As soon as the temp drops be 50F I have to fight to get it to start. If I just jump in and crank the car will not start. Typically if I turn the key to on, let the fuel pump stop, switch the key to off, then repeat this 2x times on the 4 time I will crank the engine and the car will start. And, after the first start of the the day the car will start easily on subsequent restarts. Within the last year I installed a new fuel pump, fuel filter, battery, spark plugs. Could it be the backflow valve on the fuel pump, or maybe bad fuel injectors? Thanks for all the stuff I learned from you videos.
Well, it could be a whole bunch of things but you're talking about when it gets a little bit colder and for my experience that is often either a computer module failure or a wiring system fault like carotid or loose wiring. Realize the subs are really complex. One of the reasons they pulled out of the United States. Nobody knew how to fix them here.
When it doesn't start try spraying a little starting fluid into the intake. If it briefly fires up you know you have a fuel delivery problem. If it doesn't fire up you have an ignition problem. That will at least narrow the issue down. Also If you have access to a Tech2 or equivalent you may be able to check data while cranking under those conditions for further clues. The car is 21 years old, it could be a lot of things but the procedure you outlined suggests low fuel pressure. (Is the fuel pressure regulator functioning properly and keeping static pressure in the fuel rail when the engine is off?) You may find more specific help in a Saab tech forum:
https://www.saabnet.com/tsn/bb/9-5/
https://www.saabcentral.com/forums/9-5-workshop.19/
Also, Saab Parts (now "Orio") still maintains a loose network of service centers. You can check to see if there is one near you. There are also a couple of independent Saab-oriented shops in the FAQ if you happen to be in the L.A. or Philadelphia areas.
https://saabparts.com/us/book-a-service/
BTW, Saab didn't pull out of the United States, it was their biggest market and as mentioned Saab Parts is still operating here. Saab was cast off by GM after that company's bankruptcy and was sold to a small specialty hyper-car manufacturer (Spyker) that didn't have the financial resources to operate even on a shoestring more than a couple of years. Part of the reason is that GM was able to nix additional funding sources. (That's the Reader's Digest version. You could probably write a book about the whole fiasco.)
