1999 saab 9-5 v6 (127,000 miles). No prior related problem before this incident. Upon start up, vehicle ran rough at idle. Low power when attempting to accelerate. Parked vehicle and raised hood. Noticed smoke coming from ignition module on front side of engine, strong smell of burning plastic. Also smelled raw gas coming from exhaust. Check engine light came on. Engine stalled and would not run again. This all took place in less than 5 minutes. Vehicle was towed back home. Replacement ignition cassette currently on order.
1999 Saab 9-5: fire, smoke or burning smell
9 of the 118 complaints about the 1999 Saab 9-5 describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 9
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 75,000
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 4 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
Stall and surging to the point the brakes would not hold the car back at a stop. Later idm failed without warning . Seen smoke coming form coil, pack.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 to 65 MPH the engine lost all power without warning. There was smoke coming for the rear of the vehicle and it was pulled off the road without incident. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, upon inspection the ignition control module had failed. There is a the federal safety agency recall, # 05v399000, regarding the electrical system: ignition control module. The model year was not included in the recall. There was also an the federal safety agency investigation, # pe5017, regarding the electrical system: ignition control module.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shuddered followed by a loss of all power. The warning lights did not illuminate to indicate a failure. A strange burning odor was present but no flames or smoke was visible. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop; the ignition module and coil assembly were replaced. There is a the federal safety agency recall, # 05v399000, regarding the electrical system. The vehicle had the same problems as indicated in the recall; however was not included in the recall due to the VIN. Updated 05/04/06.
The car developed an odd burning smell while I was driving it and the engine quit. The vehicle was towed to the dealership and required the replacement of the direct ignition cassettes.
My 1999 saab 9-5 se turbo v-6 has now had both direct ignition modules fail. The first one failed as the car was being driven at city speeds, the car stalled once was restarted and pulled off the road. There was smoke coming from the engine compartment and a strong odor coming from the engine. The ignition module was replaced and the vehicle functioned properly. Four months later the same thing happened to the other ignition module.
(1) normal city driving operation for 20 minutes (2) while idling at busy intersection for left turn, car stalled and would not turn-over; burning smell came from under hood. Did not open hood so could not evaluate whether there was fire. Car towed by aaa to closest saab dealer. (3) dealer inspection identified the failure of the direct ignition cassette. This is the same failure as identified in the federal safety agency action number pe05017 and campaign recall number 05v399000. Vehicle - saab 9-5 2.3l manual transmission wagon make year - 1999 current mileage - 60k miles all servicing up to date and done by dealer.
The ignition cassette on my 1999 saab 9-5 required replacement two years ago when my husband observed smoke coming from the unit. It was no longer under warranty, and we purchased the part and made the replacement ourselves (one of the few things on a saab that is not difficult). I see now that saab has issued a recall for cars because this problem, but interestingly enough, the recall does not cover the 1999 model.
This complaint is represents an additional event under the federal safety agency action # pe05017. On may 15, 2004 the automobile was approximately one mile from my residence, having been used to do local errands, when the engine started bucking and surging. Given the closeness of the residence to the start of the problems, the car limped home, was stopped in front of the house, and the ignition was shut off. At that point, a burning smell permeated the air. After the car cooled down, we tried to start it again, to no avail. When the car turned over, we could see wisps of smoke in the engine compartment. A tow truck was called and the car was towed to a dealership, which installed two di cassettes at a cost of $1200.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1999 Saab 9-5 fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 1999 Saab 9-5?
9 of 118 owner complaints about the 1999 Saab 9-5 (8%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1999 Saab 9-5?
There are 0 recalls and 4 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1999 Saab 9-5
Stalling 27Check engine light 13Loss of power 8Engine failure 6Won't start 6ABS 5Brake failure 5
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