Saab›900 S›1998›Overview/saab/900-s/1998/base/

1998 Saab 900 S

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 900 S.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1998 Saab 900 S is a passenger‑car model that requires 4.5 qt of engine oil and accepts 10W‑30, 10W‑40 or 0W‑20 API viscosities. It has accumulated 24 owner‑reported complaints, with the air‑bag system cited as the top complaint area, and is subject to three official recalls. These figures place the 1998 model year at a distinct point in the 900’s reliability history, highlighting the air‑bag domain as the primary source of reported issues.

Model year1998 1997 1996

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 / 10W-40 / 0W-20 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque78-96 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 520 CCA battery, OE oil filter 93186554. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 47 · 520 CCAOEM · verified

Tire size195-60VR15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	93186554
Engine air filter	4236030
Fuel filter	4163853
Spark plug	5958780 alt 9112541
Front wiper blades	93195936
Serpentine belt	4395406 alt 93185049
Thermostat	30577561 alt 9176165
Cabin air filter	32020156

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	182.7 in
Overall width	67.3 in
Overall height	56.7 in
Wheelbase	102.4 in
Curb weight	3120 lb
Track (front / rear)	57.1 / 56.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	63/37

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 10W-30 / 10W-40 / 0W-20 API engine oil, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 78-96 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 4
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	MINERAL OILS: 10W-30 OR 10W-40 API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Engine Oil	MINERAL OILS: 10W-30 OR 10W-40 API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE PENTOSIN CHF11S OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	11 ft-lbs
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	7 ft-lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings	36 ft-lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings	36 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	140 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts	129 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	60 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts	59 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	78-96 ft-lbs
Automatic Transmission Drain Plug	28.0-38.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	214 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)	850 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)	50 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance	0.5-0.8 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	7200-8200 ohms
Spark Plug Gap	0.039 in
Spark Plug Torque	18.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Gap	0.039 in

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.60 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	520 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	520 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	20-22 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20-22 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	192 °F
Pressure Test	20-22 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	20-22 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	192 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)	43.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	29.0 psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	21 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	81 ft-lbs / 59 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0006 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.003 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	0.39 in / 0.98 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	0.33 in / 0.91 in
Rotor Finish	0.31 μin

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	59 ft. lbs.	59 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees.	90 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	59 ft. lbs.	59 ft. lbs
3	90 degrees.	90 degrees

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs at 60,000 mi; coolant every 15,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 15,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 5,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Bag System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Body Fasteners (torque) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake Power Booster Unit (inspect)
Every 10,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Bag System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Body Fasteners (torque) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake Power Booster Unit (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 30,000 mi	Suspension Shock or Strut (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · PCV System (inspect)
At 35,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 mi	Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · PCV System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Distributor Cap (inspect) · Distributor Rotor (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace)
Every 65,000 mi	Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1998 Saab 900 S dominate in one area — the air bags, 11 of 24 reports (46%), well ahead of the next concern. That matters, because the air bags are also the target of recall 01V-222 on this vehicle — so the single most useful check before buying or servicing one is confirming it was actually performed. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 24 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags11

Electrical System3

Engine & Engine Cooling2

Steering2

Exterior Lighting2

Air Bags,Seat Belts1

Wheels1

Power Train1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

01V222000Air Bags:FrontalReported 02/07/2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. STATIC ELECTRICITY CAN BUILD UP WITHIN THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG MODULE AND CREATE ENOUGH OF A CHARGE TO CAUSE AN INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. MOST OF THESE INADVERTENT… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FRONT PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG MODULE GROUNDING STRAP. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 24, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON…

98V038000Exterior Lighting:HeadlightsReported 24/02/1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPERLY AIMING THE HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM WERE OMITTED. THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED… Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE SENT AIMING INSTRUCTIONS, AND DIRECTIONS FOR AFFIXING THESE INSERTS TO THE OWNER GUIDES. IF AN OWNER SO DESIRES, A DEALER CAN AFFIX THE INSERTS IN THEIR OWNER GUIDE…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 31 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
16NA260	2016-08-26	Equipment	THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE TO REPROGRAM THE MEDIA DISC PLAYER WITH THE…
Recalls	2014-06-30	Equipment	Vehicle Recalls
130089009	2013-09-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
850	2001-03-13	Air Bags	SUBJECT REGARDING REPLACEMENT OF SRS WIRING HARNESS. *TT
8111984	2000-01-01	Visibility	INFORMATION ON REPLACING CONNECTING TAB ON ELECTRICALLY HEATED REAR WINDOW. *TT

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific 900 S. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 47 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 93186554 Engine air filter 4236030 Fuel filter 4163853 Spark plug 5958780

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 900 S take?

4.5 qt of MINERAL OILS: 10W-30 OR 10W-40 API, SYNTHETIC: USE FULLY SYNTHETIC 0W-20, 0W-50, 5W-30 OR 5W-40 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1998 900 S have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.