Umm… some items to add to the work list
Today I am finally back in town (for 2 days actually) and took the 900 over to pick up some test equipment from a coworker in Woodinville. Before I left I had to top off the power steering fluid reservoir, as I’m losing large amounts of fluid now. I’ve got the replacement hose, so I just need to make time to replace it.
In any case, on the way home I stopped to get my hair cut in North City, and on the 1/2 mile drive home the CHECK ENGINE lamp came on. 
It hasn’t come on the entire time I’ve owned the car, but it came on when I was sitting at the light on 175th waiting to turn on to 10th. I pulled into the driveway ready to investigate, but the lamp went out as soon as I got to the driveway.
While I was at the stoplight before the CE light came on, I was pumping the brakes due to a post I’d read on Saab Central instructing me how to test whether the ABS brake fluid accumulator needs to be replaced. If it takes less than 10 hard pumps for the ANTI LOCK and BRAKE FLUID lamps to turn on, then the accumulator needs to be replaced. The replacement accumulator is expensive, but a GM accumulator from the same era is a direct swap and is less expensive. In any case, it took about 6 or 7 pumps for my lamps to go on, and maybe 1 or 2 seconds for them to turn back out as the ABS pump quickly re-accumulated pressure. I’ve known that the accumulator is slowly on its way out, because when the car is started it can take almost a minute for those lamps to go out. Ideally they’re out within 10 seconds of starting the car.
In any case, while I was pumping the brakes the CHECK ENGINE lamp came on. There are, of course, many different things that can cause the CE to illuminate: a broken/failed vacuum line, poor spark (like from a plug wire that needs replacement), loose gas cap, dirty/failed oxygen sensor, loose wire, bad luck, etc. Things I can think of causing trouble are (1) perhaps leaking power steering fluid is wetting some insulation and causing a short circut of some sensor, or (2) the broken-feeling gas cap isn’t properly sealing the tank. Erik could comment on the gas cap… it’s like whatever keeps cap tight and causes that “clicking” when the cap’s tight is broken. Time will tell. A gas-cap-swap with the 9-5 might help, too, if the problem resurfaces.
The next week will be a vacation for the 900, as it rests in the garage with the 9-5 while Volvo hangs out at Master Park and the family hangs out in Mexico. I’ll catch up with you all the week of 2/26.
