Saab Repair: 2000 Saab 93, power brake booster, saab 93


Question
QUESTION: My 2000 Saab 93 just had new emergency breaks put in because we felt something was making them stick. Well now that the new emergency breaks are in, the car does roll better but it also still sticks off and on during driving. The break will push hard and you can tell something is sticking and on a highway the steering wheel will shake if the breaks are sticking at that time. They don't stay sticking, just off and on during driving. What can be wrong? I thought the new emergency breaks would solve the problem and it is not. It even smells hot at times.

ANSWER: Check to see if the is oil in your power brake booster . If oil gets in there it will cause them to drag at times until the oil is pushed out of the way. There is a vacuum pump mounted to the side of the cylinder head and sometimes these fail and force oil into the booster.

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QUESTION: Yes we did check the power brake booster and it had a good quart of oil in it. My question now is Can you drain and reuse the brake booster without any problems? Are there any cheap fixes? Any good suppliers for a new or rebuilt vacuum pump?

Answer
I have not tried to pour out the oil and reuse. My opinion would be that the oil will cause the diaphragm in the booster to deteriorate. The dealer will likely stock the pump. I don't know if there is an aftermarket source. Try www.eeuroparts.com and see if they have it.