Saab: Strange engine noise & searching during start up, 1990 saab 900s, air hoses

Question
I have a 1990 Saab 900S Turbo
Automatic
74K miles

Recent repairs:
Timing chain, tensioner, sprocket (2000)
Water Pump (2001)
Muffler (2001)
C-V joints, inner and outer (2001)

After having my C-V joints replaced, I started having a metal grinding sound coming from somehwere under the hood. I can't say that the noise is associated with the repair but I can say the noise is in the driver's side half of the engine compartment. When I accelerate the noise gets smoother but is still there. Get this, I went through a car wash and it stopped!! but about a couple of hours later it returned. Any ideas as to what would do this?

Second question, I have a really hard time keeping the car going when starting. Cold or warm weather it doesn't matter. It revs high then dives down to nothing. Once I am idling it runs like a champ, sluggish acceleration but turbo still kicks in good.

I am looking to sell due to a recent motorcycle purchase and want to clean the car up as best as I can, maybe even make the wife want to keep it around.  

Answer
I am not overly knowledgeable on the 900.....I would suggest that whatever is making your noise under the hood, is something external if going thru the carwash makes it stop. Check wheelbearings, brakes, driveaxles even though they are new/repaired, could be anything rotating or vibrating. I once had a horrible noise that sounded like engine, turned out to be a muffler rubbing on the frame! As to your uneven idle, this is a faily simple procedure to adjust, or repair. I am not sure if you have the same injection system as I do, but if you have an automatic idle solenoid (looks like a motor, has air hoses hooked to it, mounted at your intake manifold) these can get sticky and cause problems. If you have one, try cleaning it with WD40. You will have to remove it and get in there. Mine was all covered in an oily sticky film resembling carbon, and my saab was stalling a lot. If you don't have one or don't feel like messing with it, even at a dealer it should not set you back too much to get your idling system reset.