My brake lights, engine light and bunch of other lights are on?

VYCKY14

MEMBER
2004 SAAB 9-3
AUTOMATIC
200,000 MILES

I have a 2004 Saab 9-3. My brake lights, engine light, and bunch of other lights are on. Sometimes my car won't even start and when it does it will sometimes smoke and start to jump back and force while reducing speed on its own. I will even push as far as I could on the accelerator and my car will only go up to 20 miles per hour. I took it to several mechanics and was told that it was an electrical issue because my brakes, engine, and everything else looked good and one said it was my fuse box and another said that I need a whole new computer for my car. Can anyone tell me what's wrong with my car and what parts do I need in order to fix it?

1 Reply

SQM

MECHANIC
6,383 POSTS

Hello,

There could be a number of reasons why you are having these issues.
From faulty sensors to defective parts.
As you mentioned the engine light is on. A good first step would be to retrieve the error code(s). This can help with the diagnostics.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

You mentioned that you cannot go past 20 miles per hour. That could be due to the engine being on limp or low power mode.
One of the most common causes for limp mode is a dirty throttle actuator. If the throttle actuator fails to send correct data to the ECM, it can trigger the limp mode.
Many times, cleaning out the throttle body can improve drivability.

Here is a helpful guide:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/reduced-power-limp-mode

Please let me know what codes you retrieve.
Thank you.

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