Topics

1

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Non Saab jobs - satisfaction

« on: 01 May 2024, 10:04:32 PM »

Number 1 son has been hassling me to do jobs on the 500 quid Ford Focus he bought in January, and which has been SORNed ever since, blocked in the garage because of a skip immediately outside, due to an extension being built on our house!!

He is also due to turn 18 this month so dying to get the car ready to MOT and insure!!

We located the cause of water leaks being various cracks in seam sealant, some of which were under the roof rails. To remove these required dropping the headliner to access fixing bolts. Plus one end cap was missing the bracket to the body above the windscreen.

We removed the roof rails a couple of weeks back, and I ordered an end cap bracket off Ebay as well as a brand new aerial.

After much prep, and a liberal dose of Tiger Seal, the bracket, roof rails and aerial were all fitted this evening, and we have made a start re-instating the headliner. Hopefully that will be done in the next couple of days, and then we need to fit the rear parking sensor kit I also got off Ebay, and sort the lacquer peel on the front bumper.

But edging closer to getting it taxed and MOTed, and back on the road.

2

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Peeling lacquer

« on: 21 April 2024, 10:55:41 AM »

Hi all, so after restoring the headlights on my son's Ford Focus estate that is patiently sitting in the garage waiting to be fully recommissioned before going for MOT, I want to have a go at fixing the horrendous lacquer peel on a large area of the front bumper.

The lacquer has come off a large area on the left side, but there are other areas where it has bubbled but not come off. I need to get all this off and rub down what is left before re-lacquering.

However, what is the best way to get all the loose stuff off back to the good lacquer without damaging the base coat? Someone suggested jet wash but I'm a bit wary.

3

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Flat spotted tyres.

« on: 16 April 2024, 09:37:11 AM »

If you have a car parked in the garage for a few months, is there a good way to fix flat spots on the tyres?

My son's car got stuck in the garage once our building work started and a skip was dropped outside the garage door.

The car is SORNed, but the skips have been there far longer than we anticipated. The tyres are all good/reasonably new, and we have tried to move the car about whilst it has been in there so it wasn't sitting on the same patch continuously.

4

Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / Water in passenger footwell - first time ever!!!

« on: 15 April 2024, 12:29:54 PM »

It was raining when I drove to work this morning, but nothing out of the ordinary - fairly usual drive to work, with the heating and fan on as it was little nippy. Umbrella was on the front passenger floor, but I hadn't used it for a couple of weeks. I leaned over to pick it up as I was contemplating using it to go from the car park to the office, and as a I moved it, the mat immediately under where it had been was freshly wet. I noticed also another freshly wet bit forward of this but under the side edge of the centre console.

First thought was rain water getting into the fan via the cabin filter housing, but as it appeared to be from the centre console side, I wondered if it was something else in that area. The water did not smell of anything.

Any thoughts on what I need to check for, esteemed fellow Saabers?

5

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Petition to reduce car tax on older cars

« on: 03 March 2024, 08:30:24 PM »

Just saw this on one of the Saab groups on Facebook...

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/654884?fbclid=IwAR3KcGRR7oAsfNKaPQTR19c097UU2r5LrUsb3r6kz7SdBdVvcPIdGgTEQXo

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Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / New coil packs

« on: 21 February 2024, 12:52:20 PM »

My car has has a bit of varying vibration at idle since I bought it 6 years or so back. But whenever i brought it up with the specialists at service time, they couldn't find anything wrong. More recently I have had a misfire/stutter at 2500rpm in mainly in 4th gear.

The car has had new plugs along the way, and the timing chain done, but nothing seems to have sorted this. So I suspect my ignition coils may be a bit suspect. Some time back I bought another set from a breakers, and have swapped them around, but nothing made any difference.

I have a new set of the required plugs as recommended on here, so I was wondering if I should be looking at coil packs too?

If so, are these good value?
https://www.neobrothers.co.uk/car-parts/electrical-lighting/ignition/ignition-coil/oe-direct-ignition-coil-set-x4-12787707

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Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / What's that clanking noise at the back?

« on: 16 February 2024, 06:15:38 PM »

Well I noticed a sort of clanking noise at the back of the car when going over an aggressive speed ramp in the work car park, but I thought it was maybe something rolling round in the boot.

But today I drove over said spead ramp and there was a big metal on metal clank, and it continued over smaller bumps and potholes.

So I pulled over expecting to hear my exhaust blowing, but it wasn't, and all seemed secure. I drove home carefully, and when I parked up, tried bouncing and rocking the back end of the car, but could not get any noise!!!

Luckily my mechanic was available, so I took the car over to get it on the ramp. Exhaust was ok, rear springs were ok. But....the right hand rear shock had collapsed and was not in the top mount!!!

So I need two rear shocks and two top mounts. Having a look on PFS, shocks are 50 quid each, and the top mounts are 25 quid each from Saabits. But if I go onto the GSF website, Monroe shocks are only about 30 quid each.

So which should I go for, and do the Aeros have different spec dampers to everything else?

8

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / What to do about peeling lacquer on a bumper

« on: 04 February 2024, 06:19:07 PM »

Well I was trying to do a couple of bits on my son's SORNed 57 reg Ford Focus estate that's in our garage at the moment.

The headlights are a bit cloudy so I had a go at one of them wuth T Cut headlight restorer. It got rid of the greeny hue, but the surface looks and feels a bit rough and opaque. So next plan is to use the fine grade wet and dry on them, and lacquer them.

But, talking of lacquer, the front bumper seems to have very bad lacquer peel on one side. It seems to lift in places like clingfilm!!!

The paint colour still seems fine. So I was wondering, whether the car needs to go to a body shop to  do it properly, or if it is something I could tackle with some aerosol lacquer?

My worry would be damaging the exposed paint surface.

Should I try to peel off any loose bits of lacquer, and would anything need rubbing down before applying the lacquer?

9

Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / Windscreen washer bottle

« on: 23 January 2024, 05:47:47 PM »

Well that was a waste of time.....windscreen washer was empty on my way home, so filled it up with screenwash and water when I got home, only to find it all leaking out under the bumper!!!

Obviously it was too dark to do any investigating, but any thoughts on obvious culprits to look out for? Pipe come off, or cracked bottle etc?

10

Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / Heated steering wheel

« on: 13 January 2024, 01:08:02 PM »

Driving my Aero recently too and from work, and the steering wheel has been very cold to my already cold fingers!!!! Whilst the car warms up quite quickly (and always has done - so did my 9-5 LPT years ago), I don't have the luxury of heated seats.

Although I can cope with that, but I was wondering if a heated steering wheel was ever offered on the 9-3ss, and whether such a thing can be retro fitted to a 56 reg pre facelift car?

11

Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / Blower fan chirping driving me nuts!!!

« on: 11 January 2024, 11:52:32 AM »

Well my fan has been squeaking ever so slightly, but it's doing it more so now, and getting right on my turbos   

I wanted to try to lubricate the bearings, and wasn't sure if that can be done by accessing with the glovebox removed? I saw a youtube video on a left hand drive car, where there was a rubber bung you could remove to get your wd40 straw in to spray the bearings, but not sure if the same was true of the right hand drive?

I saw the Cyclone Sid video where he did spray some in from the outside air inlet.

12

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Ken M Jones - Saab specialist in Rugby

« on: 03 January 2024, 11:08:05 PM »

Hi all,

I need to get my Aero serviced and a few Saaby bits looked at. Hoping to go to Bagnall Saab in Birmingham, but Ken M Jones in Rugby seems to be a fair alternative. But, I am not sure if he is still trading, as his website doesn't exist, and other links seem to take you to the generic Orio servicing page.

Anyone used Ken recently, and can recommend him?

13

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Another addition to the fleet?

« on: 03 January 2024, 11:03:21 PM »

Well, it looks like we are getting another car off a friend which will more than likely sit in my garage for a few months as my son builds up his driving expereince in my Peugeot 107, with a view to any potential insurance policy being a bit cheaper after he turns 18.

So a friend who has just bought a newer Ford Focus estate was getting rid of the one he has had for the last 3 years - a 57 reg 1.6 Climate, with (admittedly) 158k miles on the clock (he has been doing around 25k miles a year). He offered it to my son for £500. When I looked these up online, they tend to sell for £1500 - £2000 or more. The car has a clean MOT history for the last 3 years (no advisories), and recently serviced and a new alternator fitted.

We had a look over the car, and aside from a bit of a water leak in the boot (known problem), and brake disks looking a little worn on the back, it seems a pretty honest car. In fact, the guy had been to Scotland and back in it just over the Christmas period before getting his newer car.

MOT is due again in mid Feb, and we are hoping to get the car this coming weekend.

So quick question - anyone ever had one of these, and can give us some pointers about things to look out for in the future? If we SORN it immediately, it'll sit in my garage for a while, so plenty of time to have a dabble with fixing/upgrading things!! Or, Imight temporarily transfer the 9-3 insurance onto it (and temporarily SORT the Aero), and use it for work for a few weeks.

The Timing belt was done about 3 - 4 years ago from what I can gather.

14

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / What can you do with ash?

« on: 10 December 2023, 10:15:05 PM »

This is a bit random, but if any of you have logburner, what do you do with the ash? We collect it in a bucket, and eventually put it in a bin bag a d put in the general waste wheelie bin.

But I've read different things saying it can be used in composting, or it can't be used in composting.

We normally burn wood, coffee logs, Irish peat/turf, or smokeless coal.

15

Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / Shark fin antenna improvement!!!

« on: 21 November 2023, 06:02:17 PM »

Well it hasn't happened yet, but I've taken the first step, buying the dummy cover that fits over your existing perished antenna without having to cut all the rubber off first.

You clean up the rubber, and glue this cover over the top. I got it from the Partsforsaabs Ebay page, because it was cheaper than getting it on their website and paying the postage!! And I have to say, it fits very snuggly and securely. Those guys have done a good job.

Now I need to find a suitable glue......