Topics

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Starting issue - ignition switch

« on: 16 October 2020, 08:29:12 PM »

It's turning into a bit of an "oh what next!' few months..

Once I mentioned this to the Mrs it seems it's been happening quite regularly since I took the cylinder out and cleaned it. But I think it has happened occasionally prior to that.
Turn the key to on and all seems normal, turn to start and the engine doesn't turn over, no sign of any life. Hold the key in start and it will eventually turn over and start normally.

I'm assuming it's the ignition switch acting up rather than the cylinder but could the action of the cylinder cause the switch not to function in this way?
I lubed the cylinder with white lithium grease spray, which should have quickly solidified. So I don't believe that would have contaminated the switch.

Also is there any way of cleaning the switch without removing it and taking it apart?
Especially on the manual, removal of the switch looks like a total pain in the ar5e..

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Front Control Arm Bushes

« on: 17 July 2020, 12:28:37 PM »

I've been chasing a rattle (yes I know it could be anything) which seems to be coming from the front strut area on both sides of the car. Only evident on fairly poor roads and usually when I go over fair sized ridges running 90deg to the direction of travel. It's a metallic sound and can range from an annoying rattle to a clunk. Although I think the clunk may be when the strut has just been allowed to fully extend when dropping off a ridge or into a pothole.
Subframe bushes have recently been replaced with poly, recent B12 suspension, new droplinks and poly arb bushes.
I took a look at my control arm bushes again today. There's little up/down movement on either of them but a lot of fore/aft movement.
I've actually just booked it in for it's MOT in August and will have new arms fitted then (along with a new cat back) anyway as they seem a bit tired. But would the movement shown in the video linked below cause any concern?

I went for my second COVID test so far, last night in one of the drive through centres and when I drove over one of the cable trays a little too quickly, it sounded like the ar5e had dropped out of the car.
Good poke around today and I can't see anything else upfront that's obvious. And what I'm hearing may well just be a function of the B12 and poly subframe bushes??


https://www.dropbox.com/s/zl9r81mtg5m0rz9/2020-07-17%2011.24.43.mp4?dl=0

3

New Saab 9-5 (2010 on) / 2010 Aero Turbo4 manual

« on: 29 May 2020, 09:07:40 PM »

Was very kindly left the keys to this when my car was picked up for repairs this morning.
Having driven the Insignia I can definitely notice the similarities. I quite like the Insignias but very much liked this 
Think it's had a stage 1, feels like it but it's an unknown. I really like the 6 speed box, has a very nice feel to it and it's very quick off the line. I assume its the same gearbox used in the Insignia? Also loved the handling. Didn't go too silly with it but when I'd start to feel the back end get a little loose on my Edna, this thing just seemed to dig in and pull you round the corner. Such a dam shame there's not a few estates floating around I'd have one in a flash..

4

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Failed A/C hose

« on: 20 May 2020, 03:08:07 PM »

Went to have my AC re-gassed today. Got about 20 mins in and the hose I'd noted had been rubbing on the downpipe (pic below) burst. In hindsight, not so surprising! Part number 5047048 for the pipe, should I also be replacing the two o-rings and is it worth replacing the dryer?

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Strange sound from rear (suspension??)

« on: 28 April 2020, 12:17:35 PM »

Sorry - yet another can you help me identify that sound thread!

Since I've had the new suspension put on I've had 3 or 4 instances of what sounds like something metallic dropping of the rear left side of the car. Isn't related to going over bumps and has happened whilst driving relatively slowly round the back streets and at the end of a long blast down the motorway whilst still at speed on a long slipway.
It literally sounds like a bolt has dropped off, bounced off a few things and hit the ground. Everything on the rear suspension seems to be in place so I'm assuming nothing has actually dropped off!

I've got two possible suspects - firstly I've noticed the CrossClimates pick up a lot of stones. Is it just a well wedged stone that's finally come lose and been flung around the rear arch? Although this doesn't quite fit the occurrence at the end of a long motorway blast.. And usually when I hear stones coming off the wheels, it's sound exactly like that, gravel being thrown at the arch liner.
Secondly, the rear silencer on the exhaust is in the process of losing it's outer skin and will need replacing imminently. Is it bits of silencer skin being blown off and hitting other parts on the way out? Its seems bits of silencer skin would be too small/light to make the sound..

I'm not fully convinced with either theory, is there anything else on the rear suspension that could make such a noise?

6

Current Saab models FOR SALE & WANTED / Free - CD Autochanger Saab 9-5 2006 - Epsom

« on: 08 March 2020, 10:15:03 PM »

It worked when I bought the car in 2017 but I've not used it since I fit an Android head unit shortly after purchase, I assume its still good.
Free to collect in Epsom otherwise the cost of postage.

7

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Rear quater damage

« on: 07 March 2020, 06:33:35 PM »

When I bought the car I knew it had been scrapped down a gate post and had a rear quarter repair. Which I had an idea hadn't been done too well. I found evidence of the repair today. To be fair to the seller it does appear to be as described i.e. light damage to the rear quarter. Having had most of the rear end apart recently, there is absolutely no sign of any major impact.
I presume the burn marks in the pic are where tabs for a puller have been attached but what about all the small hammer(?) marks? I have expected a flatter headed hammer to have been used. Gauging on how the trim had been put back with various screws missing and the quality of the paint job on the rear bumper, it appears to have been a fairly poor attempt at a repair..

8

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Rear parking sensors - Aftermarket or Saab?

« on: 07 March 2020, 06:25:05 PM »

Since I was in the boot removing trim to get at the petrol filler flap lock, I decided to pull the other side out as I'd been wanting to remove the CD autochanger to free up the cubby for storage.

I discovered that the parking sensor install is very tin pot, it doesn't appear to be a Saab install.
Firstly the sound is via a small buzzer tucked behind the rear arch trim, just behind the seat.
Secondly I can't disable it by hitting the cancel button on the steering wheel.

Could anybody confirm or deny if this looks like a factory installed kit?

9

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Central locking fuse blown

« on: 28 February 2020, 10:22:16 AM »

Hi all

Fob would activate/deactivate alarm but fob, key, buttons in the car wouldn't lock/unlock the central locking or boot. Key opened drivers door but the rest remained deadlocked.
It happened to my poor Mrs when she was out with the kids and parked in a multi story. I got a frantic call but couldn't help so she ended up bundling the kids in via the driver's door and packed the pushchair in the passenger foot well 
Had a read up in the meantime and decided the central locking fuse must have blown, which it had. Put in another 15A and it's working fine now.
Question is, is this just a random blown fuse or could I be looking at a solenoid that's on it's way out/ sticking, are there any preventative measures I can take?

Cheers

10

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Front Tyres Center Wear

« on: 06 May 2019, 04:54:47 PM »

Hi all

I've been looking at my front tyres as they're not far off needing replacing. I've just noticed that both fronts have a mm or two more wear on the centre strip. I'm very vigilant on tyre pressures and they're always at 36psi so I don't see how this can be an over inflation issue. You can see in the pics they're almost on the wear indicator on the centre but a mm or so off on both edges. Is this relatively normal?

Cheers
D

11

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Xenon headlights - Cleaning and replacing lamps

« on: 08 December 2018, 03:14:59 PM »

Been meaning to do this for some time. There's always been a lot of dust inside the clear plastic headlight lens cover and both projector lenses were a little cloudy. The nearside xenon bulb had started to flicker and they've both always been a bit pee poor anyway, possibly due to the cloudy projectors but they also seem a tad too blue for my liking despite both bulbs being Philips XenStart and apparently 4300k. Also discovered two odd lamps, one's obviously been changed at some point.... So I ordered a pair of Osram laser xenarc, that are incidently still on offer here https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/d1s-osram-night-breaker-laser-xenarc-next-generation.html
The laser xenarcs seem to get very good reviews and are noted to have a noticeably warmer light than the comparable Philips, so I'm hoping this alone will make night vision a lot better.

I've removed the headlights, stripped them down and washed round with a 50/50 mix of distilled vinegar and distilled water, then rinsed twice with distilled water. The vinegar/ water mix almost instantly cleared whatever muck was fogging the projectors. I'm just letting them dry-out over night before I reassemble with the new lamps but they're looking a lot clearer already.

Will report back once I've fired them up..

 

12

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Misfire - cold start

« on: 18 November 2018, 04:01:27 PM »

Hi all

I've noticed a few times since it's got a little colder (and a little damper) that I've got a misfire from cold start up. There's a little shudder for each misfire and now I have openSID I see the misfire count up 1 or 2 with each shudder and then it resets to 0, shudders and counts up again then resets to 0 ... and so on.
No CEL and no error codes and after a few mins of running it disappears. Is this just normal for a cold damp start or something more sinister?
I'd started a thread about rough idle some time ago which seemed to be resolved with some new plugs correctly torqued down (I'd found 1 or 2 plugs were basically hand tight). But I'm wondering now if this is an issue linked to cold damp weather. Or maybe a failing DIC or something else?

Cheers
D

13

Gallery / Two 9000's

« on: 10 March 2018, 04:53:31 PM »

These are the 2 9000's my Dad had as company cars in the mid to late 80's. Neither particularly exciting spec. The first cherry/red one was 20i 16v NA with a few options like electric front windows, sunroof. The second grey one was slightly higher spec, better radio, electric front windows, and I think it might have been a 2.3 NA but I'm really not sure. Saab started offering a slightly higher fleet discount when we got the second one. I think it went from around 8% to 12%.
I learned to drive in the red one when I was about 12 on some waste land near to where we lived. I have fond memories of both 

14

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Floppy indicator stalk

« on: 26 February 2018, 11:14:33 PM »

My car had a floppy indicator stalk when i bought it and it lead to the indicators not cancelling. Well noted elsewhere that it's because the two plastic prongs/springs on the end of the stalk that hold the cancelling 'trigger' (for want of a better word!) on the stalk the correct distance from the ring on the steering wheel contact unit, tend to get brittle and snap off.
Both of mine had snapped so I tried reattaching them with araldite but I think either the glue made them too rigid or I must have glued them at the wrong angle. This led to the indicators occasionally not engaging. They would engage with force but this led to me snapping both the plastic prongs again!!
I'd asked around briefly about a salvaged stalk however I'd both had an idea to fix my otherwise function stalk, and was worried that it's a fairly poor design and any salvaged stalk was going to have the same problem - the plastic would be brittle and they'd just break again.

So my bodge was to use a strip of sticky back felt pad, the kind you use on chair legs to save scuffing the floor. The pads I had appeared to be the correct thickness and they'd also have enough give/spring in them to act like the plastic prongs.. I had to trim the stubs, where the plastic prongs had snapped off, down a bit to get the correct clearance. And clean the area with a little IPA, as there's a lot of silicon lube around that end of the stalk and my first few attempts came unstuck, literally. But it's been in use over the weekend now and it works!
I can't offer any guarantee on the longevity of this bodge as the felt will eventually compress, but I'll keep you posted 

15

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Brake Booster Vacuum Hose Check Valve (Manual Trans)

« on: 21 January 2018, 09:50:39 PM »

Hi all

I've been investigating an intermittent rough idle. Normal idle at around 800rpm but dips occasionally and very briefly feels like it's about to stall. Both EVAP and breather check valves appear to be working OK, although the EVAP check valve did seem to 'flap' with light pressure but closed properly with a firm blow 

I have the version of the brake booster hoses linked below. Firstly does the 3 way "brake vacuum strengthener" contain a check valve on the line that runs from the charge air pipe? WIS shows a check valve between the charge air pipe and the valve separate to the 3 way "vacuum strengthener", so I'm assuming it must be somewhere??
Secondly, if this valve had failed would it cause a rough idle?

https://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/11908/Brake-Booster-Vacuum-Hose-Manual-Trans-5230495/

Thanks
D