Author Topic: 1.8t to a 2.0t?  (Read 7108 times)

jcsaab

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1.8t to a 2.0t?
« on: 20 October 2011, 09:09:07 AM »
i have a 9-3 1.8t vector 2005 convertible.

i read somewhere that this 150 bhp model is a detuned 2.0t 175 bhp model.

is this correct?
& if so can it just be tuned to get 175 bhp?

are there other differences like brakes & suspension.

if it is just a case of getting it re-mapped does anyone have recommendations of where to get it done?
i live near portsmouth.

thanks,

jc

sgould

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Re: 1.8t to a 2.0t?
« Reply #1 on: 20 October 2011, 09:44:55 AM »
The two cars are identical apart from the engine tune! :)

However, there is a better option...
Your Saab dealer will offer you a 30% discount on an official 195hp upgrade from their in-house tuner, Hirsch.  We have this on our 1.8t and it is superb.  The torque figures at the lower end are better than the Aero :D

http://www.hirsch-performance.ch/Content.aspx?path=/Products/Leistung/F270006810
http://www.hirsch-performance.ch/Content.aspx?path=/Products/Leistung/F270006001

But ring around more than one dealer.  Times are hard and the prices are not as fixed as the website suggests!  Look for under £500 fully installed.

There are other options around for remaps, but some are unproven and can damage the engine by running lean at high revs. 

Maptun upgrades seem to be OK though.  http://www.maptun.net/tuningGuide.php?kategori=668&model=2347&listorder=1  Your local dealers are either Chris Hamley near Plymouth or Neo Brothers north of London.

If you are feeling in the mood for upgrades you should also consider the Hirsch springs.  They do the impossible - a tiny bit lower, but better handling and roadholding, yet more comfortable.

http://www.hirsch-performance.ch/Content.aspx?path=/Products/Fahrwerke/F750003500
« Last Edit: 20 October 2011, 09:47:56 AM by sgould »
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jcsaab

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Re: 1.8t to a 2.0t?
« Reply #2 on: 20 October 2011, 01:11:43 PM »
thanks for that. sounds good.
i was thinking about getting a newer car but now might just get this one tuned (only have 40k on the clock so it could be worth it)

do you know how long the offer stands? one dealer told me the normal price is £995!....just found out it runs out on 15th november.

so far though i can't find a dealer to do for less than £595 inc vat fully installed.
they say that the only money they make on that is a £30 voucher that they get given by hirsch.

also one dealer told me that the upgrade would be to 175 bhp, another 195bhp. the web site says 195 bhp though. can anyone shed any light on this?

i'm in the portsmouth area so if any one knows of a dealer within an hours drive (ish) from me that may do it cheaper then i'd appreciate it.

thanks again.

jc

« Last Edit: 20 October 2011, 01:56:19 PM by jcsaab »

sgould

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Re: 1.8t to a 2.0t?
« Reply #3 on: 20 October 2011, 01:34:15 PM »
I can't help with the dealers near you.  Is your dealer a long-term Saab dealer or a combined Saab/Vauxhall dealer?  Some of the combined dealers are sadly lacking in knowledge.

Our car is a 2002 car.  It is a 2003 model that was the local dealer's demonstration when the 9-3 Sports Saloon was launched.  It's had the upgrade on for several years now with no issues.  Our car is low mileage.  Only 42,000 miles in 9 years.

It's definitely 195hp! :) But the torque is more important than the horsepower.  Horsepower is only torque multiplied by engine speed - and big quoted hp figures are often achieved by some tuners at impossibly high revs.

Anyway, my 9-5 was in for a service recently and I was given a 9-3SS Aero with 210 hp.  Compared with my wife's 195hp 9-3 I thought it was slow.  I checked the torque curves and found that Hirsch had managed to increase the torque in the lower rev range above the torque of the standard Aero.  At higher engine speeds the bigger turbo on the Aero allows more torque and power.  But below 4200 rpm the tuned car is perkier!!

Here's a thread I posted about it back in August: http://www.saabtechtalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=497.0

There was a dealer in the Midlands (possibly Bond Street, Leicester.....) that I heard quoting £499 all-in.  But these things vary.   Maybe a good deal if you had the springs fitted as well?

« Last Edit: 20 October 2011, 01:43:59 PM by sgould »
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Geoff1951

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Re: 1.8t to a 2.0t?
« Reply #4 on: 20 October 2011, 07:00:36 PM »
I echo sgould's comments, having Hirsched my 2.3t 9-5, both engine and suspension. The upgrade for the 9-3 1.8t is probably the best value across the Hirsch range. Factor in an increase in insurance, many will run away from you with a tuned car - get some info from your insurers first. But that aside, if you get it done, you won't regret it, and IMHO a Hirsched 1.8t is (s)miles better than a 2.0t. I had a 2.0t 9-3 for 6 months before getting the 9-5.

Forget the official price, dealers should be desparate for this kind of business. Get a few quotes by phoning round. Factor in the price of petrol getting to a dealer some distance away if they're cheap. The process takes around an hour. The dealer downloads the software from Hirsch, and uploads it to your car. Money for old rope from the dealer's viewpoint.

Go for it!