2008 9-3 Tid 150 Sportwagon ESP

[Petemate]

Had the car 8 years, got it with about 50k miles, now done a little over 139k. while parking outside a friend's house yesterday - BONG! up came the message on the SID "Electronic Stability Failure Contact Service" First time I've ever seen this. Tried all manner of combinations in the menu, couldn't turn it on. So after the visit, came out and started the car, message still there. Drove carefully home, sat and pondered the likely outcome ($$$$$ lol)

10 minutes later, after some research, (ie browsing the forum) then for a larf, started the car and nothing showing, everything as it should be, able to turn the ESP on and off at will. All systems OK for the rest of the day. I am supposing that there may be some expense on the horizon (eg CIM etc) but in the meantime I think I'll get my mechanic mate to check for codes. As the message came up while I was operating the steering, parking, it may well be the steering angle wotsit. Who knows.....

[Audax]

If I am remembering correctly the message won't clear until the car has been driven at a speed exceeding 15km/h and after an engine on/off cycle (I might be confusing this with the 9-5 though, it's been nearly 10 years since I worked on Saab as the day job). There can be a multitude of reasons for this, when I got my 9-3 I was regularly having issues which would clear after a power cycle, that one I knew well as it was a quite rare problem that affects only some cars and was a software update required!

[Petemate]

Many thanks Audax, what you say sounds OK, obviously whatever caused the message disappeared when I restarted the car. While I realise there is an issue, I reckon I'll have to allow it to develop.

I'll report in due course.