Topics

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Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Cambridge Saab / Buckingham & Stanley

« on: 31 December 2023, 02:32:11 PM »

Anyone have any experience of them? I've relocated to the area and although I like Ian @ Saabtech Welwyn to work on the car - he's done so for years - it would be good to know if I have local options. ISTR that they have a good reputation, well-known eBay site etc. Any recommendations re particular mechanics would be especially welcome.

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Customer Service Desk / Separate forum re dealers / specialists / mechanics?

« on: 31 December 2023, 02:27:56 PM »

As above really. I was going to post a query re recommendations for specialists in the east of England and couldn't see the obvious place to post. Most similar websites have a dedicated forum for such recommendations and I thought it might be a good idea, especially with Saab expertise getting rarer every year.

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / The dreaded soggy footwell

« on: 29 December 2023, 10:27:44 PM »

As above. I'm kicking myself for not spotting this earlier - there was an old-sock smell in the car for a few weeks. But I went to shake out the rubber mats today and found that the passenger side was soaking - front wet through, and a smaller patch in the rear. 

My first assumption - cos I've had it before, years ago - was [1] blocked ACC drain. I always used to be able to monitor the condensate as I had a concrete drive, but the current one is gravel so I can't so easily note the little puddles on both sides. But some googling also throws up the possibility of [2] blocked drain hole in the plastic lower windscreen surround.

Any thoughts on how I might clarify this? It would be good on grounds of expense and hassle to DIY it if possible. I should also say that when I've started the car lately, rather than defaulting to ACC/Auto it's come on in Econ. Again stupidly I didn't think too much of it - but is the system trying to tell me something? Surely it wouldn't know if an ACC outlet was blocked?

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Saab 9000 (1984-1998) / Telegraph / HonestJohn article: 'Future Classic Friday: Saab 9000'

« on: 06 December 2023, 10:29:24 PM »

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/everything-else/2023-11/future-classic-friday-saab-9000/

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / replacement fob battery routine

« on: 31 July 2023, 03:24:55 PM »

Sorry, I should know the answer to this by now, but what please is the reset procedure having replaced a fob battery?

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / ABS warning light

« on: 09 June 2023, 08:45:59 PM »

... is on. Car felt completely normal otherwise. I've done a bit of Googling and among the possible causes seem to be a duff wheel sensor, low brake fluid, or the failure of the unit. I'll check the brake fluid level tomorrow morning but if that's ok am I right to assume that it's ok to use the car with a requisite degree of care?

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Corrosion in front of rear wheel arch

« on: 20 March 2023, 03:02:46 PM »

I have a patch of rust at the base of the column behind the rear doors / in front of the wheel arch. Pic (hopefully) attached. It's the same both sides. It was there I think at last year's MOT though I don't remember it featuring in the advisories; it's looking worse though. (Stationary) 9-5s aren't common enough these days for me to have checked too many, though the couple of a similar age which I encountered over the weekend didn't have this. Does anyone else out there? I don't know how worried to be.

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Creak/squeak over speed bumps

« on: 16 August 2022, 10:33:54 PM »

My 9-5 Aero estate has developed a slight but audible creak/squeak over speed bumps (over which I am always ultra slow and careful, not only to annoy the 4x4 drivers behind) and occasional road dips etc. It doesn't sound like one side or the other; no clunking or anything (more) sinister; nothing when turning; it's handling normally (I am wondering if the suspension feels a bit harder, but that could well be in my head); all the pressures are checked and normal (36f/35r). It went through the MOT with no relevant advisories in late May.

It had a lot of suspension work in 2016 in response to MOT issues then: new rear rose bushes, front subframe bushes, front anti roll bar drop link etc. I'm pretty sure they would have been poly bushes.

A bit of googling made me wonder whether this might be dry bushes, perhaps exacerbated by the current weather. I'm fretting since we're supposed to be off to France at the weekend, a loaded continental trip not being ideal when you're hearing suspension noises ...

Any thoughts very welcome.

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Wheel bearings

« on: 18 July 2022, 06:33:01 PM »

How long have yours lasted? ...

Car got through the MOT, but Ian @ Saabtech said there was a drone from one of the rear bearings. Car is at about 145k. (Quote for oe replacements was silly, so he is exploring aftermarket options). I was wondering if and when others had to replace theirs on the 9-5. I had assumed that fronts would go before rears.

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Tyre adventures

« on: 25 April 2022, 02:48:02 PM »

This (pic hopefully attached) made a trip on the M25 last week a bit more exciting than usual ...

I pulled out of Short Stay at Heathrow thinking that the steering felt a bit heavy, but at the start everything felt ok in a straight line. Then it started pulling a little to the left; then markedly so under braking; and I got as far as saying "we have a prob..." before I was juddering onto the hard shoulder. It was obviously down before I set off but deteriorated rapidly. Annoying, because if it hadn't been in a packed car park I might have spotted an issue with the tyre before setting off. (Though I'd probably have had to wait longer for the AA ...)

That is - was - a Michelin Primacy 4 with good tread left btw.
 
I wasn't relishing c50 miles on the m-way on the space saver at 50mph, but fortunately an old dear behind me decided that 50pmh was an ideal speed to do, thus protecting me from the lorries who like to overtake with a few feet to spare.

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Judder on constant throttle

« on: 03 May 2021, 12:48:44 PM »

Did a 150-mile round trip yesterday, mostly motorway. On the way I had an at-points pretty worrying judder on constant throttle; it felt like driving into a strong head wind, or fuel starvation or something. It wasn't there in town driving, or under acceleration. While waiting for a CEL which never came, I was thinking ...

vacuum hoses?
throttle body?
failing DI? [though wouldn't a misfire throw a CEL?]

One diagnostic clue: this seemed to start, on the way, when I engaged cruise. The car was unhappy, so I switched cruise off; but constant m-way speeds still generated the same symptoms. However, on the way back (engine had therefore been re-started), duly wary, I didn't engage cruise - and the car felt completely normal.

Any thoughts?

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Coolant level warning

« on: 07 February 2021, 05:18:40 PM »

Hi gents - would appreciate some counsel ...

I started the car yesterday evening - very cold, obviously (hadn't been run for a couple of weeks) - and got the coolant level warning. Ordinarily I'd probably have lost my nerve and switched the engine off, but I had to take groceries to an elderly relative (c12 mile round-trip) so I thought I'd just take it steady and stand by to pull over if I got anything more serious, like a CEL. The message went off when cleared. Re-starting the car to come home (after c10 minutes stopped) I didn't get the warning.

I've just been out to the garage to try to see the level when cold. It appears to be about 10mm below that thick lip of the tank. That, presumably, is too low. So can I ask:

1] I can see the 'Kalt/Cold' inscription and the arrow which points down. But is that a max or a min line, or just The Line. And does the arrow simply point to the lip/seam bit of the tank, or some point just above it (I couldn't make that out)?

2] Does that level suggest simple and unworrying attrition - to be resolved with a modest top-up? - or something more sinister like a leak? The car was serviced last May but won't have done more than about 4-5k since then.

3] If I am simply to top it up and monitor rather than running to a garage (for a pressure test or more), what should I put in?

Many thanks for any help gents.

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Best legit source for a DI cassette

« on: 17 March 2020, 10:32:29 AM »

Given my current issue [slight burning smell from front, doesn't seem to be coming from DI but making me nervous ...] I was thinking I might pick up a spare DI and plugs to have in the boot. What is the best source?

I note that there a number of eBay sellers offering these for c£90, and claiming that they're the genuine item, quoting the part no. 55559955; but the fact that the demonstrably pukka outlets [Saab dealers] are asking nearer £300 makes me nervous.

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Burning smell from front

« on: 02 March 2020, 11:33:23 PM »

Evening all. I've noticed a burnt electrics smell from the grill the last few times I've parked up. I'd probably not have noticed it in the street but the car is garaged when dry, which has trapped the smell a bit. Nothing inside the cabin. Could this be warning of a failing DI or would that simply fail before emitting any smell? There's no CEL or any other symptom. Looking at my records it's about 7 years and c50k miles old, which might put it in the fail zone ...

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Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Belt and pulley replacement

« on: 25 April 2019, 05:08:04 PM »

Afternoon all.

My MY04 9-5 estate had a replacement engine in 2013 at 78k miles. The car is now at 124k, hence 6 years and 46k miles on the new engine. (I assume that the new engine would have included new belt and pulleys - the rest of this is meaningless if not ...)

I seem to remember that the wisdom used to be to replace belt and pulleys at the 'big' 5 yr / 66k service. If that's right, would it be wise to nudge Saabtech Welwyn to do this at the forthcoming service? And if so, does one have all the pulleys done or just the top idler pulley, which ISTR was generally the bad guy?

Thanks for any thoughts.