Topics

16

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Interior LED Bulbs

« on: 18 January 2018, 09:51:34 PM »

I know this has been covered over at UKS and elsewhere but having just done this I've found some discrepancies with the 06> and pre-Edna models and some missing info.

Puddle lights X2 or x4= 42mm Festoon (I only have puddle lights on the 2 front doors, presume this must be a spec thing??)
Floor lights X2 = 42mm Festoon
Front courtesy x1 = 42mm Festoon
Rear courtesy x1 = 42mm Festoon
Glove Box 1x = 42mm Festoon
Boot (Estate) x2 = T10 W5W 501 (Housing with theft alarm sensor, believe all 06>). Or 42mm Festoon (Housing without sensor <06)
Rear reading lights x2 = BA9S T4W COB
Front spot (map) lamp x1 = 12v 6W W2,1x9,5d MiniXen 2886X (originally Osram)

I've replaced them all apart from the front spot lamp, which I'm still in two minds about. LED are available but if that light were in use while driving I don't think I'd want any brighter light up front.

Went for 6000k bulbs giving a slightly bluish white. Looks good and they're a good 50% brighter.

One thing I discovered, the glove box lamp housing had melted and the bulb was blackened. Having left my camera phone in there it was obvious the switch in the housing wasn't operating, so the lamp has been on permanently, hence the melting.
The white plastic slider that breaks the contact is in place and if I push it with my finger it breaks the circuit. I assume the arm on the glove box door must make contact with the slider when the door is closed, and I'm assuming that is simply not happening - Or the plastic slider is actually meant to be attached to the arm on the door and has broken off. I'll have to take the glove box out over the weekend for a better look.

This explains nicely why my original battery was losing charge when it appeared to be relatively healthy. I replaced the battery last month with a Yuasa silver from Halfords and haven't had any issues since, so the old battery must have been on it's last legs anyway.

D

17

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Rear Washer Nozzle - Edna

« on: 06 January 2018, 08:03:15 PM »

Hi all

My rear washer nozzle is directed down the nearside of the rear window, so isn't very effective.
There doesn't appear to be any adjustment of the jet, it looks to be fixed. And from what I can gather from WIS the nozzle assembly is square plastic and sits in a square hole in the tailgate i.e. if I wanted to rotate it it would be by 90 degrees and thus be spraying directly across the top of the rear window.

I've tried twisting the nozzle assembly a few degrees and it does move a little but seems to reset over time to the same position. Not surprising as I'm obviously just forcing it/rounding off the square plastic housing.

Any ideas?
Thanks
D

18

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Excessive engine vibration close to stalling.

« on: 28 December 2017, 07:50:04 PM »

Hope everyone's had a great Christmas!

I've been pondering this issue since I bought our 9-5 - what I first thought to be clutch judder when pulling off in 1st or reversing - I now believe it's just a warn mount.

When pulling off in first, a slow rolling start in 2nd or when reversing, I let the rpm drop just below idle there is excessive vibration being transmitted through to the chassis. Obviously close to stalling you'd expect some but this is excessive.

I've discounted clutch judder as there is no vibration if I keep the rpm just above idle. And when it does happen, there's no vibration through the clutch peddle.

Running the usual test, putting the car into 1st and reverse and letting the clutch out whilst holding the brake, I don't see what I would call excessive movement in the engine, until it gets close to stalling at which point there's what I would believe to be an excessive oscillation.
The top mount on the yoke appears to be quite new, there's some cracking of the rubber on the torque arm engine side mount and some cracking on the transmission mount under the battery box but nothing that looks too bad from a cursory look. I can't really get a good look at the rear mount without more effort but when the car was up on the ramps before I bought it, it look in good shape and wasn't/haddn't leaked any hydraulic oil. And I'm not seeing any excessive lifting of the rear of the engine.

Could a warn torque arm and/or transmission mount cause this vibration?

Cheers
D

19

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / ESP

« on: 19 November 2017, 02:10:59 PM »

Is it feasible that ESP would kick in whilst taking a sharp bend on the MWay at relatively high speed in dry conditions?
I've noticed on two or three occasions what feels almost like a gentle wheel wobble when cornering like this. The car holds firm to it's line and there's no vibration or feel of anything odd through the steering wheel and the rear end feels solid ( ). At first I assumed it was just an uneven road surface but have since wondered if it could be ESP tapping on the brake on a wheel?
I've powered round a few roundabouts to the point ESP has kicked in but it seemed more linear/progressive.

20

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / WIS/EPC running on Windows 10

« on: 13 October 2017, 11:26:28 PM »

Thought this might be useful..
I usually run WIS and EPC via a virtual machine running XP or Win7 64bit on my Mac. Mac went in today to have the retina display replaced under recall (anti glare coating comes off.) so I'm stuck with my work laptop running Windows 10 for a few days...

21

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / 9-5 Edna Headlights misting

« on: 03 October 2017, 05:50:35 PM »

Hi all

Having driven through heavy rain a few weeks back and again last weekend in the dry but after using my washers, I've noticed the headlight clear plastic covers are misting inside the headlight casing.
It's only a very light fog that clears after a few mins with the headlights on (I drive with headlights on permanently.). And is only apparent after driving. If it rains or I use the washers and the car is at a standstill, there is no misting. The rubber covers on the back of the units are on securely, there doesn't appear to be any damage or cracking on the headlights. I haven't yet checked of the drain/vent hoses are connected/blocked.
Just wondered if this is normal?

Cheers
Dave

22

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Edna non OEM head unit integration

« on: 06 September 2017, 10:05:49 PM »

So I've finally joined the 9-5 club, picked up Eddie last weekend, a very well looked after manual Aero estate with 80k on the clock.
Warrants a more civilised and comfortable drive than the 9-3, but really doesn't disappoint performance wise, even in her current stock form.

Eddie doesn't have the Aero Lux pack but comes with Xenon headlights, reverse parking sensors, 7 speaker audio and the dreaded Denso Satnav head unit.
I think I'm going to miss the memory drivers seat the most, with my Mrs standing just over 5'2" and me a shade under 6', but I'll get over it.

So question number 1 is the head unit.
A friend is scrapping his 9-5 edna TDI and has offered me the CD/ Radio head unit with AUX 3.5 jack on the front FOC (along with an auto dimming rear view mirror, as it happens..).
Some background - I use Google maps on my phone for navigation, I have a company phone so don't have to worry about the data usage and find the live traffic info extremely useful. My entire music library is also stored on my phone, so streaming via bluetooth or wired connection via an Aux port is essential.

Sgould - I've read today quite a few of your posts regarding head unit options on here an uksaabs (Many thanks for them, they have been really useful!) Are the 2 black 16 pin connectors on the Denso unit the same as the CD/Radio unit, same pinouts etc? If I divorce/ marry the salvaged head unit, would it otherwise be a straight swap? Obviously I'd lose the CD changer and handsfree connectivity that the 3rd green plug carries on the Denso unit.

As an alternative I've been looking at the Eonon Android head units and I'm really quite taken with the functionality it offers; Google maps on a larger screen, ability to add on DAB and possibly a rear camera, view live OBD2 data etc etc..
I've put a shopping list together today, have I missed anything obvious? It looks to be a really easy install, the only tricky point I can see is connecting the onboard GPS antenna.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Android-6-0-Double-2DIN-Car-GPS-Stereo-Navigation-Sat-Navi-Head-Unit-OBD2-E-PL-/292195170641?hash=item4408307951:g:7foAAOSwJ~RZr8OM

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/connects2-ct20sa05-iso-harness-adaptor-for-saab-9-3-9-5-2006

https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/ground-loop-isolator-vw43w

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/ct23sa02-double-din-facia-plate-for-saab

Finally question 2:

The Xenon headlights flick up on full beam and also what I assume is a halogen bulb behind the adjacent lens lights up. Is this second full beam light always a halogen bulb or was Xenon available as an optional extra?

Thanks in advance

23

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Insignia 1.4T

« on: 02 June 2017, 04:23:33 PM »

I arrived home at the start of this week from another spring trip up in the Highlands of Scotland and despite my desire to drive up in the 9-3 we plumbed for our usual route, flying up to Inverness and hiring a car from Europecar (via one of their cheaper re-sellers.). Generally, as we did this year, we'll stay in Forres for a few nights to spend time with family and then drive over to the West coast. This year we stayed in a lovely cabin in Arisaig over looking Rum, Egg, Muck and Skye. Absolutely beautiful area but unfortunately for us we seemed to find the cold wet week in between a heatwave. That's Scotland for you

Anywho, when we went to pick up the hire car at Inverness airport I was handed the keys to a 2017 Insignia 1.4T, Europecar obviously in the process of changing their fleet from mainly diesel to petrol.
I have to admit I'd read nothing about GM's 1.4T and was ever so slightly disappointed.
By the time we'd reached Loch Ness my disappointment had changed to moderate admiration for the little 1.4T.
It's certainly no big hitter and you have to work the 6 speed box but it's no slouch and has been very well thought out. There is little or no turbo lag, the tbo is spooling very early in the rev range, giving bags of torque all the way to around 4k when it eventually runs our of puff. It actually very much feels like a diesel to drive. It's a big shame there's not much past 4k, maybe a twin turbo version could remedy that?
No sports suspension but the lighter front end did improve balance compared to the CDTi I drove last year.

Certainly the way forward until full electric becomes more mainstream.

D

 

24

Classic Saab 9-3 & GM900 (MY 1994-2002/03CV) / Cam sprocket condition

« on: 10 August 2016, 04:47:43 PM »

Been meaning to post this for a few months. I had the cam cover off at the start of the summer, just to see how things were looking since my sludge busting season over a year ago.

Wouldn't mind anyone's opinion on the state of the cam sprockets.
To me it just looks like very slight wear to the sides, I've seen pictures with deep wear down the sides of the teeth. And the chain still seems to be in good order, again I've seen cases were there is a lot of lateral play and it's sitting diagonally.

I'm of the opinion things are in good shape and looking a lot cleaner than when I last looked under the cover.

Cheers
D

25

Classic Saab 9-3 & GM900 (MY 1994-2002/03CV) / Towing with Lowered Suspension

« on: 03 July 2016, 12:34:26 PM »

As is customary I'm coming at this the wrong way round. Having just fit Eibach springs and shorter B8 dampers, we've now decided we'd quite like to buy a caravan.

Can anybody offer any advice on towing with lowered suspension? I'm assuming the fact the springs and dampers are stiff goes in my favour but also assume I'm going to need a tow bar with a plate (or similar) to raise the height of the ball?

Also any recommendations or pointer to what tow bars are available would be welcome ... I'm kind of hoping I can pick something up from a breakers..

Thanks
Dave   

26

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Oil/ Antifreeze in struts when fitting new shocks

« on: 13 April 2016, 11:33:52 PM »

Hi all

With some of the cash I would have spent on replacing my 9-3, I've been doing the last few (.. who am I kidding  ) upgrades I'd wanted to do.
All 4 springs and shocks on the car are original as far as I can tell and the ride has always been a little questionable. So I picked up a set of B8 Bilstein and Eibach Pro kit springs (reasonable offer from PFS), along with new top mounts and bearings (Euro Saab Parts Direct.)..

I may well end up fitting the rear shocks and springs myself but I've decided against tacking the front end as I know it can be a bit of a pig and is probably best done by someone with the necessary tools.

Booked the car in today and it was suggested to me that filling the front struts with antifreeze before dropping in and screwing down the shock could be recommended.
I'd never heard of this before but having done a bit of googling, there are a number of people on other forums suggesting it's the way forward (using either oil or antifreeze.) and for two main reasons. Being; better heat transfer from the shock to the outside world. And if moisture were to get in the gap between the strut and the shock during freezing weather it would prevent damage to the shock/ strut.

I can understand the heat transfer if you were doing some serious driving but can't imagine it making much difference for average/ spirited use.
And I don't really get the moisture reasoning, since if moisture can get in then your oil/ antifreeze can get out.

Oil or antifreeze in struts = snake oil ?

D 

27

Classic Saab 9-3 & GM900 (MY 1994-2002/03CV) / Do88 Intercooler

« on: 10 April 2016, 07:18:42 PM »

Fit the do88 intercooler today.
A few clearance issues with the oil cooler but nothing a bit of bracket bending and grinding didn't sort out. It is also quite close to the radiator but does have a few mm of clearance.
Not really noticed any huge performance gains but saying that TAir stayed didn't go above 35-40 after 5 or 6 good WOT runs, were I'd seen TAir easily hit 50+ after 1 or 2 WOT runs with the stock intercooler and the ECU would start to hold back.

Planning to either send an ECU to Karl (Noobtune) or book a visit, I'm hoping he can unleash a few more NM from my stage 3 map.

28

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / remanufacured brake calipers

« on: 12 March 2016, 10:47:01 PM »

Does anybody have any experience of or comments on remanufactured brake calipers.
Both my rear calipers are sticking and need replacing and I was drawn to brakeparts.co.uk who stock Budweg remanufactured calipers.

Cheers
D

29

Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / Turbo4

« on: 24 November 2015, 08:01:51 PM »

Hi and sorry if this has already been covered.

Does anybody know which 93ss models were sold in the UK with the 95s 2.0L twin scroll turbo @217bhp (Turbo4) engine?
I can find the odd 93ss 2.0L XWD and convertible *edit* i think *edit* Griffin, just wondered if any others were sold here?

Specifically wondered if there was a saloon or estate with that lovely Griffin interior but my interest was also peaked when I noticed they can be SW tuned to 275bhp

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2012-saab-9-3-photos-and-info-news

http://www.hirsch-performance.ch/Content.aspx?path=/Products/Leistung/F270006900

D

30

Classic Saab 9-3 & GM900 (MY 1994-2002/03CV) / CPS on the way out?

« on: 12 September 2015, 07:40:26 PM »

Hi

I've had two occasions where the engine simply wont start, turns over fine but no ignition.
Both occasions the car had started fine from cold, popped into a shop of similar, came out 20 to 30 mins later and it wouldn't go.

First time my Mrs was driving and I thought it might just be the immobiliser not kicking in as her key has been asking for a new battery for nearly two years now (one of those things that keeps slipping my mind  ). Tried my key and still no go, locked and unlocked the car, tried a few more times and it started just fine.

Second time was today we were in the dreaded Ikea for a good 45mins, came out and it wouldn't start. Gave it a few tries and eventually it fired up.. This time it was my key which has a new battery in it..

From what I've read it sounds like classic early signs of the CPS going. I've read a few post about measuring the resistance across pins 1 and 2 but some state you need to wave a magnet in front of it to test properly and others don't. Also read this still isn't a fool proof test for the sensor.
Would somebody be able to kindly clarify what a valid test is, if there is one?

Cheers
D