Messages

16

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

« on: 31 December 2023, 03:30:55 PM »

Thanks Will. That throws up Swedish Car Connection in Cambridge who look pretty good. So that's very helpful, obliged.

17

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.

18

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.

19

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: How many left? Saab 9-5 Griffin Estate

« on: 31 December 2023, 02:17:56 PM »

Welcome, and well done. I've never seen one either. Any chance of some pics at some point?

20

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

« on: 31 December 2023, 02:16:50 PM »

Thanks Will. Yes I also seem to remember that Econ was something to do with defaulting to that when the outside air temp was low, but oddly mine never did that - always started in Auto - until recently. Sounds like a red herring anyway.

I spoke to Ian @ Saabtech who said it's probably an easy fix but that to get the trim dry you generally have to peel it back (front seats out I assume) and leave it for best part of a week, groan.

I'll report back. Happy new year all.

21

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?

22

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Re: Replaced the broken plastic studs for the bumper.

« on: 23 December 2023, 10:34:13 AM »

So today, I realised I had the perfect solution in the shed!  Some small well nuts.  They are rubber with an internal brass thread and they expand as the screw goes in.  They work!

So glorious when that happens. Especially when you're always told "why on earth do you keep all that junk, it's no use to anyone ..."

23

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/

24

Classic Saab 9-5 (MY 1998-2010) / Re: Automatic gearbox repair shops

« on: 27 November 2023, 02:22:26 PM »

Is the throttle body (or vacuum hoses) a possibility? Crank position sensor?

25

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: SKY very quiet when contract period ends!!!!

« on: 06 November 2023, 02:59:41 PM »

I'm with Virgin Media rather than Sky but the trick has always been to say you want to cancel, at which point they put you through to the retention team who magically find deals which weren't available earlier in the process.

26

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: Mileage to warrant a diesel?

« on: 11 October 2023, 09:47:24 PM »

The HonestJohn response to this question has always been a minimum 15k miles pa -

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/157193/i-drive-8-000-miles-per-year-mostly-around-town-should-i-buy-a-diesel-

27

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: New toy!! It's help the aged really...

« on: 10 October 2023, 04:00:58 PM »

Fancy doing mine Will? 20 years' old next year and Ian at Saabtech thought it would need some "de-scabbing" and welding to get through the next MOT. So let me know once you've got your eye in. 

28

Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / Re: Juddering or misfire on acceleration?

« on: 28 August 2023, 03:51:01 PM »

What was the issue with it?  And juddering went away once it was replaced?

(Sorry for the delay Steve.) Honestly, in technical terms, I don't know, beyond 'knackered TB needed replacing'. I've had two go, one on my old saloon and one on the current estate, so on the second occasion I recognised the symptoms, principally juddering at constant throttle (therefore terrible on cruise).

29

Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) / Re: Juddering or misfire on acceleration?

« on: 22 August 2023, 11:09:26 PM »

Sounds a bit like the symptoms I experienced when the throttle body was failing.

Did you get that fixed, Tom? What was the issue with it?

I had mine cleaned at WMSS when I first had the car, but it didn't make any difference.

Yep - needed a new throttle body!

30

Off-topic chat, Help, Advice, General motoring issues / Re: New driver insurance

« on: 11 August 2023, 01:36:09 PM »

Hi Steve. Not sure if you want best first-car or best young-insurer advice - presumably both! These questions come up a lot on HonestJohn. I would furnish links for convenience but I've just checked and there a lot of pages and threads: if you google 'honestjohn first car' you'll generate plenty of food for thought, along with budgets and insurance implications.

But here is a page usefully directed to cheapest cars to insure:

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides/cheapest-cars-to-insure/