What I Did To My Saab Today.

[fka]

Not something I did today and not really even something I did myself, however..

Had Eibach pro kit springs and Bilstein B8's fit last week along with new top mounts and bearings.
Karl (Noobtune) did me a very nice stage 3+ map to compliment the Do88 intercooler I fit a few weeks back.

I can honestly say both the new suspension setup and edging up to stage 3+ (280ish bhp/ 420NM) has been the icing on the cake for my 9-3.
I made a number of mods to the suspension over the last few years but nothing has improved the handling, feel and comfort as much as this. It's sitting a tad lower than the stock Aero setup but no more then 10>15mm, it looks good.
With the extra torque, this remap (plus the bugger FMIC) I now seem to have a much smoother delivery of seemingly endless grunt. Especially on the motorway, it takes off effortlessly.

Without gushing too much, I honestly feel like it's finally become the car it always wanted to be.
I'm a happy bunny driving round with a large smile on my face at the moment.

One and only caveat, there is noticeably more rumble from the tyres (Conti sports 5) being transmitted into the cabin. It's completely livable with and it seems to send the baby to sleep nicely 

[sgould]

I think that the Eibach springs are probably the best mod on these cars!

[twosaabs]

This last week I've had a complete turn-round of the Saab stable. The old GM900 V6 has gone, to be replaced by a shiny red 9-5 saloon which is being fettled. So far it's had a new (old) SID and a replacement near-side indicator glass (both from the Bay of Plenty), and a few advisories to sort before MOT time in September, but otherwise going like a train. Rear fog light needs doing, usual problem, broken wire in the loom where it goes into the boot lid.

The other change was the 9-5 2.2tid estate which blew it's intercooler and was going to need a bunch of tweaks for MOT, and it's gone to the Saab Graveyard at Bucklebury. It's been replaced by a 9-5 Aero which is fine, and just getting sorted. One new key needed and a battery in the one I've got, and I've also got to fossick around and change the gear shift indicator light bulb, but otherwise all fine and dandy.

[sgould]

Last night I got a call from SWMBO to say that there was steam coming out under the bonnet "Just like last time"      She had just arrived at the concert hall to fulfil a professional singing engagement and was in her "tidy clothes".

The last time was Easter, when the small top hose to the coolant reservoir split.  Tis time it was the other one.  I bought both hoses on a "just in case basis at easter, so I was able to go and and fix it while she was inside the hall working.

It was a slightly odd failure and I thought at first that the coolant reservoir had split, as it was covered covered in fluid with no visible (or feelable) split in the hose.  But once off, it was clear that the inner rubber lining had failed and the coolant had gone through into the woven cloth reinforcement, then run along the line of the cloth and come out at the end of the pipe and sprayed against the side of the tank.

So it looks like a quick fix and not too expensive.

[CitTone]

I turned the front edges of the rear footwell mats in the 'vert up so that they were resting against the bottom of teh seats.

This cuts out the forward airflow under the seats when the hood is down, that makes mens' ankles cold and ladies' skirts billow.

Still some work to do to kill the draught between the seats with something inexpensive but visually appealing (cardboard works but doesn't look the part!) that willl allow the seats to tip and move.
I do have a cunning plan...

[sgould]

Put the summer wheels and tyres on this evening....


...and it hailed on me halfway through.   Just finished.

[sgould]

First day of holiday.  Spent an hour or so in the carpark at the hotel stripping out the tailgate lock to see why it wasn't working.  Still not sure what was wrong, but the actual latch was not connected to anything.  When I shut the tailgate, the latch moved to the locked position, but nothing held it there.  So the tailgate could be opened straight away with out touching the opening button.

After working out roughly what was supposed to happen, I moved the various parts by hand inside the lock and reckoned that I could shut the tailgate and get it to lock in place, but maybe not open it without the manual internal release.  Shut the tailgate and tried to open it and it worked!   Dunno why...

But it still works this evening.  Maybe a dirty connection on the plug or something?

At least it wasn't raining while I did the work.

No pictures 'cos I was in a hurry.

[weetabixface]

since purchase I have had dodgy radio reception, a few weeks ago pair of amplifiers from the diversity set up appeared on eBay for a reasonable cost. Unfortunately the breaker had been a little heavy handed in removing one of them from the original vehicle, it has taken a bit of fettling to get it back to OEM spec

fitted them last night and all seems to be well so far

W

[Kev_Mc]

Mine's in for an MOT / service and putting the Summer wheels on today. They're going to fit a second hand aerial (whole assembly) so assuming it works, I'll have a working radio for the first time in a year!

[Norfolk Jim]

Not on my 9-3 but our camper has gone in today to have face air vents fixed!!!!!!

We spent a week on Isle of Skye and NW Scotland last week in temperatures ranging from 20 - 28 degrees, clear skies (and I mean no clouds at all over the Cuillin) and no wind - not nice driving around without those vents working. Screen and floor worked but no vents so windows down - little noisy at 60. Thankfully it appears to be common fault on T5's and VW replaced wire cable with solid rod so not expensive................phew.

Nice to get in the 9-3 which drove like a go-cart when fetching dog from kennels.......................

[fka]

You certainly picked the right week to visit the Western Isles.
We've booked a cottage in Plockton for a week at the end of June, I hope we get your luck 

[Norfolk Jim]

It was Plockton Monday last week that had the highest temps in UK at 28 deg - the day we were driving up from Glen Coe to Staffin - bl**dy hot.

This pic was from The Old Man O Storr looking towards Raasay and Applecross taken at 10.00 am!!

[fka]

absolutely stunning!

1130pm on the solstice in Gairloch a few years ago .. I really do love it up there but I very much doubt we'll be seeing 28 degrees

[Norfolk Jim]

Yeh - we love it up there and normally go early May for a week and then late September for a week. This was Mull last Sept.

[sgould]

Today, I got into the car and it bonged and said "Brake Light Failure"

So I changed the twin filament bulbs in the rear.

Mot quite the same as most bulb changes.  Once unscrewed, the unit has to be hinged outwards to release the clip, before pulling the unit back and off.