Traction control fault message?

[Audax]

I believe you can get repair kits for the cim, given what you've said so far this is exactly how cim faults used to manifest. They'd be a bit weird and intermittent and if you were lucky they'd die. Saying that I replaced loads with symptoms like yours and never got it wrong but that was 15 years ago now.

[sgould]

As long as you don't disconnect the battery, or clear the codes, the specialist will be able to read them.

The 9-3 has codes with two more digits than the basic set, but they are only readable with a Tech2 or eSID3, as far as I'm aware.

[Steve McF]

The last time I took the car to the specialist, I hadn't disconnected the battery, or cleared any DTCs, since the last time the fault appeared. But each time I turned off the ignition and turned it on again, the faults/DTCs seemed to clear, so when Bagnals had the car it was not demonstrating the fault, and they couldn't get any codes out of it. That made me think there was a dodgy connection somewhere that was occasionally breaking the circuit, which would simulate a disconnected battery.....but I could be way off the mark with that theory!!!

But at least I managed to get some codes using the Op-com on the one occasion I got home with the fault showing, and I hadn't turned the ignition off. The previous time I tried the Op-com when no fault was showing (but had done on a previous journey) it did not find anything other than a BCM fault to do with one of the door lock mechanisms

[Steve McF]

This video (although for a V6) has similar non start symptoms to what I had last week. He gets the U2105 code as well, but he also gets a P0605 code relating to the ECU which we have not picked up on my car.

https://youtu.be/akyq0j9G_2M?si=Cr-R3snhedscmklU

Cyclone Sid (and someone else) talks about an ABS module repair for a code U0212 for a no crank/no start issue in another video, but we have not picked up that code either.

I have just been looking at SaabCentral and found a thread where someone describes very similar symptoms to what I am getting (whilst driving), and the associated U2105 code:
https://www.saabcentral.com/threads/advice-diagnosing-u2105-tcs-esp-and-check-engine-lights.749440/?post_id=6579400&nested_view=1&sortby=oldest#post-6579400

He found an issue thus:
"For anyone who comes across this same fault - the issue was caused by a poor ECM ground. A home-made ECM spacer setup was installed by the previous owner and the ground strap coming off the ECM was a bit dodgy. Fixed that up and the problem was solved."

A while back, I installed the Noobtune ECU heatshield kit, which has a new earth wire. Looks like first thing is to check before booking it in with the specialist might be the connections on that, clean them up, and refit, do a DTC clear, and see how we go............

[Steve McF]

Well I had a quick look at the earth cabling around the ECU and seems ok, but I don't have a decent multimeter to check the earth from there to the negative terminal on the battery. Must invest in one.

The car has not moved since the AA incident a couple of weeks back, but this morning the alarm went of randomly again, so I grabbed the old laptop and op-com, and plugged straight in to see if there were any new codes associated with the alarm. There were no new fault codes related to that (same codes as before). Whilst looking at the laptop, with ignition on, but engine not running at all, the traction control fault suddenly came up on the SiD, so I checked the codes and thought I got the same U2105 code I'd got before, but noticed it was actually U2103-00.

Not sure that makes much difference?

Got to get the car to Birmingham (if it'll make it) or find a local auto electrician who may be able to check the wiring/earths for me.

[sgould]

U2103 00 is a parking heater fault.  I doubt that you have a parking heater.  It's a Scandinavian thing for winter.

[Steve McF]

This is what I got ..

Similar CAN bus communication issue to what I got before.

[Audax]

U2103 varies depending on what module it's discovered in, it's clear it's TCS/ABS https://saabwisonline.com/9-3-9440/2004/dtcs/tcs/u2103-00

I would still suggest it's likely a faulty CIM unit or possibly ECM or TCS module, possibly wiring but CIM sounds the most likely from the descriptions so far. Although, if you fitted an ECM heat shield and don't have a multimeter and haven't cleaned the grounds that might be the case, or maybe you damaged the ECM when fitting the spacer?

[Steve McF]

The heatshield kit was fitted last year so has been on the car for a fair few miles now. So hopefully the ECU is OK.

Op-com can scan for CIM faults, but when i did check that, it said no DTCs were present for it. But whether it would show a fault, I don't know.

[Audax]

When they start to fail they won't necessarily show any fault, I remember replacing a fair few back in the day when they were super expensive (well over a £1000+ bill!) with fingers crossed that it would solve the problem, especially when it was intermittant similar to what you described.

[Steve McF]

Managed to acquire a new multimeter and did a quick resistance check between the earth connection on the ECU/heatshield kit and the negative terminal on the battery. Got a reading of 0.6 ohms.

Spoke to Bagnals about getting the car to them, but need to call back on Monday when they can confirm a date - hopefully not too far in the future!!

[Steve McF]

When they start to fail they won't necessarily show any fault, I remember replacing a fair few back in the day when they were super expensive (well over a £1000+ bill!) with fingers crossed that it would solve the problem, especially when it was intermittant similar to what you described.

What is it that fails in a CIM, and can it be repaired? Is the CIM a common part with any other cars?

[Audax]

The electronics break down, there's a repair kit and they are Saab specific and require tech2 to fix. I'd still get it diagnosed properly as it could be something else but without seeing the car or you having the right diagnostic tools you're not going to make any progress.

[Steve McF]

The car is still sat in my garage - I was all due to take it up to Bagnals a few weeks back, when the hospital rang and brought forward an eye op hospital appointment, so I had to cancel/postpone. I'll try and call them again in the next couple of days to try and get it booked in.

But today I had the day off, so decided to do one of the checks that Cyclone Syd recommended in one of his videos, and that was the earth connection to the body under the battery tray. These apparently corrode, so it is worth cleaning it all up with a wire brush, and putting some grease on it.

Well I got as far as removing the battery, and starting to take out the torx fixings holding the battery tray in place. The first two came out no problem, but the last one was stuck fast, and looking a little corroded itself. And then the torx head started to round off, meaning I couldn't get it out!!! So I decided to leave that for the specialist when I get the car back in.

But, what I did find was 3 relays in the box in front of the battery box clicked into place when I pressed them, suggesting they might not have been fully in place to begin with. There was another in the main fuse box too. Probably a red herring, but I thought I'd just clean the contacts, and refit each of them, ensuring they were clicked in place fully.