Traction control fault message?

[aerojon]

Yep 9-3 uses a 096 battery 278mmx 175mmx190mm...As above i don't why the wrong size battery is listed for the 9-3 as they(MY03 onwards) all take a 096..

[Audax]

It's a 096 that you need.  I don't know why the search engines come up with 027.  All the Saabs that we have owned were new enough to still have the factory fitted battery when purchased and they were all 096.

I have seen the smaller batteries as factory fit way back when, all early cars with either the 1.8t or 2.0t.

[Steve McF]

Well day of reckoning is here at last.

Just dropped my car off after a tense run from Warwick to Bagnalls.

Car took several attempts to start, even though battery was fully charged last night to be sure.

Then TCS/SCS fault appeared about a mile into the journey, and I had a couple of incidents of the car stuttering, losing power and the battery light flickering.

But I made it up the M40/M42 and through all sorts of rush hour traffic in Birmingham to finally get there.

I left a list of fault codes in the car that I've previously got using Op-Com, but hopefully this time they are getting the car just after it has thrown the fault (and done some other weird stuff on the way), and Tech2 will give them more clues.

[carrera]

Let's hope they can get tp the bottom this. Most helpful that she's just been giving loads of trouble.

Based on your comments above, I'm thinking this might be a loom / earth problem, which are not the easiest to solve...

Fingers crossed

[Steve McF]

Well when I saw the battery light flickering, I did wonder. I haven't seen that before, although it didn't give any fault message on the SiD, and no engine light.

A couple of times pulling away from rest, the car seemed sluggish in first gear, but fine in second, so not sure what was happening. I hope that as ther car played up when starting, and whilst driving and the TCS/SCS fault appeared, that they can get some god info via Tech2. Last time the car was there, it would not exhibit the fault (like it wouldn't when the AA guy came out to me!!! ), and there were no fault codes to go on.

I looked at the three earth points under the batery tray before Christmas - they seemed to be OK/not corroded, but I still cleaned them up with a wire brush, just to be sure. Didn't fix it though ha ha

[Steve McF]

The Aero is still with Bagnalls, but Fraser called yesterday to say he thinks they might have got to the bottom of the TCS and starting issues. There was another bad earth I had missed by the ECU, and he said they replaced (I think it was) an ABS control unit. The oil leak was the timing chain cover gasket, and they tracked down the random alarm triggering to be due to a dodgy rear door switch solenoid. That part they didn't have, but he's holding onto the car so they can fit it when it arrives.

Other than that they've also done the well overdue service.

So, really hoping they've managed to get my boy back on the road reliably again. I must admit, I had started to look at him sat in the garage and wonder if I should SORN him and break him for spares.

But if he's running well, I might just get up to Nottingham to see Karl at Noobtune for that Stage 1 remap I've been promising myself since I bought the car!!!!

Fingers crossed and I'll update you once the car is back!!!!

[carrera]

Oh, you'll notice the difference with the remap.

Really notice the difference

Enjoy your new car, when you get it back 

[Steve McF]

Well today I got the train to Brum and a short Uber ride from Moor Street to Bagnalls to pick my boy up at last!!!!

So in theory, the door lock (random alarm triggering), and the traction control fault should be sorted. Also had a well overdue service. Only thing outstanding is the oil leak, which is not a big one, so will get that in again asap to get the timing chain cover gasket replaced.

But back to the TCS/SCS fault, they replaced something on the ABS system (not the module itself), and fixed another dodgy earth at the ECU.

The last time I drove the car, it was tentatively up the M40/M42 in the inside lane in case of breakdown.....which luckily it didn't do, but made for a tense drive all the same.

Today, what a difference. Car seemed smoother and altogether nicer to drive....and more to the point, no TCS fault message at any point on the drive home!! Fingers crossed it carries on like that.

Tonight is the first time I have parked the car outside with the alarm set for a couple of months, so hoping no more random alarm trips......watch this space.

But already, I feel better about the car again.....after starting to think I might break it for spares.....nooooo!!!!

Back on the agenda:
- replace driver's side front wing with a better one I have
- sort front bumper paintwork, fit Aero front splitter (and dummy antenna cover) both of which I have
- stage 1 Noobtune remap
- alloy refurb (no rush on that but needs doing)
- could do with getting another driver's seat, or refurbing current seat as leather/foam base is knackered
- rusty rear wheelarch cut out and replace (as and when funds allow)

Mmmmmm it's back as my project car again!!!!!

[carrera]

Most encouraging, fingers crossed for you

[Steve McF]

It's been a long few months.....

[Steve McF]

Took the Saab to work this morning, first time since it wouldn't start a couple of months back. Including the run back from Brum on Friday, that is two reasonable journeys with no traction control fault at all, so looking good at the moment

[Audax]

Sounds good, I hate the anxiety of a car that was unreliable getting fixed as it takes a few weeks to gain confidence back in it. I had that with my 9-3 and the faulty battery with the random symptoms!

[Steve McF]

Sounds good, I hate the anxiety of a car that was unreliable getting fixed as it takes a few weeks to gain confidence back in it. I had that with my 9-3 and the faulty battery with the random symptoms!

Yes that's the main thing. In all the years of having cars, we've only ever had one that has physically broken down whilst out on a journey, and that was our Zafira DTi when the oil cooler failed. But we managed to get that fixed, and it is still on the road to this day. the only other times I have been let down, was when cars wouldn't start, normally because the battery has died. That happened with this car early in my ownership too, but then didn't happen again until the TCS related incident when the AA had to be called at work a couple of months back.

But this prolonged period of the intermittent TCS fault, and not being able to get it diagnosed initially (as the car seemed to lose the fault codes/DTCs, and /or not demo the issue when the specialist tried to look at the fault), coupled with the random alarm triggering, the door that would/wouldn't lock sometimes, and the chirping interior fan...oh and the 3rd oil leak from the RHS of the engine since I've had the car, ....it was all conspiring to make me look at the car sat in my garage and wonder whether I should get rid!!! But luckily, the car is back and running well!!!

It's day 5 now of using it as my daily driver again, and no incident!!! No misfires, no stuttering, not TCS fault/loss of power, no random alarm triggering....it's bliss again!!!

I even treated the car to a full tank of Tesco Momentum last night  

[Steve McF]

Over a week now since I collected the Aero from Bagnalls and have been using it as my daily driver since, and all is well.

No TCS fault and no random alarm triggering. But also....the front passenger door lock is working as it should whereas before it often would not lock or unlock. I'm surprised at that as the dodgy lock showing on Tech2 was the driver's side rear door, and they replaced a door lock solenoid as I understand it.

[Audax]

There's a possibility that the earth they cleaned up was shared with the door so the solenoid can operate properly.