Saab Tech Talk (STT)

Workshop for current Saab models => Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon / Convertible / Combi (Wagon/Estate) / Turbo X / AWD (2003 on) => Topic started by: nine-fiver on 07 June 2014, 10:46:23 AM

Title: Did you know?
Post by: nine-fiver on 07 June 2014, 10:46:23 AM
Just replaced the bulbs in the back of the car.
All 21W single post lamps. Interesting thing, though. Both bulbs run at 5 Watts per side when the lights are on. Put the brakes on and the outer lamps then run at 21Watts. Most other cars would run a double filament bulb with two circuits to do this. The 9-3 doesn't. And when one bulb fails the other one cleverly takes up the job of the missing one. Rather clever.
Title: Re: Did you know?
Post by: Audax on 07 June 2014, 02:45:17 PM
Quote from: nine-fiver on 07 June 2014, 10:46:23 AM
And when one bulb fails the other one cleverly takes up the job of the missing one. Rather clever.

I have had a garage phone me up once and say "we've got a 9-3 in for MOT and it's passed apart from the lights are doing something weird can we send it to you for a look?" turned out that yes, quite simply one of the bulbs had failed.
Title: Re: Did you know?
Post by: wrighar on 07 June 2014, 06:24:06 PM
indeed, it uses PWM to reduce the 21w bulb down to 5w brightness.

means that if a bulb fails, it can make another one do that job(s) instead.
Title: Re: Did you know?
Post by: phoenix on 08 June 2014, 09:28:42 AM
Vectras from about MY03 do the same...
Title: Re: Did you know?
Post by: Geoff1951 on 08 June 2014, 11:48:48 AM
...do you think they might be related?
Title: Re: Did you know?
Post by: nine-fiver on 09 June 2014, 09:52:32 AM
You have to wonder who did the work on that system. Saab engineers or their colleagues at GM...