SAAB Related Roundup

I’ve been bad about having things to post here, but not getting around to posting them. A lot of these items don’t really need their own post. I figure I’ll post them all and save some time.

New Direct Ignition Cassette:

My cassette was not part of the recent recall, but I was getting the usual misfire codes that signal a DIC on the way out. So I bit the bullet and purchased a new cassette. No more CEL and the car now runs so much smoother that I’m embarrassed I let it go without repair for what little time I did.

Update on Harrah’s Car Museum Shirt:

I received a brown envelope that was either originally purchased along with the t-shirt or it came with the t-shirt, I’m not sure which. I’m updating that post, but wanted to share anyways.

Tornado Warning:

I’m what I suspect is one of the few people in the world who have worked on a SAAB during a tornado warning. The sirens went off as I was installing the ignition cassette. I finished up, went inside, turned on the TV. I found my wife in the basement, but she was unaware of the tornado warning because she was playing video games very loudly at the time. Naturally I also went outside and took some photos of the “scary looking clouds” overhead. We got horizontal rain, light wind damage, and a little road flooding; but the radar indicated tornado never materialized. Not that I’m complaining.

And finally,

Reverse Diverter Valve

I purchased some silicone vacuum line along with the new ignition cassette so I could replace the line on the DV. This also gave me the extra length I needed to install the DV in reverse, as recommended in THE GREAT Diverter Valve FACE OFF. This has made a huge improvement in the sound of the DV releasing. I suggest anyone looking to get that “turbo sound” from their T7 SAAB to first get an open air intake, and second get a performance diverter valve installed in reverse. I’ll be updating my DV and intake posts to add this information.

SAAB 9-5 Spark Plug Gap Experiment

Yesterday on this SAABCentral thread the question was raised about spark plug gap size and fuel mileage. I offered to re-gap my plugs and see what happens.

My spark plugs were gapped at 1.1mm and I was getting 25mpg before I started.

I re-gapped them to .88mm and put everything back together.

Moments after tightening down the direct ignition cassette I drove to dinner. Immediately there was an improvement in the car’s idle. The idle was smoother and quieter; I had forgotten how quiet the car could run. I don’t have the proper tools to gauge performance on the car, although my butt-dyno did not feel any decrease in performance. Obviously it is too soon to know if the miles per gallon have changed.

I plan on driving around with the smaller gaps this weekend, see what happens, and report back here and on SAABCentral. I’ve decided, barring any problems, that I’m keeping the gaps small for the improved idling even if there is no improvement in gas mileage.

UPDATE:

I widened the gaps to just under 1mm because my MPG started falling with the small gaps and the car had trouble starting one afternoon.

I’m also in the middle of another spark plug experiment. As I confessed at the end of this post from October, I installed Autolite platinum spark plugs in my SAAB 9-5 instead of the stock NGK brand. I’m up to around 6,000 miles on these plugs and I’ve had no issues. As I stated at the time, I’m willing to put my cassette at risk to help prove that a different brand of plug won’t cause any problems.

A Great Place To Install Auxiliary Switches On The SAAB 9-5

I don’t have a need for some extra switches, but these are the kind of things that go through my head while I’m sitting in my car. Looking around the internet, it’s popular to put switches in the various blanks on the 9-5 dash. It makes sense and allows for easy access.

But I looked at the weird coin holder in the console and  I saw an opportunity.

The space behind the holder is wide open

And if you don’t want to draw attention to the switches, just pull out the armrest.

A plate would need to be made to cover the hole and secure the switches, but that wouldn’t be difficult. I also wonder about a small, non-critical gauge like an amplifier power or temperature gauge for a custom car stereo.

The Windshield Fiasco

Back in February I wrote about my windshield getting chipped by the gravel our road crews put on the streets during ice and snow. This weekend I finally got that damage repaired.

Before:

After:

Chip repair is free* with my insurance, but I don’t think I will ever bother doing it through them again. At the least I won’t be returning to the shop my agent sent me to. The repair was fine, but the customer service was poor and it took two trips before I got it repaired because they lied to me over the phone. I was quoted 20-30 minutes on the phone and was told 1.5 hours when I arrived. I had taken an early lunch from work to get it repaired and couldn’t wait that long. I had to come back the next day. This time I was told 20-30 minutes and it ended up being 45 minutes, which is more acceptable; but while I was waiting there was an old lady that came in and said she had been told 1 hour before she arrived and was now being told 2 hours once she was there. It sounds like this shop has a problem with scheduling jobs and estimating time, plus the people were borderline rude to the customers. I’m not posting the business name, but I’ve been warning friends and family about this shop and recommending they stay away.

Bottom line: The amount of time (both driving and waiting), the road toll I paid to drive up there the first time, my lost lunch, and the hassle… this free* chip repair was more expensive than going to the store and buying a do-it-yourself repair kit. I have used the store bought kits before, the finished results would have been the same. I learned my lesson; pay the $10 for a repair kit from the store and do it myself.

I’m not sure if many people know this, but the people at the insurance office often get things for referring customers to a specific business. This means you might not get sent to the best shop, only the shop that gives the best swag. My wife used to work in an insurance office and it seemed every business had some deal (gift cards, movie tickets…) for sending business their way. So don’t be afraid of refusing to go to the first place your insurance company sends you if you have a bad feeling about that business.

*it’s not really free; we all pay for everyone’s chip repair when we send in our money to the car insurance companies.

TomTom One GPS With SAAB Splash Screen

I purchased a TomTom One v3 for myself as a birthday present. One of the customizable features is the splash screen and the “anti-theft” reminder screen. The founder of saab92x.com, iota, created a great looking 3D SAAB logo for the TomTom.

I downloaded the image he posted in the thread and installed it on my TomTom so that the logo appears when I start the GPS and when I shut it down.

Here is a top view of the TomTom One v3. I’m waiting on my custom ProClips mount and I will post a detailed installation/observation article once I have everything set.

Forge Diverter Valve Installation and Oberservations

I just purchased a Forge diverter valve, also known as a bypass valve, for my SAAB 9-5 as a birthday present to myself. My stock Bosh DV was obviously weakened, but the diaphragm had not deteriorated to the point of hooting. I ordered the FMCL007P Forge DV and spring set from Amazon.com for $135 plus $13 S&H.

I was surprised by how big it was compared to the stock Bosh DV. The extra bulk is mainly in the screw-off top. I switched out the lightweight green spring for the medium yellow spring and inserted none of the spacers.

Forge lists the springs as:

Green - 5-15 PSI
Yellow - 15-23 PSI
Blue - 23-30 PSI

Spacers are used to nudge the spring tension. Just looking at the numbers I would have guessed the LPT 9-5 would use green or green with spacers, but the general experience on SAABCentral is that the green releases too soon and will drop performance. I would encourage people to try both the green and yellow springs and see what they discover for themselves. I liked the behavior of the yellow spring and ended up using that. I have read of Aero owners using the yellow spring with spacers. I have no input to give about the blue spring because I don’t want to try it out in my SAAB. I know it is too strong for my LTP and I don’t want to damage anything.

Installation:

This wasn’t even a five minute job. Opening the hood took longer than this installation. I used a pair of pliers to release the two tension collars that hold the stock bypass valve in place. The valve comes out with some wiggling. Carefully remove the vacuum hose on top with your fingers or with a very light touch of the pliers if it is stuck.

Then install the new Forge bypass valve by reversing the steps. I guess you might leave the vacuum hose for last when you install. Some people post about the vacuum hose being too tight to go on the new diverter valve. The advice given to them is to heat the little hose in a glass of hot water to make it more pliable. I didn’t have any problems installing the vacuum hose on mine.

You can see how much more it sticks out compared to the Bosh bypass valve. Plenty of clearance on the 9-5, so this isn’t an issue.

Observation:

My stock diaphragm style Bosh DV was weakening and didn’t consistently hold or release pressure. The Forge DV has increase the feeling of performance, but obviously just replacing the failing DV has made a difference. I leave it at this because don’t have a turbo pressure gauge or dyno to confirm my feelings with hard numbers. The T7 recognizes when the turbo pressure is too great and responds by lowering performance, and I have no idea if there is a gray area of increased turbo pressure; where there is more boost than stock, but not so much that the computer fights it. One SAABCentral poster described a 1-2psi increase after adding the Forge with a yellow spring. The pressure being read from his after market gauge. But like I said, I don’t have any instruments to read the pressure or performance and the SAAB 9-5 likes to foil bolt-on performance parts.

There is also a difference in sound. The Forge has what I would call a three syllable sound. My Bosh only had two syllables when it released. The Bosh was a K-Shhh sound and the Forge is more of a K-tik-Shh sound. It doesn’t sound is any louder, it is more that it now sounds like a “BOV” instead of a random air leak; same volume, more distinct sound.

I did notice that my water temperature was a little hotter than normal. It is almost cold outside and I didn’t run the car that far, but I was intentionally tapping the gas to make the valve release. I will keep an eye on this and see what I can make of it. It’s not that big a deal but I post it here for full disclosure. You might recall I had the numbers adjusted on my water temp sensor by the dealer awhile back. This remove a factory set dead spot in the sensor. The gauge was reading just north of 9 o’clock, about as warm as it gets during hot summer driving.

More information about Forge and Bosh diverter valves.

“The great diverter valve face-off”

The SAAB 9-5 uses a diverter valve (DV) or bypass valve in place of a blow off valve (BOV). The casual term “hooter valve” is sometimes used because of the sound it makes. The DV functions like a BOV, but it recirculates the released air back into the air intake instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. I haven’t tried it, but I understand that letting the SAAB 9-5 release pressure into the air will be read by the T7 as a vacuum leak and the car will go into limp mode with a CEL.

UPDATE:

Getting a performance diverted valve, like the one made by Forge, and installing it in the reverse configuration will further enhance the sound of the turbo.

SAAB 9-5 Accident Photos

From the SaabCentral Forums, Photos of a SAAB 9-5 after a rollover accident. Luckily everyone in the car, including a 2 year old, was ok. It is amazing how well the SAAB held together after four rolls.

Power Steering Leak

The darn power steering reservoir leaked all over my engine bay. The fluid was coming out of the nipple on the bottom of the tank. All I had to do was tighten the screw clamp on the hose, not a big deal, but it still grinds my gears that I have a mess under my hood and on the garage floor and that I was driving around with a nearly empty reservoir.

It obviously started out small and first made a mess, collected grime, then it went nuts and completely drained in my garage.

SAAB 9-5 Turbo Rebuild, Chapter 1

Previous Turbo Post 

This was going to be the weekend where I rebuilt my turbo. I got halfway into removing the turbo and I ran into a banjo bolt that wouldn’t budge. Liquid wrench didn’t help and my 12 point socket was starting to damage the bolt so I’ve put everything back together and will pick up some six point sockets for my 1/2inch wrench so I can give it another try.

The good news is that I think I can get to my stopping point again in half the time it took me last night… now that I know what I’m doing. What surprised me was the exhaust nuts came off  with no problem.

I also need to get a set of low profile ramps to raise the car instead of my stands. That should give me some more operating room under the car.

Portable 12v Impact Wrench

I was amazed to find out that this 12 volt impact wrench actually works despite it looking like a Fisher-Price toy.

I picked it up at (cough)*Mart to speed along the caliper painting project. I didn’t expect much from a battery powered pile of plastic, but I couldn’t have removed or installed the lug bolts with a standard lug wrench as fast as I did with this thing. It has a 1/2 inch drive, claims to have 250lbs of torque, and I got it for $30 from the big blue store that all cheap crap comes from. I figure it will be a good thing to have on hand when I need to change a tire quickly in the field.