I have an '06 Saab 9-3. If your knob doesn't directly shift screens, that needs to be checked out by a tech. If your transmission is gear hunting/slipping that much, you should probably have a fluid change done at least. As for the seat, I'm 6'2" and I have plenty of head room. You seem to sit, in my opinion, too close to the steering wheel. Admittedly, the plastic does kinda suck. Check engine lights are emissions based. If your check engine light came on and it seems to run smooth, It is probably because the emissions are suffering. Warning though, the 2.0t motor seems to be running smooth even when it's throwing literally thousands of misfires. I had this issue for a day when I put in some after-market ignition coils in mine. Make sure you get the code checked. As for the exhaust, get a performance setup installed. They will improve your performance and get you a little better fuel mileage as well. Intake and exhaust are the only two things that improve both.The engineers were aiming at quiet, not loud. Remember: "Luxury" car. They do have some issues with reliability, and I don't personally love the look of them, but they are impressive little cars for the buck. Most of your complaints have simple-ish fixes that can be decently easily remedied. Look up Saab 9-3 custom exhaust on youtube and you'll hear what a 2.0t is capable of sounding like. It has a nice note when properly equipped.
Jake Gackle exatly.. look at my exhaust set up on my page.. mine is a 5speed. she sounds in my opinion, amazing.I wouldnt buy an autmatic saab or any car even if it was given to me...
The automatic transmission is an Aisin unit (Toyota's transmission division) that's made in Japan. It's code-named AF33 and it's a very advanced 5-speed automatic which is 100% electronically-controlled with adaptive shift logic, and it has a many different solenoids to control everything, and the large number of solenoids can actually become a problem at higher mileage because if they fail they can cause the transmission to malfunction so badly that it's often misdiagnosed as total transmission failure. These Aisin 5-speed units are actually pretty sturdy transmissions, however they can be temperamental as the host of the video pointed out. I also have a 2003 9-3 with this same transmission and I totally understand what he means when he says the tranny sometimes performs poorly at lower speeds in traffic, mine was similar and occasionally it would feel clunky, rough and confused in traffic. However, during moderate-heavy acceleration it would shift just fine. The majority of the issues with these units is usually from the valve body and solenoids, but I was able to ALMOST completely solve this issue by doing a transmission fluid flush and change with Toyota Type-IV ATF (must use this fluid). After doing this plus resetting the ECU and transmission shift logic by disconnecting the negative battery cable for a few hours I was able to reduce the clunkiness & rough shifting in lower-speed traffic conditions by about 80%. I would imagine the fluid flush/change and the ECU reset would likely help you as well. It certainly couldn't hurt anything, especially since the fact that these transmissions were incorrectly touted as "fill for life" claiming that the fluid never required service under normal conditions. This also caused many issues, and if you do some research online most experts recommend fluid changes every 30k miles on these units to prevent these issues from arising in the first place.
I have a 2005 9-3 with just over 200k miles on it, and it has been a great car for me. I bought it brand new and have never had a major problem with it. Of course, with that many miles there have been the expected wear and tear issues, but every repair I've made has paid for itself with many further maintenance-free miles. Three negatives: 1) the recirculation vent motor has a cheap plastic gear that broke a few years ago, but I was able to get to it by removing the glove box and simply remove the motor and fix the vent open; 2) the climate control blower bearings are shit and eventually seized, so I've had to pull it a couple of times to lube it, but it squeaks in cold weather and is destined to fail at some point; and 3) for daytime running lamps, GM decided to just have the exterior lights on all the time = I have been through A LOT of headlamp bulbs. I wish they still built them; I'd buy another.
Chris Powers to your first issue, I just had the same problem! Easy fix luckily. And yeah, daytime running lights sadly means going through a lot of bulbs. Happy you have 200k on it though. It proves these cars last a long time if you take care of them!
I had a 2004 1.8i manual sport. Drove it for 5 years. No issues, SID worked perfectly every time. It did have button wear on the CD 'skip track' button - but that was all. The only things that went 'wrong' with it were wear and tear. Tyres, pads, calipers, worn boot badge and a wheel speed sensor. Traded it on 120,000 miles for a 9-3 TTiD 180 which is a far superior beast. But that's 2 SAAB's I've owned and so far, they're the best cars I've ever had.
I've owned four 9-3s. I think the 2007 was the best year and it's the one I still drive daily. They got rid of the SID, dumped a lot of those excessive buttons in the center. Simplified the dash quite a bit. The next year they changed the rear lights to those 'ice' lights which was a design fad that thankfully didn't last long. The one thing I missed from my 2002 was a quick radio mute button. The European models had built in phone controls - answer/hangup on the steering wheel and the mute button would mute the radio. The phone wasn't offered in the US but the mute still worked and it was great not to have to dial down the volume if I needed to hear something quickly. I wish they wouldn't have deleted that feature.
I suggest you replace all of the motor mounts you can access. I've never owned a Saab that had good motor mounts when I bought it. This may be the cause of your rough shifting.
If that light's still on and the engine doesn't seem to do anything wrong, get a guy to read the OBD Code it's throwing off. Mine had the same issue and turned out the O2 Sensor on the lower section of the exhaust was shorted out. The only effect it had was higher fuel consumption. I replaced that one and the one near the Turbo about a year and a half ago and the light's been off since then. The consumption has also decreased by about 2 litres per 100 Km, which was a nice bonus.
That knob issue is not just a Saab related problem, it happens on many cars. As they get older the gear grooves inside the knob wear down (cheapish plastic) and so when you spin it, it gives you that random crap. I had a KIA that did this too.
Your transmission probably needs a rebuild. My 9 3 shifts fine (78 thou mi.) and doesn't hunt for the right gear at all. Secondly your catalitic converter is probably on it's last leg. Put a new one on with new oxygen sensors. They are pricey but you could take yours off and wash it in hot strong dish detergent water. Let it soak a while. Good luck. Your car is pretty neat. Thanks for all your work. You're great.
I don't think so, it's rarely anything even close to rough it just can't be the smoothest once in a while! Thanks for the compliment and happy Saabing! :)
I have a 9-3 1.9 TiD sportwagon auto from 2007. My only issue is that it will only drop into 6th gear above 70mph, which is the speed limit here and when in 6th it will go to 5th if you drop below 67. It's good to cruise at 90mph @1900rpm but could cope with dropping to 6th sooner. It has 190bhp and 400nm after a simple re-map and will still do more than 700miles on a tank of diesel at motorway/highway speed. Stamp on the throttle from standstill and there is quite a delay until power arrives in a big chunk, but it does arrive. Once moving it's great to drive, and big enough to sleep in.
I just set the cruise control at 75mph and it stays in 6th, I'd just like it to drop into or maintain 6th at a slightly lower speed for those times when the flow of traffic isn't as brisk, If traffic flow is under 67ish it'll stay in 5th. I think it was geared for the European countries that have higher highway speeds than here in the UK. It's my 30th car and so far it has been an excellent all-rounder
Dude, you said in an earlier video that your mass airflow sensor threw an error code. I'm sure if you replaced the faulty sensor, you'd get rid of the check engine light. As some have already pointed out, the oil from the K&N filters burns into the hot wire of the MAF and destroys it.
I cleared the code and haven't had an issue since. Also, the video you're commenting on was posted about 6 months before the video you're referring to in this comment
I'm on my 2nd 9-3, both automatics - my first one's manual mode was useless. My 2nd Saab confirmed my suspicion that it's only like that because it's effectively broken. I don't know if it's a bad solenoid or something worse, but if it's not quick like mine, something is wrong with it. If I had known how much fun it can be, I would've fixed it on my old car.
- Don't downshift. Just apply the brakes and let it downshift for you. You'll get smoother stops and deceleration. - There is a fix for the knob look it up on here. - Saabs are pretty reliable. Usually it's an electric problem somewhere. If there is a Saab shop nearby, You could try getting a check via a TechII which would give you a more detail diagnostic vs OBDII
Luis Torres -I don't normally downshift or even drive in manual mode, I'm just proving a point -Saabs can have issues at higher miles, just like any car. My family owns 4 of them, all with 120,000 plus miles. I'm not saying they will break down, but they're not as reliable as a Japanese car
Auto Autopsy No doubt, Issues can arise with any car. Most can even be specific to a certain make or model. In my experience though. My Saab has been more reliable than Hondas or Toyotas. I keep helping my friends fix their cars while mine is running just fine at least for now haha.
The knob for the dash display has dirty contacts. I have a 2005 9,3 Aero 5 speed that did that. I disassembled it, gave the inside of it a good wash with contact cleaner. Works great now. Give it a shot. (-:
Well, what to say - I've driven SAAB cars since 1980, now my 5-6 car - it's great! A 2001 9-5 Griffin V6 estate auto, in UK ... that said, OK, uses more fuel than the more modern engines, less bhp than newer 2.3 turbo .... and older [so no power folding mirrors, no HUD, no but a great wood/ leather steering wheel!]... a few things I'd like, but really comfortable, tremendous up and down the motorways, really relaxing and loads of space. I love it, and not been in anything to beat it. I think the turbo could do more, and there is a small irritation over some buttons worn .............. and I did pay more than you did, but still a bargain. I have had this one >6 years, only problem has been to do with starting - crankshaft bit that was a bit dirty, thought it was in gear, so no start!! Fixed. Your gripes? Well, I'm 6', no problem, seat back a bit, HUD not a necessary gadget I feel, exhaust - well, it's understated!! That said, great, keep the videos coming ......
@auto autopsy shudve got a stick shift model.. those are truly fun witg a stage tune.. trust me, tune ur car via brew city boost and ull fall in love with her all over again.
Good set of vids, I'm back in a 9-5 as the 9-3 quality just isn't there. Btw very rare to find 'intelligent criticism' on YT! 're the SID -I hate mine....
The knob for the SID, just pull it off, inside you have a square plate with four holes in it, spray something for cleaning electronics in each hole, twist the knob back and forth a couple of times and it will be good as new. :) And did you check what fault code the CE gives you?
The manual shift mode is for when ur sitting in traffic and it's getting shifty so u can hold onto a specific gear in my opinion that is what it's best used for
1 Rear leg room, non existent especially when front seats right back, 2 The seating is extremely low to ground even with 16" wheels, okay it gives a more sporty effect and better feel from the road, but it puts you bang infront of oncoming headlights of others, 3 Two knobs for SID display, why not all on one, 4 No cabin pre heater like found on first generation 9-3 SE, that's my pet hates, But my positives far outnumber those four tiny examples.
Keep in mind when purchasing parts for this model of SAAB, you can cross reference parts and part numbers from the Chevrolet Cobalt SS and Saturn ION redline when you need to replace parts that's what I do when buy parts for mines. Now I'm going to try and install Nissan Z32 front calipers next when I have the time.
Auto Autopsy correct, we also as GM SAAB owners can twin charge (turbo and supercharged) our vehicle. As far as tuning it to have it run correctly I have homework to do still because something about the supercharger having a sensor or something.
Javier Molina hmm interesting. I'm not sure if I'm going to be keeping this car long term or not (don't get me wrong, I love the car...my family owns four saabs), but if I can afford it, I'd like to upgrade to something a bit faster. I'm considering doing a cold air intake, the one off genuine Saab.
Auto Autopsy do what you need and want to do, trust me I've been through many cars in my life and to be honest I'm still looking for the car I want to stick with. I have my project car 1993 Nissan 240SX just for kicks, I have my "CLASSY" car 2004 SAAB 93 ARC, and my daily driver 1998 Nissan Altima GXE, I like older cars that's why I don't like to purchase brand new too many electronic features on new cars. I like the SAAB it's my favorite and newest so far but I actually want a wagon, thinking about the 93 Sportcombi but I want AWD the 9-2X aero is just a rebadged WRX, so my search continues but I like what I have too, I like the styling of Volvo and I had a an S60 2.4T but the cost for repairs were ridiculous.
Javier Molina my mom actually owns an 04' 9-5 wagon and it's pretty great. 230hp from the 2.3T and it's been great except for a failed solenoid (which my dad fixed for a weekend project)
As for that check engine light. I can gaurantee it's a p1312, which means you need to replace the ION module. This goes bad on 03s and 04s. BUT IF YOU GET ONE, IT CANT BE 05-11. Still, take it to an autozone and check. You likely put in something non-saab reccomended to fix it. You need NGK plugs/OEM coils.
First thing get a Saab with manual gearbox ;) But really the interior bits and peices are really easy to switch out for better used parts, at least in Sweden there are alot of saabs in the scrapyards, just keep in mind that some parts need programing with Tech2. Ill guess they are more common in Sweden I see them all the time. Maybe there is something wrong with youre sid controllbutton, mine responde good, but I have a 2005 so maybe thet have been inproved?. About the exhaust, change it for a sport version ;) Good luck with youre nice Saab :D
Jonathan Johansson thanks for the advice! I wanted a manual, but I got this car for such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. I live in a city with 2-3 million people and there's maybe a dozen Saabs of any model in scrapyards, so it's very difficult to find cheap parts.
I get it :) Yea try that, otherwise check for parts on ebay or sites like that :) Also if you want to get exhaust systems or remap the ecu or get other cool preformance parts check out bsr.se I'm getting the Stage2 package for my 9-3 soon :)
Ive got a 2002 95 with 210,000 on it still runs good. Interior is mint. I wouldn't get anything much newer than that. GM really messed up good old Saab. Its such a tragedy, no more Saab production. They made awesome cars, Im on my 4th.
Well, I own a 2007 9-3, and I have to say, I disagree with almost every thing you have said, apart from the part about some of the interior plastics. That aside, my car has the 6 speed auto transmission, with the semi auto option, with controls on the steering wheel. When my car shifts gear, I find it is really smooth, even at low speed. it doesn't keep changing gear as you describe. And when in semi auto mode, I find the gear shifts are almost instant. But these are not formula 1 cars, so a slight delay is to be expected. My car has the later model dashboard, with the display built into the dash, not on top. And the display modes can be controlled via the steering wheel buttons. I have no issues at all with the system choosing random modes. I am 5'11" tall, and for me, there has never been an issue with headroom. I usually have my seat height set about mid way between the lowest and highest settings. I do not have a sunroof, which would give an extra inch or so of headroom. But even without a sunroof, headroom for me is more than adequate. My Engine light has never remained on after the car has started, so no problems there, and I have owned the car just over 2 years now. One intermittent problem I did have, was the car not recognising the transponder in the key fob straight away. Sometimes I had to turn the steering wheel away from it's locked position, in order for the car to recognise the transponder. But as I understand it, there is a 'CIM' module within the steering column, that is linked to the ignition barrel, (a GM innovation) and this has the potential to fail sometimes. A common problem apparently. It can be rectified by clearing a couple of fault codes in the ECU, but this may not be a permanent fix, it can come back, as it did with me. But the problem hasn't reappeared for about a year now, touch wood. You can sometimes get round it by pulling out the key, and putting it back in again a couple of times, whilst jiggling the steering wheel slightly. In closing, not all the problems that you may have are inherent in all Saab 9-3's. Each car is unique, as is every driver.
-I have the 5 speed auto, so thats probably why yours is a bit smoother -CEL is issue is gone for me now, the tune I recently got fixed that -also, interesting how you had the issue with the key FOB. Sounds like a pain to deal with!
Auto Autopsy It was a slight annoyance, the key fob thing, but it never got to the point of infuriating, because I knew what to do to get round the issue. And as I say, it has been about a year since it happened last time. So maybe the problem has ironed itself out, at least I hope so. One major annoyance was when the negative contact for the fob battery broke off of the circuit board. And because we have right hand drive cars in the UK, it meant that I had to enter the car through the passenger side to open the drivers door every time, as SAAB, in their wisdom, decided to only equip the left hand front door with an emergency, or manual lock, for all markets. And nobody wanted to touch my key when I was looking for a repair. So I had that inconvenience for a good couple of months. But all issues aside, I really like this car, and it is such a sweet car to drive, and has been relatively trouble free in the 2 plus years I've owned it.
One thing about the transmission... You should have just bought a manual! I have a 195 hp 1.8 turbo manual transmission and it drives and shifts like a dream.
That HUD knob, I have better luck with it when i push the knob up and to the right and then turn it. Same with the volume know. cheap crap. My buttons have luckily held up looks wise, but that issue seems to be a GM issue. I've seen a lot of GM cars with just shit looking buttons after a few years. I actually picked up the Saab 9-3 because it was supposedly known to be reliable and I knew you could get the the ECU reprogrammed for 260ish HP and still get 30ish mpg. Mine has been pretty great mechanically for 2 years now.
Mine has been great since the tune as well. And yeah, the cheap shit from GM really bothers me. My family has older Saabs (non GM, true Saabs) and they're much better build quality
You said in Archinuk's video about it costing more or the same as C-classes. Your exact model did cost 25712 USD in Sweden brand new, and yes not the base version, the 2.0T. What did a brand new C-Class cost at the time?
Hi your saab vids are great and I enjoy watching them.I'm thinking of getting a 2004 aero convertible with automatic transmission.These have shift buttons for the manual mode on the steering wheel and I'd like to hear your opinion on that model ? Do the shift buttons have poor response ? Thanks.
Since mine is the Arc, it doesn't have paddle shifters. I was really being nitpicky about the transmission. If you aren't using manual mode, it's terrific. In manual mode, upshifts are quick, but the only time it's slow is when you go 3-2. Hope that helps. I love the model overall
2003 was the first model year of the "new" SAAB 9-3 (and the last model year for the OG 9-3 convertible). Rule of thumb is to never buy the first year of a new model (unless of course you're just leasing the car). Give them a few years to work the bugs out of it.... CEL's on older SAAB's are typically related to the emissions control system. Invest in an OBD-II reader so you can read the codes.
Bro, I always tell people Saabs are goofy af but man are they good cars and fun to drive. One thing I I noticed that I'm not big on tho, is their handling in ice/rain. Other than that...its muh baby!
Sir, I was wondering if there is a lot of trunk space. You see I am thinking of purchasing my own vehicle. I just turned 22 yesterday and am looking to purchase my first saab.
i.ve got the Saab 1.8 linear and its very reliable. although I have had little quirks with the saab like the gear nob falling off due to time wear and tear, yes Toyota's don't have this problem other problems I find is the wing mirrors have an unhealthy blind spot they are tiny the car itself is hard to park the car is low down handles brilliantly on country lanes but for me its an uncomfortable drive on the motorway and with the blind spots on the mirrors its almost feels dangerous to drive but its a lot of car for the money, and was probably way ahead of any 2004 1,8 litre car back in the day.
nice content dude just a thing you sounded tired how do i put it like doesnt have energy? something like that is lacking just a friendly advice to gain more suscribers :) i was suscribed like a week now
I feel what you're saying and I appreciate the feedback. This video was filmed a while ago and I just never uploaded it. I think I've been a bit more engaging in my newer videos, but there's always room for improvement!
You complainted of Check Engine light always on, and I complainted there is a warning msg indicating " Right Brake Light Failure " though it is on whenever I step on the brake...This could be too sensitive of some electronics....As you said " No car is PERFECT "... !
If the check engine light is on, it means somethings wrong lol and my 06 saab 9-3 doesn't have much exhaust sound. All the noise you hear is the turbo and the engine which, imo, sound pretty good. Buy a manual
Someone else actually just commented the same thing; I have tried it locked in both second and third, and both ways it has helped slightly. The transmission is very jerky at lower RPMs
Honestly don't buy a NG9-3 with a 1.8 litre engine, you should get one with the B207* engine (* = E, L, S or R). It's the only engine in the first years of the NG9-3 to actually be a saab engine. The other engines are GM designs probably from opel. As if the car wasn't GM/opel enough already....
also, if you pamper the car and run it slow without going over 2K revs, no engine light will come on for inspection purposes. I think its related to the turbo software and the coils not agreeing from what Ive experienced
Yo, the check engine light is on cause there is something wrong with your Saab. Saabs trionic is the best system to notice problems from your car. Get a open sid and tune it also. you will find your problem with open SID. I bet it is an air leak issue, Or something like that. SID and TECH will tell you.
The issue has been addressed and fixed. I mentioned the CEL cycling on and off because my dad's Saab often does that. He has an older one, and meticulously maintains the car. He does all the work himself and knows everything there is to know about these cars, so I trust his word. Haha, thank you for the advice though!
Auto Autopsy with open sid you can monitor all the sensors on the car it gives you 100~ different values you can monitor, and on saab forums you can find any any faults and values what they should be. and what is the solution to fix the current problems and values. shame that most of that information is on swedish norwegian or finnish language. cause most of the users are from these countries.
LOL, you complaining about the interior materials? You haven't seen horrible until you own a Dodge. My 2001 Intrepid was an odd car: it was reliable and had very very few problems. But the interior is easily the worst of any car I've owned and makes your Saab look like a super expensive Mercedes! The interior materials in my Dodge creaked all the time. The surface of the plastic rubbed off in the hot sun! I sometimes had black and gray flecks stuck to my fingers because of that. If I cleaned the steering wheel with "plastic safe" cleaner, it still deteriorated. The roof liner broke loose at 50,000 miles. The plastic liners inside every door cracked in the hot summer (the other cars I've owned never had issues like that). The air deflector over the sunroof was also so flimsy that it broke. In order to repair it, you would have to completely take apart the sunroof and remove the plastic housing. It would cost more to fix it than the sunroof was worth! The center console also broke loose because the metal bolts ate right through the (of course!) plastic feet holding it down. The hood ornament also broke off way before I reached 50,000 miles and the (sigh, more plastic!) rear bumper assembly broke loose and wobbles noticeably if you even touch it! And the worst part: the instrument panel is NOT sealed. In the winter, if it got to 35 degrees or lower, the BACK of the panel fogged up, making it impossible to see the speedometer! Again, it's the only car that I've ever driven that had such a ridiculous issue. They should have renamed the car the Dodge Plasticker. I can't believe it cost $17,000-19,000. It was almost worthless when I sold it and two dealers refused to pay me what it was worth. Overall, I'll never buy Dodge or Chrysler again. I gave them 10 years and when I bought this car, I realized 50,000 miles later that they still hadn't improved in the quality department. My dad ignored my warnings and bought a Dodge Ram. And no, the interior quality is barely any better and I was unimpressed by it. I've seen 6-year-old GMC pickups that were better than the Ram.
Sounds like total shit. Given that Saab was a luxury-minded brand (sort of), you would expect better quality. It's truly GM's fault. Older Saabs were much better
@3:20 boi you need An alignment if your wheel is tilted like that and you’re driving straight your alignment is completely screwed your wheel should never be tilted to the right and your car going straight
About check engine controle I had same. We called my car Princese Saabine bicouse wheen I put some cheep fuel the check engine popup. Ill put fuel on better stations like texaco, BP or whatever after day or two check enginve was gone and show up only wheen Ill put again cheep fuel on shitty petro stations. But after couple of years that check engine show up even wheen uel was better and solution for me was to clean EGR. That check engine contolle never show up with out the reason. My first Saab was 2003 year 2.2TiD right now I have second one 2008 Aero XWD V6 what I recommended to you. Really perfect car with out bad things what had older version. New daschboard looks great and Is more functional than before. Must have XWD Saab. One of the best four wheels drive system in last years. Ill read it on internet and Ill tested by my self and thats true - its almost impossible to accidently drift in this car even on bad winter weather. If u pull wheel hardly on one of the sides so yeah u could crash but if u drive normally saab xwd is like a train. Bad things.... The latest saabs 93 have same shitty automatic gearbox. But on V6 engine 5s to 100 recompensate that xD Sorry for bad eng.
Buying it I planned to get one of Turbo X versions but over here in germany was not many of them just 3 and for much more money. But for next year maybe I will get one of them. Engine same all same just a litle looks different and have some more features on computer.
I have to agree, the transmission is absolutely awful, very slow to react and guzzles gas like no tomorrow, for example the 2.0T convertible, Auto averaged around 25MPG (light driving, rare thrash) but the manual averaged 35 MPG!! a 10MPG loss due to the transmission!! both were the 5 speed, but apparently the 6 speed manual is excellent, 6th gear 95MPH at 3000RPM.
I se you got a sunroof in the car. Probably that is the reason the roof height is lower than it should be. Sunroofs are one of the most worthless inventions ever.
It is a bit silly to complain about the headspace in the backseat since this as many other cars would lose it's stylish look if it was made comfortable for tall persons. You should look for any family saloon or a Saab 9000. The 9000 manages to be both stylish and have as much headspace in the back as in the front.
I had the same issue with headroom when i bought my 9-3, The seat was in the lowest position and i had literally no headroom at all like you, with a cap my head was touching the ceiling Then i tried one of the preset options from the previous owner and it took me way further down than i was ever able to get manually and now i have tons of headroom, not sure if there's some hidden switch 😂 i'm also 6ft
Much of these complaints comes from someone being a cheapass, either the first owner who speced it or GM that made saab make many stupid things for the sake of saving money. The knob for the SID should be 1:1 for the info, it is obviously worn out or needs a cleaning of the contacts inside it. The rubberised "paint" or whatever it is that buttons, interior details etc are covered with is pure crap. Everyone who has seen a used NG9-3 knows it. But the saabs are not the only ones with this problem, several makes owned by GM has this so i figure it was one of the choices made for saab by GM. The exhaust is something the first owner cheaped out on, saab had several options for sportier exhausts even on the lower tier engine options. Saabs are nice cars, i love them even though some models have their issues :)
GM is the company who destroy saab heritage. GM engineers implemented cheap Chevy parts and the design was thinking to fail in 10 years, Even if you do not use the car...
basically GM had cheapened saab too much by this point even the 90's saabs had much better interior quality.
Christian it's unfortunate, but what else would you expect from GM? Lol
Christian all cars had better quality back them imo.
True that. My '95 9000 is still good in that department and it's done 250k miles.
Newer 9-5's arent too bad, they still use a lot of old saab parts
Auto Autopsy - have you driven a Saab 9-3 OG?
I have an '06 Saab 9-3. If your knob doesn't directly shift screens, that needs to be checked out by a tech. If your transmission is gear hunting/slipping that much, you should probably have a fluid change done at least. As for the seat, I'm 6'2" and I have plenty of head room. You seem to sit, in my opinion, too close to the steering wheel. Admittedly, the plastic does kinda suck. Check engine lights are emissions based. If your check engine light came on and it seems to run smooth, It is probably because the emissions are suffering. Warning though, the 2.0t motor seems to be running smooth even when it's throwing literally thousands of misfires. I had this issue for a day when I put in some after-market ignition coils in mine. Make sure you get the code checked. As for the exhaust, get a performance setup installed. They will improve your performance and get you a little better fuel mileage as well. Intake and exhaust are the only two things that improve both.The engineers were aiming at quiet, not loud. Remember: "Luxury" car. They do have some issues with reliability, and I don't personally love the look of them, but they are impressive little cars for the buck. Most of your complaints have simple-ish fixes that can be decently easily remedied. Look up Saab 9-3 custom exhaust on youtube and you'll hear what a 2.0t is capable of sounding like. It has a nice note when properly equipped.
Jake Gackle thanks for the help!
Jake Gackle exatly.. look at my exhaust set up on my page.. mine is a 5speed. she sounds in my opinion, amazing.I wouldnt buy an autmatic saab or any car even if it was given to me...
The automatic transmission is an Aisin unit (Toyota's transmission division) that's made in Japan. It's code-named AF33 and it's a very advanced 5-speed automatic which is 100% electronically-controlled with adaptive shift logic, and it has a many different solenoids to control everything, and the large number of solenoids can actually become a problem at higher mileage because if they fail they can cause the transmission to malfunction so badly that it's often misdiagnosed as total transmission failure.
These Aisin 5-speed units are actually pretty sturdy transmissions, however they can be temperamental as the host of the video pointed out. I also have a 2003 9-3 with this same transmission and I totally understand what he means when he says the tranny sometimes performs poorly at lower speeds in traffic, mine was similar and occasionally it would feel clunky, rough and confused in traffic. However, during moderate-heavy acceleration it would shift just fine.
The majority of the issues with these units is usually from the valve body and solenoids, but I was able to ALMOST completely solve this issue by doing a transmission fluid flush and change with Toyota Type-IV ATF (must use this fluid). After doing this plus resetting the ECU and transmission shift logic by disconnecting the negative battery cable for a few hours I was able to reduce the clunkiness & rough shifting in lower-speed traffic conditions by about 80%.
I would imagine the fluid flush/change and the ECU reset would likely help you as well. It certainly couldn't hurt anything, especially since the fact that these transmissions were incorrectly touted as "fill for life" claiming that the fluid never required service under normal conditions. This also caused many issues, and if you do some research online most experts recommend fluid changes every 30k miles on these units to prevent these issues from arising in the first place.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing this Patrick, I appreciate it
Pull your headrest up a little bit. It won't work as well in an accident the way you have it set now :)
Good observation...I'll do that!
I have a 2005 9-3 with just over 200k miles on it, and it has been a great car for me. I bought it brand new and have never had a major problem with it. Of course, with that many miles there have been the expected wear and tear issues, but every repair I've made has paid for itself with many further maintenance-free miles. Three negatives: 1) the recirculation vent motor has a cheap plastic gear that broke a few years ago, but I was able to get to it by removing the glove box and simply remove the motor and fix the vent open; 2) the climate control blower bearings are shit and eventually seized, so I've had to pull it a couple of times to lube it, but it squeaks in cold weather and is destined to fail at some point; and 3) for daytime running lamps, GM decided to just have the exterior lights on all the time = I have been through A LOT of headlamp bulbs. I wish they still built them; I'd buy another.
Chris Powers to your first issue, I just had the same problem! Easy fix luckily. And yeah, daytime running lights sadly means going through a lot of bulbs. Happy you have 200k on it though. It proves these cars last a long time if you take care of them!
You could disable the daytime running lights by using Tech II
I prefer them on despite them going through bulbs faster. haha thanks though :)
Personally, I like the exhaust noise.. The low growl
Agreed, made even my 1.8t sound good.
I had a 2004 1.8i manual sport. Drove it for 5 years. No issues, SID worked perfectly every time. It did have button wear on the CD 'skip track' button - but that was all.
The only things that went 'wrong' with it were wear and tear. Tyres, pads, calipers, worn boot badge and a wheel speed sensor.
Traded it on 120,000 miles for a 9-3 TTiD 180 which is a far superior beast. But that's 2 SAAB's I've owned and so far, they're the best cars I've ever had.
Retro Brothers glad to hear!
Auto Autopsy p
I've owned four 9-3s. I think the 2007 was the best year and it's the one I still drive daily. They got rid of the SID, dumped a lot of those excessive buttons in the center. Simplified the dash quite a bit. The next year they changed the rear lights to those 'ice' lights which was a design fad that thankfully didn't last long. The one thing I missed from my 2002 was a quick radio mute button. The European models had built in phone controls - answer/hangup on the steering wheel and the mute button would mute the radio. The phone wasn't offered in the US but the mute still worked and it was great not to have to dial down the volume if I needed to hear something quickly. I wish they wouldn't have deleted that feature.
Wow awesome!!
I suggest you replace all of the motor mounts you can access. I've never owned a Saab that had good motor mounts when I bought it. This may be the cause of your rough shifting.
ngneer999 very interesting 🤔 thanks for the advice!
If that light's still on and the engine doesn't seem to do anything wrong, get a guy to read the OBD Code it's throwing off. Mine had the same issue and turned out the O2 Sensor on the lower section of the exhaust was shorted out. The only effect it had was higher fuel consumption. I replaced that one and the one near the Turbo about a year and a half ago and the light's been off since then. The consumption has also decreased by about 2 litres per 100 Km, which was a nice bonus.
Yep, turns out the SAI was the issue. Common problem in 2003's (only model year the SAI was in)
That knob issue is not just a Saab related problem, it happens on many cars. As they get older the gear grooves inside the knob wear down (cheapish plastic) and so when you spin it, it gives you that random crap. I had a KIA that did this too.
That's shitty GM quality for ya
Your transmission probably needs a rebuild. My 9 3 shifts fine (78 thou mi.) and doesn't hunt for the right gear at all. Secondly your catalitic converter is probably on it's last leg. Put a new one on with new oxygen sensors. They are pricey but you could take yours off and wash it in hot strong dish detergent water. Let it soak a while. Good luck. Your car is pretty neat. Thanks for all your work. You're great.
I don't think so, it's rarely anything even close to rough it just can't be the smoothest once in a while! Thanks for the compliment and happy Saabing! :)
6 speed manual Aero man... best Saabs ;) especially the 2007-2010. and you can make these Saabs sound great with exhaust work
I have a 07 93 with a manual 6 speed and the 2.0T with 210hp. awesome car
Me too, very awesome!
I have a 9-3 1.9 TiD sportwagon auto from 2007. My only issue is that it will only drop into 6th gear above 70mph, which is the speed limit here and when in 6th it will go to 5th if you drop below 67. It's good to cruise at 90mph @1900rpm but could cope with dropping to 6th sooner. It has 190bhp and 400nm after a simple re-map and will still do more than 700miles on a tank of diesel at motorway/highway speed. Stamp on the throttle from standstill and there is quite a delay until power arrives in a big chunk, but it does arrive. Once moving it's great to drive, and big enough to sleep in.
Interesting, so you're saying it'll swap between 5th and 6th when on the highway? Sounds like it'd get annoying after a while
I just set the cruise control at 75mph and it stays in 6th, I'd just like it to drop into or maintain 6th at a slightly lower speed for those times when the flow of traffic isn't as brisk, If traffic flow is under 67ish it'll stay in 5th. I think it was geared for the European countries that have higher highway speeds than here in the UK. It's my 30th car and so far it has been an excellent all-rounder
Dude, you said in an earlier video that your mass airflow sensor threw an error code. I'm sure if you replaced the faulty sensor, you'd get rid of the check engine light. As some have already pointed out, the oil from the K&N filters burns into the hot wire of the MAF and destroys it.
I cleared the code and haven't had an issue since. Also, the video you're commenting on was posted about 6 months before the video you're referring to in this comment
I'm on my 2nd 9-3, both automatics - my first one's manual mode was useless. My 2nd Saab confirmed my suspicion that it's only like that because it's effectively broken. I don't know if it's a bad solenoid or something worse, but if it's not quick like mine, something is wrong with it. If I had known how much fun it can be, I would've fixed it on my old car.
Interesting; I'll have to check that out!
I'm 6-3 and my 2005 convertible with the top up has plenty of room. reliability has been great up to 230,000. Yeah, switch labels do wear off
Good to hear it's been reliable for you!
- Don't downshift. Just apply the brakes and let it downshift for you. You'll get smoother stops and deceleration.
- There is a fix for the knob look it up on here.
- Saabs are pretty reliable. Usually it's an electric problem somewhere. If there is a Saab shop nearby, You could try getting a check via a TechII which would give you a more detail diagnostic vs OBDII
Luis Torres
-I don't normally downshift or even drive in manual mode, I'm just proving a point
-Saabs can have issues at higher miles, just like any car. My family owns 4 of them, all with 120,000 plus miles. I'm not saying they will break down, but they're not as reliable as a Japanese car
Auto Autopsy No doubt, Issues can arise with any car. Most can even be specific to a certain make or model. In my experience though. My Saab has been more reliable than Hondas or Toyotas. I keep helping my friends fix their cars while mine is running just fine at least for now haha.
Luis Torres haha that's awesome to hear! That's what happens when you maintain your car and take good care of it! What Saab do you have?
Auto Autopsy 2004 9-3 Aero Sedan . Looking to change it for a Sportcombi if I find a 2007 Aero.
Luis Torres I love the look of the Hatchback, especially the Aeros. Great fun and fast car
The knob for the dash display has dirty contacts. I have a 2005 9,3 Aero 5 speed that did that. I disassembled it, gave the inside of it a good wash with contact cleaner. Works great now. Give it a shot. (-:
Thanks for the tip :)
Well, what to say - I've driven SAAB cars since 1980, now my 5-6 car - it's great! A 2001 9-5 Griffin V6 estate auto, in UK ... that said, OK, uses more fuel than the more modern engines, less bhp than newer 2.3 turbo .... and older [so no power folding mirrors, no HUD, no but a great wood/ leather steering wheel!]... a few things I'd like, but really comfortable, tremendous up and down the motorways, really relaxing and loads of space. I love it, and not been in anything to beat it. I think the turbo could do more, and there is a small irritation over some buttons worn .............. and I did pay more than you did, but still a bargain. I have had this one >6 years, only problem has been to do with starting - crankshaft bit that was a bit dirty, thought it was in gear, so no start!! Fixed.
Your gripes? Well, I'm 6', no problem, seat back a bit, HUD not a necessary gadget I feel, exhaust - well, it's understated!!
That said, great, keep the videos coming ......
Thanks Ross! Glad you're enjoying yours! I genuinely love the car
@auto autopsy shudve got a stick shift model.. those are truly fun witg a stage tune.. trust me, tune ur car via brew city boost and ull fall in love with her all over again.
I have a JZW tune right now. I wish I had a manual, but with the offer I got on the car, it was hard to pass up
About your selector knob- just pull the knob out and spray some wd 40.. It's fixed!
Stacey Adams thanks for tip! I'll try it out...it really bothers me lol
Good set of vids, I'm back in a 9-5 as the 9-3 quality just isn't there. Btw very rare to find 'intelligent criticism' on YT! 're the SID -I hate mine....
Simon Inglis haha well thanks...and yeah I've gotten some tips on the SID
The knob for the SID, just pull it off, inside you have a square plate with four holes in it, spray something for cleaning electronics in each hole, twist the knob back and forth a couple of times and it will be good as new. :)
And did you check what fault code the CE gives you?
Thanks for the tip! Yeah, I solved the issue
The manual shift mode is for when ur sitting in traffic and it's getting shifty so u can hold onto a specific gear in my opinion that is what it's best used for
Hmm, I suppose!
1 Rear leg room, non existent especially when front seats right back, 2 The seating is extremely low to ground even with 16" wheels, okay it gives a more sporty effect and better feel from the road, but it puts you bang infront of oncoming headlights of others, 3 Two knobs for SID display, why not all on one, 4 No cabin pre heater like found on first generation 9-3 SE, that's my pet hates, But my positives far outnumber those four tiny examples.
Totally agree. There's countless things I love about this car, and only a handful of things I hate
Keep in mind when purchasing parts for this model of SAAB, you can cross reference parts and part numbers from the Chevrolet Cobalt SS and Saturn ION redline when you need to replace parts that's what I do when buy parts for mines. Now I'm going to try and install Nissan Z32 front calipers next when I have the time.
Javier Molina interesting. I guess that makes sense considering it's basically a GM car lol
Auto Autopsy correct, we also as GM SAAB owners can twin charge (turbo and supercharged) our vehicle. As far as tuning it to have it run correctly I have homework to do still because something about the supercharger having a sensor or something.
Javier Molina hmm interesting. I'm not sure if I'm going to be keeping this car long term or not (don't get me wrong, I love the car...my family owns four saabs), but if I can afford it, I'd like to upgrade to something a bit faster. I'm considering doing a cold air intake, the one off genuine Saab.
Auto Autopsy do what you need and want to do, trust me I've been through many cars in my life and to be honest I'm still looking for the car I want to stick with. I have my project car 1993 Nissan 240SX just for kicks, I have my "CLASSY" car 2004 SAAB 93 ARC, and my daily driver 1998 Nissan Altima GXE, I like older cars that's why I don't like to purchase brand new too many electronic features on new cars. I like the SAAB it's my favorite and newest so far but I actually want a wagon, thinking about the 93 Sportcombi but I want AWD the 9-2X aero is just a rebadged WRX, so my search continues but I like what I have too, I like the styling of Volvo and I had a an S60 2.4T but the cost for repairs were ridiculous.
Javier Molina my mom actually owns an 04' 9-5 wagon and it's pretty great. 230hp from the 2.3T and it's been great except for a failed solenoid (which my dad fixed for a weekend project)
As for that check engine light. I can gaurantee it's a p1312, which means you need to replace the ION module. This goes bad on 03s and 04s. BUT IF YOU GET ONE, IT CANT BE 05-11. Still, take it to an autozone and check. You likely put in something non-saab reccomended to fix it. You need NGK plugs/OEM coils.
It's been fixed!
First thing get a Saab with manual gearbox ;) But really the interior bits and peices are really easy to switch out for better used parts, at least in Sweden there are alot of saabs in the scrapyards, just keep in mind that some parts need programing with Tech2. Ill guess they are more common in Sweden I see them all the time. Maybe there is something wrong with youre sid controllbutton, mine responde good, but I have a 2005 so maybe thet have been inproved?. About the exhaust, change it for a sport version ;) Good luck with youre nice Saab :D
Jonathan Johansson thanks for the advice! I wanted a manual, but I got this car for such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. I live in a city with 2-3 million people and there's maybe a dozen Saabs of any model in scrapyards, so it's very difficult to find cheap parts.
Someone suggested I try WD40 on the SID control button, which should make it function properly
I get it :) Yea try that, otherwise check for parts on ebay or sites like that :) Also if you want to get exhaust systems or remap the ecu or get other cool preformance parts check out bsr.se I'm getting the Stage2 package for my 9-3 soon :)
Jonathan Johansson thanks I certainly will! I'm uploading another Saab video today that's pretty sweet
Ive got a 2002 95 with 210,000 on it still runs good. Interior is mint. I wouldn't get anything much newer than that. GM really messed up good old Saab. Its such a tragedy, no more Saab production. They made awesome cars, Im on my 4th.
I'm glad to hear :)
Well, I own a 2007 9-3, and I have to say, I disagree with almost every thing you have said, apart from the part about some of the interior plastics.
That aside, my car has the 6 speed auto transmission, with the semi auto option, with controls on the steering wheel. When my car shifts gear, I find it is really smooth, even at low speed. it doesn't keep changing gear as you describe. And when in semi auto mode, I find the gear shifts are almost instant. But these are not formula 1 cars, so a slight delay is to be expected.
My car has the later model dashboard, with the display built into the dash, not on top. And the display modes can be controlled via the steering wheel buttons. I have no issues at all with the system choosing random modes.
I am 5'11" tall, and for me, there has never been an issue with headroom. I usually have my seat height set about mid way between the lowest and highest settings. I do not have a sunroof, which would give an extra inch or so of headroom. But even without a sunroof, headroom for me is more than adequate.
My Engine light has never remained on after the car has started, so no problems there, and I have owned the car just over 2 years now.
One intermittent problem I did have, was the car not recognising the transponder in the key fob straight away. Sometimes I had to turn the steering wheel away from it's locked position, in order for the car to recognise the transponder. But as I understand it, there is a 'CIM' module within the steering column, that is linked to the ignition barrel, (a GM innovation) and this has the potential to fail sometimes. A common problem apparently.
It can be rectified by clearing a couple of fault codes in the ECU, but this may not be a permanent fix, it can come back, as it did with me. But the problem hasn't reappeared for about a year now, touch wood. You can sometimes get round it by pulling out the key, and putting it back in again a couple of times, whilst jiggling the steering wheel slightly.
In closing, not all the problems that you may have are inherent in all Saab 9-3's. Each car is unique, as is every driver.
-I have the 5 speed auto, so thats probably why yours is a bit smoother
-CEL is issue is gone for me now, the tune I recently got fixed that
-also, interesting how you had the issue with the key FOB. Sounds like a pain to deal with!
Auto Autopsy
It was a slight annoyance, the key fob thing, but it never got to the point of infuriating, because I knew what to do to get round the issue. And as I say, it has been about a year since it happened last time. So maybe the problem has ironed itself out, at least I hope so.
One major annoyance was when the negative contact for the fob battery broke off of the circuit board. And because we have right hand drive cars in the UK, it meant that I had to enter the car through the passenger side to open the drivers door every time, as SAAB, in their wisdom, decided to only equip the left hand front door with an emergency, or manual lock, for all markets. And nobody wanted to touch my key when I was looking for a repair. So I had that inconvenience for a good couple of months.
But all issues aside, I really like this car, and it is such a sweet car to drive, and has been relatively trouble free in the 2 plus years I've owned it.
Well, at least it's fixed now. I'm happy to hear you're enjoying your Saab!
One thing about the transmission... You should have just bought a manual! I have a 195 hp 1.8 turbo manual transmission and it drives and shifts like a dream.
I got such a good deal on the car the offer was hard to pass up..wish I had manual though
Nice video man!
What are you talking about, that exhaust sounds great!..... I drive a 9-5 coupe, and I also love the "phssssss" when the turbo engages.
So do I! But the rest sounds bad lol. Which is why I bought a new exhaust a couple months back :)
I see.... i misspoke, it's a 9-3, not a 9-5.
That HUD knob, I have better luck with it when i push the knob up and to the right and then turn it. Same with the volume know. cheap crap. My buttons have luckily held up looks wise, but that issue seems to be a GM issue. I've seen a lot of GM cars with just shit looking buttons after a few years. I actually picked up the Saab 9-3 because it was supposedly known to be reliable and I knew you could get the the ECU reprogrammed for 260ish HP and still get 30ish mpg. Mine has been pretty great mechanically for 2 years now.
Mine has been great since the tune as well. And yeah, the cheap shit from GM really bothers me. My family has older Saabs (non GM, true Saabs) and they're much better build quality
Nice video! I subbed. Have you heard of Vehicle Virgins? Your video style is a lot like his and I like VV
Turbzay / Gaming Edits Yes! They are my inspiration! Thank you for watching :)
I like the emblem on the steering wheel!
confiGTR yeah it's a nice touch. The wear on the buttons drives me crazy though.
For a thirteen year old car though, that's not terrible wear.
Baron Chappel I replaced a few of the plastic buttons already but the wear on them is inevitable
I like mine better, it says Saab Scania
You said in Archinuk's video about it costing more or the same as C-classes. Your exact model did cost 25712 USD in Sweden brand new, and yes not the base version, the 2.0T. What did a brand new C-Class cost at the time?
Gregersbananer my car was listed at $34k new, while the C-class was either at $28k or $35k new
Hi your saab vids are great and I enjoy watching them.I'm thinking of getting a 2004 aero convertible with automatic transmission.These have shift buttons for the manual mode on the steering wheel and I'd like to hear your opinion on that model ? Do the shift buttons have poor response ?
Thanks.
Since mine is the Arc, it doesn't have paddle shifters. I was really being nitpicky about the transmission. If you aren't using manual mode, it's terrific. In manual mode, upshifts are quick, but the only time it's slow is when you go 3-2. Hope that helps. I love the model overall
2003 was the first model year of the "new" SAAB 9-3 (and the last model year for the OG 9-3 convertible). Rule of thumb is to never buy the first year of a new model (unless of course you're just leasing the car). Give them a few years to work the bugs out of it.... CEL's on older SAAB's are typically related to the emissions control system. Invest in an OBD-II reader so you can read the codes.
Yes, I have an OBD and I've fixed the issues.
Bro, I always tell people Saabs are goofy af but man are they good cars and fun to drive. One thing I I noticed that I'm not big on tho, is their handling in ice/rain. Other than that...its muh baby!
Yep, I love mine as well!
I don't have any check engine lights, car has been perfectly maintained its while life. 165k...... and running strong. so reliable? yeah.
whole* life.
consider yourself lucky haha
Sir, I was wondering if there is a lot of trunk space. You see I am thinking of purchasing my own vehicle. I just turned 22 yesterday and am looking to purchase my first saab.
Weeblord 420 There's a ton of trunk space. It's incredibly deep and wide.
Beefy J lmfao the difference between your first and second comment is Hilarious
My 08 Saab Aero won't let me open the hood!?? I pull the lever. It clicks but I can't lift it to release latch?? Please help me!
How can I fix that???
The check engine light is probably warning you about a failed exhaust sensor.
It wasn't :) thanks or the tip though; problem is now resolved
i.ve got the Saab 1.8 linear and its very reliable. although I have had little quirks with the saab like the gear nob falling off due to time wear and tear, yes Toyota's don't have this problem other problems I find is the wing mirrors have an unhealthy blind spot they are tiny the car itself is hard to park the car is low down handles brilliantly on country lanes but for me its an uncomfortable drive on the motorway and with the blind spots on the mirrors its almost feels dangerous to drive but its a lot of car for the money, and was probably way ahead of any 2004 1,8 litre car back in the day.
Yep! Thanks for watching
nice content dude just a thing you sounded tired how do i put it like doesnt have energy? something like that is lacking just a friendly advice to gain more suscribers :) i was suscribed like a week now
I feel what you're saying and I appreciate the feedback. This video was filmed a while ago and I just never uploaded it. I think I've been a bit more engaging in my newer videos, but there's always room for improvement!
Auto Autopsy sick bro gonna be watching does videos :) goodluck and merry christmas
Leo Cablao thanks you as well!
You complainted of Check Engine light always on, and I complainted there is a warning msg indicating " Right Brake Light Failure " though it is on whenever I step on the brake...This could be too sensitive of some electronics....As you said " No car is PERFECT "... !
Yep, exactly :)
If the check engine light is on, it means somethings wrong lol and my 06 saab 9-3 doesn't have much exhaust sound. All the noise you hear is the turbo and the engine which, imo, sound pretty good. Buy a manual
Yeah I want a manual, wish I had one
Don't forget the evil fiber optic cables so you can't easily replace the radio and amp1 cost a ton more than its worth
Good point!
Have you tried using manual mode in stop and go traffic? Like either first or second only.
Someone else actually just commented the same thing; I have tried it locked in both second and third, and both ways it has helped slightly. The transmission is very jerky at lower RPMs
nice vid bro i need to do a vid like this next
Thank you. It was really fun to make and I'd love to hear what you don't like about your car
Auto Autopsy lol i might have already did one if i did ill link it in amino
Saab gear shifting can be improved huuugely by a stage 1 tune. And lemme tell you, any knob like that is bound to break.
I've got a tune now :)
You just got a new sub!
Epicness 5 thank you!!
im planning to buy a Saab 9-3 Linear 1.8L 2004, manual gear
Awesome! I wish mine was manual
you should get the 2.0t instead.
Honestly don't buy a NG9-3 with a 1.8 litre engine, you should get one with the B207* engine (* = E, L, S or R). It's the only engine in the first years of the NG9-3 to actually be a saab engine. The other engines are GM designs probably from opel. As if the car wasn't GM/opel enough already....
squirt WD40 on the control knobs, I have a 9-3 2003 too and this did the job
also, if you pamper the car and run it slow without going over 2K revs, no engine light will come on for inspection purposes.
I think its related to the turbo software and the coils not agreeing from what Ive experienced
Thanks for the tip!
Get hirsch interior kit, if you don't want plastics noise in your car
MOBBAK I will certainly look into it
damn...I thought that I missed my saab until I watched this video. great points. But, my jeep is even worse.
It's a great car, these are just a couple things I didn't like :)
Yo, the check engine light is on cause there is something wrong with your Saab. Saabs trionic is the best system to notice problems from your car. Get a open sid and tune it also. you will find your problem with open SID. I bet it is an air leak issue, Or something like that. SID and TECH will tell you.
The issue has been addressed and fixed. I mentioned the CEL cycling on and off because my dad's Saab often does that. He has an older one, and meticulously maintains the car. He does all the work himself and knows everything there is to know about these cars, so I trust his word. Haha, thank you for the advice though!
Auto Autopsy with open sid you can monitor all the sensors on the car it gives you 100~ different values you can monitor, and on saab forums you can find any any faults and values what they should be. and what is the solution to fix the current problems and values. shame that most of that information is on swedish norwegian or finnish language. cause most of the users are from these countries.
Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it!
that last bit seems to be a loose muffler or something with the bumper plastic :)
That noise is from the camera. Not mounted properly
Love my Saab 93 aero no car without it's flaw tho I do dislike the interior I do plan on down the road changing the interior up
Awesome
LOL, you complaining about the interior materials? You haven't seen horrible until you own a Dodge. My 2001 Intrepid was an odd car: it was reliable and had very very few problems. But the interior is easily the worst of any car I've owned and makes your Saab look like a super expensive Mercedes! The interior materials in my Dodge creaked all the time. The surface of the plastic rubbed off in the hot sun! I sometimes had black and gray flecks stuck to my fingers because of that. If I cleaned the steering wheel with "plastic safe" cleaner, it still deteriorated. The roof liner broke loose at 50,000 miles. The plastic liners inside every door cracked in the hot summer (the other cars I've owned never had issues like that). The air deflector over the sunroof was also so flimsy that it broke. In order to repair it, you would have to completely take apart the sunroof and remove the plastic housing. It would cost more to fix it than the sunroof was worth! The center console also broke loose because the metal bolts ate right through the (of course!) plastic feet holding it down. The hood ornament also broke off way before I reached 50,000 miles and the (sigh, more plastic!) rear bumper assembly broke loose and wobbles noticeably if you even touch it! And the worst part: the instrument panel is NOT sealed. In the winter, if it got to 35 degrees or lower, the BACK of the panel fogged up, making it impossible to see the speedometer! Again, it's the only car that I've ever driven that had such a ridiculous issue. They should have renamed the car the Dodge Plasticker. I can't believe it cost $17,000-19,000. It was almost worthless when I sold it and two dealers refused to pay me what it was worth. Overall, I'll never buy Dodge or Chrysler again. I gave them 10 years and when I bought this car, I realized 50,000 miles later that they still hadn't improved in the quality department. My dad ignored my warnings and bought a Dodge Ram. And no, the interior quality is barely any better and I was unimpressed by it. I've seen 6-year-old GMC pickups that were better than the Ram.
Sounds like total shit. Given that Saab was a luxury-minded brand (sort of), you would expect better quality. It's truly GM's fault. Older Saabs were much better
@3:20 boi you need An alignment if your wheel is tilted like that and you’re driving straight your alignment is completely screwed your wheel should never be tilted to the right and your car going straight
it's definitely the camera angle lmfao
About check engine controle I had same. We called my car Princese Saabine bicouse wheen I put some cheep fuel the check engine popup. Ill put fuel on better stations like texaco, BP or whatever after day or two check enginve was gone and show up only wheen Ill put again cheep fuel on shitty petro stations.
But after couple of years that check engine show up even wheen uel was better and solution for me was to clean EGR. That check engine contolle never show up with out the reason.
My first Saab was 2003 year 2.2TiD right now I have second one 2008 Aero XWD V6 what I recommended to you. Really perfect car with out bad things what had older version.
New daschboard looks great and Is more functional than before. Must have XWD Saab. One of the best four wheels drive system in last years. Ill read it on internet and Ill tested by my self and thats true - its almost impossible to accidently drift in this car even on bad winter weather. If u pull wheel hardly on one of the sides so yeah u could crash but if u drive normally saab xwd is like a train.
Bad things.... The latest saabs 93 have same shitty automatic gearbox. But on V6 engine 5s to 100 recompensate that xD
Sorry for bad eng.
Aero XWD's are true sleepers! Nice ride
Buying it I planned to get one of Turbo X versions but over here in germany was not many of them just 3 and for much more money. But for next year maybe I will get one of them. Engine same all same just a litle looks different and have some more features on computer.
The manual transmission is fucking fantastic in this car.
I know, I wish the one I bought had a manual
I have to agree, the transmission is absolutely awful, very slow to react and guzzles gas like no tomorrow, for example the 2.0T convertible, Auto averaged around 25MPG (light driving, rare thrash) but the manual averaged 35 MPG!! a 10MPG loss due to the transmission!! both were the 5 speed, but apparently the 6 speed manual is excellent, 6th gear 95MPH at 3000RPM.
Wow. I certainly wouldn't call it a gas guzzler, as 25 mpg is still solid
Lubricate the profiler SID knob and it will work like new again.
C Collins okay I'll try that, thanks!
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will you ever own a manual saab?
I hope to. My dad owns a manual 1996 900s which is a blast to drive. 310,000 miles and still running strong.
You should put some vax in your hair. Im almost 6,5 and never had a issue with vertical space in any of my saabs.
I se you got a sunroof in the car. Probably that is the reason the roof height is lower than it should be. Sunroofs are one of the most worthless inventions ever.
It is a bit silly to complain about the headspace in the backseat since this as many other cars would lose it's stylish look if it was made comfortable for tall persons. You should look for any family saloon or a Saab 9000. The 9000 manages to be both stylish and have as much headspace in the back as in the front.
Sunroof is probably part of the reason why the head room is limited
I had the same issue with headroom when i bought my 9-3, The seat was in the lowest position and i had literally no headroom at all like you, with a cap my head was touching the ceiling
Then i tried one of the preset options from the previous owner and it took me way further down than i was ever able to get manually and now i have tons of headroom, not sure if there's some hidden switch 😂 i'm also 6ft
bro the arc convertible has so much room i got the 06 5speed autiim 6 ft 2
Huh, interesting that the convertible has more head room
Here is how you can fix the SID knob problem.
Same thing happened to mine, glad it was a easy fix
ua-cam.com/video/JqhxIpo2rsA/v-deo.html
Thanks!
Can gm era saabs fit gm parts
Depends
Much of these complaints comes from someone being a cheapass, either the first owner who speced it or GM that made saab make many stupid things for the sake of saving money.
The knob for the SID should be 1:1 for the info, it is obviously worn out or needs a cleaning of the contacts inside it.
The rubberised "paint" or whatever it is that buttons, interior details etc are covered with is pure crap. Everyone who has seen a used NG9-3 knows it. But the saabs are not the only ones with this problem, several makes owned by GM has this so i figure it was one of the choices made for saab by GM.
The exhaust is something the first owner cheaped out on, saab had several options for sportier exhausts even on the lower tier engine options.
Saabs are nice cars, i love them even though some models have their issues :)
Yes, most problems wouldn't exist in true Saabs. GM ruined so much
you should get a manual saab the transmission is fabulous
Yeah, I wish I did. With the deal I got on this one, I couldn't pass it up
Saab has never been good with automatic, get a manual transmission. They are better, though not great still d urability issues.
Wish I had a manual
GM is the company who destroy saab heritage. GM engineers implemented cheap Chevy parts and the design was thinking to fail in 10 years, Even if you do not use the car...
I totally agree
SAAB SAAB SAAb SAB ROSIEloves to say SAAB SAAB SAAB!
put a mic next to your mouth
Check a more recent video
Auto Autopsy will do.
SAAB is a car.
That it is, King