2018. Start of a new Saab year.

The year 2018 was still very fresh, but it didn't get off to a good start. The check engine light on a good friend's 9-5 answered. Again and actually a constant since he owned the Saab. It started with a broken cable that was tracked down with a lot of detective work in Frankfurt.

Saab calendar 2018
High quality pictures, high quality print.

Then, after weeks of rest, the lamp and a defective ignition cassette again. And what's up now? Well, the Saab is now 16 years old, but it's still an understated car with a high level of fun. Especially since he received a deer performance cure a few months ago, he has become a kind of wolf in sheep's clothing.

It's January 2nd, 2018, and because I'm still on vacation from work and blog, I'm going to Frankfurt with you. There is probably also some sense of responsibility involved. Because without me, my friend would probably not have been infected with the Saab virus. He might drive new cars instead of dealing with old Swedish sheet metal.

Frankfurt is not really awake this morning. The access roads are free, the year is only just beginning. Seat Germany is now at home in the former Saab showroom on Carl-Benz-Strasse. The Swedes have withdrawn to the rear of the site. At Seat, nobody is out and about to buy new cars, at Saab Service Frankfurt the workshop and yard are full.

The Saab emergency road. Service at a high level.

Because of a quiet start to the year. Welcome to the Frankfurt Saab emergency road! A Turbo X with reduced power, a 9-3 with a broken ignition lock, then our 9-5 with the check-engine message and a few more vehicles populate the emergency room. And that in the year 7 after the demise of the brand. Exciting is the level of performance. Our 9-5 limousine is diagnosed with a defective cat. That is, of course, in stock. After an hour and with a fair price, the Saab rolls back from the yard. Likewise the Turbo X. The wastegate is replaced, 300 Turbo PS can be used again.

That is service at a high level. For a brand that actually doesn't exist anymore. Their cars are not serviced in palaces made of glass, marble and steel. But from people who offer a service with heart and mind that is appropriate for a traditional Swedish brand. There is also something for the Saab soul in Frankfurt.

What heart? The Saab calendar 2018.

I discover the best Saab calendar in a long time. High quality printed, with great pictures of customer vehicles and cars from the collection Ratzmann. Saab pure, from the classic to the last models from Trollhättan. The pictures were shot in the Taunus, in the classic city and in the surrounding area. A spontaneous project, I am told. I mean understatement, because here too the level is high. The Frankfurt Saab calendar makes you want to buy the brand, it is available in limited edition for incredibly fair 25,00 € (Tel: 069-941 952 0). Some copies are still available.

With so much passion for the brand, combined with professionalism, you do not need to be afraid of the future.

And otherwise? During the off days there were some Saab handicrafts. The 9-3 Aero with the Viggen Body Kit finally got its cup holder, on Anna project Some improvements have been made. And then came a small package from the US with Saab parts. The content will interest mainly 9-3 II drivers. Details and reports follow.

In addition, our reports Fundraiser a gratifyingly high turnout. Our small basic budget for 2018 is secured, the campaign will run until January 15.01th. A report that also reveals a lot about the future of the blog project follows. We will also order the new edition of the Saab license plate holder in January. Since we are planning minor modifications to the design, there will be a third variant. Our readers can determine them, so January and everything about Saab will be interesting.

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GP362
GP362
6 years earlier

I remember an article (I think that was even from Per Gillbrand), where the enormous development effort to achieve the exhaust levels of the vacuum cleaner was described. It was much easier with the software-controlled turbo.
The measurements with London air or the exhaust gases of a Saab two-stroke engine led by an 9000 Turbo, confirmed the performance of the Trionic of that time impressively.
That was also way ahead of its time ...

Daniel
Daniel
6 years earlier

The 2.4 vacuum cleaner that never existed in series supports the thesis. That would have been an expensive new development. Turning an 2.3i into an LPT does not cost much. Because the hardware fits. An acquaintance bought two xnumxi engine blocks for little money from Saab two years ago at the motor sales campaign in Switzerland and built at least one turbo. The block is identical. I had to change my cylinder head and piston or camshaft (from the turbo).

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
6 years earlier
Reply to  Daniel

All right.

To contradict the thesis that it is cheaper to generate different motors from the same block by means of software and / or smaller hardware adaptations was completely far from me from the start ...

But on the contrary!

Especially the fact that SAAB was able to get up to 310 hp from its 4-cylinder and still from the beginning and until the end again and again V6 engines from GM with 3.0 or 2.8 liters (which are only 200 ridiculous ex works, 280 a bit better and most recently generated max. 300 hp) at GM and had to offer them in various bodies as so-called top engines (9000, 9-3, 9-5 I and NG, 9-4X), I find it very suspicious ...

Where is the cost savings, if only with the gasoline 4 engine designs find use of which SAAB 2 (forced) had to buy? The diesel are still added.

Here GM may have dictated a model policy that was due to a politically desired flow of funds into the US?
So a bad mother can count a subsidiary brand in bankruptcy. It worked too ...

Only then did I want to go out.

Uli Beitel
Uli Beitel
6 years earlier

Unfortunately, I am only now to make a contribution to this topic, because in the last few days my PC caused problems.

I can only confirm the previous comments about Gerard Ratzmann and his employees. In my 37 years of Saab experience, I have rarely seen such a competent and customer-oriented workshop as on Carl-Benz-Straße.
In addition, a visit is always an experience due to the many interesting Saab models.
The calendar mentioned by Tom alone is worth a visit.

gruß
Uli

saab_owl
saab_owl
6 years earlier

I'm reading about a deer cure on a 9-5 MY01? Is there an official line push for the first 9-5I models again? Also for the LPT 2,3t with 170PS? On the HP of Hirsch nothing suitable has been offered for ages ...

Eric
Eric
6 years earlier
Reply to  saab_owl

Hi Saab owl

Yes, there is.
For the 2.0 t, there are even two stages for engine tuning.
Go to the nearest Saab partner, who will advise you the best way.

saab_owl
saab_owl
6 years earlier
Reply to  Tom

Didn't think that there would be opportunities again. Last asked about 2-3 years ago, because you didn't want to or couldn't stag the 2,3t (anymore) ... Thanks for the info!

saab_owl
saab_owl
6 years earlier
Reply to  Tom

update Hirsch upgrade:

I've just received the message from Hirsch that there's NO way for the 9-5I 2,3t LPT 170 PS to increase performance. That was also my knowledge. So nothing has changed here. It may be that the 2.0t looks different, but with the 2,3t (B235E) nothing is possible anymore from Hirsch.

The reason is that it is not done with a pure software update, but the hardware would have to be replaced. I guess that Hirsch replaced the control unit back then? Anyway, unfortunately good news for the B235E LPT drivers ...

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
6 years earlier
Reply to  saab_owl

I just looked, Hirsch is offering 2.0 hp from MY '01 for the 210t petrol.

And with discount. Fits so, or not? I can recommend it too!

Got the BioPower MY '08. In the absence of E85, the performance data are identical
with the 2.0t petrol.

I can only say that in hindsight it does not seem like my SAAB
at that time get an increase in performance, but rather as if he had been artificially ex works before
been throttled ...

Same hardware. Same consumption. A completely different car!

The 2.0t of the 9-5 I is probably the SAAB engine at all, that of all SAAB engines with Hirsch software
makes the biggest leap ...

Could it be that GM artificially strangled the 2.0t, so that the Nordic Turbo the 2.0er suckers
Opel (in the Omega) not too far away? ? ?

It's a bit weird that SAAB out of 2.0 liters (900 Turbo) already got more out of it
had and just in the big and heavy 9-5 a completely newly developed engine
should have slowed down again ...

Where is the progress? Where the Swedish thinking? Where the innovation?

Anyway, absolutely deer, adjust the rearview mirror well and ...

... grin, grin, grin! ! !

Eric
Eric
6 years earlier

It would not be the first and only time that performance is throttled.
Other companies have done that in the 2000 years too.
And even at Scania, the 14 liter V8 was throttled from 500 to 460 PS to close the gap between 420 PS R6 and 530 PS V8.
Everything is mostly software only and can be easily canceled with the right system.

Daniel
Daniel
6 years earlier

Whether this really is to be understood as throttling, I do not know, but it served the cost savings. The B205 was delivered as standard by 150-205PS, with the appropriate software up to 250PS possible without major hardware modifications. The maximum is changed to the Aero charger for more reserves. So you just have to develop a motor for different stages of development. My former 2.0LPT only had 225PS / 350Nm with custom software.

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
6 years earlier
Reply to  Daniel

But the 2.0t was in the 9-5 I but only in a single stage: namely as an entry and only with 150 PS.

On top of that came 2.3t and 2.3T. For a while there was also a 3.0t V6 (at that time the so-called top engine), which, in terms of power and torque, lagged behind the unthrottled / stagged entry-level engine, or at best just came close to it ...

In consumption, he surpassed but easy. Where is or was the cost savings and with whom? ? ?

To my knowledge, the V6 was a GM decision and purely political. The different versions of the real SAAB engines, depending on the SAAB model, possibly also?

The Swedes would probably have coped well with their 4 cylinders and would have shown every Opel with V6 the taillights, if they had only what they could before GM?
Or any MB or BMW with a straight six ...

Daniel
Daniel
6 years earlier

In 9-5 yes, but the engine was also known to be used in 9-3. Saab was able to cover quite a large performance spectrum with two engine variants: 150PS-260PS series and 310PS at the TrollR. That's a cost advantage if you do not have to develop different engines completely new and the power almost exclusively regulated by the software.
It's easy to assume that in 9-5 simply more used to 2.3 or was believed by Saab. In the 9k there were both displacements and the strongest models had the 2.3er.

Eric
Eric
6 years earlier

Hello.

First of all, a healthy New Year to all Saabists.

Congratulations to all 9.3 I owners and everyone else who has an 98 model for the Youngtimer status!

My 9.3 has now made it and is now considered a young age.

And as with all old cars is always
something broken. I'm still debating whether I should have the worn out steering gear replaced or just keep driving until it gets too bad. Luckily I haven't had any worries with the ignition cartridge, despite the fact that you always read about it.

In any case, the boy remains old on the street.
Now all the more!
After all, he compensates somehow for every visit to the workshop.
And what gives more water to the mills, even if the Polish temporary help interested, curious and fascinating envious look at the gem of Swedish engineering, which stands in Cosmic blue in the parking lot.

In this sense.

Matthias Z.
Matthias Z.
6 years earlier

I called Mr. Ratzmann in Frankfurt and picked up my calendar this morning. It is very successful. The blog post triggered a “wave of orders”. But a few copies are still available.

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
6 years earlier

The calendar looks really good! ! !

Franz K.
Franz K.
6 years earlier

The Frankfurters are definitely a recommendation. Always my pleasure.

kochje
6 years earlier

Great calendars. We have a birthday calendar with our Saab Club in Belgium. Also with great pictures of Saabs whose owners are with us in the club. A calendar that you can eternally etch, like the Saab itself

Andreas
Andreas
6 years earlier

All Saab drivers a happy new year.
only for the topic; a defective cat has been diagnosed on my 9-5 also more often by OBDII, wars ultimately in profound investigation but never, it is still the originals in it. So far, the lambda probes, the turbocharger and bad-fitting valves were to blame. But not the cat. So care!

Franc troll
Franc troll
6 years earlier

Seeeeer cool calendar! All Saabists also a good start into the 2018er year!