Hard drives for Saab drivers!
Back from the short summer vacation! A mix of technology and sentimentality. It's about broken dreams, in Sweden and elsewhere in the world. And there is a reason why Saab 9-5 NG drivers should concern themselves with the tech issue. And have to invest in hard drives.
Hard drives for Saab drivers!
The Saab 9-5 NG's Denso Entertainment System uses small 40 GB hard drives from Hitachi. On it is, among other things, the navigation software. Hard disks, so much must know the absolute layman, have no eternal life. At some point they become the subject, go defective, and the beautiful entertainment system becomes useless. Clever, who puts aside a hard disk. Just in case. At Henrik Bloom there are Hitachi hard drives for the Saab-Denso system for a small price. On it is, as a delicacy, the 2013er navigation software.
Around € 100,00 are cheap because they are special plates for the automotive sector. Conventional hard drives, from the computer dealer around the corner or from the network, do not work in the Denso. Henrik Bloom also offers a repair service for the lightbar of the 9-5 NG and improvements that reduce the failure rate.
Bursting Dreams (Story 1)
It was clear that BMW was looking for a new plant within Europe. The German plants are working to the limit, the Empire is sailing towards an uncertain future. Donald Trump damages the US sites with his trade war with the Chinese. Suddenly, good old core Europe is a safe haven again and the first choice.
My hope, over the last few months, was Trollhattan. Granted, it was a very small, very personal hope. The Chinese release the old Saab factory, BMW takes over. Build finally cars at Göta Älv. And maybe Saabs too.
Trollhättan has tangible benefits. A green production with hydropower, trained local staff, good infrastructure. And not far to the seaports. BMW builds in Europe, but not in Sweden. Hungary instead of Göta Älv, a small work for 150.000 units. Very flexible, as it was the old Saab factory, suitable for electric cars, hybrids and burners. A dream is over. And that could be the last chance for the old Saab factory off the table.
Because it does not look good there.
Bursting Dreams (Story 2)
There was that billion deal from NEVS partner GSR Capital with the Nissan battery production. Nissan stopped the business because after 12 months the purchase price was not paid. GSR Capital, which plans to build 3 plant in China for NEVS, has seemingly empty accounts and was unable to raise the allegedly agreed 1 billion dollars.
In the meantime, Nissan has chosen the Chinese Envision Group as a buyer for the AESC battery division. GSR Capital is out. What will become of NEVS plant number 3, one can wait with excitement.
For the Chinese in the stablebacka this seems to have immediate consequences. Chao Ma of Panda New Energy builds its influence and moved to the 30. July in the board in the Stallbacka. Panda had ordered 2015 150.000 electric cars in Sweden in the year, but so far received no goods. According to Servigesradio Chao Ma assists with financing questions. NEVS is still facing liquidity problems and struggling to service its liabilities.
How to replace the new hard disk against the old one. mine is 2011 TID
The hard drive itself is plug and play. If in doubt, I would remove and install the Denso device in a campaign with the Saab workshop of my trust.
Thanks Tom. LG from Styria.
Consolation, I'm in the north of CH (in the south of D at the southern foot of the Black Forest) still there with my Saab, there we are already two in order to maintain the Saab density in the longer term .. I have in Although my 95OG 2009 Navi, but I never need it because I prefer maps. Apparently we have that in common.
My 95 NG was one of the very last, could not choose anything, took him as he stood at the Buser in Augst.
Old school, driving on maps, but in cities is such a tomtom already very convenient 😉
I'm from Basel, I travel a lot with my partner in the southern Black Forest, but mostly with the Lime colored convertible or the Viggen. The 95NG waits obediently in the garage for the big trips to Kiel or Trollhättan!
Hello Tom, well recovered? Nice to hear you again, resp. to read!
Does the purchase of the hard drive bring something, if in my 95NG no Navi is installed? The radio and the CD player run independently of this hard disk or?
I try very hard to maintain the Saab density in the south of D (in the north of CH), but unfortunately I can only travel with one of my Saab at a time 😉
The green base radio has no hard drive, you do not have the worry.
Hi Tom,
I would be grateful for some more information about Panda New Energy. Could it be that this group itself has ambitions to take over the whole store?
Unfortunately, there is nothing that I could serve with. The actors are Chinese companies, transparency according to our understanding does not exist. Much is possible, clear strategies I do not see for years.
What a service ...
What a brilliant end to SSL ...
Since one wishes once more, one would have a NG in the yard. He is not only extremely beautiful, but is also supported in his receipt of the blog and competent with detailed insider information. It is not better. Chapeau!
May this blog of the SAAB community be eternal!
Despite and especially because of the sad but informative stories about broken dreams ...
The fact that they still exist at all means, conversely, and after all, that SAAB drivers still have dreams. Actually amazing. But nice!
Interesting report, interesting “stories”.
Hmmm ... and I'll have inspection and Tüv with my “ship” soon anyway.
Whether you should do that right away (or whether the problem will also arise with “Mexican Swedes” in the future)?
Is the same system as in the 9-5 NG. The 9-4x (?) Will probably have a Denso with hard drive.
May I ask how that stands with any hard disk replacement on a 9-5 2.3T 03.2009? They speak only of 9-5 NG years 2010 / 2011. Please answer. Thank you Gruss Ulrich
The “old” 9-5 does not have a Denso system with hard drive.
There was something in an earlier article. BMW wanted to take over Saab, but this was not possible because the people who had to decide that at that time the Germans saw as an archenemy, and it was impossible for the decision makers at that time to sell to BMW. Can someone tell me why these people came up with such thoughts? Is there a party in Sweden close to the ideas of AFD? Logically that is no longer interesting for BMW production in Sweden if you have been greeted there once so nice
Sad but true …
On the other hand, one is always smarter afterwards. BMW could have had a chance and could have been a much better alternative to China (or its final end). Personally, I would have been satisfied if the SAAB brand had survived under BMW ...
But we do not know in detail about how the BMW people have appeared and what opportunities have been explored by the SAAB at the time. It is not inevitable that national sensitivities and reservations are responsible for the outcome and the sad (final) result. This assumption goes a little too far.
Anyway, at least now we all know that SAAB has probably gambled too high and set on wrong horses. Unfortunately!
It was probably about the working hours and the traditional summer break. At that time, BMW had different ideas than the union and former Saab employees. At least that's how we were told. The result can be seen now, the work is dismantled and the worst fears have come true.
It had less to do with politics, and then, if only marginally. And yes, there is an AfD compatible, right-wing party in Sweden: the Swedish Democrats.
The trade unionists and employees would have been better advised to put a good face on the bad game first? Against the background of a rescued brand and black numbers, one could still have said: “Knulla dig, BMW! We build SAABs. Except for holidays ... "
The SAABians are said to have appeared again and again to Uncle Tom in this way or something similar. So why not “cooperate” with the Bavarians in order to still build Swedish cars according to Swedish social standards outside of holidays and summer breaks?
So still doing your own thing somehow! Well, would, would, would ...
You could save yourself such mind games. But the topic also has repercussions and continues to this day. Otherwise Story 1 would not have been written either. Thoughts like that are obvious ...
The memory… was already many years ago, but wasn't BMW out of the race relatively early, I didn't really see the bidding back then, let's say VM true, carried by visions. I had the impression that the people of Munich, like so many others, wanted to get cheap auction items, as an engine supplier of the last hour they had some outstanding demands.
Because of a handful of 1,6 liter engines? That would be pretty unprofessional bean counting though. Auctions of used objects or real estate are also not exactly part of BMW's core business. I think the theory is absurd ...
You had negative experiences with GM and maybe you were simply not ready to entrust yourself to a large corporation again. There wasn't an “Independence” edition of the convertible under VM for nothing.
Especially since in the past BMW did not keep all promises when it came to acquisitions in the UK (to my knowledge), it did not completely satisfy all the skepticism and the desire for freedom of the SAABians.
But if BMW - as Tom writes - had already talked to SAAB about the topic of a summer break, they were already concerned about employment contracts as well as utilization and profitability of the plant. Maybe BMW would have been the best and only realistic opportunity for SAAB back then? Maybe?
I don't like BMWs. But I don't like GM either. Still, I like SAABs that were built under GM. Maybe it would have happened that way with SAABs under BMW? Better than nothing they would always be ...
On BMW I had already hoped 2012 where the odds were even better and it was because of personal sensitivities nothing. I also think the subject of car production in Throllhättan is through.
Exciting article that with the hard drives should already use 9-5 NG drivers. In a few years, the things are traded at the price of gold 🙂