Replacing the stereo on a 15 year old 9-5

[QBee]

I have bought a replacement standard stereo off Fleabay, but of course the code is missing.

How do i go about coding the unit to the car?
Do I need a Saab expert, or is there something I can do myself?

[Spanglepants]

No code but will probably my need "marrying" to the car with tech 2

[QBee]

That's good.....but if for example you disconnect the battery in a 9-5, don't you need to enter a code when you reconnect it?

[addsvrs]

I had my battery off yesterday and didnt need a code for the radio once i put it back on

[NickM450]

Can't seem to go anywhere on PH without bumping in to a fellow TVR owner

[QBee]

And now a fellow Saab owner (again) too.

Thanks for the answers guys......errr, I didn't buy that car in the end! But I did win a replacement stereo head unit on Ebay for the princely sum of 99p.

Instead I have bought a lovely, clean, unmarked 1999 2.3T SE 9-5, with a book full of 15 Saab dealer/specialist service stamps, and an average of 7,000 miles covered per year. Leather, automatic and with the essential bum heaters.....essential in my wife's book, as it is going to be her car.

Now to the question - the owner pointed out that the top LED strip is failing, so the clock etc is becoming unreadable. I guess I will find one on the Bay of the Flea (though maybe not for 99p this time ) but how do I fit it? Is it a stereo out job, or just lever the old top section out and plug/shove the new one in?



Oh right, well here it is then:

[NickM450]

Not an owner, yet

I'm a picky sod as well as nervous and the decent Aero's sell fast.

Yours looks a good one though, can't wait to get mine.

[QBee]

NickM450 said:

Not an owner, yet

I'm a picky sod as well as nervous and the decent Aero's sell fast.

Yours looks a good one though, can't wait to get mine.

Here's the strange thing. Back in the day I had a 2.3 T SE followed by a 2.3 T Aero.
170 bhp vs 250.
No brainer I hear you say.

IMHO not so.
My lower powered 170 bhp 2.3 had £1000 of sports suspension fitted by the previous owner - stiffer springs and dampers that made it corner as flat as a pancake and handle better than a TVR.
When the engine showed its age (170,000 miles), I hunted down a low mileage Aero.....and was soooo disappointed. You see, its the same engine, just the turbo is different, and except at absolute full chat, they drive the same. And you never really get to full chat on the public road. But the sports suspension made the lower powered car the better drive on winding fen roads.

The only claim to fame of the Aero was that I came round a kink on a single track country lane at warp factor 9 to find a Disco coming the other way, hit the brakes with maximum force and managed to avoid the accident. God those cars do handle. I got to the end of the lane a mile later and got out of the car to inspect a funny smell......to find smoke pouring off all four brakes.

[sploosh]

QBee said:

Now to the question - the owner pointed out that the top LED strip is failing, so the clock etc is becoming unreadable. I guess I will find one on the Bay of the Flea (though maybe not for 99p this time ) but how do I fit it? Is it a stereo out job, or just lever the old top section out and plug/shove the new one in?

http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34893