Saab 9-5 Aero - winter hack!

[Hallsy01]

In the past I used to have a cheap estate car to fall back on, something to take random stuff to the dump, transport long/heavy/big stuff from builders merchants, ferry the dog around without worrying about the interior and anything else an estate does better than a hot hatch or 2+2 sports car!!

Last one was an 850R - which I loved!! But then I decided I could get away with just running two cars, a Honda S2000 & 944 S. Practical, but not ideal for some of the aforementioned situations. I then added a 944 Turbo to the fleet, again, practical, but one camping trip with the dog in the back was enough - I had to get another estate! So after recently selling my 944 S, I was on the hunt for a cheap, quick estate.

With love for Swedish Turbo's and having had a couple of Volvo's in the past, this time I decided to try a Saab.

After a couple of weeks of hunting, and missing out on three cars that sold the same day as being advertised - I managed to bag this little...well, large, beauty..

2005 Saab 9-5 Aero auto estate
3 previous owners, 98k, full (mainly Saab) history, 11 months MOT......all this scandinavian lovliness for bargain basement money!!

Now, I usually like to drive my new cars to a nice location and take some nice pics, but tbh, the weather is crap and I haven't had chance, so just some boring driveway pics I'm afraid!!

IMG_2016 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

IMG_2017 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

You'll notice my first mod

So after a good look around the car and a brief, but drama free test drive, a deal was struck and I was on my way home. Once on the open road my first issue became apparent, it didn't feel quite as quick as I thought it should and it was making an odd noise just as it came on boost.......had to be a boost leak. The next morning I popped the bonnet expecting to find some perished or split boost hoses - but in fact, it was far more obvious than that!!

I had a selection of hoses that were in pretty poor shape, but had also popped off various bits!!

IMG_2000 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

As if a recirculating blow off valve isn't quiet enough, Saab decided to fit a furhter bypass valve between the diverter valve and either side of the throttle plate, so that when under part throttle/boost where the diverter valve may make a noise as it vibrates between boost and vac they can control the valve to keep it silent!

Well, those pipes above had 'fell' off. As one of them was a non oe hose, I suspect someone has been fiddling previously.

The three way valve is not needed as such, so I have bypassed it and plumbed the diverter valve into the plenum as normal. Some people use silicon hose to replace the perished vac/boost hoses, but I prefer fuel hose - just so happened I had some in the shed!

This the valve that is bypassed:

IMG_2002 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

And these are my new non-perished pipes!

IMG_2003 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

IMG_2004 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

IMG_2005 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Next on the list will be to replace all of the small vac/boost hoses I can find, but I need to get some more hose clips.

So with the hoses replaced I no longer had the weird groaning sound on boost and I know have what feels a good deal more like 250hp!! It certainly pulls like a train from 50mph+ up to and through silly speeds - lovely

[Hallsy01]

Next job as the interior.

It looked relatively clean, but it had that smell about it. The smell of a smoker, no evidence in the ashtray, but it had that musty smokey smell - with air freshner overtones. It had to be given a thorough clean.

Doesn't look too bad does it:

IMG_2006 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

But look a little closer.....

IMG_2007 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

IMG_2008 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

IMG_2009 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

IMG_2010 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Not ideal!

So I managed to find a spare 4 hours and gave the interior a good once over. Carpets hoovered & washed, dash/doorcards/leather cleaned, then a quick wipe over with some Aerospace 303. Still could probably do with cleaning the headlining, but it looks great now. The picures don't do it justice, but I was happy and it no longer smells of a musty ashtray!!

IMG_2012 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

IMG_2013 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

IMG_2014 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Could do with finding some OE mats though, always think some nice mats really finish off an interior.

The stereo could do with an upgrade as well, it's AS2 as far as I know (I have not had a proper look yet), but it's seriously lacking in the bass department. Maybe I have some duff speakers, in which case I will replace/upgrade them, but maybe a new headunit/amp could be on the horizon.

Also developed a flickering headlight which is annoying/dangerous in the dark! I suspect it is the lamp, but have not had chance to swap them, so have ordered a cheap D1S lamp to try. If that sorts it then I will buy a pair of Osrams and keep the cheapie as a spare. The headlights are quite hazy, so I will polish them at the same time.

Really itching to give the exterior a good detail as well, it's clean, but has signs of not so careful/thorough washing. It also has some interesting touch ups in the form of a gold touch up pen used on a silver car!! So that will need sorting as well. Shame the nights are well & truly drawing in now......that and the list of 'winter' jobs for the 944, lol!!

[Hallsy01]

Cheers FA - I'm very happy with it so far - needs a couple of little bits sorting, but don't they all!

I think I'll give the carpet another clean, as well as the headlining and get a new air freshener - then it will be all good in there I do like my interiors to be as mint as possible, which really pleases my other half, as you can imagine, these cleaniness levels carry on into our home

Still getting used to the car as only had it a week, but so far so good - nice and comfy, loving having heated seats back this time of year!!
Being an auto it's not the quickest off the mark, although it picks up far better in sport or manual mode - but once into third gear, it really does pull very well, to the point that it feels like the grunt is overwelming the chassis a little - but then my recent daily drive was my 951, which obviously has a great chassis to match the grunt!

It does handle quit well for it's size though, just has the modern light steering, so you don't get much feedback, more of a turn in & trust feel!
Compared to my old 850's, especially the 850R, it certainly has less character and feel. I'd say the 850 felt a little better built inside and out, and felt flatter and lower on the road - but they are getting a little longer in the tooth now, so it made sense to get something a bit newer rather than running two 'classic' cars.

Once I have checked over the important bits I may well pay Karl a visit for a remap to give the boy racers even more of a surprise!!

Even though it's a 2005 and so shouldn't have the usual PCV issues, I still plan to drop the sump for peace of mind. Will probably flush the transmission fluid as well. There is a mention of it in the service book, but doesn't say that it has actually been fully flushed out.

Hopefully the new xenon lamp will turn up today, so that will be a little job for later!

[Hallsy01]

Looket - that settles it then. Mine is AS2.

I have heard some say that the AS3 is poor as well, and that certain years (early Pioneer) AS2 sound better - but I will check the basics first. Possible I have at least one iffy speaker.

Apparently there is a speaker test, but have not worked out how to do it yet!

[Hallsy01]

thetapeworm said:

Very nice indeed, I wish mine looked half as clean as that - sadly it appears to be a magnet for bad parkers, door dingers and large objects that want to jump out at me in the dark and take out parts of the front bumper.

Always a pleasure to drive but you've got me thinking about hoses now as mine occasionally does a noise on boost that's hard to describe, not having one before I just put it down as being normal as performance seems fine.

Keep up the good work, hopefully some of it will inspire me.

Thanks It does have a few small marks here and there, but overall is pretty good - just needs a good clay & polish.

As FA says, the hoses are easy enough to change - it's a good idea to check these small pipes on any turbo car really as they are prone to perishing with age, dependant on manufacturer/quality. Likewise with an NA car, but more likely to just cause an annoyance (high idle, etc) whereas on a turbo car it can cause poor running or a lack of power.

It was a common problem with the Volvo T5's as well.

[Hallsy01]

BlimeyCharlie said:

Interesting topic and findings.
I have bought a similar Saab 95 Aero Hot estate but a manual car. This replaced a Volvo T5 manual. Found the Saab to be a nicer place to be, less harsh and more quiet. Really liked the engine of the T5 though, more torquey around town and from junctions etc, or felt it anyway. Easier to drive in that regard.

Most people don't seem to rate the handling of Saabs like this, but it grips, does what I want and stops well. Not an M3 which feels like being chained to a lunatic engine but I just really like the Saab, and really liked the Volvo.

Stereo in the Saab is the same as yours with the bass speaker in the left in the boot. Again, I find this is fine for me.

Can't seem to get used to the heating system for some reason. I find I have to look and press too many buttons to get hot air where I want, and it resets to 'off' when I start the car in the morning or later on, meaning going through the same farting about again. Hardly a big problem though.

Great cars and keep us posted with what you get up to.

I'd agree with you there, my T5 and R were both stiffer and you sat lower - which I do prefer, but for the type of driving the 9-5 was designed for, and being a little more modern I suppose it was always going to be a little softer. It will no doubt be more comfortable on long journeys. My 850R was very comfortable, but had a bit more noise in the cabin (polybushed engine mount) and stiffer ride, also the clutch was very heavy in traffic - part of the reason I was leaning towards an autobox for the 9-5.

If yours has a sub in the boot then it will be AS3, same headunit as mine but more speakers and better amplifier I believe.

As for the climate control, I leave mine in auto and adjust the heating to suit. It does seem a little slow to react and it doesn't seem to be quite hot enough on cold mornings unless turned up high, but I'm still getting to know it really.

There was a post on UKsaabs recently about changing it to start up in auto, or preferred mode, etc. Does this help?

http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic.php?f=2&amp...

[Hallsy01]

I must say, I'm really pleased with it for the price paid, and it will serve us well throughout the winter - I will likely hang on to this for a good while yet.

I have sorted my flickering drivers headlamp, I bought a cheap eBay xenon lamp to try and it has been fine since I fitted that, so I will now buy a pair of Osram Xenarcs, replace both and keep the cheapy as a spare.

This weekend she had a good test run taking us to and across London, lots of stop-start traffic getting from Bethnal to Richmond on Saturday evening, and more of the same on North Circular back from Richmind to Suffolk yesterday evening - no dramas other than I 'think' the autobox may be a bit noisy, or something drivetrain related.

I made a comment on UKsaabs that I thought the B235R sounded a bit rubbish and diesely, but most disgareed and said it was generally very quiet. I must admit, from under the bonner I had a little bit of top end noise, but generally it sounded fine - but when driving it always had a hint of diesel noise about it when accelerating, like the engine was a bit coarse.

Well whilst being stuck in traffic for hours over the weekend it seemed more noticable - pulling away slowly in a low gear, it was making a chug-chug-chug-chug noise, and with acceleration or higher gears it was more of a disel type noise. Once at crusing speed it is quiet as a mouse, no hard or slow shifting - only thing it does do is thump a bit when first put in D.

I am going to flush the transmission oil anyway, and check engine/gearbox mounts, etc. Proably nothing to worry too much about, and maybe it is normal for it to make a bit of noise, but I don't remember my old 850 T5 auto making any extra noise - and I'm sure this should be a bit quieter than it is judging by some of the comments from UKsaab members. Will check fluid level & colour, but will likely try flushing it to see if it improves at all.

That and check the torque arm from gearbox to subframe, apparently when worn this can make the car thump into D more than usual.

[Hallsy01]

Nate - thanks for your input.

I agree, I would be surprised if an oil change would make any difference to the noise, but I was going by Saab's recommendation to replace it at 90k miles.

Also, I understand that the later method Saab suggested involved draining the gearbox (so 4l out), then refilling with 4l of fresh fluid, then disconnecting the oil cooler return hose and flushing out 2l, then refill 2l, then flush out 1l, then refill with 1l - then checking dipstick level at 80'C engine temp. Which does indeed replenish most of the fluid?

But I appreciate what you are saying about dislodging deposits and causing more issues.

Valve body issues I had heard about, but again, most people seemed to complain of shifting issues associated with valve body wear, rather noise. I may well take a look anyway.

As you say, I have a few other mechanical bits to check first anyway.

Thanks for your advice.

[Hallsy01]

No worries macp.

It was a consideration I made myself, a high mileage manual needing a clutch vs an auto box that could be expensive if it did go wrong.

Mine only thumps into D when cold (maybe partly due to the increased idle rpm), once warm it doesn't thump at all, and is OK in R also. The noise I can hear, the jury is still out on whether this is engine or drivetrain related - something I need to investigate further, and more than likely, something & nothing, lol!! I do tend to listen & look for problems with new cars!!

But, with the journey I had at the weekend, I am so glad I bought the auto. In a car with an even slightly heavy clutch, it would have been tiring!!!

If I start to get any shifting issues, then I will deal with as necessary. Worst case I will have to source a used transmission or stump up for a recon one.

It's a shame that this particular asin warner box can be a little problematic, as I say, one of my old 850's had an earlier AW box and it had been to the moon and back without the slightest of autobox issues!

Fingers crossed I will be lucky!

[Hallsy01]

Indeed, the 'bolt mod' just masks a problem with the one way valves in the evap system.

In the later (2004 on I think) cars the pipework is different so less of a problem. Believe there is still one way valve clost to the TB that can be a problem though.

EDIT - yep, as below...

http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic.php?f=3&amp...

[Hallsy01]

Well the 9-5 has been plodding along nicely - nothing exciting happening at the moment, poo weather and short days mean I haven't had much time of late - but still itching to give the car a good detail & polish the lights.

I had noticed a bit of extra noise when under load since I have had the car. I initially thought it was just that the B235R sounded a bit coarse, but it seems others on here disagreed.

After a lot of stop start driving in London the other weekend I had convinced myself it was noise from the autobox, but after yet more careful listening I am not so sure.

I'm wondering if it is induction related, it is coming from right hand side of engine (as a passenger it is not that noticable) and I have a subtle knock/loose sound from that area over bumps - so wondering if the airbox is loose/broken. It does sound more of an induction growl at higher revs, and only makes the noise under load. Hopefully get chance to have a look tomorrow.

Flickering headlamp was sorted with a new lamp, so no dramas there.

Still need to sort the xenon levelling fault out, either the sensors need recalibrating after a link arm was replaced, or one of the sensors is duff. Anyone with a Tech2 close to Sudbury, Suffolk that could read the codes for me? I may well buy a Tech2 unit in time, but a bit of an outlay just to diagnose my xenon fault, lol!!

[Hallsy01]

There hasn't really been much to report over the last couple of months - Sven has been plodding along as only a practical family car can - albeit with a bit of shove if you fancy it!

My other half has been using it daily whilst she has tucked the S2000 up in the garage for the winter. I personally think my 944 deserves that spot in the garage, but you have to let the ladies have their own way every once in a while

Ever since we had the car, very occasionally it wouldn't start - taking a couple of turns of the key, or holding it in the start position for a few seconds before it would crank.

A couple of times last week it was very stubborn, taking lots of attempts to get it to go. The starter and battery had been replaced by previous owner for same issue, but from what I gather, the Neutral Safety switch is often the culprit for this problem.

So on a very cold Sunday, myself full of cold - I decided I would strip it down.

So with the battery & tray out of the way you can see the switch sitting on top of gearbox:

20150118_115311 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Once removed I drilled out the rivets and split the switch:

20150118_125741 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150118_125755 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150118_125807 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

As you can see, it seems that these have a lot of grease in them from the factory and it finds its way onto the contacts.

So I cleaned the contacts with contact cleaner, lightly greased the metal housing and spindle where it rotates, and used a smear of silicone grease on the electrical contacts. I also stretched the springs a little.

20150118_134044 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150118_135337 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

When reassembling, ideally I would have used some M3 x 16mm machine screws, but I didn't any to hand so had to use M4, and so drill the rivet holes out a touch.

With the switch refitted, I checked that the reverse lights were on at correct time, etc - but in the case of re-using the old switch it is easy to align with the witness marks on the gearbox.

And since then it has been started first time, every time..............until yesterday

My other half said she stopped of at the pet shop to get some dog food and when she tried to restart it took a few attempts.

If you look at the picture above, it does look like one pair of contacts had a bit more wear than the others (brown marks around them - possibly from arcing), so maybe a clean and re-grease wasn't enough. If I hadn't have been full of cold I would probably have spent longer cleaner the contacts up with some scotchbrite!!

So I think for now, I need to bypass the switch to definitely rule out the NSS, and if that proves it, either strip switch again and try flatting off & polishing the contacts - or just bite the bullet and buy a new one. I'm just a bit worried about bypassing the switch and my other half accidentally starting in Drive, but I doubt that would happen due to the P lock on the ignition.

I did hear quite a loud bang from the engine bay on my test drive after refitting the NSS and when I started to clear my tools away I realised I was missing a 13mm socket - yep, you guessed it, under the bonnet!! I went back to the spot where I had heard the bang and sure enough, if it was laying next to the kerb - bonus!! I hate losing tools!

[Hallsy01]

Haven't updated this for ages, but have had a few little bits to do on the old girl.

Sadly, after the cleaning of the neutral safety switch the intermittent starting problem got worse again.

So back in March I looked at the circuit diagram and set about working out what was wrong. I bypassed the neutral safety switch just to be sure, I had seen various write ups online, but most of them seemed to have different fuseboard layouts.

NSS circuit 1 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

NSS circuit 2 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

So, as you can see, the circuit is fed after the ignition switch via fuse 30, so I linked from here directly to the coil of the starter relay, from this point the circuit grounds via the immobiliser circuit. I wedged the cable at fuse 30 and soldered directly onto the relay (grey on in the pic below)...

20150204_101054 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150204_100816 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150204_100449 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

So, tried again, after a few goes it failed to start. So at least I know the neutral switch is definitely fine. Checked voltage at F30 when cranking to see if it's a case of no ground (via immob) or low voltage from battery. After a bit of probing it seems that the voltage was a little low at just under 11v. The problem was worse during the really cold months, perhaps when battery voltage was a little low it wasn't enough to pull the relay in.

I checked voltage at battery and the maxi fuse in engine bay, all OK.

So, must be high resistance across the ignition switch. This would have been a nice and easy job..........if it wasn't a Saab, lol!!

So - for anyone interested, this is how I removed the ignition switch on an Auto 9-5....

Remove the ash tray by pulling it straight out, then remove the housing by releasing the two clips at the bottom with a small screwdriver, then it should pull free from the upper clips:

20150318_103822 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Then prise up the selector surround, mine was pretty tight, but start in this corner and gently pull it straight up working around, I had to use a screwdriver in a couple of places to get it to unclip:

20150318_103646 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Remove the two torx screws here and pull the trim down and towards you, then unclip the wiring from any switches in the centre trim, also the central locking switch:

20150318_103445 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150318_102932 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Then lift the arm rest and remove the torx screw for the rear vent trim, then pull the trim straight up from behind, release any wiring connectors and remove trim. With the trim removed you can remove the two torx screw for the armrest hinge, and also remove this:

20150318_102646 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150318_102124 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Now rotate the ignition switch surround and pull it upwards, remove the electrical connector:

20150318_102430 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

At this point you should release the clips for the power window switches, pull these up and release the electrical connectors. I did this when I had the centre trim released and it is very tight to get your hand underneath to release them, much easier to pull the switch up and release before removing the centre trim. Release the clip on the end, then rotate the connector towards the other end to release:

20150318_101139 by Hallsy01, on Flickr]

20150318_101134 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Now remove the two torx screws at the front of the centre trim and pull it upwards, once high enough release the handbrake gaitor trim:

20150318_102118 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150318_101011 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150317_131603 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

At this point I removed the passenger seat to make it easier to get to the screws that hold the side panel in place and also the ventilation pipework.

20150317_130625 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Now it's time to remove the shifter housing. Put it into a position to allow you to remove the small torx screw in the front. Now separate the housing, remove the circlip for the lock mechanism and pull the rear part away to reveal the sport button switch. On some models this is soldered, on others it is spade terminals. Make a note of how the cables are routed, as if you route them incorrectly they will be pinched when you reassemble.
With the wiring and lock mech released you can now remove the other half of the shifter housing:

20150317_122210 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150317_121605 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150317_121437 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150317_121431 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Now you need to remove the white part of the shifter assembly, carefully release the clip at the front, making sure you don't lose the spring. Becareful releasing this part as it is easy to break the plastic. You may also need to release the electrical connector down the right hand side and cut some ty-raps:

20150317_120536 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150317_120341 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

At this point if you have any prolems with your shifter window you can strip it down, I had a problem with the illumination, it had cracked and was not moving with the shifter, so I stripped it down to repair:

20150317_113405 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Almost ready to remove the metal housing that holds the ignition switch, first we need to release the key barrell. Move the key to the on position, then using something like a small allen key, release the clip on the barrell via the small hole as shown here, then pull the barrell upwards:

20150317_114201 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Now unbolt the three bolts at the front of metal assembly, and then the four torx screws at the base, removing the ventialtion pipe as necessary, then turn the assembly on it's side. Now you can see the ignition switch!! Release the connector and remove the two torx screws that hold the switch in place:

20150317_110737 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150317_110725 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150317_110101 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

In fairness, it doesn't take too long, once I had worked out how it all came out, it was much quicker to put it all back.

These notes are from memory, so don't take them as gospel, but it should help as a bit of a guide

So, with the switch removed, it was time to test it.

The circuit diagram above shows the switch pattern for each key position.

My switch seemed pretty good, but did have a slight high resistance in the starting position.

I stripped the switch down and found some very minor carbon build up on one set of contacts. I cleaned these up with a fibreglass pen, and lubricated all contacts with contact lube.

Reassembled the switch, and all positions checked out

20150316_133632 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150316_135011 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150316_135025 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150316_141356 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150316_142145 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Once cleaned up, just make sure you reassemble it the same way it came apart!!

Then in typical Haynes fashion, reassembly is the reverse of diassembly - just make sure the ignition switch is orientated properly with the barrel, and make sure you take care routing the cables for the Sport button.

Hopefully this might help someone, and maybe save the cost of a new ignition switch.

Touching wood I have not had any issues since (I did this back in March).

[Hallsy01]

Then that little niggle in the back of my head kicked in, the car was due an oil service, circa 100k miles - time for a sump drop.

Now my car is a 2005 car, so has the updated PCV and 'should' be OK, but for the sake of a bit of extra time I knew I would feel better knowing it was done and OK.

Many of you have written the book on how this is done, all went smoothly, downpipe came off easilly with the aid of plus gas and gently working the nuts (ooo errr), and the sump just about dropped out once the gearbox was jacked up a bit.

With it removed it was fairly clean, and I didn't really have anything to worry about. Just some plasticy deposits under the strainer:

20150324_150557 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150324_151055 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150324_151105 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

So a through clean up of the sump, baffle and strainer followed. I used a degreaser that we were given to trial at work, it works very well imo. Once clean the degreaser was washed away and everything lightly oiled. A new seal was fitted to the pickup tube:

20150324_155300 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150324_163809 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

My sump had a bit of an odd appearance in places, almost as if the surface of the aluminium had crazed. It wasn't loose at all, god knows how or why it happens, maybe it is down to the heat cycles??

20150324_163819 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150324_163828 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150324_163843 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Anyway, a couple of trial fits of the sump and then it was time to apply the sealant and re-assemble:

20150324_173312 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

All back together, fresh oil & filter, plugs out, fuel pump fuse out - crank........crank..........crank.......crank - no oil pressure

So it was all apart again and the transfer pipe pretty much fell out. Closer inspection told me that the seals were past their best!!

20150402_102415 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

20150402_102426 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

A couple of seals were ordered for this and it was take two...

Same again - crank.....crank....crank - still no oil pressure. Bugger it, I put the plugs back in, fuel pump fuse back in, start her up - a couple of seconds of tapping and then silence (well, as quiet as you would expect!) - result

While I was under there I noticed that the torque mount is nackered, so I need to do this. I think I'm going to replace the serpentine belt and pulleys as I get quite a bit of belt noise until warm.

[Hallsy01]

I do try, lol!!

I've noticed of late that I have a bit of vibration at idle, and the engine hunts a tiny bit. Not sure if this normal for an auto idling in Drive, but it seems to be more noticable once warm, lower idle I guess.

I checked plugs and DI cassette, both look fine visually.

I know the front gearbox torque mount is nackered - so maybe that is causing the vibration?

I'm also getting the feeling of the car feeling a bit under damped - suspect the shocks are original and we'll past their best.

Debating whether to stick with Sachs or go for something better, maybe Bilstein B6 with stock springs? I do find the car a bit vague, especially compared to my other cars, but I don't want to make it harsh or crashy. Likewise I have a few bushes that need doing, considering Polybushes but again I don't want to make the car too harsh. In the short term I know I need to do the torque mount and RTA bushes - haven't checked subframe or wishbones as yet, but at 100k they must be getting tired.

That's the trouble with running three cars - there is always something to do!

[Hallsy01]

I'm still on the fence about the dampers, I want more body control, but don't really want to make the ride too harsh. Might just go with something like the B6 dampers and standard springs, then if I feel the need in the future I can fit some lower/stiffer springs.

Also, I almost forgot, back when I did the sump drop I realised that the throttle cable was very slack - well, what an improvement!

When I first got the car I always remember thinking that 'normal' mode ressembled eco mode on my old 850 T5 auto, and that 'Sport' felt more normal.

Now I have tightened the throttle cable it is now feeling much better, and Sport even better still - as long as you aren't in stop start traffic!! Sport is good when you want to press on but I do find it just a little too eager to change down sometimes, almost like the gap between normal and Sport is a little too great. Still, not really an issue!!

Nothing much else to report other than some new boots, the fronts were on the wear bars, and the rears are worn on the inside edge, but I will replace the RTA bushes before fitting new rear tyres.

I had KU39's on the front, and I have nothing against the Khumo's, other than they are quite noisy. I had heard Rainsport 2's were good, and a friend had some RS3's fitted recently and he was impressed - plus they are very reasonably priced imo.

So I opted for a pair of those, nice looking tread pattern as well I think

IMG-20150622-WA0002 by Hallsy01, on Flickr

So next job is front torque mount bushes, RTA bushes, then new rear tyres - always something to do

[Hallsy01]

Sven.....in his element!!

20150703_110322_HDR by Hallsy01, on Flickr

Enjoy the sunshine guys and gals

[Hallsy01]

Good price and great tyres imo, I had a set of those on my 850R.

The RS3's cost me £116 for the pair which I also thought was pretty good. Happy with them so far, quieter than the worn out ku39's, not too crashy, but that is at the expense of slightly soft sidewalls. I do need to put a touch more air in them though.

Not had any rain to test the the wet weather performance yet, which is a good thing with it being summer, lol!

[Hallsy01]

Glad to hear it

Wet grip is more important imo anyway, let's be honest, most half decent tyres perform more than well enough in the dry, but wet weather performance can make the difference.

I can't say I push the 9-5 that hard anyway, I think it could do with a bit of tlc in the suspension/bushing department - suspect most of it is original (102k). I have learnt though that it has more grip than I have it credit based on feel - you just have to trust it, lol. I would like to tighten it up a bit though.

[Hallsy01]

I'm a member over on Uksaabs, just don't post a great deal, but yes, lots of great info

Mine feels a little under damped so more than likely needs the shocks replacing, but also turn in/steering feel could do with improvement.

It's not that bad, but as an example my old 850 T5 and 850R felt much better in the handling department, more planted.

I don't want to create too harsh a ride though as this is basically the comfy car of the fleet - just be nice to improve it a touch. I'm going to strip down the front soon to see what needs replacing, then work my way around the bushes, etc.

Still a lot of car for the cash, and still a cool looking car, even if I do say so myself!!