Popping the Shed cherry - Saab 9-3 Vector
Discussion
So, after selling my Impreza earlier than expected and deciding to take my time to find the right Evo, I decided to find a shed. It needed to be 1) less than a grand 2) local 3) capable of transport my wife and 1yo daughter in comfort from Sheffield to St Ives, then a couple of weeks later to Goodwood.
After looking at a couple of cars (impreza wagon, volvo s40, freelander) all of which fell into 'good looking from afar but far from good looking' I decided to go for a private seller that was 10 mins away, 2 owner car with 88k, fsh for first 60k then home serviced from there (old fella even gave me his haynes manual)
Bad points are chip in windscreen, heater motor makes a clacking, drivers seatbelt retracts slooooooowly. Plan is to fix as much as possible and finally teach myself amateur spannering.
First Mod!
Really enjoying it so far!
After looking at a couple of cars (impreza wagon, volvo s40, freelander) all of which fell into 'good looking from afar but far from good looking' I decided to go for a private seller that was 10 mins away, 2 owner car with 88k, fsh for first 60k then home serviced from there (old fella even gave me his haynes manual)
Bad points are chip in windscreen, heater motor makes a clacking, drivers seatbelt retracts slooooooowly. Plan is to fix as much as possible and finally teach myself amateur spannering.
First Mod!
Really enjoying it so far!
MAP is £80.
.
replacing the heater motor, look on "you tube", i had my fan controller play up due to water coming in via the pollen filter...the drain hole below the filter can block up, the water then comes into the cabin via the pollen filter....but after it comes in via the filter in runs over the fan then onto the fan controller!!!.
.
replace the pollen filter (£10 on amazon) and make sure the drain hole is clear..
.
have fun
Paul
saab 9-3 aero (210) 2006
.
replacing the heater motor, look on "you tube", i had my fan controller play up due to water coming in via the pollen filter...the drain hole below the filter can block up, the water then comes into the cabin via the pollen filter....but after it comes in via the filter in runs over the fan then onto the fan controller!!!.
.
replace the pollen filter (£10 on amazon) and make sure the drain hole is clear..
.
have fun
Paul
saab 9-3 aero (210) 2006
Looks smart, prefer those wheels to Aero ones and i think the Vectors were higher spec other than power anyway. Dont worry about the 70bhp hike, @ 150 bhp the turbo is barely puffing on the 2.0. When mapped these are so much car for the money nice one op.
Ps get some dynamat inside the front doors, upgrade the speakers, then the s
te audio should be just about tolerable.
Ps get some dynamat inside the front doors, upgrade the speakers, then the s
te audio should be just about tolerable. Edited by exgtt on Monday 11th May 20:13
Edited by exgtt on Monday 11th May 20:14
Nice shed. I have a '57 Vector Estate TiD and have been considering a MAP so will check out Noobtune too.
I also have a lazy drivers seat belt. If you lift it up and pick out all the crap from the slot that should help - the slot is really tight to stop the belt from folding.
Enjoy your shedding
I also have a lazy drivers seat belt. If you lift it up and pick out all the crap from the slot that should help - the slot is really tight to stop the belt from folding.
Enjoy your shedding
exgtt said:
Looks smart, prefer those wheels to Aero ones and i think the Vectors were higher spec other than power anyway. Dont worry about the 70bhp hike, @ 150 bhp the turbo is barely puffing on the 2.0. When mapped these are so much car for the money nice one op.
Ps get some dynamat inside the front doors, upgrade the speakers, then the ste audio should be just about tolerable.
Interesting.Ps get some dynamat inside the front doors, upgrade the speakers, then the s
te audio should be just about tolerable. Edited by exgtt on Monday 11th May 20:13
Edited by exgtt on Monday 11th May 20:14
Are the engines and turbo the same, with the software being the only difference?
TheJimi said:
Interesting.
Are the engines and turbo the same, with the software being the only difference?
The turbo on the aero is different, when mapped they go to 250bhp.But alot of vectors come with more kit as standard. The 9-3 Aeros are wiered like that, youd expect the highest powered model to come with more toys. Are the engines and turbo the same, with the software being the only difference?
exgtt said:
The turbo on the aero is different, when mapped they go to 250bhp.But alot of vectors come with more kit as standard. The 9-3 Aeros are wiered like that, youd expect the highest powered model to come with more toys.
Yep my mates 9-3 vector sport came with more toys than mine 
Sat Nav (crap but ICM3 looks the part!)
Heated seats (The only Saab I've had without bum warmers but very difficult to upgrade now)
They look nice in steel grey though
(and slip under the radar) 
I had a 9-5 many moons ago, and am now set to get a 9-3, the Aero's ive looked at under £1500 (my budget) all really showed their age. I'm starting to think a Vector Sport is the way to go. Seem loads about for this budget and mapped Aero vs mapped Vector, surely 30hp cant feel that much different in the real world? Couldnt give a stuff about numbers, i just want some turbo shove.
Looks tidy. Recently did something similar, though spent a little bit more and got a 2.8t one.
If the heating clicks repeatedly when turning AC or recirc on/off, then it's the recirc motor (or one of its friends!) that's lost a few teeth from its cogs. You can usually whip them out and superglue the teeth back on for a free fix if you're patient.
Seatbelt might have a load of gunge in the runner hidden behind the interior b-pillar trim - mine did. The usual hoovering the seatbelt trick didn't work.
If the heating clicks repeatedly when turning AC or recirc on/off, then it's the recirc motor (or one of its friends!) that's lost a few teeth from its cogs. You can usually whip them out and superglue the teeth back on for a free fix if you're patient.
Seatbelt might have a load of gunge in the runner hidden behind the interior b-pillar trim - mine did. The usual hoovering the seatbelt trick didn't work.
Yeah its when the recirc turns on/off it makes the noise, so educated guess says recirc motor.
Will have to try the seat belt fix, seems fairly straight forward.
Little confused about the engine, badging says its a 1.8t so I've assumed its a 150hp Vector, however the owner was adamant it was 2.0 (even put this on the advert, but it would have to be a Vector Sport to be 2.0 wouldn't it? I'm sure all will be revealed when the log book comes back or I lift the bonnet.
MID was no use. It thought it was a 1.9 petrol.
Will have to try the seat belt fix, seems fairly straight forward.
Little confused about the engine, badging says its a 1.8t so I've assumed its a 150hp Vector, however the owner was adamant it was 2.0 (even put this on the advert, but it would have to be a Vector Sport to be 2.0 wouldn't it? I'm sure all will be revealed when the log book comes back or I lift the bonnet.
MID was no use. It thought it was a 1.9 petrol.
Mine failed the mot on the slow retracting seat belts....price up a new set!! It's eye watering!!!! I just stripped the b-pillar unbolted the top loop/guide and gave it a good clean with some emery paper and carefully trimmed a bit of the plastic with a scalpel (need to be really careful here though as there's only a couple mm space between the plastic and the belt. Also disconnected the battery first, electronics are so bloody fussy on this thing I didn't want to risk an airbag going off!
Took an hour or so but works a treat now and saved me around 600 quid!!
Took an hour or so but works a treat now and saved me around 600 quid!!
All the patrols are either 2.0 turbo or 2.8 turbo. Just SAAB being different again and badging then as a 1.8t
I think the 1.8t badged cars just need the aeros turbo (TD04) plus aero map to get the same 210bhp? But may aswel stage 1 it here and get closer to 250
Speak to Karl on UKSaabs (Saabnoob) and he'll sort you out
I think the 1.8t badged cars just need the aeros turbo (TD04) plus aero map to get the same 210bhp? But may aswel stage 1 it here and get closer to 250
Speak to Karl on UKSaabs (Saabnoob) and he'll sort you out
KarlMac said:
Yeah its when the recirc turns on/off it makes the noise, so educated guess says recirc motor.
Whip the glovebox out and the motor is behind there. It's a bit of a sod to get out all the torx screws holding it in, but with some creative tool use and some good old fashioned swearing it's possible.Someone stuck some pics up of their escapades repairing one (on a LHD car - but RHD is just a mirror image) here:
http://s874.photobucket.com/user/wrestler89/librar...
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