UKSaabs

Back to yesterday.

This is the bracket that holds the OE horns and is very crusty. I had been given instructions to get it clean and paint it. I did as I was told. Well it was a lovely day for sitting in the sun doing very little

God it's boring. It took ages to get this far. I have since looked for stove enamellers in the area who can blast it clean and coat it for as many beer vouchers as it takes.

What I did notice was the strange bolt (in the box) attached to the radiator. Any suggestions? Ill be posting it in the workshop too later. The arrow points to where the bracket bolts to so it's not for the horn.
Boredom lead me to try the "distressed look" on the Saab bit on the grill

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Relax, I did it all.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Once all that was put back together, but no horn for now, I turned my attention to the Bodge to get the drivers window to work. It appears to be Uncool to be hanging out the door at McDonald's, ordering, paying and collecting and I need all the help I can get...
First task was to remove the door panel. Turns out to be a T20 I needed to remove the two screws/bolts in the handle not that I could see them properly. To be honest it was my first Saab door. I did have a spare door as a replacement which helped but them two...

I will defend the previous owner as he explained it was already like this when he got it. I will lambaste whoever prior to that thought the lash-up was a justifiable "repair". The repair uses a 3-position switch with Off in the middle. I presume one-way was to be Up and the other to be Down. It wasn't working because two wires "screwed" into one of the lighting blocks used had dropped out because they had come loose. There were all sorts of other wires soldered between connectors and different parts of the switch and for the sake of a couple of minutes the Fixee CNBA to use a tad more solder.

I was so disgusted I snipped the brown Earth (brown for earth??) wire and slung the whole thing into the passenger footwell, also where the previously mentioned McD wrappers end up. I got the Haynes BoL out and tried to follow the diagram. As best as I can decipher it's the switch in the middle that does the thinking and sends the current one way or t'other and the motor either goes up or down. If that's right then it was the central switch that was/is at fault. Luckily we have a spare. My cousin's breaker has paid it's way many times between our two cars.

What I am short of are some proper twin-wire connectors to make amends (and also for the horns) so I am sending off for some of them. When the circuitry is correct in the door I will swap the central switchbox for the electric windows and see what happens. By then I may have retrieved the offending switch and photographed it. If it is the switch the Fixee seems to have gone to a lot of trouble to avoid replacing that unit.

Busy weekend by my standards and productive too and that's not always the case.
Top of the ToDo list is the prep work for the wiring and find a local metal finishing place that does small items.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

This is, as far as I've worked out from the wiring diagram, the simple end of the wires for the electric window. The red & black cables in the Box have had the connector chopped off. It should be connected (follow the arrow) to that connector. But one of the cables to that connector has been chopped (see the circles)All the magic that changes the direction the Lemmings run through the cables is managed elsewhere.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Where that is is not in a rat's nest of wiring and a switch that is screwed through the door card such as this The switch is a 3-way with the centre position being Off. The arrowed black and red (just visible) wires were supposed to be screwed into the po*y block in the above post. They had worked lose from the screws and were disconnected. Which explains why the window wasn't working. Here's second pic from above. The amount of time spent getting the wiring figured out and the soldering done must have been a fair bit. But come on why? (That's the swear filter's version)The final bit of making a simple Unit swap into, well what?, an exercise in "because I can"?? Was the blue wire too short to be terminated as an earth? Did we just want the correct colour at the screwed into the door metal end??
The arrow wire is attached to the switch (bad photo, my bad), the bit in the square was slipped under a bolt in the door and did we spend all our money on solder and had none left for a nice bit of shrink-wrap...

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Buoyed by progress I decided to investigate the aerial. Several bits of trim had to be removed to gain access. The first conundrum was why was there a pair of wires in the boot. I followed them and as they were under the rubber surround for the tailgate they handily helped me remove the rubber. Not their intended purpose I suspect. They were attached to the reversing light by the now familiar "shove it under the spade connector" method. Not a very informative photo I will admit, it's supposed to be showing that the end in the boot was cut with snips or similar While moving the carpets and stuff I discovered why the reversing sensors didn't work. They have been cut too. Again, WHY?? A wild guess is that the cable from the reversing lights powered something when reverse gear was engaged. That this was the reversing sensors works for me after all you don't want them going bananas when an Artic is up your jacksy in a 50mph "roadworks" zone on the M6/5/4/3 (pick your own). But are the control boxes so valuable they are moved from vehicle to vehicle? I suppose I am about to discover for myself if I get this sorted and don't go for a reversing camera.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

At least I am making progress. I know why the reversing sensors aren't working and that wasn't even on my ToDo list. I now have access to the aerial. Surely it can't be as simple as the connector wasn't err connected? I connected A to B and went to switch on the car and radio. Clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk it went. Giddily I got out of the car to see...nothing. No aerial what so ever. I sort of suspected with the clunks and not the gliding sound of an aerial extending smoothly. At least the detector for a jammed aerial works and cuts the power after six clunks. Again I find myself wondering which cheap has simply unplugged the connectors rather than spend £25 on a new aerial, or less on a new insides. A few pints and a pizza that's all it is. I have attempted to remove the aerial and should have unbolted the CD cassette thingy first. The aerial is in a state of partial removal and I need some penetrating fluid and a pair of tough grips for my next attack. You'll not get any photos of my shabby work in progress, not from me anyway.

While I was round the back I took the reversing fog light bulbs out for an inspection. One is looking "sooty" and looks like it'll give up soon. I'll be trying LEDs in there, as I have done for most of the fleet to date. While I'm in the area I'll have a go at taking the number plate lights out and trying copaslip on the screws so that they'll come out easier than the 9-5s have so far. I may try LEDs too but experience to date has them flickering, not good but things have moved on and something out there may work.

I may also be pulling electrical connectors apart and giving them a squirt with cleaner and WD40 in the name of preventative maintenance.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Not much happened since the beginning of the week.

Up early so my day started properly.The the engineering place rang to say the horn bracket was ready to collect. I went at lunch time. It would have taken me days to clean it enough for painting so I'm declaring it worthwhile. £20 for shot blasting, undercoating and finishing. Just needs fitting now.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Seems it's been a while since an update. Not much done I'm ashamed to admit. I've fitted a pair of proper Anni seats in the front but that's about it. Still much to do but no garage and dark nights don't help.

As a result of my normal daily drive pulling a snafu I've been using it as my drive to work. Very pleasing it is to. Not sure if the tyres are good winter tyres though. Still it ups the entertainment factor on the way to work.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Goodness, that twelve months has gone fast. A year to the day since that day of fun and frivolity bringing the car home. I know so much more about the immobiliser now...

As from the previous post it was promoted to Daily Driver at the beginning of December and it's not put a foot wrong. The only minor panics I've had are when it's not started first try. Usually because the immobiliser has kicked in tired of my faffing about. Now I know that when the key is in the ignition I just blip the button and don't have to lock/unlock the car (what manual?).

To my shame I have scratched a couple of windows getting snow off. They don't look that bad and I will add them to the list for when it's warmer. On the plus side it was fine on the few days the snow and ice brought Sin Telinzs to a standstill because they didn't grit. Two miles up't road in Wigan they did...

The news on Stick the Daily isn't great as it seems the auto box is properly broke. A replacement has been sourced but it will be a few weeks before it gets done (sad family issues at the garage) so it could be on the front line for another month or so.

Not bad for a year, a starter motor and a new ignition unit. Roll on warmer weather and lighter nights.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

It's gone from this...


To this...

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

After a few months of neglect it's been moved off my artic/rainforest/desert micro climate drive to an industrial storage unit not too far away. This should negate all my excuses for not fixing stuff and putting it through the MOT. "Stuff" includes replacing the heater matrix hoses (that was an entertaining event ) and sorting the washer bottle which seems to not actually storing water any more. The aerial *will* be fitted and I will have a go at this polishing lark. I also intend to try and attend to some rust spots. The storage is being shared with Roobarb and Itchy so progress will be made, but probably spread thin across the team.

The car initially didn't start, I really must disconnect the battery when they are being rested, but after a quick boost all was well. I forget how comfortable a 9000 is as it wafted round to the unit. Got to love 'em.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Finally did some work on the 9000 today. While it was peeing down. The new Man cave is a godsend.

First job was to investigate fixing the blown heater whatsit that happened a while back. The bonnet was removed and various other bits till we realised that the bit we actually need to attack is under the dash. A bypass plan was put into operation. It means no heater for now but that shouldn't hold up the overdue MOT.

Next obvious for the MOT was the washers not working. This was finally traced to a connection (that wasn't ) that needed the undertray to be removed. After much hilarity with soaking others it was sorted and everything was replaced. Bonnet and wipers back on. WooHoo working.

"Errm what's that water coming from?"

Bugger, looks like the hose has popped off again...

Will take some fresh hoses and cable ties next time I go to the man cave and *really* fix it next time.
Slightly closer to booking an MOT.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Bugger! While doing some Mot prep I was scratching some rust under the bonnet with my fingernail while deciding if I should spray it before the Mot. Too late as a hole appeared.
Took the photo below and popped round to my Mot place and confirmed what I already knew and it's a defo fail.
Now begins the search for a place who will weld it to restoration standards and not fudge it for an Mot.

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Underskatta aldrig en gammal man med en gammal SAAB

Crumbs! That's really not good.

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

Looks like your screen surround will be manky as well.

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Hobby 750 Motorhome
2011 Toyota IQ
2016 Smart 900 turbo
2009 Lexus GS450h

I would be going over the rest of the car very carefully before spending out having that done. I strongly suspect that won't be the only bit needing doing, IME that's one of the last places for rust to show. Check rear inner arches, rear turrets , rear spring cups , fuel filler neck , remove plastic at the bottom of the screen and check the screen surround - wings will need to come off too as the rot pictured will almost certainly have progressed down the continuation of the door pillar. Sorry to be the voice of doom but better to check all this first than pay out for what you can see only to find it's the tip of the iceberg.

All these rust issues on 9000's are scaring me.
As soon as my "collectors" 9000 Aero comes home im undersealing it to within an inch of its life.

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92 9000 CSE 2.0T TD04, Street Terrorist.
97 9000 Aero 2.3T JulesTune Stage 2+
05 Astra 1.8 Elite

Had mine for six years now.
99% of the time kept in my garage. Still the front wing is going rusty.

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Hobby 750 Motorhome
2011 Toyota IQ
2016 Smart 900 turbo
2009 Lexus GS450h

Even the very best ones I've seen have hidden rust. It gets between the metal and the (very thick) underseal and is all but invisible, scary when you start peeling back the underseal.