UKSaabs

Get asked this a lot so thought i would do a 'how-to'. Hopefully useful and verbose enough to make sense.

The ECU is located on the passenger side under the plastic scuttle panel (below the windscreen).

Step 1. Get a Saab 9-5.

Step 2. Open bonnet.

Step 3. Pull up the middle few inches of the rubber seal strip. Don't pull the end of the strip off (on the wing) as the plastic clips are a pig to get back in and they may break.

Step 4. Undo the plastic screw next to the bonnet hinge and pull the retaining plug out of the hole.
Step 5. CAREFULLY pull the plastic scuttle plate up just until you can get hold of it enough to slide it forwards away from the windscreen. Don't pull it upwards too far because the plastic clips that locate it under the edge of the windscreen break very easily (ask me how i know )

Step 6. Using a cloth to protect the paintwork you can hang the scuttle panel out of your way on the edge of the bonnet.

Step 7. You now have access to the ECU waterproofing boot. It's held down by four 10mm hex nuts. A squirt of penetrating oil may help free them if they're rusty.

Step 8. The boot will lift up to reveal the ECU itself. The large connector on top is removed by lifting the middle of the clip.


Step 9. The tricky bit. The ECU itself is held in by two 10mm nuts, one on each side of the ECU about halfway down. You need a long socket or an extension to get at them. If you have the fingers of a concert pianist then you should be able to keep hold of them when they come off. For the rest of us a blob of blue-tak or reversed sticky tape inside the socket ensures they don't drop down into the passenger footwell (if you're lucky) or on top of the glove box and wiring loom (if you're not).

If you need the immobiliser code, it's on a long thin sticker on the ECU connector, not on the big stickers on the front of the ECU (even though there is a code that looks like it)

Replacement is the reversal of removal.

Hope that helps. Please feel free to comment or let me know if i've missed anything.

Karl.

Hi,
Is the ECU in the same place in a 9-3 2001?

No, it's down by the driver's right foot behind the carpet. The mounting screws are in a different place too, they're not halfway down the side of the ECU, it's in line with the side of the casing, and there's just the one, the back one is a spring clip.

Careful when you remove the ECU connector, i've heard of people snapping the top off the connector on the ECU.
Moving the wiring loom behind the ECU on a 9-3 makes getting it in and out much easier.

Behind the drivers right foot?! Is that not a bit of a silly place to put it, could get damaged quite easily there surely.....

Not behind, next to. To the right of the footwell, just in front of the door hinge. If your foot slipped sideways off the throttle pedal, your toe would kick it.

I found it earlier when I removed the trim to fit my boost gauge. Quite well hidden...

Got it out thanks,

did loosen off the wipers, but no need to as this was advice on other forum....

next step...

spare ecu, and solder bdm connector to spare ecu....

I've just bought a 9-5 ecu to have my stage 1 remap put onto. Will it still fit into the same place as my standard ecu on my T5 9-3 or will I have to modify it a little.

Thanks.

Mark

markyboy1975 wrote:I've just bought a 9-5 ecu to have my stage 1 remap put onto. Will it still fit into the same place as my standard ecu on my T5 9-3 or will I have to modify it a little.

Thanks.

Mark

Aren't T7 and T5 ECUs different? I thought, you could not use T7 ECU on T5 car and vice versa...

f4lc0n wrote:

markyboy1975 wrote:I've just bought a 9-5 ecu to have my stage 1 remap put onto. Will it still fit into the same place as my standard ecu on my T5 9-3 or will I have to modify it a little.

Thanks.

Mark

Aren't T7 and T5 ECUs different? I thought, you could not use T7 ECU on T5 car and vice versa...

sorry its not a T7 ecu. It came out of a 97 9-5 aero, so it would be a T5 m8.

9-5 with T5?? I could be wrong though..., won't be anything new

f4lc0n wrote:9-5 with T5?? I could be wrong though..., won't be anything new

I was told it came out of a 97 or 98 9-5 aero. Don't think Mr P would bull ''Censored'' me lol. Has to be a T5 if it was before 2000 don't it?

SAAB Models Utilizing Trionic Engine Management System:

2nd Generation 900 ("NG900") 1994-1998 - T5
9000 1994-1998 - T5
1st Generation 9-3 1999 - T5 (Except Viggen, which is T7)
1st Generation 9-3 2000 to 2002 - T7
2nd Generation 9-3 2003 to Current 4cyl - T8
1st Generation 9-5 1999-2009 4Cyl - T7
2nd Generation 9-5 2010-Current 4cyl - T8

That's right. All Classic 9-5's are T7.

f4lc0n wrote:SAAB Models Utilizing Trionic Engine Management System:

2nd Generation 900 ("NG900") 1994-1998 - T5
9000 1994-1998 - T5
1st Generation 9-3 1999 - T5 (Except Viggen, which is T7)
1st Generation 9-3 2000 to 2002 - T7
2nd Generation 9-3 2003 to Current 4cyl - T8
1st Generation 9-5 1999-2009 4Cyl - T7
2nd Generation 9-5 2010-Current 4cyl - T8

Only going by what I've been told guys. Could you contact Mr P and ask him again as he swears its a T5. Wants not to have ripped me off lol

My mistake. It was a 9000 aero not a 9-5 lol.

If that is '97 9000 it will be exactly the same as 9-3 no mods required to get it fitted. Good luck with taking out though.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

f4lc0n wrote:If that is '97 9000 it will be exactly the same as 9-3 no mods required to get it fitted. Good luck with taking out though.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

Thanks m8. I've already had a look at my ecu and it looks a bitch to get out. Thankfully I'm only going for the 1 remap, not sure on a stage 1 or 2 at the mo. Plus I'm gettin the T7 apc conversion done at the same time. So all is good now.

Thanks.

Mark.

What bhp would the 9000 aero ecu be kicking out and could I just plug it straight in?