The reasons why you must replace a failing Saab DI Cassette

That large, red thing across the top of the engine on your Saab GM900 or Saab 9-3 (model years 1994 to 1999/2000) is commonly known as a 'DI Cassette', or more properly as the Igntion Discharge Module (IDM). The red IDM is only applicable to vehicles with Trionic 5 engine management, that is to say petrol engined, turbocharged models.

Important note, if your engine has a black IDM then it is most likely a Trionic 7 car. Trionic 7 cars can not safely run red IDMs, so don't try!

Over time, the red (Trionic 5) Ignition Discharge Module (IDM) breaks down, usually gradually and sometimes suddenly.

If it gives up suddenly, you face the risk of unburnt fuel passing through the catalytic converter which means that your cat dies. Of course, you won't find this out until your Saab fails its annual emmissions test. You can be looking at some four or five times the retail price of the Trionic 5 IDM for a new catalytic converter and downpipe.

Often, the Trionic 5 IDM breaks down gradually, such that you may not notice the reduction in efficiency of your Saab. The problem does not normally manifest itself as anything noticeable for some time, but when you do notice it is in the form of a slight stutter under wide-open throttle (full acceleration). Your instinct is probably to ease off the throttle, or you just do not notice.

Owners of tuned Saabs may notice this stutter under wide-open throttle {WOT) after they have tuned their Saab, where they did not notice the problem beforehand. The problem is not with your upgrade, it is with your Trionic 5 (RED) IDM. It is failing, and it is only your upgrade that has brought this to light.

It is a pretty likely bet that your Trionic 5 IDM will fail at the least opportune moment. You won't be close to home. You won't be close to a Saab dealer. You might be stuck on a motorway. It could be a motorway in a foreign country? With the family in the car coming back from holiday or, worse still, on your way to your holiday! That is why many Saab owners choose to carry a spare IDM in the boot of their Saab.

Carrying a spare takes up little room and is very wise insurance against breakdown. Well-known motoring patrols actually carry spare Saab IDMs as the failure rate is so high. Of course, the motoring organisations add a hefty mark-up to the price so you will end up paying MORE than the Saab retail price.

To avoid this situation, especially if you travel longer distances from home or on holiday, you may wish to carry out some preventative maintenance by replacing your elderly IDM now, or keeping a brand new IDM in the boot of your car as insurance against this eventuality. (Note, your IDM (DI cassette) will fail one day).

To this end, Elkparts stocks IDMs are preferential prices, these items are brand new, unused, genuine Saab latest T5 DI cassettes which are necessary on the following Saabs (with 4-cyl petrol turbo engines):

• Saab 9000
• Saab GM900
• Saab 9-3 - 1998-2000 (NOT for Aero/Viggen)

It is important to stress that these IDMs still carry the SAAB TWO YEAR MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY on them. These are GENUINE SAAB PRODUCTS.

Buy a Saab DI cassette online, in our secure store, online and avoid the expensive problems of a failed IDM!

How To Fit & Reset a Saab Throttle Body

These instructions relate to the removal and fitting of a Saab throttle body. It is pretty much plug and play! The instructions are provided for information only and should not be attempted if your are any doubt whatsoever as to your competence in carrying out the procedure described.

If you are not confident then please seek the help of a professional vehicle technician.

Remove fuse 17 for a few minutes once limp home has been activated, this will clear the codes, then you can reset yourself!

Throttle body

Warning
Be careful if the car is warm. The coolant is hot and there is a risk of burns from the intake manifold.

To remove

1. Turn the ignition to the OFF position.
2. Remove the engine cover.
3. Undo the coolant expansion tank cap to release any pressure and then retighten it.
4. Remove the cover on the throttle body pedal arm.
5. Pinch together the 2 coolant hoses to the throttle body.
6. Undo the charge air bypass valve hose and the two preheating hoses.
7. Detach the lower vacuum hose.
8. Undo the turbocharger delivery pipe retaining screw in the cylinder head.
9. Undo the hose clip and carefully tilt up the turbocharger delivery pipe.
10. Detach the accelerator pedal wire from the throttle body pedal arm.
11. Lift off the rubber seal and unplug the limp-home solenoid connector.
12. Unplug the throttle body 10-pin connector.
13. Undo the 3 throttle body retaining screws.
14. Lift up the throttle body and detach the hose under the limp-home solenoid.

To fit

1. Position the throttle body and screw it on with the 3 retaining screws. Fit a new seal if necessary and lubricate it with a thin coat of vaseline (part no. 30 20 271).
2. Fit the hose under the limp home solenoid and fit the clip.
3. Tighten the 3 throttle body retaining screws.
4. Spray the throttle body 10-pin connector with Kontakt 61 (part no. 30 04 520) and plug it in.
5. Spray the limp-home solenoid connector with Kontakt 61 (part no. 30 04 520). Plug in the connector and fit the rubber seal.
6. Fasten the accelerator pedal wire to the throttle body pedal arm.
7. Fit the lower vacuum hose.
8. Fit the charge air bypass valve hose and the two preheating hoses.
9. Remove the clips on the two coolant hoses to the throttle body.
10. Fit the cover on the throttle body pedal arm.
11. Start the engine and make sure all the connections are tight. Top up with coolant as necessary.
12. Refit the engine cover.

Important

The limp-home solenoid will be activated when the ignition is turned on. The limp-home mechanism must therefore be reset as described in “Resetting triggered limp-home solenoid”.


Resetting triggered limp-home solenoid

1. Remove the engine cover.
2. Put the ignition in ON position.
3. Connect the diagnostic tool and contact Trionic. Clear the diagnostic trouble codes.
4. Put the ignition in the OFF position and wait 10 s. Remove the cover over the throttle body.
5. Carefully push the end of the spring towards the throttle body.
6. Rotate the black tooth disc anti-clockwise with a screwdriver. A click will be heard in its end position.
7. Rotate the pedal arm clockwise.
8. Make sure the throttle arm does not follow with the pedal arm when it is rotated.
9. Fit the cover to the throttle body.

Saab Throttle Body Limp Home Mode, Error Codes P1231 / P1251 / P1260 / P1261

The throttle bodies that Elkparts sells are genuine Saab throttle bodies covered by the standard Saab two-year warranty. On rare occasions a customer will report that a new throttle body, supplied by Elkparts (from Saab), has gone into limp-home mode and it is then assumed that the throttle body is faulty.

Customers usually advise that Tech-II diagnostics report the following fault codes:

- P1231
- P1251
- P1260
- P1261

We have spoken with Saab on this issue. They advise that the problem is not with the new throttle body but with the vehicle. (This problem appears to be particularly prevalent on earlier model year cars, but may affect others.)

The reason is that the fault codes return and put the throttle body into limp home mode is becuase there is a software update for the engine management that is available and needs to be installed on your Saab. The Saab software update will prevent the ECU reporting erroneous problems with the new throttle body.

To resolve the problem there is no need to return your throttle body to us, since it is perfectly functional. It is the software on your car that needs to be updated. You need to speak with your Saab dealer or specialist about having the software update done. This will cure the problem that you have.

If you are looking to buy a new Saab throttle body, you may do so in our secure online store.

Saab 9-X Concept

Probably the greatest Saab that never was, the Saab 9-X was designed by Saab's then design chief Michael Mauer, and announced at the Frankfurt motorshow of September 2001.

Mauer's concept was that for the first-ever, multidynamic sports car combining the qualities of a coupe, roadster, wagon and pickup and transforming them into one extremely obliging compact sports car creation.

ush a button and it's an open-top roadster or fold down any seatbacks for flat, wagon-like cargo space, even extend the rear floor area to accommodate needs otherwise fulfilled by pickups.

The Saab 9-X is powered by a 300hp all-aluminum, 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged engine. Fibre optic headlamp technology and a completely keyless ignition system are insights to the road ahead for Saab.

At the time, in September 2001, Saab Automobile's CEO Peter Augustsson said, "I regard this car as a statement of intent, It is physical proof that Saab is embarked on an exciting journey."

The car was intended to spearhead a major product offensive from the Swedish manufacturer, with at least one new product or concept to be announced every year for the next six years. This was never to happen.

Saab Runway Friction Tester

Scandinavian Airport and Road Systems AB (SARSYS) designs, manufactures and markets friction-measurement equipment for airports.

The SARSYS Friction Tester (SFT) is a SAAB 9-5 car combined with an installed system designed for measuring friction on airports runways and taxiways. The system operates via a measuring wheel, mechanically geared to one of the rear main wheels of the base car.

Friction against the runway surface, in combination with the vertical load on the measuring wheel, creates forces on the measuring wheel mechanism that are constantly measured by the electronic sensor system. Signals from the sensor system are then processed in the SFTs computer system.

Sarsys2 By processing these signals, the computer continuously calculates the friction coefficient, the friction number and the relation between the horizontal and vertical forces acting on the measuring wheel. The computer in the SFT is pre-programmed to measure and report runway friction in accordance with standards and regulations issued by ICAO, FAA, etc.

Result is then printed on paper in diagram form and figures. The data can also be transmitted to other receivers by means of radio links or GSM- phone.

Saab has always been an innovator. Safety has always taken priority for Saab where form follows function and, it could be said, Saab has been so busy working on safety that the marketing people at ovloV have successfully convinced the world that ovloVs are the safer car.

The concern is that Saab may have lost it's emphasis on innovation and priority on safety since GM took it's 100% share of Saab back in the year 2000.

Just prior to The General's complete takeover, Saab launched the Saab 9-5 in 1997 together with it's innovative Saab Active Head Restraint system, or SAHR.

SAHR is a mechanical device that is beautifully simple. In the event of a rear-end crash, the resultant force of the driver's (or front seat passenger's) body being pushed into the seat will cause the SAHR to operate with the head restraint being push forwards andslightly upwards in order to cushion the back of the head as the body recoils after the impact. It's one of those things that is easier to see in a diagram than it is to try and explain in words. This is how CarPages put's it:

Saab's pioneering SAHR has been developed to reduce relative movement between the head and lower back. The restraint is mounted at the top of a frame, inside the seat-back, which is designed to pivot at its mid point. In a rear-end impact, the occupant's lower back is forced rearwards by inertia against the bottom portion of the seat-back. A mechanical linkage in the frame then forces the upper half, carrying the head restraint, upwards and forwards to catch the occupant's head and help minimise the amount of whiplash movement. After activation, the SAHR immediately returns to its passive position, ready for further deployment.

In any case, British automotive testers Thatcham have announced that SAHR has been awarded top marks for preventing neck injuries. Announcing the results, Thatcham Crash Research Manager Matthew Avery said:

"Saab has been a benchmark for designing seats to help prevent whiplash injury. Real world data from insurance claims shows that the Saab 9-3 with active head restraints has produced a 42 per cent reduction in whiplash injuries, compared to the previous model which did not have them."

"The 'best practice' approach from Saab was a fundamental part of the International Insurance Whiplash Prevention Group's test procedure and it encourages all manufacturers to fit similar systems."

So there you have it. Saab was still innovating safety as GM took control. Shortly after the introduction of SAHR, ovloV announced it's WHIPS whiplash protection system. They probably marketed it better, too.

The trouble with griffins

[This article was originally published in the Motoring section of The Daily Telegraph on 7 November 2000. The article was written by Peter Dron and is reproduced here for the interest of Saab owners. The copyright for the article is held by The Daily Telegraph.]

I THOUGHT I [Peter Dron] had cleared up the griffin/wyvern controversy, but apparently it became the major topic of conversation at the Vauxhall stand throughout the recent Daily Telegraph-sponsored Motor Show. "What's that badge, dad?" a spotty kid would ask. "That's a wyvern," poor old dad would reply, having been misinformed by me. "No it isn't. It's a bloody griffin," his neighbour would sneer. Numerous fights broke out, spreading to the historic city centre of Birmingham, which was entirely destroyed, causing more than £5 worth of damage.

Having set this feud in motion in August, by innocently noting the curious coincidence that the only car companies in the world sporting griffin symbols - Vauxhall and Saab - are both within the General Motors empire, I was subsequently assailed by experts suggesting that this was not the case, because Vauxhall's vicious monster is not a griffin at all, but a wyvern.

Intensive research followed. Quoting Vauxhall's archivist, and thinking to calm the stormy waters with an application of soothing 20/50, I wrote on October 14 that "Vauxhall's symbol began as a griffin, and evolved into a wyvern. So there we have it. A wyvern is a GM griffin." End of story.

Well, no, not at all. Robert Newsham, of Heysham, Lancashire, disagrees. "A griffin in heraldry and indeed in mythology," he writes, "is a monster consisting of a hybrid of an eagle and a lion, the fore part being an eagle (and, in heraldry, the monster has ears) and the hind quarters those of a lion. Conventionally, this monster is represented as winged. To complicate matters, heraldically there is another form of griffin: called a 'male' griffin; this is as above, but is wingless and has spiky tufts scattered over its body surface. Whilst Vauxhall over the years has stylised its griffin, I would still maintain that it is a griffin and not a wyvern."

Mr Newsham defines the wyvern thus: "It is a completely different heraldic monster - an early form of dragon, similar to those used as standards by the Saxons. It closely resembles the Welsh dragon, but instead of hind legs it terminates in a snaky tail ending in a barb, and is winged. This tail is usually depicted as 'nowed' (knotted), and the monster is covered in scales. Wyverns are fairly common in heraldry."

Anyone examining Vauxhall's emblem must agree with this analysis, and furthermore conclude that, not only is it not a wyvern, but it is a girlie griffin: it has the eagle's head (including optional-extra ears), the lion's body, and the tail is not at all snake-like; also, it has wings, but no obvious scales or spiky tufts (or other dangly bits).

Newsham concludes: "I suggest that the error on the part of the Vauxhall archivist was due to the fact that in the 1950s Vauxhall used the name 'Wyvern' for one of its basic models, the deluxe version being known as the 'Velox'." The latter, of course, was one of those ingenious birds renowned for flying very rapidly backwards, in ever decreasing circles. Now, does that clear everything up, or is anyone for jousting?