Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Hex Files (or Et tu, Southwest?)

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Should we feel flattered or offended? That depends upon your definition of the word “luxury” as it refers to automobiles.

As I’ve mentioned several times, I travel quite a bit. As I mentioned in my last post, I visited Ohio. On the way back home via Southwest Airlines (I love Southwest), I happened to pick up their monthly magazine, Spirit. I like to do the crossword puzzles in the back — I rarely read the articles.

That’s where things got interesting.

As I was close to finishing the Hex Files, a word puzzle in this month’s edition of Spirit, I came across the following clue:

12: A luxury se(*)ardly the type of car I’d expect to come from a Scandinavian country.

The object of this particular puzzle is to find the six-letter word (hence the word “hex” in the title) that fits into the (*), both completing the sentence and fitting into the spaces on the puzzle board.

In this case, the answer to the clue is the word Danish. Thus, the completed sentence is as follows:

12: A luxury sedan is hardly the type of car I’d expect to come from a Scandinavian country.

So, the question is this: Is this a good thing or a bad thing? If luxury means the luxo-cruiser with overstuffed pillow-like leather and a vanity mirror on the visor, it a good thing for Saab. If luxury sedan means a premium, high-quality car, then it’s bad.

So, which one is it? I think since this is an American magazine it means the Lincoln/Caddilac luxury car, so I’m good with it.

Complete puzzle and solution after the break.
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EnG Weekday Snippets

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I never know whether to synchronize my comment headings with Tasmania time or to write them in US time. Generally, I’m writing from the Central time zone in the United States which is roughly two-thirds of a day behind Swade in Oz. Therefore, I often post in the morning hours of the next day. “Weekday”. I know that fits.

Not to turn this into a foodie blog, I’ve enjoyed another regional delicacy here in Dayton, Ohio: Cincinnati-style chili. No side-trip needed for this little treat — there are chili restaurants all over Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. I tend to be a Skyline Chili man, but the others are good, too. Four way with onions, please!

Onto the Saabs.

First up, AutoWeek.com has a short mention of the Saab TurboX, most notable because the author criticizes automatic sport shift for having “terrible, very slow shift response”. For any other car, I’d wholeheartedly agree. However, this the TurboX. As you may recall, in my experience with the 2008 Saab TurboX the automatic transmission performed admirably in manual shift mode. Perhaps Swade’s recent drive will settle the disagreement.

Jalopnik is having a little fun speculating on the next generation 9-3. Their reasoning is sound: the Opel Insignia will be out late this year, and the model that it replaces, the Opel Vectra, is the current 9-3′s platform mate. Speculating that the new 9-3 will follow, they’ve based this Photoshop on the Insignia.

Not bad. Speculation is just that — speculation.

Finally, Saabrobz has a great set of pics from the Kak Midnattssolsrallyt 2008 on Flickr. Here’s a sample:

Tuesday Snippets

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Trollhattan’s local newspaper, TTELA, is either in receipt of some very sensitive information, or they’re speculating their little Swedish butts off!

TTELA are saying that since Russelsheim is getting the Opel Astra to build (on Delta) in a sort-of exchange for Trollhattan getting the Saab 9-3 to build (on Delta), that means that the Trollhattan plant is probably going to have a whole heap of excess capacity. TTELA are saying that that excess capacity will go towards building a Saab 9-1 at Trollhattan.

All that is great in theory, but remember that the Saab 9-1 is yet to be given the green light from GM Europe. Unless TTELA have some great inside scoop story here, we’re still going to have to wait on that one.

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So why hasn’t the 9-1 been given the go-ahead yet?

Small cars mean lower prices and therefore, lower margins for car companies. Take a look at GM’s current financial situation and you might understand why they’re gunshy about new low-margin models for a low-selling Swedish subsidiary (I ain’t saying it’s right, it’s just how it is).

CNN Money are reporting that GM stock is at a 33-year low and it’s now on negative watchlists meaning that there’s an even chance that their ratings will be lowered in the next few months. Fortune are forecasting that sales will be down by more than 25% in June for GM.

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All this bad news is hiking up the chatter about GM closing the doors on one or more brands. That CNN Money report (linked above) cites Saab and Hummer as being on the block.

Hummer, yes. Saab, no.

I don’t believe they’d be announcing production allocations for various factories if they were selling Saab. Or new vehicle development. Some might say it beefs up the sale prospects, but I’m not so sure on that and I’m pretty sure that any prospective suitors would see through it if it’s just window dressing anyway.

GM have apparently appointed Citibank to investigate the possible futures for HUMMER.

LaNeve said Citibank would “evaluate, solicit and review any offers we may have for the brand or any other offers we might have such as a revamp of the brand, partnerships or licensing. We’re looking at all options.”

They should do the same for Cadillac in Europe. Seriously.

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In other GM News, they’ve announced a price rise for 2009 of 3.5% (on average). I’ll let you known Saab consequences are fully understood, but combine this with the reported cancellation of GM employee pricing for the Saab 9-3 in 2009 and it means they’re going to have to be working very hard to establish Saab as premium in the people’s minds.

They’ve also announced a 0% finance offer that’s going to be held between the 24th and 30th June. The Saab range is included in that sale. For those who like to buy instead of leasing, there’ll be a $500 offer on the hood instead.

Check with your dealers.

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In non-GM news, the finalists for the 2009 European Car of the Year competition have been announced. Not surprsingly, there’s no Saab amongst the 25 or so finalists.

As a matter fact, I just did a review of the top three placegetters for the award since 1964 and there’s never been a Saab place in the top three for the award. Not one, ever. Not the revolutionary 99 Turbo, nor the Saab 900 Cabriolet or the 900 T16 Aero. The 9000? Nup. Saab 9-5? Never.

I know I’d be crowing about it if Saab were nominated or actually won, but when a Nissan Micra can win the bloody thing (1993) and Saab’s never even placed in it, well it shows what the thing is really worth, doesn’t it?

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Today will be a very interesting day for former Viggen owners here in Hobart. My new car gets inspected today prior to being registered, but more importantly, my old car goes up for auction. Go Drew, Go!

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Finally, there’s a collection of truly awesome Saab photos here on Flickr.

Saabs

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Do Saab and General Motors (finally) have a convergent future?

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I know that just about everybody who visits this site on a regular basis would agree with the premise that Saab have been overlooked and underfunded in the last 10-15 years. Some of that is self-inflicted and some of it is the fault of the corporate parent.

Whatever the origin, though, it can’t be ignored that Saab were pioneers in turbocharging, getting more from less and providing exceedingly utilitarian vehicles in the process. In 2008, that last sentence describes what most car-makers are aiming for, so is it now Saab’s time?

It should be. But with a corporate parent like GM, who knows?

Steve Shannon gave a state-of-Saab presentation to various interested parties at a Saab dealership in Los Angeles last week. Motor Trend provided some coverage of that event and now seems as good a time as any to tease out what they discovered and what would be ideal for Saab, and for the GM mothership, moving forward into the future.

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Monday Snippets – incl Saab 9-3 production news

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I’ve been following this story for a little while now – who will make the next generation Saab 9-3?

A few years ago we all thought that production was lost to Opel’s plant in Russelsheim, Germany. When it was recently discovered that the 9-3 would be built on GM’s Delta architecture instead of Epsilon, there was a great deal of hope that 9-3 production could be retained in Trollhattan (as the T-hat plant is being tooled for Delta in the next few years).

Today, we’re back to Russelsheim.

Automobilewoche are citing a labor official who’s claiming it’s a done deal that the next Saab 9-3 will be made in Russelsheim (a brief story from another source, here).

Again, I’ve got to remind you that the Saab 9-1 is not yet confirmed for production. If it were, then there’s a high likelihood that it would be made in Sweden at the Trollhattan plant. If this report about the 9-3 is accurate and it’s going to be made in Germany, this means that with the confirmed model line that we have right now, there will be no Saabs manufactured in Sweden in 2012 (9-3 snd 9-5 in Germany, 9-4x in Mexico).

The vast bulk of Saab design is now done in Germany. Saab’s presence in Sweden will be down to Simon Padian’s skeleton crew at Pixbo (how long will that remain?) and a few executives who get together now and then for the Saab Brand Center. Essentially, if there’s no 9-1 in Saab’s future, then the Saab’s link to Sweden is confined to some engineering that’s shared with all of GM (and mostly debuted by others within GM) and the Saab Brand Center meetings, comprising executives from Sweden and other parts of Europe.

Saab have to maintain a design and manufacturing presence in Sweden. The Saab Brand Center is valuable in the right context, but it’s just window dressing if they want to pass it off as Saab’s claim to Scandinavianinity (yes, I just made that word up).

Thanks again, Albert, who’s been keeping a keen eye on this subject

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GM’s NA sales have fallen through the floor and are progressing south towards the earth’s crust, thanks to a combination of poor economic conditions and a poor vehicle lineup. GM are looking to squeeze out some extra sales without apearing too desparate and have launched a military discount campaign.

All GM vehicles except the Corvette are included so if you’re in the services, you can check out GM Military Discounts and see what you can get off your next Saab.

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A very appreciative supporter of Saab Central. And a nice 9000, too.

Flickr

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TS-frequenter and San Antonian, Dan S, has recently started a blog I’ll be checking in with. It’s called RacingReady and will chronicle him dipping his toes into the world of Autocross.

It’s something I’m contemplating as well, so I’ll be keeping a keen eye on it.

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I loved the video from MotorWeek that Eggs linked up to over the weekend. A great lesson indeed. We live in times when it’s the bells, whistles and general razzmatazz that get the attention rather than substance. Hence the Paris Hiltons of this world.

Saab build great cars for real-world drivers to enjoy. It’s not an effective marketing hook, but it’s that simple.

And the red 9000 in that video – superb!

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Saab 9-5: There’s life in the old dog yet – by Lance Cole

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I’m pleased to host another article by Lance Cole in this last week of service here at Trollhattan Saab.

Lance, as many of you will know, is a UK based journalist and writer, and the author of Saab 99 and 900: The Complete Story.

Today he’s writing about a model that’s very close to my heart – the Saab 9-5. It’s a model that gets a lot of flack, but has never failed to bring a smile to my face with some great performance and some of the best seats in the business.

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Life in the old dog yet…..Or fine wine and a long finish…
Lance Cole on the approaching sunset days of Saab’s still-brilliant 9-5 range.

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Some say that when Saab stopped making the classic, boat tailed, beetle browed, original model 900, Saab died with it.

Those people have the right to their opinion but neither I, nor Saab, happen to agree with them. They are wrong. And as a former 900 Classic owner – one who would take a 900 classic hatch to my desert island -just to stare at it, please don’t tell me I am not a Saabist for believing in life after that first 900.

So, Saab lived on – albeit the New Generation 900 was not totally on target first time out, it soon became the 9-3 and that was spot on as a Saab and had the spirit of Saab within it. And then there was the 9000 – again a Saab that was revised and grew into a great car of great character. Ok, so it was a Saab-Fiat hybrid type cousin of a car, but it was a superb tool.

Then came the 9-5 – and the whingers whinged once again – for it shared parts with a Vauxhall/Opel car. But history has shown that the 9-5 was a better than brilliant Saab: It remains so.

Yes, there were some early quality glitches which disappointed me, you, and some other people – glitches that really should not have been there. But all these years on, the 9-5 soldiers on beside newer equipment.

Saab 9-5The current fashion for 9-5 knocking is partly based on age rather than ability, although we should admit that some things have moved on….

The media and in consequence, some of their readers, have become conditioned into knocking the 9-5. And alongside the new Opels, the new Audis’ even the new Volvos, the Saab 9-5 is indeed an old stager. And I love it.

The clamshell bonnet, the roof turret, the swept rear end, it’s all aero style Saab stuff and it is all a unique down-the-road-graphic in design terms.

The cabin design has that rare thing – a sense of occasion, which is what we are told supercars deliver. This is premium class travel, open the door and you know you have been upgraded from the norm. Think, front of the plane, on Lufthansa, American Airlines or Qantas. This is cocoon land.

I guess I think of the current 9-5 as a 40-something year old brunette (or hazel blonde if I have to): The first proper lines are showing, things maybe beginning to slip slightly, and the handling is sometimes affected by the ravages of time – but (and it’s a huge but (butt?)), put her in lightly applied make up, remove the spectacles, choose the right colour for the silk dress attire, and you have a very classy lady.

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Turbo X Aero Academy sessions getting underway

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Just a quick note to let you know that Turbo X sessions of the Saab Aero Academy at Road Atlanta are now underway.

I believe that some of these initial sessions are to get various GM staff and dealers familiar with XWD and what it will mean for Saab in terms of performance etc. I believe our own professori, Tedjs, might be getting a seat shortly (or am I mixed up on that one?) As you can see from the image below, Saab 9000 builder extraordinaire and Saab dealership rep, Kaylan, is already there.

If I get some reports through soon I’ll be sure to post them. Enjoy yourselves, folks. That’s one heck of a training session!!

Kaylan and Steve Shannon: click.

Turbo X

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More Saab AMM/MAF’s and crank home mechanics

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As a quick follow up to my AMM post from yesterday (the car ran magnificently this morning – smoother than butter), I thought I’d share the following.

Tedjs, our GM professori, emailed me a few photos of a modern Mass Air Flow sensor. He uses these shots for his automotive class at Tri-C in Ohio. I’ll attach his comments from my original post as well, as I think they’re quite relevant for anyone looking at a faulty AMM/MAF.

In these shots, you can clearly see the filament I was talking about. The object of the game is to keep that filament at a constant set temperature using an electrical current (think light bulbs). Air rushing past it cools the filament and the change in voltage required to keep it at temperature tells the computer how much air is rushing past, and therefore how much fuel to pump in.

Whilst my old 900 sensor had an adjustment screw, it seems that modern MAF’s don’t. A possible solution for a malfunctioning MAF, in the absence of an adjustment, is to clean it. Following are some comments Ted wrote about cleaning the sensor:

We would let the sensor cool off for a bit and hit the sensing wire with a quick shot of cleaner which is a key point here – a very small amount would clean the sensor if it was contaminated. I only say this because I watched someone use half a can on a sensor and I think it damaged the sensor as brake parts cleaner is a strong solvent. Unfortunately some people live with the adage if a little is good – a lot must be better. Don’t get me wrong – it was entertaining watching him, but that was kind of his method of operation. The guy could not fix a sandwich.

Sometimes if you would clean them the problem would come back and the sensor would have to be replaced. The sensor wire generally gets about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.78 degrees Celsius) higher than ambient air temperature so I think things would get cooked on it occasionally.

CRC recently introduced a mass air flow cleaner here in the USA that is for sale at most auto parts stores. It is less caustic than brake clean and is less likely to damage the sensor housing and attack the electronics. I know some shops are selling it as a maintenance service as newer cars are so reliable they have little to do in terms of routine maintenance, but I have mixed feelings about that. That sensor is expensive and cleaning a clean one might damage the filament. Sort of a ‘if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it’ approach if you know what I mean.

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Inspired by my successful venture yesterday and a desire to learn more, I’ve just ordered a Bentley manual for the Saab 900 16V to go with my Haynes manual that’s already on it’s way from Elkparts.

The Bentley manual seems to be pretty well regarded, so I’m sure it won’t hurt to have it on the shelf as well. There’s probably areas of the car that one manual handles better than the other.

I don’t think I’m going to be replacing timing chains or anything like that, any time soon. But it’s fun to learn, especially with our young bloke hitting 17 and looking for a car to buy too (He’s scoping out Honda Preludes).

He’s got a natural aptitude for this sort of thing so I’ve got to keep up!!

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