I replaced my battery now RADIO CODE has appeared.

[nordwulf]

Never ever leave the ignition in the On position without the engine running. Other things besides the battery will die as well.

[Finding41]

I'm going to have to wait until the weekend to go for a hour long drive.
It works out well as we plan to hunt and capture a Xmass tree form the country.
I find it's best to keep the car running during this type of operation to make a quick get away.
Such operations in the city tend to draw too much unwanted attention.

[Mike Brennan]

No so in these cars. You can leave the key on.

[nordwulf]

I thought it is common with any car engine not to leave the ignition in the ON position when the engine is not running. Even the Saab 9-5 owners manual specifically warns against it.

LOCK position
Engage reverse and turn the key to LOCK. Automatic transmission: select ”P”. The gear lever is locked. This is the only position in which the key can be removed. The parking lights, hazard warning lights and interior lighting all work.

OFF position
Gear lever no longer locked. Certain electrical circuits operational

ON position
All electrical circuits working. Do not leave the key in the ON position when the engine is not running.
Turn the key to OFF to switch off the electrical circuits. In the ON position certain warning and indicator lights come on as a check, and they normally are extinguished after about 3 seconds.

ST (starter) position
The starter operates when the key is turned to this position. When released, the key will spring back to the ON position. If the engine fails to start, the key must first be turned back to the position between OFF and LOCK before the starter can be operated again. When the starter motor is running, several electrical circuits are disconnected to facilitate starting.

[Mike Brennan]

That was a concern with cars that had points. Leaving the ignition on would burn them. But if you think about it there are a lot of reasons to leave the ignition on for either maintenance or listening to the radio etc.

[Finding41]

Well I went for a drive yesterday with my family. We were on a quest for a Christmas tree.
We did drive for 1hour 20min. No Luck with the radio... (I noticed abut 50 min in that I had not turned it on. I imagine that makes a difference....) Sigh.
We did have a nice lunch out and found a tree. Both as suburban as you can get. Lunch was at a East Side Marios the tree came form Home Depot and they were both in a new shopping Mecca development on the out skirts of the city. Sigh.
I have to include a picture of Squeaky decorating the tree. She decided to put on an elf hat and shoes to do it. It was very cute!
I plan a few more out of town trips in the next couple weeks so I'll try and remember to turn the radio on before I get going.

[walawala]

Never ever leave the ignition in the On position without the engine running. Other things besides the battery will die as well.

I left my key in the ignition on the On position while changing the shifter jalousie....had some trouble as it was my first time so it maybe took about an hour or so. Then the battery died! jump started the car and it was fine after that

[walawala]

I thought it is common with any car engine not to leave the ignition in the ON position when the engine is not running. Even the Saab 9-5 owners manual specifically warns against it.



LOCK position
Engage reverse and turn the key to LOCK. Automatic transmission: select ”P”. The gear lever is locked. This is the only position in which the key can be removed. The parking lights, hazard warning lights and interior lighting all work.

OFF position
Gear lever no longer locked. Certain electrical circuits operational

ON position
All electrical circuits working. Do not leave the key in the ON position when the engine is not running.
Turn the key to OFF to switch off the electrical circuits. In the ON position certain warning and indicator lights come on as a check, and they normally are extinguished after about 3 seconds.

ST (starter) position

The starter operates when the key is turned to this position. When released, the key will spring back to the ON position. If the engine fails to start, the key must first be turned back to the position between OFF and LOCK before the starter can be operated again. When the starter motor is running, several electrical circuits are disconnected to facilitate starting.

Thanks..should have seen this earlier and I wouldn't have been left with a dead battery.

[Finding41]

It's supposed to get up to 10C here by Friday so I'll get a chance to yank the radio out. I want to see if it makes a difference if the key is on while I do it or not.
I don't think it will but... I've been wrong other times. I may try removing and replacing the Neg on the battery a few times too. See if I can reverse replicate the battery failure into a battery working senario.
Yes I'm grasping at straws. I just don't want to take it to the dealer. There is something about the blank stair the service manager gives me that says It's going to cost me BIG bucks. I'm just not comfortable leaving it in his hands. (I can't find a indy with a tech2 either... I'd be there in a flash.)

[rpiereck]

When I bought my NG900 it needed the radio code just like yours. I was in Alaska and had no Saab dealer nearby, the local GM dealer was charging me $150 for the code. I started calling around to different Saab dealers (when they were still around), telling them of my plight, that I had a Saab in need of the code and wasn't looking forward to paying $150 for it. Most dealers wanted me to drive the car to them to get the code and wouldn't do it over the phone.

I hit gold when I called the Saab dealer in Seattle, Washington. The service manager asked me for my VIN and the radio serial number over the phone, then gave me the code. I then printed it with a label maker and stuck it on the radio for posrerity.

Many former Saab dealers are still doing business with other brands and still have access to Saab information, including radio codes. Try calling them and pleading a case to get the code over the phone.

For a list of former Saab dealers check out this page on SW: http://saabworld.net/f85/list-saab-dealers-26388/