Headlight Issues..

[zacharytsmith]

I have an '03 with the Vector trim package, and for my car (maybe all Saabs in the U.S. market?), the bi-xenon headlights were programmed to also act as daytime running lights. Since my car was 10 years old at the time, I didn't want to have my lights on 24/7, hopefully making them last longer. So I went to a shop that was owned by a man who worked for a Saab dealership's service department and had him use an OBD Tech 2 to go in the car's settings and make it so that the headlights could be turned on and off manually. A couple days later, I was driving at night and my lights started flickering- and this continued every time I turned my lights on. I also noticed that the high beams on the xenons weren't working anymore, and that the halogen bulbs (which were only set up to flash when passing in U.S. & Canada) were now staying on when I wanted to turn my brights on. Once in a rare while the xenons will work, and I've noticed that they stay on when I have my high beams on as well. When I went back to get the setting switched back to factory default, an error message kept popping up saying that it was an invalid option.

Now, my xenons don't work at all while the car is running (they'll flash upon being switched on and immediately go out), and I'm left with having to use my high beams. I'm wondering if there are any ways to restore default settings without having to use an OBD device??

I don't think the xenons need replacing, because they still work without flickering when I have the ignition on/when activating the "Follow Me Home" feature. (or something like that- if you pull the stalk like you would to activate your high beams once the car is off & the driver door is opened, the headlights and reverse lights turn on for 30 seconds) The xenons only are flicking and failing when the car is actually running. For a while I was able to keep the xenons working if I had the climate control set to low, full blast, the rear window defogger turned on (lights flicker as soon as it's off then go back to normal when it's turned back on), and had the front fogs on. And the car had to be at a warm engine temp. But now that doesn't work, thankfully, because michigan winters with the a/c on high isn't a very enjoyable situation.

Any suggestions on how I could fix this?? I appreciate and am open to any and all thoughts..


Photo 1: The way my lights normally are - halogen high beams & fogs

Photo 2: Xenons working in "Follow Me Home" mode

Photo 3: Xenons/halogens/fogs - once in a great while the xenons will remain on

Thanks!

[zacharytsmith]

Daytime shots

[9-3 Aero]

I'm wondering if there are any ways to restore default settings without having to use an OBD device??

As you've had factory settings changed with the use of Tech 2 , there's no workaround for the restore of default settings other than by the "OBD way", I'm afraid.

[markg9]

If I remember correctly...when you version code for deleting DRL you also have to do that in the BCM and/or UEC as well. It could also have codes left behind in the AHL system. I'll check further into that scenario Monday.

Mark