Saab 9-3 convertible - cabriolet soft-top system

[Chief]

You keep mentioning 89 96 860 Power steering fluid, The manual for my 2004 9-3 specifies CHI 11S fluid. Are these compatible and/or equivalent ?

Probably should have stated this first, Thank You for posting this up !!! I've been researching the operation of this top for quite some time and this is by far the most, and most useful information that I've come across. Hopefully I can move forward on it !!!!!

Thanks,

Joe

[opnairst]

Hello,

My 9-3 aero has a leaky left rear cylinder leak (convertible cover boot) and I got a replacement cylinder. How can I safely remove and replace the existing hydraulic line unto the new one. Any special tools needed. ?

[opnairst]

Update: If anyone needs repairing hydraulic lines for the top... I found an excellent solution... https://www.ebay.com/itm/Repair-Kit-...s/132263366338 They work excellently.. Also was able to fix the cylinder leak of the boot cover with a used one from the junkyard...

[Mickeyd1968]

Is it possible to convert the hood to manual where the back remains locked and the hood collapsing onto the back with some DIY effort to keep it secure.

My 9-3 cab has been locked by a specialist after a fluid leak and it's too expensive to buy 4 rams that were leaking after previous owner used wrong fluid.

HI Mate
Look on the SAAB market place on Facebook i have just purchased a new rear ram for £47 search for a guy called Andrew Skirrow he sells SAAB spares and reasonably priced. he comes highly recommended

[Ditto05S]

I converted mine to a Manual top. It wasn't an easy thing to figure out. I can put the top up and down in about 3 minutes. I do get he soft top error message in the SID, so I think there must be a fuse that might knock that out. Not a big deal, just annoying at start up.

Both Pistons on the sides went out and I think the motor is gone. Just not worth fixing. I love my SAAB, but my money tree isn't that big

[Jbobo05ss]

Does anyone know the exact specs/ dimensions of the top itself? I'm going to use the saab convertible setup on my cobalt and I can't find anything anywhere giving me W/L/H that I can go off of to start the process. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Stratgolfer]

First Post on the forum. Great site. I recently had a stoppage on my convertible top. I put the system in manual to get the top back up to drive (The car had been sitting for a couple of months). Does anyone know a procedure for connecting the top back to automatic? my questions are: where to connect the little rods I pulled to release into manual, do I need to have the top up/down, unlocked? Any help would be appreciated.