New 2001 9-5 Wagon Owner in Seattle

[AT ONE SIR]

Hi. As the tittle says, I am a new 2001 Saab 9-5 Wagon owner (113k mi). My last car was a 1993 Toyota wagon that I had well over 250k on before I gifted it to someone. I did most of my own work, aside from very large and complicated projects as I have no lift or garage. I am not a pro mechanic so my wrenching is done on the weekends like many of you. Ramps and a jack.


I'm learning new things about the car all the time, and have a very trustworthy Saab mechanic in Seattle ( Moe's Automotive ) who went through everything, so I also asked him to change the oil just so we were starting from a fresh full-synthetic base. He also got me a couple of keys cut and programmed with the tech2 (thanks Kenny!). I highly recommend Moe's if you're a Saab owner in Seattle. I took a couple of cars to him for pre-inspection and he saved me some big headaches.


In any event, there are a number of questions I have about the car, as well as things I am planning on doing. I am hoping to get 200k+ out of it and am just using it for city driving and the occasional day trip. If there are other Seattle Saab owners who want to collaborate on repairs or mods, I'm happy to team up. I've really learned a lot from the great FAQs and well-organized and documented tutorials here, but I am still unclear on a few things. So, I'll list my Saab needs, wants, and top questions:


NEEDS
Chilton's Manual (The books seem to be for the UK with the driver's side being switched, so should I get the service DVD from ebay?)
A/C Recharge (going to go behind passenger headlamp)


WANTS
A/C Distributor motors or control arms (L/R) (which do i need?)
Rear windshield wiper (motor works, but arm is broken off. Where is it squirting? Front squirts OK)
**New DI Cassette & Plugs (before needed)
Aux-In for ipod or even usb or new unit altogether? (why is the DIN size so odd?)


??? QUESTIONS
Motorola silver "brick" in the rear right of the wagon (Can it be used for anything?)
--> Can the OnStar systems be converted to a hands-free setup?

Do those DVD service systems run on OSX or even off a USB on a chromebook? It's an application?

How to get just fresh outside air blowing inside (not A/C)

I have the shark fin antenna and the radio reception isn't 100% clear. How do I troubleshoot that?

How to know if it is the AC distribution motors or control arm not distributing air to vents (just blowing on windshield).
---> ACC codes are 1-12 2-12 and I also got a 1-8 once, but only once. A/C is cool, but not icy.

Can't figure out the sliding floor thing in the wagon, or any of the cargo nets. Think I am missing things like roller wheels, etc.


Also:
Best prices on replacement badges (not stickers)
Best online stores for parts (US preferred)


So, thanks for having me here, and I look forward to sharing my Saab experiences with you all.

[Shazam]

Welcome to the site! I was in Seattle a couple of weeks ago, nice place! Didn't see many Saabs unfortunately.

I'm not exactly sure where to source a Chilton's manual, but I've been plenty happy with my Haynes manuals over the years. You can grab those on Amazon, eBay or other various sources on the web.

The Saab Site has both of your filter needs. I've used them many, many times. I typically prefer to use someone else, as they've screwed up two of my orders and have been a real hassel to get them to fix it. But, they typically have both the more expensive OEM parts and aftermarket brand parts. So that is a big bonus.
http://www.thesaabsite.com/95/Saab-95-filters.html#linkbar

Genuine Saab (Taliaferro Imports) is probably my favorite place to use. Their customer service is great, but they typically are pretty pricey. So you might want to do some price comparisons before using them.
GenuineSaab.com

eEuroparts is another great source. I've used them many times, their service is great. When I say great about eEuroparts, I mean AMAZING. And, they've got your filters for a great price. I'd go with them.
2001 Saab 9-5 2.3t - Wagon - 2.3L 4 Cyl (16 Valve) - Turbo Parts | Filters | Free Shipping

I'm unsure about the A/C recharge.

On the badges, I'm going to tell you what you probably won't want to hear. Go with the stickers. If you get new badges, they will discolor all the same. Also, they are a lot hard to do than stickers. The stickers look great if you take your time, are very cheap, and are easy to replace if something bad happens to them. I replaced the badges on my 900 with new ones, and I got about 2 years out of them.

If you want a new wiper arm, eEuroparts or TheSaabSite might be able to supply a new arm. If you don't mind used, check some salvage yards, a Saab dedicated website where someone is parting it out (there are a couple other big Saab forums), or try Goldwing Saab. They are a Saab specialty salvage place not too far from Syracuse, NY. Used Saab Parts: Goldwing Recycled Saab Parts

If you check eEuroparts often, they'll have sales on their cassettes every once in a while if you want new. I'm partial to used ones so I can save a couple bucks.

The missing pixels is a common Saab problem. This can be fixed by taking apart the SID and pushing back on the strip wires that have slowly worked their way off. Here, this fellow will walk you through it! Saab SID Fix | Saab 9-5.com

That's all I'm really able to help you out with. Frank is a 9-5 nut, so I'm sure he'll be here to help along with others. The 9-5 seems to be the most popular Saab on the site!

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the site!

[AT ONE SIR]

Wow! Thank You for all the info and detail! I'm certainly off and running now, and I look forward to contributing to the community.

[nordwulf]

Do those DVD service systems run on OSX or even off a USB on a chromebook? It's an application?

The WIS is an application and uses an Access database for storing data. It runs on Windows XP through 7 32-bit, not sure about Windows 8. Will not run on 64-bit Windows. It doesn't run natively on OS X but I have it running on my Macs using VirtualBox (free) and Windows XP. Has been working great.

How to get just fresh outside air blowing inside (not A/C)

Pushing the ECON button will turn off the A/C.

I have the shark fin antenna and the radio reception isn't 100% clear. How do I troubleshoot that?

Radio antennas are integrated in the rear side windows on the wagon. The shark fin is only for Onstar and I think cellular in Europe. If you have bad radio reception, check the cable at the back of the head unit first to see if it is plugged in all the way.

Can't figure out the sliding floor thing in the wagon, or any of the cargo nets. Think I am missing things like roller wheels, etc.

Sliding floors in the wagon were optional. Are you sure you have one? I haven't seen them very often.

Best online stores for parts (US preferred)

Sticky in the Tech Talk forums: http://saabworld.net/f15/where-does-...ir-parts-1425/

So, thanks for having me here, and I look forward to sharing my Saab experiences with you all.

Thank you for joining, glad you found us.

[rpiereck]

Welcome to Saabworld! This site definitely has some of the best informed 9-5 owners and our knowledge base is wide. Stick around to keep that Saab in tip top shape. I'd second Dave on the stickers, I have one in my 9-5 too, and it looks great.

[AT ONE SIR]

Are there any videos showing how best to prepare your old badges for those stickers? I ordered some and am wondering what to use to get the bits of remaining paint off, and then I imagine the surface has to be sanded. Time for the Dremel attachments?

[Dave T]

Are there any videos showing how best to prepare your old badges for those stickers? I ordered some and am wondering what to use to get the bits of remaining paint off, and then I imagine the surface has to be sanded. Time for the Dremel attachments?

I am in the process of experimenting whether to add a sticker or a new emblem. I have a 1999 9-3. I bought a sticker from hugolima on ebay for $10+3. It is gel like spongy and seems like it's good quality. It's the same as somebody else's sticker that they got from someone in Ottawa (Canada), except for $20 Canadian (roughly $19.50).

What I did was use a sharp, thin knife blade to chip away half of the remaining paint. Originally 30% was remaining and now about 15% remains. I don't want to scratch the base but the guy with the Canadian sticker said he used rubbing alcohol and sandpaper. Maybe, I will try ice? On my 2005 9-3, it was a cold and rainy day, followed by ice and a thaw, when the front emblem flew off as one piece. That was replaced under warranty in 2008.