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Tuning and Upgrading Questions

3K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  nfusaf 
#1 ·
I posted about HP boosts and possibilities of problems previously but thanks to Chris 9-5 I saw the facts about tuning my SAAB. I do have several questions before I jump into the fray.

This is my first car that I will ever get to tune and upgrade and word is that I happened into a fantastic model just for that purpose! 1999 9.5 SE, 2.3 liter, 4 cylinder. From what I have gathered the ECU uses SAAB Tronic 7. (On that note I downloaded the manual and information guide for T7Suite. Reminds me of the Aircraft Technical Orders I use on a daily basis on the Air Force Base.)


First up on the questions:

Before I start adding upgrades and tuning to my car I fully plan to replace and repair all the odds and ends that are left over that require maintenance. On top of that, I want to replace parts that may come up as problematic on down the road as I begin upgrading and tuning. I made up a list of parts I wanted to replace and whether I wanted standard parts as replacements or performance parts as replacement.

I could use some help in deciding if the parts should be replaced just to prevent future problems (major, minor, and annoying) from developing, and whether parts I have put on my list can just be removed due to their reliability or otherwise.

I didn't want to swamp this first post with the part listing but I can post it up. The basic idea I am shooting for is maintenance first, safety and handling second, performance and appearance/styling last.

So, any suggestions on stock parts that I should replace?


Second up on the questions:

A guy I work with on the base used to be a Master Mechanic and has worked on countless vehicles. I was talking to him the other night about the tuning and performance upgrades I want to do and he laughed at the Stage tuning (specifically remapping the ECU as the first stage before you install any performance parts like the exhaust, piping, etc.)

He was talking about another guy that works at the base that completely nuked his ECU when he was remapping it (Not a SAAB). I'm guessing that since he hasn't worked with SAAB before in his vehicle maintenance career that he wouldn't realize that SAAB uses different system for engine management.

After I learn more about remapping and the Tronic 7 system, is it actually suggested to remap the ECU at each stage?

What are the chances of royally screwing something up when remapping (outside of trying to remap without the right amount of knowledge on what you are doing in the first place)?

If I do screw something up, is it possible to revert to a previous map? (I haven't really looked into T7Suite yet so I don't have the slightest clue.)

Should I keep the stock ECU or replace it with an aftermarket ECU? If so, any suggestions on the best one to go for and at which stage it would be most beneficial? (I do have more questions about this if its suggested to install an aftermarket ECU.)


Final question!

I plan to use Abbott Racing as my main aftermarket part supplier, given that I can obtain the parts in the U.S. I was checking out their different stage packages and the top one is the Epsilon Stage. I couldn't really find any information on the parts included in each package and it was harder than expected to figure out the individual parts based on the pictures alone.

Does anyone have a list of the parts that come with the Epsilon Stage?

Is this stage worth the money? If not, then which one is?



It will be next year after my deployment before I can start dropping major cash into my car, but it will happen. The beast is going to get unleashed.

Any help to the questions I asked will be greatly appreciated. I know I have a lot of questions to ask but it is my first car that I get to tune and I'm very excited about it.

Thanks in advance!
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Well a little late but welcome to saabcentral ... ( my bad...)

even tho Abbot is a good supplier they are way spendy especially here in teh states. Look at GenuineSaab.com for good parts and service.

If you are using T7 suite to do your own programming you do not nteed and "pacakages" you can slowly over tiem build your car to your won liking ( sure start ata a stage one and then strap the apporpriate parts on there and change it. The ECU is a prom and can be reprogrammed many many times without issue. It can go bad but you can buy a used one for 50 bucks on the bay and thro your tuen on there. It is alwasy a good idea since they are so cheap to have a sapre and keep it with your current running tune in case you have a tune that your car does not like or causes issues. For 50 bucks its a good insuracne policy to keep your car running.

Best palce to start on teh hardware fromt is breathing compents high pass air filter and larger snorkle ro open air if that;s your preference, then exhaust ( you will feel a differenc eand the engine likes it) then INtercooler. other than that the cars hardawre is good.,. Then try brakes and suspemsion then go nuts with a turbo upgrade but remember over 300 hp these engines like better pistons

of course get your car running right stock but don;t replace parts for the heck of it, fisrt check for sludge drop the sump and clean the pan then go from there
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the response Jssaab. Good to know that the overall hardware is a sure thing as long as I keep up maintenance. Since I decided to turn this into my hobby project it makes me want to maintain it more closely than I would have previously.

I just got back from replacing a T joint on a rubber air hose that sits in between the turbo and the fan, just to the left of the turbo (looking at the engine), and the brake lights on the passenger side.

Good news on that ECU too! So there wont be any issues with a spare ECU being compatible with my car? I always thought I had to have any new ECU programmed to go with my car.

Im actually replacing the Fuel Filter, Air Filter, and Spark Plugs this next weekend. The easiest place to start, like you said, would be to work on figuring out my programming with T7Suite and then replacing the Air Filter with a High Pass Air Filter (I will probably look into grabbing new Fuel Injectors as well) and remapping the ECU for my Stage 1.

The brakes and such are looking a little rough so that will be the first big buy for me (Performance brake pads, brake calipers, brake disks, and rotors).

Ill be sure to look up dropping the sump and cleaning the pan and anything else regarding hardware related to sludge build up. Ever since the turbo blew when I first got the car it has been behaving. I've been doing oil changes with full synthetic every 3k miles.
 
#5 ·
This is the only euro car I know that the cost to upgrade with an ECU + remap is only in the neighborhood of a $100 (with a bit of research and a little under the hood work). It's not a secret at all, but I'm really surprised that not a lot more are into it. I'm getting my spare ECU shortly...
 
#7 ·
I'm getting in a little deeper as time goes by. T7Suite is a tough cookie to get the ball rolling on understanding it. The biggest problem is figuring out what the right USB BDM is and how to install it.

As for the software, I am still unclear about what functions are properly functioning and which ones are not. I guess that will come with due time. For now I need to figure out what I need to do in order to figure out what all is involved with a stage 1 ECU Flash.
 
#11 ·
yep, got that, and he is asking the right questions. to my mind, if you are not a tuner, it would take a lot of self-education to do you your own mapping. the software, too, is quite complex, so i'm merely suggesting a "fast path" approach: figure out the hookups and then figure out the mechanics of flashing an ecu from a bin file. later on do mods if you care to. that's just me (and actually my approach)...
 
#13 ·
One of the USB interfacing devices that they talk about on ECUProject is a high grade part that gets soldered onto the actual ECU circuit board, but it costs around $160, if I remember right. I was looking on usbjtag.com and they have a product called usbbdm nt and it is only $60.

Too bad they haven't figured out the proper protocol to use T7Suite for flashing the ECU via the OBDII port.

Just so I don't ruin my ECU trying to solder a USB BDM device to the circuit board I'm just going to get a replacement ECU sent to me.

This next paycheck I'm purchasing the High Flow Intake kit from GS. The ECU remapping will have to wait.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Since I am looking to take this car to the fullest extent possible here is the wishlist of upgrades in order of purchase. Any tips on restructuring my purchase order or additions that I looked over would be appreciated.

Like I said before I am looking for safety and handling before the big performance upgrades.

1ST PURCHASE
High Flow Intake
$80
Spark Plug
$20
Fuel Filter
$26
Grand Total
$126

2ND PURCHASE
Coolant Cap
$35
Oil Cap $35
Hazard Button Assembly
$70
Grand Total
$140

3TH PURCHASE

Exhaust Manifold Stud Kit
$75
Grand Total
$75

4TH PURCHASE

Greddy Boost Gauge
$152
Single Gauge Pod A-Pillar Mount
$25
Grand Total
$152

5TH PURCHASE

Spare ECU
$100
USB BDM Interface
$60
Grand Total $160

6TH PURCHASE

Brembo Brake Kit
$1,050
High Performance Brake Line Kit
$164
Grand Total
$1,214

7TH PURCHASE

Anti-Roll Bar Upgrade Kit
$286
Grand Total
$286

8TH PURCHASE

Sport Suspension
$742
Grand Total
$742

9TH PURCHASE

3" Complete Exhaust (1 Muffler Sport)
$597
Grand Total
$597

10TH PURCHASE
3" Downpipe V2
$587
Grand Total $587

11TH PURCHASE

Forge Piston Diverter Valve $149
Grand Total
$149

12TH PURCHASE

Intercooler ETS
$570
Grand Total
$570

13TH PURCHASE

Upgraded Turbo
N/A
Grand Total
N/A

14TH PURCHASE

Turbo Intake Pipe
$310
Grand Total
$310

15TH PURCHASE

4 EA 5-Spoke High Split 17 in Rims
$1,580
SAAB Center Caps for Rims
$55
Potenza RE Pole Position Tires
$530
Grand Total
$2,165

Again, reordering help, additions that are necessary or nice, or any other help with my future purchase list would be greatly appreciated
 
#19 ·
Honestly, with everything you have listed there, my recommendation would be to sell your current car and go buy a slightly newer Aero. If you can get one that the owner has had new shocks put in, you will be getting a ton of what you have listed for a similar price to all of it separately, plus you won't have to install it yourself.

If my thinking is correct, a 2002+ Aero would have all of this:
Better Brakes (not Brembo, but Saab OEM are very good)
Anti Roll Bar
Aero Suspension (same as upgrade)
Mitsubishi TD-04 Turbo
Aero Intake Pipe
17" Rims (although not the same as what you have listed)

This would account for over $4000 of your upgrades, as well as a couple days of work.

Just a thought... if you want to do all this though and think it's worth it then by all means go for it.
 
#20 ·
Ever since I found out this car can be upgraded and tuned like it can I turned it into my hobby project. ;) Each thing I do to this car renews my love for it. Simply replacing the broken T on a 3 hose junction has given the car a new feel and a stronger pull on acceleration. Gotta love that.
 
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