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lost my fob

3K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  win_k 
#1 ·
My husband bought me a saab 900 convertable 1997 and i have lost the key fob. Does anyone know how to take the immobiliser out or where its situated. Cheers.:)
 
#2 ·
In the US, the immobilizer is under the carpet of the drivers seat (LHD car), so I'm not sure which side it is on, on your car. There is a post floating around on this forum and on saabnet about using 3 jumper wires to bypass the immobilizer. Personally, I never use mine to avoid gettitng stuck.

Ok, I found it -here you go:

I (not me) bypassed the immobilzer circuit only on my alarm module (which is really tedious). Bypassing the whole module is possible (and little easier), but you will lose the use of the remotes and the ability to arm the alarm.

The alarm module in my '97 900 SETC is located under the carpet, below the driver's power seat switches (a pain to get at). I'm guessing yours is in the same location.

BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER, CHECK TO BE SURE YOUR '95 HAS THE SAME TYPE ALARM MODULE AND CIRCUITRY AS MY '97. IF YOURS IS DIFFERENT, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION MAY BE WORTHLESS AND CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS.

ALSO, YOU WILL NEED THE ALARM MODULE CONNECTOR DIAGRAM (I got mine from ALLDATADIY.com) TO COMPLETE THIS SECTION, AS THE CONNECTOR PINS ARE NOT MARKED.

If you want to bypass the module completely:

1. Disconnect the battery (make sure you know the radio code-if needed)
2. Unplug the connector from alarm module and remove module from car
3. Install a wire jumper between pin 8 and pin 20 in the connector
4. Install a wire jumper between pin 9 and pin 21 in the connector
5. Install a wire jumper between pin 10 and pin 22 in the connector
6. Wrap securely with electrical tape

If you want to bypass the immobilizer circuit only:

1. Disconnect the battery (make sure you know the radio code-if needed)
2. Unplug the connector from the alarm module
3. Cut the following wires from the back of the connector and splice together as follows (Don't cut the wires too close to the connector, because someday down the road you may want install a new module, so you'll have to reverse this process):
4. Cut the wires to pin 8 and pin 20 and splice together w/ wire nut
5. Cut the wires to pin 9 and pin 21 and splice together w/ wire nut
6. Cut the wires to pin 10 and pin 22 and splice together w/ wire nut
7. Secure all with electrical tape
8. Reconnect the connector to the module

Not knowing the details of your problem, please be aware that this may, or may not, solve it. Good luck and let me know how you make out

Please post back if you are successful... Ron
 
#3 ·
my lost fob results

Thankyou so much for your indepth reply. We could not find a box under the drivers seat but we did find one under the passenger seat, under the carpet. The box has two lines of pins numbered 1-18 and 14-25 so i am guessing this is the one needed. We will give it a go and let you know how it goes. Thanks x;)
 
#4 ·
bypassing immobilizer

The module has no wires going into pin 8 and pin 20. The other wires have been altered and the result is that the alarm has stopped flashing. When wires 9 and 21 are put together the ignition lights come on without the key. I think it might have to go to saab garage to be reprogrammed. Thanks anyway, it was worth a try.:eek:
 
#5 ·
The module has no wires going into pin 8 and pin 20. The other wires have been altered and the result is that the alarm has stopped flashing. When wires 9 and 21 are put together the ignition lights come on without the key. I think it might have to go to saab garage to be reprogrammed. Thanks anyway, it was worth a try.:eek:
Unfortuniate, and IMO, not right(morally or ethically) that there are differences between the England and USA Saabs. But that is the way things are:cry:.
Not a day goes by, someone(includes me) looses his keys...What we need is a "key finder", a two part electronic unit that locates keys(and wallets) using electronic emissions.
On the horizon, I hope.:cheesy:
 
#6 ·
different on 2002?

So my car has had the same issue of randomly deciding not to start (turnover, or anything) as many others on this site. If I take a walk around the block and come back, it'll start no problem. I've read lots of threads and am pretty sure it's the immobilizer malfunctioning. I dug in last night, taking off the plastic molding around the driver's door, the seat control panel, and peeled back the carpet. What I thought was the immobilizer didn't quite match what I was expecting.. It was a black box located directly under the seat rail next to the door. It has a connector that clamps back on itself to lock. I wrestled the connector off and found that it actually has THREE rows of pins instead of the two I was expecting. I checked the passenger side and didn't see anything there at all. Am I looking in the right location? Did they change the immobilizer for the 00-02 9-3 models?
 
#7 ·
One major difference between the NG900 and the 9-3 is in the electrics of the car. Rather than just an immobilizer, the 9-3 uses a TWICE (Theft Warning Integrated Central Electronics) unit. Much more sophisticated electrically and many more functions.

You've found the TWICE unit and I'm sure there are a ton of folks that wish it could be bypassed as easily as the earlier immobilizers.
 
#8 ·
does this TWICE unit exhibit the same behavior of a sporadic immobilizer, like what I mentioned in my previous post? From the threads I'm finding on here, most people need to replace the TWICE only when they lose the fob (which reminds me, I need to get a spare...). I've checked and there is voltage at the ignition fuse, and haven't yet figured out the ignition relay under the dash (although I do have it exposed). I'm thinking it's not a neutral safety switch problem because nothing I do with the auto shifter makes a difference when I'm trying to start it. I just let it sit a few minutes (~15) and it decides it's ready to start. Any tips?
 
#9 ·
oes this TWICE unit exhibit the same behavior of a sporadic immobilizer, like what I mentioned in my previous post?
Not that I've read about. Someone else might have more information but I've not seen anything about sporatic TWICE modules. Is my understanding that if the TWICE/Immobilizer does it's thing, it'll display a message on the SID.

From your description, I'd be more suspicious of the ignition switch or a relay than the TWICE.
 
#10 ·
TWICE Unit

I have 40 years of working on cars of all types, just to let you know where I'm coming from in this post. I have replaced a defective "Direct Ignition Pak" on my 99 Saab 9-3 Turbo 2.0 Ltr. Also a new battery, new ECU and now I have come head on to this TWICE unit and the relay it disarms the ignition circuit with(The reason I am here on this forum and now this post!). I had intermitent failures to start with before a complete failure and it was as you said, "Walk around the vehicle and it would start"! I have back traced to the theft relay and I believe at this point it is the issue. The SID displayed "Service Theft System" before total failure occured! I am looking for the very solution to the "Immobulizer" I want to jumper out the theft relay, the only problem is I am not sure if it is inside the TWICE? or somewhere else and wherever it is what the pin out is? So for now I am still searching.
 
#12 ·
The SID displayed "Service Theft System" before total failure occured!
The Service Theft System is a probably non-issue in your no-start problem, It's a warning that the voltage in the alarm sounder has dropped. Pretty easy to replace the batteries in the sounder (tucked up at the rear of the front left fender)

Does the SID display any other information related to your no start? I believe it will display a message if the TWICE unit is actively shutting down the car.

How about the instrument cluster, is that coming alive with the key and then simply nothing at the "start" position of the key?

If the SID is not displaying anything and the instrument panel comes on, have you tried simply jumping the starter solenoid? Could be as simple as a balky starter relay or a problem with the ignition switch.
 
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