BSR Stage 1... vroom vroom.... BANG! Oops....

[volospian]

It was quite funny really, although the missus didn't seem to think so.

I loaded the BSR Stage 1 tune yesterday lunchtime and everything seemed to be hunky dorey. However, I was driving home last night from Sapcote, with the wife, and we decided to go via Kirkby Mallory. A couple of times on full boost the car had made a slightly odd sound. We were discussing it as I hooned along the back roads. I said "Hmmm, let's see if it's just on full boost, or if it's just tyre sqeal or whatever" so I floored it, broke for a corner and floored it again and it went "Whooosh...BANG" and the car coated to a halt with a CEL light.

"Hmmm," I thought, "I hope that's not as bad as it sounded!" so I crawled to a layby and had a look around. Too dark to see much so I started it up again and crawled around the corner to where the hedge was lower (so it was a bit less shadowy) and there was a field entrace with a nice dip so I could get under the car.

So I crawled under the bonnet and saw the nice shiney end of the intercooler where a dull black hose used to be. The increased pressure of the new turbo map had pushed so much pressure into the system that the original rusting hose clip had given up the ghost and snapped in half leaving the hose free to blow itself off the intercooler.

I pushed the hose back on and tried it, but even on nil boost it just popped back off again (unsurprisingly really!) so I sat in the dust, in my "going out" clothes, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere, without a phone, and thought about how I could fix it. Then, just as I was pondering upon a suitable swear word, I spied a piece of decaying old bailer twine on the floor. Quick as a flash I was under the car and tying the hose up with the twine.

Made it back to Ashby at a top speed of about 40mph downhill, closer to 20 uphill as I daren't use much revs or the boost would snap my rotting twine and the hose pop off again. I left he car in town as I daren't risk the hill to my house, so we stopped in the pub for a beer and a wash on the walk up the hill to my house and went to bed

To be fair I'd heard the noise once or twice before the Stage 1 tune so I assume the clip was on it's way out and the increased pressure just pushed it over the edge. I think it was an accident waiting to happen as even on the standard boost it would probably have gone at some stage.

Anyway, a quick trip to Halfords this morning and about £2 and a bit of scrabbling under the car in an Ashby car park later and it's right as rain

The power from the Stage 1 is impressive. Yesterday it wasn't so inspiring, but last night and today, with the cooler air and maybe a bedding in process and the car certainly does feel like it has more power. The FWD can still handle it, so maybe I may start considering moving to a stage 3 tune next... after replacing all my hose clips first

[Frosty288]

Sounds like fun! Even though the clip bursted it's still probably nice to think 'I have so much boost I busted the old tubing!' I'm going to be getting stage one on Saturday (graduation) and I can't wait! I'm going to be switching over to totally new hosing, check these out. It might be worth the investment

http://www.partsforsaabs.com/product...oducts_id=3332

http://www.partsforsaabs.com/product...oducts_id=3331

[volospian]

Yeah, I think it's got to be worth considering. Either that or just go over the whole system replacing every clip, but then if I'm going to do that I may as well replace the hoses anyway, just in case.

[ctrlz]

The tube popping off the intercooler has been reported several times here, mostly in cars running stock engine management.

I suppose the question should be, "Why is this hose clamp, in a critical location, failing?" I assume it's stainless. So it must be getting hit by road salt and corroding quickly.

Time to find a better solution than what Saab installed.

[JonV]

One to add to the Inspection and proactive replacement page....

[cjhutch]

I love the thread title. Sounds even funnier saying it out loud.

[Ronin9-3]

Does someone have a picture of this failing hose clamp? Then I will check it on mine too, I don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere because of something that simple.

Thanks in advance!

[JonV]

Just follow the hoses to the IC

[volospian]

It's a big fat pipe under the engine, just aft of the plastic skirt thing that runs from the bumper. If you get your chin level with the rear edge of the plastic panel (just off center, in line with the drivers seat) and look upwards you can't miss it... If that makes sense