Changing Direct Ignition Cassette

[bill b]

Hello, again, and I am running across the DI cassettes on eBay. I was under the impression that R&R is very easy, but one of the sellers said to let the car sit for one hour after installation. Can anyone verify this caveat?

[justin.graeff]

Ha, no. Un-plug the sucker from the wiring harness, take out and place upside down in your place of choice. Take the new one, put some di-electric grease on the ends where the boots contact the spark plugs. Push gently onto the spark plugs until it fits and is snug. Screw the 4 torx screws in and then plug the harness back into the cassette. There you have it! Start it up and see if it works!

[Chris 9-5]

The coils have oil in them so if the unit has been stored upside down or on its side, it should be allowed to stand in the correct position for a while so that the oil goes where it should be, 20 mins should be fine!

[c900]

From all accounts, it would seem that they DI cassettes are basically non-servicable items when something goes wrong. Anyone attempted to repair and been successful?

My 1990 9000 has DI with it's B202 motor. I don't have a spare DI unit around anywhere.

Craig.

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by c900

From all accounts, it would seem that they DI cassettes are basically non-servicable items when something goes wrong.

Saab owners do indeed treat them as a service item, much the same as you would with a car equipped with a dizzy, rotor arm and ht leads. 5 years + lifespan is not too shabby but it can hurt the pocket when they let go. A lot of die hard Saab owners keep a spare in the boot/garage waiting for it to happen.

[bill b]

My mechanic warned me because his GF's Saab is sitting in his yard and needs one. When they go, call for the hook. He also said to invest in a new fuel pump. I'm dealing with a sixteen-year-old car; some but very few components last for the life of the vehicle, unless, of course, one is driving a car that lasts only six or seven years.

[rawill]

Yes - I have a spare DI cassette. I should get a new fuel pump too.

[Superaero]

Originally Posted by Kermit

Saab owners do indeed treat them as a service item, much the same as you would with a car equipped with a dizzy, rotor arm and ht leads. 5 years + lifespan is not too shabby but it can hurt the pocket when they let go. A lot of die hard Saab owners keep a spare in the boot/garage waiting for it to happen.

That makes me a diehard SAABanatic.

Since the oil in the coils is only a heat sink I hardly think it could be necessary to wait any particular length of time before firing up the engine. Certainly I sometimes place the DI upside down on the bench while changing the plugs and then I re-install it and fire it up without waiting.

Not had a DI fail yet, although I did replace the one with a brand new one and kept the old one as my spare while it was still working . Same philosophy I use with the accessory belt.