[saab_family]

hi
i just read an article on saabs that a buddy of mine let me see. He knows in a saab guy. Its from a older euroean car and theres a beautiful red 900se with the senseonic transmision. THAT IS THE COOLSET THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!! I had never herd of it. It seemed pretty hard to instal but maby someday. Hopeufully gong to spend a semester in sweden so maby ill look for one when im there. does anyone have any more info on the senseonic???? America never gets the cool stuff, europe gets all the cool toys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ben

 

[95turbo]

Unless I'm mistaken, I think that it is an automatic, but you can also drive it like a clutchless manual (maybe with a paddle shifter?) I haven't heard anything on reliability though.

 

[saab_family]

the senseonic was a clutchless manual. they started with a normal manual transmission and added an electronic clutch. the clutch had its own ecu that controlled it. it looked just like a manual but there was no clutch. it has the same style shifter as manuals. the shift knob had the 5 speeds and reverse and said sensonic on it. you have to shift them like a normal 5 speed (they dont shift them selves like tiptronic ect). this is what the article said, correct me if im wrong. does anyone know how you come to a stop or luanch off the line??? when you get to a certin rmp in first does the clutch ingage automatically??? when you take ur foot off the brake when starting off the line, did the clutch ingage aswell? they seem really cool but really ocnfusing at the same time.

ben

 

[mike saunders]

Ahhhh....Sensonic.

Say this softly when speaking to a Saab factory person, or a European dealer, because Sensonic was a horrific failure, which is why Saab supplied kits to replace it with a regular hydraulic clutch. This kit is mainly what you use to convert a mechanical cable-actuated clutch (94-97 NG900s) to the hydraulic clutch (98 and up)

 

[Saab31]

I used to have a sensonic fo a year and now an aero 9-5. There were no probs at all with this system on my car. It was s really fantastic! I think there were indeed problems with some sensonics but the earlier models (94-96). I wish i had something like this on my aero!

 

[Soon To be Saab Owner]

This sounds identical to BMW's new SMG technology. Looks like a manual, yet no clutch. And yes, as you depress the gas pedal and the rpms get to a certain point it begins to let the clutch out. I think that it sounds like someone just designed it to run as if a person were manning the clutch, yet the computer does it all for you. I wonder how hard it shifts?

 

[saab_family]

thats too bad that it didnt work, it sounded really unique and cool to me


ben

 

[Turbo Sensonic]

I had a Sensonic system in my car. I really liked it until it showed its "ugly sides" to me. I spent 2500€ for the repairs and after that I gave up and converted Sensonic to manual hydraulic clutch.

It was fun while it lasted but I haven't had any clutch problems since I converted my car to manual.
My car is equipped with Maptun stage III+ kit, so the tuning kit wasn't good for the whole Sensonic system. Too much torque etc.

When one's driving Sensonic, the worst fears will come true when Check ACS light is lit. After that the feeling is very helpless because the clutch won't work properly. Imagine if you're driving in the middle of nowhere and the ACS light is lit. That's what happened to me and I can assure that it's not a pleasant thing

It's better to convert Sensonic to manual right after the symptoms have appeared (i.e. when the ACS light is lit).

If you'd like to know more of this system or know the weak points of this system, please ask and I'll tell something about 'em.

 

[Jeremy R.]

This sounds identical to BMW's new SMG technology.

It's really much different than the SMG. The Sensonic system had a clutch, it was just automatically activated. Its closest relative is the Valeo Electronic Clutch that was on the Ferrari Mondial back in the '80s.

 

[Soon To be Saab Owner]

As far as I was informed the SMG had a clutch. Does it not? Is it a dual clutch setup like Audis? Maybe I am misinformed.

 

[stromer]

I don't think so...

 

[Soon To be Saab Owner]

Alright, I will have to do a little more fine reading of the last SMG review I have from my magazine subscriptions.

 

[stromer]

See, two pedals! And that shinny thing in the middle is the smg shifter! :cheesy:

 

[Soon To be Saab Owner]

Yes, of course it doesn't have a human operated clutch. I knew that already. Yet, I still thought it was a computer controlled clutch of some kind. I know that the SMG has also had many problems as well. One of the magazines I read had to have the entire tranny replaced and the car still did not shift just right. It seems to me this technology is still not perfected yet. Although, I am pretty sure the new M5 uses it and so far it has proven to be pretty good.

 

[stromer]

Yes, the new M5 does use it. But isn't it a different version? Like SMG II or something? btw, they are now going to be making the new m5 in a 6-speed!

 

[Stalker]

Ferrari, and of course Maserati use the same type technology as well. This system is standard in the new f430, coupe gransport, and i think even the enzo and mc12 (same amazing engine). They use an electric clutch manual with paddle shifters aka F1 style.

 

[my99saab]

pointless....if u want a manual buy a manual if u want an auto buy an auto, if you cant drive manual...LEARN

 

[mike saunders]

pointless....if u want a manual buy a manual if u want an auto buy an auto, if you cant drive manual...LEARN

C'mon. :roll:

Ever heard of a little something called Formula 1 racing? Clutchless paddle shifting is used in F1 and now in rally driving, and is the core of SMG... Technology has always migrated downward from elite racing into exotic cars, into high-end performance cars, and then eventually into the mainstream.

Being a retro grouch is pointless. If you feel that way, then give up your power disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, computerized engine management, climate control, spring and shock suspension, turbocharger, etc....

 

[Turbo Sensonic]

It's really much different than the SMG. The Sensonic system had a clutch, it was just automatically activated. Its closest relative is the Valeo Electronic Clutch that was on the Ferrari Mondial back in the '80s.

You're right. Sensonic system had a traditional clutch which was operated by hydraulic "clutchrobot". But how will it know when the change a gear? Well, it gets its information from following sources:

-ECU
-crankshaft sensor (it has to know the number of revs all the time)
-sensors which are in the gearstick and in the gearbox.

Sensonic will learn how to change a gear according drivers driving behaviour. If you drive aggressively, it will change the gear aggressively etc.

 

[JABM]

SMG has a clutch, but it is quite different from sensonic. SMG as well as the ferrari, audi, astin martin etc transmissions are sequential units, while the sensonic still used a traditional H pattern shifter.