1999 SAAB 9-3 repair Question

Tiny
TSTRISH
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 SAAB 9-3
1999 Saab 9-3 repair Question

When I press the gas the "check soft top" error shows up, but when I hit the brakes, it goes away. Also, the lights on the radio are not lighting up some times and in the speedometer. The LCD is also screwed up. What could be the cause of this?
Sunday, January 24th, 2010 AT 7:02 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
MNTHNY4
  • MECHANIC
  • 612 POSTS
U have a 1st bow position sensor or a tonneau cover position sensor malfunction, u will need to take to your dealer for inspection & repairs, about your lights, u may have a malfunctioning sid display unit causing night panel mode to activate, not really sure get electricals checked out, or try to unplug sid display & check light function after. Good luck.
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Monday, January 25th, 2010 AT 10:18 AM
Tiny
TSTRISH
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Thanks! I am not a fan of spending lots of money, since I lost my job due to the AWESOME economy. Is there anyway to test that at home?
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Monday, January 25th, 2010 AT 10:27 AM
Tiny
MNTHNY4
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No way to check position sensors at home, need tech2 scan tool to monitor sensors as softtop moves through it's various positions to find out which sensor is out, or malfunctioning sorry.
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Monday, January 25th, 2010 AT 8:00 PM
Tiny
TEEOHDOUBLED
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Where can I find a Tech2 scan tool for Saab 9-3 repairs?
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Monday, September 20th, 2021 AT 2:24 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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There are a few places, mostly online where you can get a Tech-2. However the Tech-2 is somewhat limiting as it only works on GM based vehicles for most of the bidirectional testing. Another issue is that there are a lot of fake ones on the market, they are Chinese made "clones" but many are not able to work like the real ones. Overall I would suggest going with a newer tool that can do the same tests but also give you a tool that can be used across more vehicles and up to current models (the Tech-2 only covers up to 2013) Also to be used with the Saab you need the specific Saab software as the common Tech-2 doesn't cover them other than generic OBD II and that doesn't give you the bi-directional controls for testing.
I would suggest looking at either a Launch or Autel tool, those will cover more car brands and still have the ability to do many of the same things as the OEM tools for those brands.
The question then becomes what else do you want the tool to do as they offer various models with added options. If you are in the US I would suggest looking at some of the US based sellers who offer support, Like other items there are "authorized" stores as well as gray market tools, the US ones usually have a warranty and support, but you pay a bit more for that.
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Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 AT 2:14 AM
Tiny
TEEOHDOUBLED
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Thank you much Steve W.
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Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 AT 2:52 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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  • 13,588 POSTS
You're welcome. The Tech-2 is a great tool, but limited enough that unless you plan on working only on GMs it's not really the best all around tool compared to the newer tools.
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Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 AT 4:49 AM

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