Easter
12 April 2007, 78,805
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couple of entries ago I commented
on Chef’s handling having improved following the
bulkhead being shored up. Whereas before
the 9-3 felt uninspiring and insecure on a roundabout or corner, now it still
feels uninspiring but somewhat more confident.
I know what it’s going to do, it’s going to understeer but it’s not going to wobble
about all over the road. That’s the way
a Saab should handle.
As regular readers will know, the bulk of my mileage is on the motorway
or dual carriageways. My main commute
consists of twenty five miles of motorway or dual carriageways with three miles
of town (rather than city)
driving. If I head into the middle of
Where the 9-3 does feel compromised is on wet roads, especially
roundabouts. With the VP44 turned up to
half or more the car is very keen to wheelspin. With the VP44 simply giving the engine more
right across the rev range this behaviour is untoward and it is very difficult
to balance the power, a small movement at the foot results in a
disproportionate change in power at the engine.
It’s more obvious with Michelin Energy tyres compared to the variety the
car came on. Michelin Energy E3As have a
hard rubber compound and are designed for low rolling resistance. Combine this with 36 PSI on all four corners
means that they lose grip when accelerating hard. Curiously enough I’ve not noticed the same
problem under firm braking, the ABS doesn’t trigger.
Over the Easter weekend the Saab was put to use over a couple of long
haul trips and this highlighted that the automatic air
conditioning is overcooling the cabin.
I’ve just taken the dashboard apart to have a fiddle with the cabin
temperature sensor. Now I know why it
wasn’t working, it was clogged with very long, fine blonde hair. Not mine nor Charlies, presumably from a
former keeper. Ewwwww! I removed as much of the hair from the sensor
as I could and replaced it: it worked, at least for a time. Now the fan works when it feels like it and
stops when it doesn’t... it needs replacing then. Or the sensor needs taking apart I suppose.
In my last entry I wrote that on ASDA the car
was noisier, less responsive and sootier.
Immediately after trying the ASDA stuff I bought some ordinary BP diesel
- it’s marketed as “Cleaner Diesel.”
Hmm. There’s less soot for
sure. Part of me doesn’t want to believe
that the car is more responsive either, but Charlie commented that he was quieter. Hmm.