Saab 9-3: Diagnosing a Misfire

Check out my new shirts here:

Instagram: @Auto.Autopsy
Twitter: @AutoAutopsyYT

Looking for more Saab content? Check out Sydney's channel and Saabs Of America!

[LegoBeto]

My mechanic who specializes on SAABS said to use nothing but AC DELCO coil packs. i replace mine on my own, and it runs really well now. saved myself a ton of money.

[spy]

A note on anti-seize grease: it's not needed on NGK! They have a special coating on the plug. Per NGK: "Do not use anti-seize or lubricant on NGK spark plugs. It is completely unnecessary and can be detrimental."
Btw, great videos!

[dxvdfgu]

I’ve given up on mine after doing plugs and coils, taking it to the shop cause they can do the injectors if it needs it I’m not trying to dig that deep. Also I don’t have a compression tester. 07 9-3 165, 000 miles. They are awesome cars though. I’m glad you give them recognition they deserve.

[MassiveTrackHunter]

2 new Coils and 4 double iridiums, gapped properly, solved misfire issues on the 05 ARC 9-3 Vert since I bought it in 2014 used. Rub a dab of Spark plug anti-seize on the plug threads before install, and some dielectric grease on the insulator and contact tip before seating the coils. Makes it easier to remove plugs next time, but be careful not to overtorque them, since the grease make it much easier to spin and tighten them up. Once the miss gets really bad, it should show up in the CEL codes.
A slightly expensive way is to buy a new coil and only use it to test a cylinder for misfire. If the miss is pretty steady and likely just one Cylinder, move the known good
unit to the next cylinder and go test drive it again. Once you find no more miss, put one of the used ones in there. If the problem stays resolved. The used one is good and problem is solved.


Turbo boost conditions make good spark critical, so a good set for stock or stage 1 might not work on Stage 2 or 3. Chat sites guys should have good advice.


Good luck!

[racerboy]

Nice that you really do make it look simple for other Shade-Tree Mechanics. Great job!

[wildfire]

Was getting juddering under hard acceleration on my remapped 93. Replaced the coil packs. Now it's purring like a walrus. I didn't change the spark plugs because they were only replaced a couple of months ago when I serviced the car. Easy job.

£160 for new coils from Neo Brothers in the UK.

[anothersaabstory]

Actually a tech2 would help you a lot since you can read misfires per cylinder in the "read values" menu.

Let's say the norm is:
Cyl1: 5
Cyl2: 50
Cyl3: 82
Cyl4: 15

Then change the coils from cyl 1 and 3 around, reset misfire counter and re-run. If the misfires moved with the coil, then it's the coil. If it's the same tendencies of cyl 3 misfiring the most still, then move spark plugs around like you did with coils. If that doesn't help, move the injectors in the same matter in case one or a few is bad.

If that doesn't help either, a proper compression test is needed. Also you could try to "throw" a new ionization module on it and hope it fixes it.

[steelman]

Just a little extra input if having a rough idle at cold start. Great videos though. I am a two time Saab 9-3 owner. 2006 1.8t that I am trying to sell now in Sweden (only major problem is the steering wheel lock cycles on every so often but mechanically a great car. My newer Saab is a 2009 2.0 T xwd vector. Has issues at the cold start with hard time turning over properly and rough idle for 30-40 sec. Once warmed up, no issues starting. I read that 2007-2011 had issues with the exhaust valves in the header, made of poor/weak material, thereby wearing so they don't seal properly and lose compression while sitting. Performed a compression check and all cylinders hold compression, so that was not the issue. Will be trying the coil packs and plugs next. As you said, no codes or engine light. I would suggest anyone with the same issue on cold start, begin with the compression check. You can always change out your plugs and coil packs while you have them out for the compression test.

[Celtic-Texan]

Four years ago on our 2007 9-3 2.0T, got a check engine light and a noticeable shutter when driving at highway merge speeds. I ran a scan with my BlueDriver OBD2 reader and got a P1312 "Ignition Coil "B" Primary/Secondary Circuit" code. Since I wasn't sure how long the spark plugs had been in, I decided to replace those, and put in a set of NGK PFR6T-10G's, but the issue persisted. So I got on eBay thinking I could save a buck, and ordered a used OEM yellow top, likely salvage yard pull, for $12 plus fairly cheap shipping, well I definitely got what I paid for because after installing it there was no change. So I ordered a new OEM black top, put it in cylinder 2 since I assumed "B" was #2, and this totally fixed the issue. Fast forward 4 years, and now have a new P1312 "Ignition Coil "B" Primary/Secondary Circuit" code, that's right, same cylinder! So having since bought a backup new OEM black top, I put it in to see if that last new one may have prematurely failed, and no change. So next step, bought a new Ionization Module with fingers crossed, nope, no change. So now I'm wondering if these 4 year old spark plugs are the problem, seems a bit quick, but it's possible since there's probably around 35K-40K on them. Anyway, will be swapping those out in the next couple days. I'll post a follow up.

[Thymediadude]

Thank you for what you do for the Saab community!!

Here's a variation on the theme:
2008 9-3 4 cyl turbo

1. From cold start, drive about 3 miles at about 35-40 MPH.
2. Feel some misfire - then engine quits after another ½ mile - no code
3. Can't restart
4. Wait 2 hours, restart car successfully
5. Drive another ~1 mile, engine misfires at stop light (doesn't quit) and CEL lights up, flashing and then steady
6. Complete drive about 3 miles, park car in driveway
7. Check CEL with reader (not a Tech2) - get P0300 - random misfire

Seems engine temp related (based on distance traveled) but its not 100% consistent. Had MAF sensor replaced several months ago - fixed immediate problem (another misfire) but then. this issue cropped up. Targeting the Crankshaft Position Sensor this time after some advice, but not sure after viewing your misfire video.

Any thoughts?

[SVTCO]

I swap coils so much on my 05 Arc that I keep the coil cover off, also gets rid of the heat trap and allow air flow over, coils last a lot longer. Also have a hefty box of used coils in the trunk.

[guitarlover]

Very useful ! My 2.0 aero starting juddering between 60 and 70 mph
Going for Tec 2 on Tuesday
Also putting some fuel cleaner through !

[danielboone]

So did it end up being the spark plugs or were the coils bad?

[dougS]

Mitsubishi (which are Saab OEM) coil packs are amazing! Coil packs are good for about 150K.

[keith]

Miss fire on my 2004 9-3 turned out to be ignition coil. I pulled code and it pointed to cylinder#2. I swapped with #4 then #4 miss fired. This happened right after I put new plugs in so it had to be the coil. Note you need to get Saab OEM coils because the first set of "new" off brand coils made it worse. I then bought a used OEM black coil which worked perfectly.

[pupinas]

Hey, i think no matter what coil packs you are using, yellow or black, they are the same packs with no change but the color. Why people say that black ones are better because basically they are "newer". I have my 2.0T Aero with yellow ones, and had zero problem. Ofc 220k km on the clock only.

[dve]

Should use dielectric grease on the coil packs all helps reliability 💪😎

[ewanm]

I still have yellow top coils on my 03 9-3 they haven’t failed yet

[travisfry]

Where can I go to get the right coils for cheaper I’m trying my best to not pay 400 on them all it probably would be better but I didn’t know that I had to get specific ones before I put these ones I got in now

[thezaalls]

I've had issues with misfire a few times on my 9-3. One time it was actually valve cover gasket that was bad, so there was oil leak within the spark plugs and the car was impossible to drive. Also if you drive under boost with the engine misfiring for a period of time you should get an engine code eventually, though it probably isnt the best thing to do.