Saab ECU Tuning - Anyone done it?

Hi GRM,

I've been looking recently at getting into tuning my saab for fun using the (looks to be pretty powerful) T5Suite. There are also T7 and T8 suites for those respective ECU platforms.

Just curious if anyone on here has ever done it and if you have any advice. Basically I'm looking to be able to bump boost pressure and tune for different turbos and boost pressure controllers, as well as do live monitoring to test my tuning. However, it looks like there is a lot of other fun stuff built into the ECUS as well, like two-step functionality to build boost while stationary for drag racing or to switch to e85 instead of 93 octane, etc.

Who has done it and what are your results? I know I can ship my ECU to one of many saab tuners, who will basically do it for me, but I want to do it myself for the learning and fun and repeatablility.

Thanks!

Where are you located? Guy in the Raleigh-area Saab club does it for free. He tuned my 9-5 and it was a monster afterwards

In reply to Storz:

Excellent! Great to hear that you had such good results. Unfortunately I am in the Chicago area. I'm starting to get onto the saab forums and such, so I bet there are clubs and stuff around here that are similar.

I'm interested in learning more as well. Considering T5 on the C900 I picked up.

EvanB wrote: I'm interested in learning more as well. Considering T5 on the C900 I picked up.

Did I miss this acquisition somewhere on GRM?

paranoid_android74 wrote:

EvanB wrote: I'm interested in learning more as well. Considering T5 on the C900 I picked up.

Did I miss this acquisition somewhere on GRM?

The black 900 turbo with blown headgasket in Detroit is now in my driveway.

Mike did great work on my old 9000. Very reasonably priced and knows Saabs backwards and forwards:

http://mikedtuning.com/

EvanB wrote: I'm interested in learning more as well. Considering T5 on the C900 I picked up.

I am in the same boat.. but considering how fragile the gearboxes are on these cars.. I would love to find a way to lower boost in 1st gear to avoid wheelspin

You guys and your turbos!

Ok, well, I just plunked down for the combi adapter. Johnc on the trionictuning forums invented and manufactures the device, and Brew City Boost in the states distributes his product.

Basically it is what allows your computer to interface to the CAN for real time tuning and monitoring, and also BDM (i think) for bench-top flashing of an ecu.

I'll keep this thread updated with my findings. Here goes!

In reply to Robbie:

I am very interested in how it works out. I am on my 2nd 9-5 Aero and want to turn the wick up a bit.

Also interested. I'm hoping to get back to my 9-5 project, and decided I should make it a TD04 at the same time.

Well, I got it everything connected for the first time last night, reading the ECU and laptop showing real time gauges!

First impression is that T5SuiteII is REALLY powerful. You can read, change, and compare every single table in the ECU, as well as do data logs on literally hundreds of sensors/inputs/variables/etc that the ECU is seeing. The software has a few 'tuning wizards' that allow you to go stage 1,2,3 quite easily, and the software updates all the necessary maps for you. Other wizards help you change injector sizes, MAP sensors, boost controllers, e85, etc, by bringing you to all the tables necessary in the ECU one by one that need adjusting. There is even an 'autotune' feature that you can engage and then go for a drive and it will log all the maps and places on the map that were inside your expected parameters and shows you all the places that differed and by how much.

There are some things I don't understand yet, such as the AFR readout (it was showing AFR from 12 to 18, much more like a wideband than a narrowband - I don't have a wideband on the car, so I wonder if it was calculated somehow).

I didn't get to go out and log any runs yet (I need a set of rear brake pads first), but idling in the driveway and watching everything go was really neat.

In reply to Robbie:

A week late to the party but I would visit trionictuning for more information as some of those guys are hardcore. I was able to tune my 9-3ss 2.0T using the t8 software.

seyhan3535 wrote: In reply to Robbie: A week late to the party but I would visit trionictuning for more information as some of those guys are hardcore. I was able to tune my 9-3ss 2.0T using the t8 software.

Which T8 software and how were you connecting to the ECU?

In reply to seyhan3535:

Nice! How did it all work out for you in the end?

and thanks for the tip on trionic, I have asked a few questions over there and it takes a day or two to get an answer (I think most of the users are actually European) but you are right they are extremely knowledgeable.

"stage 2" tune installed on the 9-3. Max boost up from .8 bar (11-12 psi) to 1.25 bar (18-19 psi).

Now the car makes the front tires - admittedly crappy 215 all-seasons - squeak from a roll from about 3k to 5.5k rpm! What a hoot!

Still learning more and more about the software, for example I noticed that 'vss - vehicle security system' was off and I thought that was why my key fob remote locks were not working, but when I turned it on I realized it is actually an engine immobilizer that makes the ECU look for a secure key that I do not have. Luckily I only made a few changes at a time so it was easy to diagnose the sudden 'no-start'. ha.

Watch Amazon. You are gong to want a wideband to get real info coming in.

In reply to foxtrapper:

T8 suite and the associated programs from trionictuning. If you're a long time enough member and post regularly they grant you access to certain tuning packages which you can use to tune your ecu bin file. I later used an elm clone and a laptop to tweak some settings and get a stage 1 tune going basically. The 2.0T in the 9-3 is basically turbocharged cobalt ss motor, and those things can make some ridiculous horsepower. Problem is the gm community has a much larger tuner scene than saab and as such most tunes are limited to 300bhp. Some of the older cars can be tuned much further, I believe some of the 9000 aero's and such had incredibly stout motors from the factory.

Hey guys, I've done quite a few T5 C900's and a bunch with saab tuning, Feel free to Email me with any questions

ScreamingSPG@gmail.com

In reply to MikeDtuning:

Thanks miked, and welcome!

I actually have some questions about a possible e85 conversion on this same car. I may send you an email later.

MikeDtuning wrote: Hey guys, I've done quite a few T5 C900's and a bunch with saab tuning, Feel free to Email me with any questions ScreamingSPG@gmail.com

Hey there,

I emailed you a week or two ago, haven't heard back. Maybe it didn't go through?

Let me know, thanks!