Saab tuning
 

I have a 2001 Saab 9-3 lpt (150 bhp) which moves quite well considering its the least powerful model, still I fancy chipping it but all the usual suspects (Abbott, ElkParts, superchips etc) want 500 quid, you get goog gains as some claim up to 225 bhp from the chipped lpt engine but 500 notes, surely these days somebody must do it for less than that.

Doubt it mate...They all seem similar dont they..The Trionics 7 (as i think yours is) is twitchy to any kind of messing other than a full ECU swap..I understand your question,ie..is someone doing a chip that can be DIY fitted or similar??

I looked into this myself at one point,The cheapest i could get was around £420..also tried asking the question everywhere,could i fit the HPT or the Aero ECU?I couldnt get a staight reply apart from the Aero is defo a no no..

From what i can gather,you can also flash program the ECU via the 16 pin OBD socket...But this is a similar price also...unless you can get someone to do it on the quiet??

I aint found no one yet??

HTH

Pretty sure my dad chipped his 150bhp Saab 9-5 to around 200bhp for less than that. I'll ask.

yep - £470 from Elk (speedparts/BSR program) is going to be the best bet - I never found anyone doing cheap stuff and the knowledge required to do a decent job of it seems to stay with a small number of manufacturers. In fact I wouldnt even consider superchips as I've never heard of anyone using them for Trionic.

Expensive, but very well proven and a very good power hike.... Make sure you also try Maptun - very good but will cost approx the same (maybe a little more)

Circa 500 is the least you will pay. Hirsch are around 1000 for their stage 1. As said avoid Superchips and even be carefull around Abbott, they don't have an in-house dyno and there are documented cases (on Saab BBSs) where they've buggered up the integrated CANBUS stuff on 9-5s (which are also T7).

Also, note that BSR (speedparts) are the equiv of Superchips and develop for many cars (i.e. not a saab tuning specialist!), there have been cases of Air/fuel mixtures being very dangerous on BSR tuned 9-3 Viggens.

I'd stick with the Swedish and Swiss saab specialist tuners if I were you. A mapping program that delivers the horses but also keeps your engine safe in all circumstances costs alot to develop because of the exhaustive testing needed.

I'd stick with Hirsch, Maptun or Nordic. With Speedparts being a distant fourth. The good thing about buying from someone like Maptun is that you get a big discount on the next stage upgrade.

Confirms what I was thinking, bit pricey at the moment for me so I will have to make do, if I spent 500 quid on my car at the moment the missus would kill me !

I would personally go down the Maptun route and then do some creative accounting! :D...what the missus doens't know....etc etc :)
or justify it as a fuel saving measure, this also works! :)

seriously though.

There are also some big differences in the driving characteristics between the ECU replacments wether it be from Abbott (who have just done my classic 900T conv.) or Maptun etc its not all just 50-60bhp increases. its worth popping over to www.saabscene.co.uk or www.uksaabs.co.uk and doing a search in the performance sections.

I think for my 9k aero with trionic 5 i will go to Maptun.

Cheers

Brett

I would personally go down the Maptun route and then do some creative accounting! ...what the missus doens't know....etc etc
or justify it as a fuel saving measure, this also works!


Hmm, not worth the risk, shes like the Mafia, only scarier.