Date: Sat, 23 Oct 2004 09:48:42 +0100 From: Wheels of Error <insertyournospamesshere.com> Subject: SAAB 9-5 driving seat
I recently bought my first Saab, a 1998 9-5 2.3t SE auto. What a hell of a car (specially for the money)! Looks, performance, equipment and a promise of legendary durability. With 120,000 miles on the clock, the interior is like new, the body is almost unmarked and everything - apart from the ACC electronic display - works perfectly. It also has the best audio system I have ever owned. The other reason I bought it was Saab's reputation for unmatched long distance driving comfort. With leather all round, it certainly looks good, but although the passenger seats all win compliments from my family and friends, I cannot get comfortable in the driving seat, no matter how much I fiddle with the rake, height, lumbar support etc. In fact the seat feels like it has sunk in the middle slightly and as a result my bodyweight is supported more by the sides of the seat than the base. Likewise the back. After two hours of driving I get quite a back ache. Now I'm not unusually heavy (about 90 kg stretched over a 6'3" frame) so I would have thought the seat would have coped with me OK. Instead I am starting to wonder if a previous owner (it has had two, one of whom did 105,000 miles in it) was a gigantic lardass who over the course of owning it has knackered the seat springs or something. I know it can happen, as I had precisely that experience with my Peugeot 406 (which, admittedly, is notorious for having uncomfortable, poor quality seats). How likely does this sound? Has anyone any similar experiences? If the seat is indeed shagged, any suggestions on how to cure it? E.g. restorers, parts suppliers (I am in the UK). Thanks