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I am posting this email that I received from Don Gregson, with his kind permission. I am still having doubts about the warranty issue - hopefully I will have that resolved to my satisfaction shortly. I contacted Saab USA and the Customer Service rep had not even heard of Nordic. She was going to investigate my concerns and get back to me.
My main concern is, if I buy a Nordic equipped car from Wigwam in Rhode Island, will the Seattle dealer give me a hard time if there is a drivetrain problem later? My initial feelings are yes, he undoubtedly will, since his sales staff had never heard of Nordic either ;( I have not yet spoken to their service department, though I intend to soon.
The idea of buying a brand new dealer-modified car and retaining the warranty is exciting, since I keep my cars a long time, and I expect an extended warranty would also be feasible. Installing the kit after the car has been sold changes the equation completely.
Comments are welcome and encouraged.
QUOTE:
Dear John,
In late response to your NORDIC Questions I have the following answers.
Is the Nordic upgrade 50 states emissions legal?
First of all, SAAB Cars has made sure that all the 2000 SAABS are and since all the tuning adjustments except the NORDIC Step # 3 kit do not involve changing or modifying these systems the answer is absolutely yes. As for the Step # 3 kits which involve changing the Catalyst from stock to a larger one we won't have that answer until I can find an EPA testing machine that is approved for California style emissions testing. In Rhode Island our Demo with the Step # 3 kit installed tested slightly cleaner than the stock version so I am confident that we will have no problems as far as pollutants. However I'm told that California tests also tests for noise pollutants as well? The Step # 3 kit is VERY slightly, louder than stock, but it is also much Quieter than the sport exhaust sold by SAAB (in all 50 states).
Can the NORDIC Tuning kits be installed by a skilled owner with common hand
tools?
Unfortunately the installations require a very expensive Tech 2 SAAB or the
like Computer to communicate with the ECU after it is adjusted and
reinstalled. Also my agreement with NORDIC UHR AB in Sweden was originally
that all the tuning was to be done here, with us being a NORDIC APPROVED
tuning facility. However you did ask about your SAAB dealer doing the tuning and I am told by Rolf that IF Wigwam has no problem with this and IF the dealership guarantees that a SAAB Certified Master Technician does the tuning, this would be possible. I now have to get in contact with Barrier SAAB, Belleview WA. Who knows maybe they want to become a NORDIC Dealer.
Do you have a Dyno chart and performance specs for the step3- 300hp?
We do have performance specs listed on Rolfs English Web site Saabtuning
.com and they are there for all the tuning kits. As far as a dyno test in the U.S. this we do not have yet. Our current problem with such a test is that the readings from a two wheel dyno test with out an atmospheric simulator will not give any true information in regard especially to a machine as advanced as a SAAB AERO. The Trionic engine management system in a SAAB takes information from several areas that would be inactive during such a test such as wheel speed from one rear wheel sensor for the traction control, the air mass meter which would not have air rushing through it like it does in real driving etc. There is only about ten
testing sites that I'm aware of in the U.S. that would be able to give an
accurate test in this manner, but trying to rent one and the cost, is very
difficult unless you are a body like NASCAR, CART, IRL or one of the big
three. In regard to the performance specs on Rolfs site, these are specs that appeal more to the Europeans than to us Americans since they are after real life driving information and not ego boosting categories such as 0-60 and 1/4 mile tests. I will tell you that I have a small elite Squandering of NORDIC fighter SAABs out there and other than a couple of VERRRYYY EEXXXPPEENNNSIIVVVVE SUPER CARS , there isn't much causing us to sweat! AND YES THE POWER BAND IS SWEETER THAN THE STOCK
BAND.
My confidence in the SAAB front wheel drive , weight distribution, brake
system with EBD and ABS, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM with a set of 4 snow tires
on my NORDIC AERO Step #3 tells me that its going to be a very fun ski season for me and my family this year!
Does the kit void the factory warranty?
The factory warranty for the drive train remains intact as well as the
warranty for the rest of the car which remains unchanged or unmodified. As for the exhaust parts that are changed the SAAB warranty does not apply because its been removed and the engine air filter which is also changed. However the exhaust warranty that comes from Frieter whom makes the exhaust, is for as long as you own the car and the warranty from K&N on the filter is for 100,000 miles.
As soon as the NORDIC brochures are translated to English and printed, I
will be sending them out to all the NORDIC customers and prospects.
Thanks Again,
Don Jr.
Wigwam SAAB
NORDIC TUNING Mgr.
UNQUOTE
, Fri, 27 Oct 2000 06:44:45
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