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1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
a) No, I don't work at a dealer. From 1999 through 2004 I was Editor and Publisher of NINES, The Saab Club Magazine, but I have no "inside information".
2) the data that I have is public record information supplied to NHTSA by GM in response to an investigation into sudden unpredictable stalling of 9-3 and 9-5 vehicles. I found the link somewhere in this forum - I'm in my winter home and don't have access to it, otherwise I'd happily reprint the link here.
III) As for your question - prior to the recall, there were 4 and a half "quality programs" implemented to resolve this problem (the "half" was a change in the part number of the DIC to conform with GM's part numbering system). These included three hardware revisions and one software revision.
Hardware can be checked from the revision code on the part - Anders' has provided photographs of these from time to time. 3.0 was the initial version. 3.2 came out in the 2001 model year, and it was worse - 2001 models have a predicted (GM's numbers here) rate of failure of over 800 per 1000 cars over 10 years. 3.4 came with the 2002 models, and the best that can be said about it is it was about the same as 3.0 in terms of longevity. 3.6 was introduced with the 2003 model year, and a software revision was also made with the 2003 model year. Revisions earlier than 3.6 are those subject to free replacement, although for some reason 1999 model year owners are left hanging. Ditto for V-6 owners, except those with MY 2001.
The only way to check the software revision absolutely for sure is to hook up a Tech II, although the model year and warranty record will indicate with some degree of accuracy. For example, the warranty record for my car shows the software update.
Your 2003 model is supposed to have the latest hardware and software revisions. It would take something very strange happening for that not to be the case.
Reiterating, most DI Cassettes that have failed suffered overheating and subsequent destruction of the transistor that triggers the spark. It is said to occur mostly on startup, and that would, I assume, trace back to the multi-spark on startup function that is built into the whole DI concept. That is GM's stand. I would think it is just as likely, or more likely, to have occurred from the multi-spark at shutdown function, since it involves firing more sparks at a time and the module is already hot at the time. On the other hand, during startup the cylinders are full of cold air and fuel, so it might require more current to ionize the mixture and make a spark. Either way, I don't know how one could distinguish from a failure that occurs right when you try to start the car as opposed to one that occurs just as you last shut down the car, except by taking the DI out and running a test on it after every shut down.
The above discourse brings to mind some possible software changes to prolong DI life - namely, reducing or doing away completely with the multi-spark function. Thinking about some of Saab's - er - endearing characteristics - over the years, I get the feeling that Swedes are terrified of freezing to death in their cars. Hence such interesting features as heated seats, very high thermostat settings, very high fan thermoswitch settings, and a general disregard for overheating problems which plagued Saabs up until they were faced with qualifying at the GM Desert Proving Grounds. The multi-spark on shutdown and multi-spark during startup might be another symptom of that line of thinking. They might be features that cure generally non-existent problems at the cost of creating real ones. By the way, overheating is no longer an issue -
posted by 24.28.3...
, Tue, 7 Mar 2006 19:55:41, Wed, 8 Mar 2006 18:55:23, Thu, 9 Mar 2006 14:11:41, Wed, 8 Mar 2006 09:02:51
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