1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Since a lot of people have this problem, I'll tell you how I addressed it, and leave it up to you whether you want to monkey with your SID or not. Because it DOES require taking it apart and putting it back together and the electronics are small and sensitive, so do it at your own risk I suppose. Still if you're thinking of replacing the whole sid just to fix a few pixels, then what have you got to loose?
The SID comes out as you know by threading two bolts into the two holes on the front and pulling (I forget the thread/size on the bolts needed, but I just took a box of screws/bolts in the car with me and found two that work -- it comes out easily with a little up and out pull)
Turn your Key OFF! Pull back the clip on the plug and pull the plug out by the plastic plug part obviously (note the orientation, though the cable should be turned in such a way that it 'remembers' which way round is correct.
Take the SID to a clean and organized little work table inside. Be sure you have a set of jewelers screw drivers handy. On the underbelly, there is an L-shaped clip. Unclip it (easy) and slide it out. Also take out the two long screws on the back and then you can push the 4 clips in (one or two at a time) with one of the bigger jewelers screwdrivers or whatever. When all 4 clips are off the plastic case will slide off the circuit boards (2 of them).
The 2 90-degree boards are connected via a plug-in socket which you can slowly and carefully work loose starting with your SMALLEST jewelers flat-head and working it along the gap. You are only trying to get it open enough to get the next screw driver in. Then use the 2nd smallest one along the gap to open it a bit. Don't wrench too hard or you'll start mushing the plastic, which you can do a little, but don't go overboard. Then work a larger gap with the next screw driver.
Now the gap between the two rows of prongs on the plug should be large enough that you can get the SMALLEST screw driver in between the two rows of teeth (from the short sides of the rectangular plugs) and work it slowly down the middle isle of those prongs lifting the plug apart. you get the idea. just slow and steady baby steps to not rip this component to bits.
When done the two boads can be unfolded (lie the flat) like a book, but be careful from now on since you don't want to pull that tape ribbon apart from the board as that is the whole problem -- the only thing keeping them together is the display ribbon (the one whose design is the cause of all this crap). You can see that it is not really SOLDERED onto the boards at either end. Rather it is sort of glued/taped down onto them. This technique is used sometimes in electronics, but is obviously not up to the job in this application since it is failing on so many of us.
This next part is a little hard to describe but examine it and you will see for yourself where the ribbon/board presses up agains the back of the white plastic display housing. There is even a little rounded ridge extending the length of the housing in EXACTLY the place that you would want pressure applied to the taped contacts. Obviously there by design to keep it pressed down. Also, the other end of the ribbon is joined behind the display glass, which I saw no easy way to lift out, and didn't want to pry it, nor do I recommend you try that as you will almost certainly ruin your display if you do...just leave it in place. I figured out that you CAN increase pressure the tape contacts on that end as well without lifting the glass.
In both spots, here's what you do. I used a sharp kitchen knife (make sure your wife isn't around to see this) to cut through 5 or 6 layers (you can peel off layers if you don't need them, or if they apply too much pressure etc.) of electrical tape while still on the roll, then I did the same about 3 1/2 inches around the roll. This way you can peel off a 3 1/2 inch strip of thick sticky rubber in essence. Which is nice and neat and tidy and doesn't require you to keep applying all mismatched shapes and sizes of tape to build up a little extra force on the contacts.
Put one such strip along that rounded bit of white plastic on the back of the white display housing (you will need to slice your whole strip of tape to make it narrower, as electrical tape is JUST a little to wide to fit nicely on that side of the housing). Then slice another THIN strip (I happened to get the first slice right so my leftover strip was just right for the second application) and put it on the front glass part that 'dips down' below the main/visible part of the glass.
That is, looking at the glass display from the side, it looks like a step of glass. the top step, is the part that comes through the SID plastic face and is visible in the car. The lower part of the step is not visible and it merges with the plastic case (look at the case, you will see which part mates here, it has a number of angular re-inforcements in the case that press against this part of the glass). Behind this part of the glass is the second contact point of that Tape/Ribbon. Again, I didn't want to damage it by prying the glass, and you will too if you try it. However, by building up a little rubbery cushion on the front of this part of the glass (with your thin strip of tape, a couple mm thick) you can apply just a LITTLE more pressure along the length of the tape ribbon contact zone and it will be invisible from the front of the SID).
Don't put so much cushion that you can't click the case back on, but put enough so that the case is actually pressing a little more firmly across that ribbon zone. Use your judgement. I used trial and error, put a little too much, then found the case too hard to close, then backed up and pulled a few layers off the tape and then it worked nicely.
Reconnect the two boards by pushing the plug back in til it snaps down solid. Re-insert into the plastic case and snap on the front of the SID case. Does it not snap on? You have too much tape on the glass/front portion? Did it snap on very easily? You have not added to the cusion factor at all, and there is no extra resistence or push contributed by the case on it (you may as well remove the tape in that case). Re screw in your long screws and try plug it back in in the Saab (key OFF!) the right way around. Dont push the SID back in just yet. Now that it's connected again, try your key and see if you got any results. I felt I didn't quite get what I wanted the first time, and took it apart and added a little bit more from the amount i first backed off from, kind of splitting the difference if you will.
At any rate, the 2nd time, FOR ME, worked pretty darned good, the result: 4 of the 5 columns were restored. I can live with that. :)
Again, your results may vary, and I don't advise you doing this unless you are comfortable handling electronics (know enough to discharge yourself of static before getting your paws all over a PCB), but it's not hard either. Still I don't want any of this on my head if you wreck your SID, just do it if you are already prepared to get a replacement or are comfortable with everything I described or are really really desperate to see what that display is actually saying, instead of guessing in a "Wheel Of Fortune" type of guessing game.
Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask, I'd be happy to help.
Tom.
posted by 12.224.158...
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