SAABSUNITED

For a couple of days SU has visited Maptun Performance in Örebro in order to check out how a car is tuned. At the same time we decided to ask these guys who are true experts on tuning cars on what to think about when wanting more horse-power but also what to think about when maintaining your Saab etc. P-A Johansson (who has built the 1000 hp Saab), CEO Fredrik Bengtsson and Customer Support Manager took the time out of their extremely busy workday to answer your questions. Have a look below and you’ll probably learn a lot!

Q: I would like to hear the main difference regarding tuning between MapTun, BSR and Hirsch, Why does MapTun`s software act different compared to the others etc. ?

A: I do not want to comment on the competition and can only talk about the software we create. The philosophy behind Maptuns software is the feeling of the Saab original way of doing things but with a lot more power, the force comes softly but firmly and trying to reduce boost peaks giving a comfortable ride. We strive for nice smooth torque curves. Its very important to to choose the reduce the amount of peaks of torques. These boost-peaks are mean to the car in terms or reliability. Of course we can go crazy but then we’re talking about a different category of cars & customers. / Fredrik Bengtsson

Q: Are the twin exhausts for the 9-5 (MY2006) wagon subtle? I’d like an exhaust that looks cool and sounds great but not in a crappy farty way like so many of these sports/performance ones that seem to adorn so many rubbish cars that are often lowered as well.

A: 2,5 inches, sounds more subtile and 3″ inch is too loud and sounds like an empty can. Maptun has tested a specific exhaust system for the 9-5 to get a nice driving comfort but at the same time work very well with tuning and performance. / P-A Johansson

Q: I’m wondering if there is more risk to engine tuning when the engine is more experienced with ,let’s say 100’000 km, compared to a brand new engine?

 

A: Everything is worn and torn with age and milage, that is unavoidable. The most important is however not the milage but rather how the car has been maintained. / P-A Johansson

Q: Any Maptun BBK for 9-5NG?

A: The 336 mm brakes are available for the NG 9-5. Due to the high weight of the 9-5NG we recommend at minimum the 336 mm kit however the 360 mm brake kit is also available. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: My son Andrew and I are rebuilding a 1997 CSE into an Aero. The front springs on the CVE are broken and need to be replaced and we’re thinking of maybe using Maptun items rather than secondhand original-specification. What difference would this make?

A: The Maptun springs make the car lower, about 30 mm than original, used original springs could be very unreliable. Normally its change all four for reliability. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: I consider myself as a regular SAAB driver. I drive around 20 000 km per year, not very slowly 50-60 km/h in town, but also not very fast around 140-150 km/h on the highway. Maybe 40% of my driving is in urban areas and 60 % – long driving on 1st class roads or highway. What is the most reliable SAAB engine the guys from Maptun would recommend for a person like me?

A: I would recommend the 9-3 SS/SC, 2008 is a very affordable car. / P-A Johansson

Q: How do you best maintain an engine so that it would last “forever” and what parts usually break and when?

A: Rather changing the oil often than paying lots of money for expensive oil, you need to get rid of all the small fragments in the oil such as sot and metal-particles that enters the oil as it is driven. Do not drive with the same oil for more than 10’000 km at maximum. The worst problem with the 9-5 is the turbo, cam-transmission chain, rear bushings & Drop-links. The 9-3 is better, the most common problem is the forward crankshaft seal, seal for the power steer-pump & rear bushings / P-A Johansson

Q: Why are some companies selling TD04 Aero turbos for 200-300 USD and why are yours so expensive?

A: Our turbos are genuine Mitsubishi turbos. There are unfortunately lots of cheep copies out there, they look exactly the same with all the article numbers and letter whoever they lack the Mitsubishi logo on the exhaust housing, that is the only way to tell them apart without taking the turbo a part for inspection. We’re often seeing non-genuine version of turbos that do not perform as a real one would. The big difference is in loss of performance and reliability of the turbo. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: Once the Ecu is replaced on OG 9-3 with a Maptun ecu can additional stage upgrades be “plug and played” like later model 9-3′s?

A: It depends on the Engine Management System, the Maptuner tuning computer which the software is supplied with only supports T7 Engines or newer. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: How do you avoid torque steer with so much power going though the front wheels.

A: A differential is a good option, most cars are different, limit the torque in the software, good tires is essential. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: Would you guys consider making Biopower convertion for 9-3 2.0 XWD -09? And a at least 370hp kit?

A: To be able to tune these cars we need to install an ethanol sensor and other additional parts which in the end make the tuning too costly for the customer.

Q: A lot of TTID, have been sold since the introduction back in 2008. Still there is not many upgrades for them?

A: The demand is not very high and to increase horse-power significantly a lot of hardware needs to be replaced which brings the price up a bit too much. / Fredrik Bengtsson

Q: Is there a front strut-brace for the 9-5 1997-2010?

A: We’re re-designing it right now and will test the brand new deign that it works the way we want it to and we’ll hopefully have it done this spring. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: What is, by the book, a safe hp and tq limit for the ecotec based b207 stock bottom end and pistons

A: The type of clutch varies on the version of the B207, for example the B207E will support 270 Nm but one needs engineer the software very carefully not to get any peaks in torques with a turbo-pressure of just over 1 bar. The pistons will support 300 hp. / Fredrik Bengtsson

Q: For petrol engines, all kinds of tuning measures are available. For Diesel engines, tuning seems to be strictly limited to firmware tuning. Why ?

A: Lack of demand and any higher power-output requires a larger turbo. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: I’ve heard that the penalty for a tuning upgrade is a lower life expectancy for the engine. I would like to ask if there any evidence that is the case and if so what is their qualitative expectation of by how much a diesel engine’s life may be shortened by an upgrade?

A: For example the TTiD has a range from 130-180 hp as original with the exact same engine. The most important factor is not the amount of horsepower on paper but rather what the torque-curve looks like, an ECU software can be made in so many ways and what aspects are considers such as turbo-rpm, rail-pressure etc. If you definitely want to kill your engine buy a plug-in box which only manipulates the fuel pressure. / Fredrik Bengtsson

Q: Maptun has high torque clutches for the high power upgrade of your Saab, but what should you do if you have an automatic transmission?

A: Limit torque at a safe level that the automatic transmission can handle or be aware of the risks and raise the torque. All Maptun tuning stages has a default safe torque level. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: What’s the difference and brand of the new performance clutch? compared to the SPEC one?

A: It gives better drivability and lower price. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: Does the stage 1 tune for the 2008 9-3 SS 2.0T improve gas mileage and how much?

A: The short answer is maybe. Depending on the driving style, we have seen indications of lower consumption however its nothing that we can promise. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: What are the best options and where to being to improve the chassis response of the 9-3ss My2003, with Aero suspension kit?

A: No 1: Strut-brace, No 2: Better springs, No 3: Better shock-absorbers. / Fredrik Åberg

Q: Also in my case, for example to improve the response of the turbo?

A: The turbo responds better if you upgrade to a performance exhaust system the back-pressure is lower in those types of exhaust systems. The exhaust is hot as it leaves the turbo and cools down as it flows towards the end of the exhaust system, therefore its better to have a larger diameter of the exhausts forward parts close to the turbo and then decrease the diameter further back. / Fredrik Åberg