How to Save Your Saab 9-3's ECU! (T8 ECU Spacer Kit Install) 

Awesome tutorial! I imagine Saab had this conversation when designing the 2.8T..."So we messed up with the ECU location on the 2.0T...how about this time we put the battery and coolant reservoir by the turbo? That should be a nice treat for them!"

Excellent video, thanks for sharing! Purchased a kit for my 2006 93 with 198k miles. Still on the original ECU and my Saab runs very nicely. Great cars. Going to install my kit today 30 March 2023

Bought a 2005 9-3 aero convertible with 85,000 miles, well maintained. This was the first “mod” I couldn’t wait to do! Installed tonight! Great instructional video! Thanks!

Great tip and tutorial on the kit (my third T8 ECU is going to be installed next week along with the kit). I purchased the kit on Monday June 28th from Martin (the gentleman you recommended), and I received it on Friday July 2nd. I contacted Martin by email to start the process, and he was quick to respond. I paid extra to have the kit shipped by DHL and there were no issues. The financial transaction was done through PayPal which worked for both of us. Thanks for putting the video together and recommending him.

Thanks for the guide and the link to the spacer! I just did it without removing the intake hose. A lot easier than struggling with a stuck hose haha

I made a similar kit for my 1.6 Fiat Stilo ECU, which had similar issue (except it wasn't the intake manifold but a metallic plate mounted on top of the engine valve cover (also metallic). I bought 3 rubber anti-vibration male-to-male screws, a thick shield of electromechanical bakelite (it was very hard to find it as it isn't usually offered in retail stores) and of course a similar earth strap. Works like a charm. I will probably make a similar video soon.

finally you made this vid, I have been needing this so long!!!!!

Thanks for another informative, well- made video! Your input about how to increase ventilation on the engine cover is something I experimented with, though like you I am not skilled in making straight vertical slits in the cover. What I did was drill four holes equally spaced 1.5 inches across each of the three indentations. I used masking tape after measuring to make sure each of the holes lined up vertically, and I angled the drill at about 45 degrees to assist with the angle the inflow of air would take before exiting the holes the factory made at the rear of the engine cover. I think the cosmetic look is acceptable, to me at least, and a bit more ventilation for the ECM. Happy to email you pics if you want. Cheers! John

This was very useful fitting today at RTJ autos in Stockport - fitted easily except fiddle doing earth cable

Just finished installing mine. Thanks for the heads up!

"deez nuts" tickled me 😆 great vid man! Just got my first ever Saab (in UK) and loving it. Glad I came across your channel 👍

Another great video, thanks for the insight and step by step procedure 👍🏼

Nice video and the honesty in the end about not enlarging the 3 slots in the cover yourself😂😂.

My 2004 93 was bringing up multiple codes and air con stopped working. I did a similar thing to this and now have no codes, air con works and engine runs better. You wouldn't think this would make a big difference but it does. Thanks for showing us.

Thanks for the fantastic video. I installed the kit today, it was easier than it expected with your help. After I was done, started my ‘09 Combi and got a stability control error. Turned off and re-started, it went away until I drove about 10 mins. Turned off, drove again another 10 mins, no error. Fingers crossed it won’t appear again. 🤞Anyone else experience this issue?

Just ordered one,,,great timing thanks!

Just bought the exact same kit took 4 days to UK. Can't wait to install this, I will also add aluminium heat shield under both the ECU and Spacer for extra heat dissipation. I won't use the engine cover. Hopefully stops me throwing codes on an otherwise pampered car.

I made one kit like this myself, it cost me 10-15 bucks in materials but also several hours of work . :) It reduces the temperature but still at times the computer gets really hot.

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.

Ive install that spacer Kit today as you recommended

Just got an an 03 Saab 9-3 and this is great to know

Helpful tip: I installed this today. Ordering / receiving was easy and pretty quick. The bottom studs on the rubber spacers are just glued on. 3 out of 4 went all the way in and bottomed out with just finger tightening. For some reason the bottom right was tight and I couldn't get it to bottom out by finger tightening. I put one of the screws in the top to be able to use ratchet to get the spacer to bottom out and... pop - rubber detached from bottom stud and I wasn't using much torque. Had to use pliers and then glue it back on with some 5 min. epoxy. So, if you're not able to get all the rubber spacers to bottom out on the plate with just your fingers, squirt a little PB Blaster or the like onto one of the screws and work it with a ratchet - in, back out, in, back out, until threads on intake have no more tight spots. Then you'll be able to get all the rubber spacers to bottom out with just fingers. When mounting the ECU, you won't want to put much torque on those screws at all as you may risk the bottom rubber spacer stud detaching. Maybe a couple lbs. torque with some loc-tite. I didn't use loc-tite so will check the mounting screws in a couple hundred miles.

I just followed this video (thanks so much for posting it). I couldn't get the Intake Hose off. And, it turns out I didn't need to. You can get to the engine cover bolts without removing it, if you have an extender for your 10mm ratchet. I did loosen the clamp on the Intake Hose though (which was opposite direction from your video and re-tightening it later was difficult to get a screwdriver in position for). NOTE: You can not install those new elongated bolts for the engine cover (from the kit) without a deep socket 10mm. So make sure you have a deep socket 10mm, make sure you have socket extender, and you can probably get away with leaving your Intake Hose on if you feel you need to.

Yeah....gotta get one of those kits. Already roasted an ECU at 190k on my ARC Vert. Thanks for pointing them out! If that plastic coolant y-pipe isn't fairly new, you might want to check out the metal aftermarket versions soon. Mine snapped when I tried to push it out of the way recently. Less than cool...

Worked great! Thanks

Martin Hsu supplier - very efficient 👌 mine arriving Wednesday morning - ordered Sunday !

It is your idea? Brilliant

Although I've not done this yet, a recent experience leads me to believe excess heat is definitely an issue with old ECUs. We recently hit 95 degrees here in Central Texas. I drove my 40 minute commute home in my '06 9-3 sportcombi. Stopped at a store for 20 minutes, parked in the sun, and when I came back out to go, had Traction Control Failure and other codes and car wouldn't start. There were zero symptoms on the 40 minute drive. Cleared codes to start and limped home. Disconnected battery and every possible electrical quick disconnect. Let it sit overnight and reconnected all. Cleared codes and no issues since, but it hasn't been much above 80 degrees outside. Makes me think the heat and baking Texas sun that day had something to do with it. Making the CPU cooler on a computer for better performance and stability is definitely a real thing (and has sure come a LONG WAY in the last 15 years). Stands to reason the same holds true here. I'm going to give it a go.

This kit took just 4 days to arrive, so great service from the email address given in the video. Not 100% sure it'll work but logic to me says heat isn't good for electronics so thought I'd fit it in case it does help.

any recommendations for a company to purchase a new ecu ? you're a great addition to youtube. I dig the info.

This is brilliant. Thank you! Ordered two kits in case my son gets a 9-3, but he said he wants bmw, so who knows.

Nice! Thanks!

Mine will be arriving Thursday! Thanks for this, wasn't able to find them anywhere else (except ebay where everyone is charging double!) For me on the east coast it was $50+$25 DHL.

Relocating the ECU to the air filter area with a heat barrier like the ones created for a free flow air filter will save the ECU for good.

Great video, thanks for posting this! Question: Do those guys make this kit for 2.8 engines?

Thanks for the video, i made my own kit from parts from the hardware store, only cost me 22€ plus maybe an hour of work. So worth it to do this!

Hi, I drilled holes in the engine cover where those 3 lines are. Car seems happy enough with the amount of airflow over the ECU. Also on key fob, the button next to boot/trunk button with a line on it brings on your exterior and interior light so you can see if anyone is hiding in your car. On the subject of the ski hatch in the rear seat, DO NOT lock the hatch. If you have the misfortune for you your boot/trunk catch to fail when boot is closed you will have no way of opening it. With hatch unlocked you can just reach through to release the rear seat back so you can get into the boot/trunk.😂

Thanks for this vid! I ordered one and am about to install. My 05 Aero is still on its original ECU at 154k. Mostly freeway miles which is why I'm guessing it survived so long.

These have been available from SAAB Salvage in Sydney Australia for a number of years now have one on my 9-3 Aero

If someone wants to make it on its own, it cost less than 5$ ... It's not just a heat, vibrations are a bigger problem ... rubber bolts neutralize vibrations, and the bakelite plate and the space in between regulate the temperature down.

My local (Australian) SAAB mechanic installed this for me about 2 months ago. I went and watched the video by the guy who developed the kit and he said it takes 15 minutes to install. My mechanic charged me for one hour of labour. I guess he needs to eat too! LOL.

I put one of these kits on my 2006 Combi about 6 months ago. My car has about 85K on it and I just thought it would be a good preventative measure. My temp difference is about 37 deg. C cooler.

With or without the socket, the temperature under the hood is still heating ecu. I thing the solution may be to make wires longer and remove ecu to the other place. Good vid. Thanks!

he makes it look so easy i gotta pull the ecu and have it rebuilt . i am gonna be adding a kit to it Fyi Amazon does have them .

Great video! I will be doing this job myself this weekend on my 2006 9-3. Do you need to disconnect the battery before starting this or nah?

Thanks for this I’ve just emailed the person hopefully they get back to me and I can order one for my Saab .... 🙏

Will the kit work once the ecu has started giving problems. Until it heats up the car works great. Thanks

Thanks, I just got my ecu back and I bought this kit so it doesn't happen again. As soon as I finish the install I found a problem. The little red security lights weren't blinking. The doors are locked so I can't get in. Bad day lol.

I would've really liked to see a test of the differences in ECU temp when the engine is warmed up. :)

10:06 HA GOT HIM!!!

Hey man, I found a turbox that I want to bring back to life, the current owner no longer has time and says it has the timing chain stretch and is throwing p0016 and p0018. Been following for a while and have wanted one since I was 21

Your Saab still looks modern

Interesting idea, I wonder would a square piece of embossed aluminium heat shield cut and drilled to size and fitted between the manifold and the ecu work as well and would cost about 20$ - it’s a lot thinner but very efficient and the original bolts should still fit?

My 2004 Saab overheated due to a damaged hose so it was unable to hold and circulate water. The first time it happened my car sounded very different when I tried to start it. Only way I could start it was if I pumped the gas paddle a lot, then once it started, it sounded and ran perfectly fine. The next time it overheated, sounded exactly the same when cranking it over, but no matter how much I pumped the gas peddle and it will not even come close to starting. It's as if whatever was damaged the first time I overheated, got way worse or just completely burned out. Can overheating burn out the ECM? Or another sensor that could be causing my problem? I'm hoping I didn't damage the head or head gasket, pistons or ring damage etc. I can't afford to have a mechanic diagnose it. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

I just got the ecu spacer I put the new ground where you said my car is misfiring with coil pack codes because of the ground from the throttle body is there a better ground that I can use

I need a ECU! Mine is failing. Any recommendations on where to buy a reliable one?

Do you need to disconnect the battery when swapping out your ECU? On all the videos I have seen, nobody has done so unless they just are not saying so in the vid. Thanks for content!

nice, got anything similar for the V6 ECU?

In another video the guy cut heat shield material and stuck it to the underside of the ECU for extra protection. Is that necessary?

Help! Lol! I’m having issues with my 2005 Saab 9-3 I’m getting code P0686. It’s also jerks when in the beginning stage of acceleration. Can you help with any info? Thank you!

To anyone doing this mod....you're gonna wanna cover the open throttle body or stuff a small rag down there. If you drop something in there, this tiny job could turn into a MAJOR project and you'll DEFINITELY be "hatin life". But look at the bright side...when you have to remove the intake manifold to, maybe, retrieve the screw, or whatever fell down there (if it didn't go into a cylinder), you could also change the PCV valve when you had it off. NEVER underestimate the power of "Murphy's Law". Mr. Murphy is ALWAYS lurking, ready to bite you in the A$$. Or, as an old gear head might say: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" Yes, I know the "butterfly" is closed, but, Murphy don't care! And LEAVE THAT STUPID BLACK PLASTIC (heat sink) COVER ON THE GARAGE FLOOR!

I run mine without the cover. Well, it rained real hard and i drove through in. Do you think I got water in my ECU? It's throwing a P0687 code....

i have this heat shield more than a year. My ECU was change last month :)

Do you need the beity cover bracket

It would help not much at tropic country while it was driving at urban area as the cooling fan will blow the hot air, coolant house to radiator is at right corner where the tempt is much higher than last side that will heat up the T-8.

Just bought my first car , it's a 2011 9-3 Turbo 4

I made my own kit from the exact same part's in the UK, cost of full kit less than £30 people are charging a fortune for such little part's that are needed, you can make these yourself

Got one for my 9-3. Only 92k miles so hopefully the ECU can outlive the rest of the car, would like to avoid needing a tech2.

You are killing me. You made this a month too late. I got my from Australia. $80. Still worth it.

The location is horrible for an ECU to be mounted. It’s the #1 demise of the 9-3 ….., sending them to be scrapped metal in the crushers. I fought back and took things in my own hands and extended all the wires and relocated it under the window wiper compartment next to the cabin filter. The stupidity is over !!!!

If you take apart yoir ecu cables do you have tk reprogram

Hi my friend you put this kit also .You remember i say to you for that kit last year. I put also a simple tude front and i give fresh air in the ECU. I sent to you photos

There is a company that repairs them 200 Us with warranty I built the spacer kit using 1/4 g10 fiberglass board and 10 dollars for rubber isolators and I machined spacers for front bracket ...cost 10 dollars

shouldn't the battery be disconnected first?

You should have done a before and after temperature test, proving the kit works, or at least how well..

Is it better than kit 88800073 from Orio?

Do they do this for a 2.8V6

Hey I’m sorry, this question has probably been asked a lot over the years but is there any way I could get some help on putting an aftermarket headunit in my Saab 93? I just want to put a single din in the place of my CD changer but I’m having trouble finding the right wire harness and fm adapter to use for my car. I’ve already wanted many RU-vid videos on how to do it, I just can’t seem to find those two parts for sale to use for my car It’s a 2003 Saab 93 arc 2.0 L Any help would be appreciated and thank you!

I'm building my own for $12 with copper spacers and a aluminum plate shield and some longer bolts from the parts store like Ace.

My question about this ecu mod/saver is how much space is made from the plate to the bottom of the ecu? Or how thick are those spacers? My guess is 1 1/2 inches? Enough to fit your index finger under it?

What exhaust system upgrade do you recommend for 2004 9-3 ARC 2.0T

Is there any downside to leaving the engine cover off? Does it offer and protection from rain and dirt while driving? Or, is it just there to discourage owners from working on them?

Hi Jacob. Before installing, is it necessary to disconnect the battery?

Do you need to remove the two large wire connectors to install the shield?

Do you think it’s worth doing the relocation kit or does the spacer accomplish the job?

Hey! Did you disconnect the battery prior to unplugging your ecu?

what is the original reason for moving the ground wire?

I stick some heat resistant tape underneath the ecu

Does the kit come with the new screws you need?

What material rubber do you use ?

Hallo, wo kann ich einen Link bestellen, vielen Dank im Voraus.

How can you tell if the ECU is bad? Do I need to have it reprogrammed if purchased refurbished?

anyone know size and thickness so i can make one

Can a bad throttle body cause a p0300 code? Anybody please help

Will this work on 2006 9-3 1.8t emgine ECU? Linear model

Can this ECU protection be shipped to Europe? (Greece) , Thanks again man awesome content

I boght 2 of these kits for my two cars. But.. I am not happy because My ECU does have notorious Ground-connection problems with these rubbers. Anyone else? Communication does not work.

Mine failed because the radiator hose that is on the left of the ECU was cracked and sprayed coolant all over my ECU.

Does anyone know how to protect mercedes ecu from excessive heat as it sits atop of the engine?

hello, can u tell the size of the screws u used?