Saab Battery

The Saab dealer tells me that only a genuine Saab battery will work in my 2001 Viggen. He says that any other battery will be dangerous. Is he correct or am I a sucker? My battery seems to die every 2-3 years.

I find this EXTREMELY hard to believe.

What is it about the Saab battery, exactly, that makes it different from any other 12V battery?

And how, exactly, is a battery from someone other than a Saab dealer “dangerous?”

Saab does not manufacture its own batteries. It buys them from a battery supplier, just as all other car manufacturers do.

I suggest you check with your local auto parts store or battery retailer and see how many batteries are available for your car.

That’s crap!!!

SAAB doesn’t make batteries…They are made for them by one of the battery manufacturers. Since GM is owned (or at least I think it still is by GM…it’s probably a AC/Delco battery).

The other thing…if they are saying you MUST use their battery…they they MUST supply that battery to you for FREE…YES FREE…

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act - look it up. Then show it to the Saab dealer.

Where is the battery located? Under the hood in the motor compartment? In the trunk? In the passenger compartment under a seat?

I have an '04 Ford T’bird and the battery sits in the trunk. This requires a special battery and for awhile only Ford sold it. Now there are replacements becoming available from other sources.

If the battery is up front under the hood, then this is bogus. If it is located in the trunk or under a seat in the passenger compartment you might have to shop harder for a proper replacement battery.

Yes, the special thing about it is that it is sealed except for a vent tube connection. The vent tube makes sure that any released hydrogen is vented outside the car, instead of inside the trunk and passenger compartment.

It would be a huge issue if a battery out gassed into a passenger compartment, and the next time someone lit a cigarette, the car flashed over. That would ruin your day, right quick.

BC.

SAAB doesn’t make batteries…They are made for them by one of the battery manufacturers. Since GM is owned (or at least I think it still is by GM…it’s probably a AC/Delco battery).

Saab is now owned by Spyker Supercars, the name may be 100% accurate.
There are only a few battery makers and GM/Delco is not one of them. Johnson Controls makes batteries and I believe Exide is also a manufacturer. I believe there is a 3rd but the name eludes me.

No that is BS…AND if you are worried about venting…just buy a dry cell Batt…they cost more but last several X longer than standard Batts do. I have an Optima Dry Cell in my Porsche 914 because of the fact that it cannot leak acid into my uni body…in a BAD spot. Optima will have one for your car…they even sell them at Pep Boys or Auto zone most times…They are absolutely fantastic

Maybe I’m reading this wrong but surely you aren’t saying that tardis and bladecutter are wrong about battery outgasssing and having a bad day. ???

If so, it’s a very real danger and we had one go up in a wide open and well ventilated shop once when an iffy positive cable clamp popped loose from the battery. Luckily this happened at the end of lunch break with no one around it.
We heard a loud boom like a transformer on a power pole blowing up followed by some light fixtures swinging back and forth along with the glass in the front of the service dept. undulating back and forth.

The battery actually still looked pretty good; just puffed up a bit. The explosion was purely the hydrogen gas under the hood going up.
We were almost dead certain that Subaru owner needed a new battery anyway. This just removed all doubt.

All automotive batteries (dry, wet, gel, whatever) have the potential to vent hydrogen in extreme circumstances, such as a short circuit or a voltage regulator failure. You are giving very dangerous advice. I have talked to an Optima rep about this very thing. He specifically said that ALL of the batteries that they sell can vent if shorted or overcharged. If you look closely at the Optima batteries, you will see the round vents.

The battery is located in the engine compartment and it is a normal 12 volt battery with top post mounts.

According to ALLDATA there is nothing saying you have to replace it with a Saab battery.

Well, that makes much of the discussion above moot.