[mikaelb]

anyone tell me if these switches should be illuminated? if so, can the bulbs be replaced and if so, how? havtried to remove the heated seat switches but they wont come out.

 

[Stewart]

Yes they should,they should green,mind you there a bugger to replace,as you have to be very carefully prise the case off,then using a soldering gun melt the solder round about the bulb so it'll come out,then replace it.
I presume your seat swith is on the dash above the headlight level,all I do (again being carefull),is prise it out using a knife,its the only way I know,then do as described above.
Not an easy task,but worth it (i think) when you all your lights are working.

 

[Stewart]

What I forgot to say,if they wont come out using the knife,then you can either get to it from underneath at the footwell,put your hand up and push it out,or take the 'lid' off the dash,and put your hand down push out.

 

[Derek]

Firstly getting the switches out. Mine are above the intake for the ACC cabin temperature sensor and the blank button which sits along side it. With a small screwdriver prise out the short blank piece of plastic trim about 2" by 1/4" which is in the horizontal space between the switches. This will allow you access to prise out the blank button (or two blanks if you have no AC). I then use a length of 3/16" square metal rod about 8" long with a handle one end and the last 1/2" of the other end bent at 90 degrees. The rod is inserted through the hole and turned so that the bent end locates against the back of the switch. By pulling on the rod the switch is pushed out. The same method is used to extract the other switch. The sockets at the back are well insulated so there is no fear of shorting anything, if you are worried about it fit some plastic sleeving or tape over the end of the rod.
Once you have the switches of you can carefully prise them open with a very small screwdriver.
On my previous cars the wire-ended bulbs ( T1,3mm, 12V, 60mA) were soldered directly to the internal PCB but those on my current '96 car have a plastic base which is a bayonet fit which with a half turn with a screwdriver should come out through a hole in the side of the switch. Mine didn't and I had to take the top off the switch and push them out.
I don't know if replacement bulbs for these new type are available from Saab - probably not. I removed the old bulbs from their bases and soldered in new ones. I also removed the green plastic sleeves from the old bulbs and fitted them to the new ones. The new bulbs in the old bases fitted back in through the hole in the side of the switch with no problem.

 

[aeropilot]

My bulbs on both switches had to be replaced at my car's last service 2 months ago. (96 Aero). This was down by a Saab dealer and they said there is now a bulb kit available from Saab to do this. Be warned...only one of mine needed doing at the service and this was duly done, but by the time I'd got home home after picking up the car the other switch, which had been OK, had blown!! They said this did sometimes happen and when I took the car back the next day they fitted the other bulb in 5 mins while I waited. If you need to replace a bulb...don't...replace both!

 

[Derek]

Yes, when I replaced the blown one I put it all back together again and found that the other had gone too. Seems that by the time they are 5 or 6 years old they are so delicate that if they haven't blown already the slightest bump breaks the filament. Same goes for the instrument lights, if one blows you are as well to change the lot unless you want to be forever taking the dash apart.