Another “ICM4” on the Board: An OEM-Style Saab 9-3 Multimedia Prototype

Among Saab enthusiasts, “ICM4” has never been an official designation. It is shorthand – community slang for the next step that never arrived. When the Saab 9-3 was facelifted for the 2007 model year, the dashboard and multimedia architecture were redesigned entirely, closing the book on any factory evolution of the pre-facelift ICM1 / ICM2 / ICM3 system.

And yet, in 2026, the roads are still full of 2003–2006 Saab 9-3s. These cars remain mechanically relevant, structurally robust, and emotionally valuable  – but their multimedia systems are frozen in time. That gap has driven years of experimentation: hacked displays, auxiliary inputs, partial MOST bypasses, and creative compromises.

Recently, the appearance of Ahmad Abu Maizer’s ICM4 solution showed that a production-ready, OEM-aware upgrade is possible when discipline and respect for Saab’s architecture guide the process. Its impact was immediate – not only because it worked, but because it reopened a long-standing conversation.

It was in this exact context that we received an email titled: “Another ICM4 on the board!”

The sender was Oliwier, a Saab enthusiast from Poland. What followed was not a sales pitch, but a candid, technically rich description of a personal prototype project –  unfinished, unpolished, but deeply aligned with Saab’s original design philosophy.

This article documents that project: not as a product, but as an exploration of how far the pre-facelift Saab 9-3 multimedia system can still be taken.

Accepting the Factory Ceiling: Why ICM3 Still Matters

Any serious attempt to modernize a pre-facelift Saab 9-3 must begin with realism. ICM3 was the factory maximum. Saab never intended this dashboard to host modern infotainment, let alone touchscreen-centric systems with deep vehicle integration.

Oliwier’s project does not fight this reality. Instead, it treats ICM3 as a structural and behavioral reference, not something to be ripped out or bypassed indiscriminately.

From the outset, his goals are clearly defined:

• Preserve the OEM fiber-optic (MOST) system
• Maintain Saab’s control logic and behavior
• Achieve an OEM-like visual integration
• Give owners a choice between OEM amplifier paths and custom car-audio builds

That last point is particularly telling. Many Saab 9-3s have already moved beyond factory audio, running external amplifiers and upgraded speakers. Oliwier’s concept deliberately leaves room for both camps, instead of forcing a single solution.

Hardware Core: Raspberry Pi, Waveshare LCD, and a Handmade Approach

At the heart of the prototype is a 9.3-inch Waveshare LCD, driven by a Raspberry Pi 4, with plans to migrate to Raspberry Pi 5 once power management is fully resolved.

This choice immediately sets expectations:

• Maximum flexibility
• Zero shortcuts
• High development complexity

Unlike turnkey Android head units, a Raspberry Pi requires full control over boot sequencing, shutdown behavior, power stability, and display handling. Oliwier is upfront about this being one of the project’s biggest challenges.

Physically, the screen is housed in a hand-made frame, cut from 1 cm ABS sheet, shaped using a Dremel, sanded, and painted. The paint was carefully selected to match the Saab dashboard finish – and at a glance, it succeeds.

Up close, Oliwier openly acknowledges the limitations: the current frame is glued to a metal L-shaped bracket mounted to the original ICM shell. Structurally acceptable for a prototype, but not yet something he would consider production-ready.

That transparency matters. This is an engineering journey, not a polished reveal.

Reimagining the CD Changer: From Obsolete Hardware to Control Center

One of the most original aspects of Oliwier’s concept is how it repurposes the factory Saab CD changer.

Rather than deleting it, he transforms its location and interface into a physical control hub:

• The original ICM unit is relocated into the CD changer housing
• The CD changer front panel becomes a control surface
• Tactile buttons and rotary knobs are preserved

Inside the CD changer shell sits an Arduino Pro Micro, responsible for:

• Reading the six original CD buttons
• Handling two additional knobs (volume and selection)
• Translating physical input into system commands

In a very Saab-like twist, the selection knob is currently mapped to screen brightness, reducing nighttime distraction. Automatic brightness control is planned, but not yet implemented.

The philosophy is clear: this should never become touchscreen-only. Saab valued tactile feedback, and this project respects that.

CAN-Bus, eSID, and Saab-Correct Behavior

Where this prototype truly distinguishes itself is in its software ambition.

Oliwier’s roadmap includes:

• Writing custom software that interfaces with eSID
• Communicating over CAN-bus and GMLAN
• Displaying DTCs and vehicle data on the larger screen
• Preserving SID-like logic and priorities

Most notably, he wants the new screen to behave the way Saab displays behave:

• With Night Panel active, the screen stays dark
• A touch, warning, or notification wakes it briefly
• Alerts override darkness exactly as SID would

This is not about adding features – it is about preserving behavior.

Even ignition logic is carefully considered. Power delivery is handled via:

• A buck converter stepping 12 V down to 5 V at 10 A
• Power sourced from the former CD changer connector
• An FRM01 module managing startup and shutdown timing

This ensures the Raspberry Pi boots and powers down safely, avoiding file corruption, a common failure point in many DIY automotive Pi projects.

Software Reality: Independence Comes at a Cost

Oliwier is candid about the software struggle.

Early development relied on OpenAutoPro, which has since been deprecated. Other options, such as “hudiy,” appear promising but raise long-term trust and support questions. Fully open-source solutions offer independence but introduce new dependencies and limitations.

His stated aim is software independence –  to avoid building a system whose core functionality could disappear due to licensing, updates, or abandoned platforms. That ambition, however, demands time, funding, and deep system knowledge.

It is a familiar dilemma to anyone who has ever tried to modernize a Saab properly.

Not a Product, But Still Important

This needs to be stated clearly: This is not a competitor to Ahmad’s ICM4.

ICM4 is a finished, plug-and-play solution for owners who want immediate, reliable results. Oliwier’s project exists at the opposite end of the spectrum: experimental, modular, and exploratory.

Its importance lies elsewhere. Projects like this:

• Push understanding of Saab’s electronic architecture
• Explore theoretical limits without production constraints
• Influence future solutions, directly or indirectly

They also reinforce a core Saab truth: when factory development stops, the cars continue evolving anyway.

What Comes Next

Oliwier plans to:

• Share “making-of” images on Instagram (@lechuaero)
• Improve structural mounting and finish
• Continue CAN-bus and eSID integration
• Eventually experiment with an OLED SID conversion

Whether this project ever becomes reproducible is an open question. Time and resources remain the biggest obstacles. But even as a prototype, it demonstrates why the pre-facelift Saab 9-3 remains such fertile ground for technical creativity.

The ICM3 era may have ended in 2006 – but the idea behind “ICM4” clearly did not. And as long as these cars remain on the road, there will always be someone asking the most Saab-appropriate question of all:

What if we pushed it just a little further?

ICM4 in Real Use: Dimitry’s Long-Term Saab 9-3 Solution

While some ICM4 concepts remain at the prototype stage, others quietly mature through daily use. One such example comes from Dimitry, a Saab 9-3 Convertible owner who has spent years refining his own interpretation of the ICM4 idea. His solution isn’t a market-ready product, nor a kit designed for mass adoption, but a long-term CarPlay integration developed through constant iteration and real-world driving. You can see how his approach evolved -and why longevity matters – in this detailed follow-up.