The heart of Saab performance – and its weak spots
When Saab launched the 2.8-liter V6 B284 in the mid-2000s, it was meant to crown the 9-3 Aero and Turbo X as true grand-touring Saabs. Derived from GM’s High Feature V6 family (shared with the Cadillac CTS and Holden Commodore – known as A28NET, Z28NET, HFV6), it delivered up to 280 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque through the brand-new XWD system (Haldex 4). On paper, it was a masterpiece of modern turbocharged refinement.
In practice, many owners discovered what Javin Sheperd – better known as Solving Saab on YouTube – calls “the heat-soaked mess under the B284 hood.” Tight packaging, inadequate crankcase ventilation, and fragile factory plastics meant that reliability often lagged behind performance.
As someone who has owned and modified six different B284-powered Saabs, Javin turned frustration into expertise. His latest video, “Top 5 Saab 2.8 V6 B284 Mods To Add Reliability,” distills years of experience into practical upgrades every owner can understand – and most can do themselves.
1. Catching oil before it kills sensors
The first problem Javin targets is one nearly every 2.8 V6 owner eventually meets: oil in the intake tract.
The engine’s crankcase breather system routes vapors from the valve cover and even the dipstick tube into the turbo inlet, coating the MAF and MAP sensors with sticky oil. The result? Rich mixtures, hesitation, and clogged intercoolers.
His cure is elegantly simple: install an oil catch can.
“It’s the number-one mod I recommend to every 2.8 owner,” Javin says.
A $25 catch can with basic silicone hoses and check valves keeps oil mist out of the turbo and intercooler. Javin even blocks the redundant dipstick breather port with a piece of plastic to stop back-feeding.
In the comments below his video, one viewer notes that the dipstick breather is technically an air-inlet rather than outlet. Javin replies that despite that, “I was still getting oil in the intake until I T’d it into the catch can—very odd.” That exchange sums up the 2.8 V6 ownership experience: Saab engineering brilliance with a few puzzling quirks.
2. Fighting heat soak where it starts
If there’s one universal enemy of the B284, it’s heat. “Everything under this hood gets cooked,” Javin warns. The dense engine bay traps exhaust and turbo heat, baking components until plastic turns brittle and wiring insulation cracks.
A particularly sneaky consequence appears on warm restarts. In hot climates, vaporized fuel in the injector rail causes rough idling and misfires. Javin’s fix involves removing the intake manifold and wrapping the metal fuel rail with DEI heat-insulating tape.
The difference is immediate: cooler fuel delivery, consistent starts, and a measurable drop in intake temperatures. It’s one of those invisible upgrades that prevents countless future headaches. For those planning spirited driving or track days, it’s practically mandatory.
3. Ditching the secondary-air injection clutter
Anyone who has worked on a pre-2008 B284 knows the tangle of metal tubing snaking across the front of the engine – the secondary-air injection system (SAI). Its job was to preheat the catalytic converter during cold starts to meet emissions regulations. Two decades later, it’s mostly dead weight and a common failure point.
Javin recommends deleting it entirely. The process involves removing the pump, hoses, and valves, then sealing the exhaust ports with block-off plates (available from Genuine Saab). The modification frees space around the turbo, improves access, and reduces radiant heat up front.
However, there’s a catch: the ECU will need a tune to disable the inevitable check-engine light. Javin’s early setup ran a Vtuner Stage 0 map to keep the system happy. The result is a cleaner, cooler engine bay that’s far easier to service.
4. Moving the battery where it belongs – out of the heat
Next comes the boldest of Javin’s five upgrades: relocating the battery to the trunk. It’s not a cosmetic mod; it’s pure engineering logic. The stock battery sits directly above the turbo and downpipe, soaking up exhaust heat and cooking nearby wiring. By moving it rearward using a zero-gauge cable and an eBay distribution block, Javin eliminates that heat source entirely.
The job involves routing roughly 15 feet of cable through the firewall and under the carpet to a custom battery box in the trunk. A crucial detail is running an extra ground strap from the transmission to the body, or the car may intermittently fail to start.
The benefits go beyond reliability. Weight distribution improves slightly, access to the gearbox and turbo is vastly better, and the new layout makes under-hood service less frustrating. As Javin notes, “Your battery will live longer because it’s not getting hot and cold over and over again.”
5. Stainless clutch hydraulics – the unsung lifesaver
For manual-transmission 9-3 Aeros and Turbo X models, Javin’s final recommendation might be the most critical: replace the factory clutch line and bleeder with stainless components.
The stock setup combines steel ends, plastic tubing, and a fragile plastic bleeder. Over time the steel corrodes, the clip rusts away, and one day—often in traffic—the line blows off. Instantly, you lose all hydraulic pressure and the car can’t shift.
“It’s happened to me five times,” Javin admits.
His permanent fix pairs a stainless line from Genuine Saab with a ZZP Performance bleeder designed for the F40 gearbox. Bleeding this system is notoriously tricky, so he suggests consulting WIS documentation or an experienced shop.
After the upgrade, clutch feel improves even with a twin-disc setup, and failure risk drops to zero. It’s not glamorous, but it might be the difference between a spirited drive and an expensive tow.
Beyond bolt-ons: what makes these mods Saab-worthy
What separates Javin Sheperd’s advice from typical “tuning lists” is its mindset.These aren’t flashy performance bolt-ons – they’re thoughtful engineering corrections that Saab engineers might have implemented with more time or budget.
Every modification he presents reclaims something from the brand’s DNA: efficiency, endurance, and intelligent design under real-world conditions. Saab owners know that reliability and individuality aren’t mutually exclusive. You can build a 450-horsepower XWD Aero, as Javin has, and still respect Trollhättan’s spirit of practical innovation.
A growing voice in the Saab community
Javin’s Solving Saab channel has become one of the most insightful independent resources for modern Saab owners. His combination of humor, mechanical know-how, and visual clarity turns intimidating repairs into approachable projects.
He’s currently looking for sponsors and products to test, but his credibility comes from years under the hood, not from branding deals. Videos range from coolant-reservoir upgrades to clutch overhauls – always with the same blend of curiosity and honesty that defines true Saab enthusiasm.
For anyone running a B284 V6, this video is essential viewing. It’s not about chasing horsepower; it’s about preserving one of Saab’s last genuinely exotic powertrains – the aluminum, twin-scroll-turbo, 60-degree V6 that powered the Aero X and Turbo X into legend.
Watch the full video here:
Why it matters
Saab’s 2.8 V6 B284 (New engine if someone need) was always a bold experiment: combining Scandinavian restraint with global performance engineering. Today, maintaining these engines means blending creativity with precision – values the Saab community has never lost.
Javin Sheperd’s hands-on insights remind us that the best Saab upgrades don’t come from catalogues; they come from understanding the machine as the engineers once did. And that, perhaps, is what keeps the Saab spirit alive – owners who don’t just drive their cars, but solve them.
I am totally in awe and appreciate your share, my knowledge on modern cars ( be it a 20yr old ) is limited MK1 MK2 Escorts no problem Saab 93 V6 2.8 turbo Hirsch tuned hmmmmm where do I begin – so to my reason for sourcing your advice is it was missing and a garage replaced a coil pack 6 spark plugs an injector pressure tested it found it was down on two around 145 and also a dry port so long story short several ££££pounds later it ran great but 3 weeks in and today the same symptoms return missing but driving engine management light flashing on/off and ticking over fine only travelled literally 6mile so although engine warm temperature gauge good ???? before i go ahead with the honest mods that you advise ( don’t want to spend if it isn’t worth it ) just wondered if you had any ideas what else would present these symptoms oh and no codes which really stumped me and if you’re near Hull England pop in I’ll stick kettle on..
Any comments would be greatly appreciated this is my first Saab and I’ve got the disease i want to keep it alive thanks Guy