Brooke Saab, Chester

I recently suffered the common problem of intermittant failure of the rotary coupler (aka clockspring) in the steering system of my Saab 9-3 (Aero, 2007). The clockspring is part of the CIM fitted to the steering column. A Saab dealer will only sell you a brand new CIM at well over £400 + fitting + programming + vat. Saab specialists can do secondhand CIMs, usually around £200 - £250, plus fitting and programming. You can, of course, do the fitting yourself but you will need to have it reprogrammed by a Saab specialist (not Vauxhall) with Tech 2. As a Professional Engineer and experienced car maintenance DIYer, I learned how to remove my CIM from Youtube videos. I then explored how to dismantle the CIM and remove the clockspring. It simply isn't possible to repair a faulty clockspring, so I looked around for a solution. I found Brooke Saab near Chester. Andy Brooke was most helpful on the phone. He collects up faulty CIMs and breaks them down for the good parts (and is able to repair some faults). He offers a rebuild service for your CIM. For me, he was willing to simply supply a good secondhand clockspring for me to fit myself. He was also very helpful with tips and hints. After recieving my clockspring, I fitted it in about 1 1/2 hours and then had my steering angle sensors reprogrammed locally. So far all is well. Although I didn't physically visit Brooke Saab, I nevertheless recieved excellent and helpful service. I would visit them if I needed to even though they are 100 miles from me. I found them via their eBay shop. www.aasaab.com