As auto enthusiasts we decry the use of the parts bin and shared DNA between the range of models that auto manufacturers offer. The most recent case is the Maserati Quattroporte, many reviewers decried the use of lowly Dodge Dart window switches and Caravan navigation in the luxury sedan. I am in the opposite camp and will gladly support the parts sharing because discontinued models like the Saab 9-3 Turbo X will get to live on from the General Motors parts bin.
The Saab 9-3 Turbo X was a limited edition vehicle that was built in limited numbers just before Saab filed bankruptcy. It was available as a sedan or wagon and featured a 286 horsepower turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 along with a Haldex all-wheel-drive system that they called Cross-Wheel Drive or XWD. The XWD system is very advanced and the assumption is that it must be expensive to maintain. In the years following the bankruptcy, owners that had issues with the XWD system were hit with bills for thousands of dollars for repairs. The main reason for the large repair bills were price spikes for left over parts and replacing whole differentials instead of small parts that failed.
The news of the high repair bills spread quickly across the internet and pushed the Turbo X into the same reliability category as a used BMW 7 Series. Many are afraid to purchase one due to the expectation that it may take thousands of dollars to maintain. As luck would have it, the auto manufacturers don’t like to waste good technology and GM continued to use almost the entire XWD system even after Saab folded. The technology can be found in models such as the Buick Lacrosse and Cadillac XTS. Once you take a look at the part diagrams and numbers of both you see that most of the parts are an exact match and cost a fraction of the price.
The rear differential used in the Turbo X was directly transplanted into the Lacrosse and once you cross reference the numbers you will find that the differential is not $3,000 and hard to find but costs less than $1,100 and can be ordered on Amazon. If you don’t want to spend that much money, you can always hit up the junkyard. I checked in my local area and there are good used units with low miles going for about $400. It does take some know how or a trusted mechanic to replace the parts but even if the differential fails, it is not too expensive to replace.
The engine is a smaller displacement variant of the GM High Feature V6 and can be found across a wide variety of GM vehicles. My own Cadillac STS features a 3.6 liter version of the engine and many parts are shared. The coil packs and most of the ignition system are the same. Gaskets are all the same and the harmonic balancer is shared with such mundane models as the Chevrolet Equinox. The engine in the Turbo X is somewhat unique as it is turbocharged but a slightly updated variant of it was offered in the Cadillac SRX and the turbocharger center cartridge is actually shared with the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The water pump and most of the cooling system other than the thermostat housing is shared with the Chevrolet Impala.
The brakes for the Turbo X are somewhat unique but parts are plentiful and the rear brake pads are actually shared with the Chevrolet Cobalt. The best part about the brakes is the fact that the spindle mounts match the Cobalt SS. While the Turbo X has large 344mm front brakes, the lesser 9-3 models have smaller brakes so a nice upgrade is using the Brembo 4-piston calipers and rotors from the Cobalt SS. The Brembo upgrade can be completed for as little as $300. The suspension parts are also plentiful and you can get struts for less than $100 per corner.
There are many parts that interchange on the this unique Saab and we can thank the bean counters for forcing the engineers to share the parts across all the model lines. The Turbo X is only one example as there are many others out there that just take a little research to find. Now that the secret is out, I may have to buy a Turbo X before prices start going up.
The parts bin is why you should buy that quirky Saab
[Turbo X – Image: Michael via Flickr – C.C. License 2.0]
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44 responses to “The parts bin is why you should buy that quirky Saab”
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Are there any SAAB parts in that SAAB, other than the badge? I think I’d rather have one of them Ford Jaguars than some ol’ Chevy SAAB.
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There are still some unique parts like the sheetmetal and so on but most of the major maintenance items are shared with other GM products of the time. I have had a Ford Jaguar that I ended up parting out due to parts not being as easy or cheap to obtain as these GM SAAB parts
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Stay away from the FORD JAGUARS!
Checking my fuel pump in the Mustang, I pulled the cover to find a Leaper embossed on the lid!! Sent a little panic thru me.-
Should probably stock up on some of this:
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I have plenty left over from my MG days.
I was surprised to see a Jag part in the Mustang, but since the s197 was loosely based on the DEW platform I can see it.
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I swapped the license plate bulbs on a customer car today, an one-owner S-type. The lens just snapped off and back on with a brittle springy clip like the battery lid on a TV remote. The chrome bits on the bootlid had started to wear off, exposing the white plastic underneath. I also know from earlier that the inside door handles are made from the same brittle chromed plastic. I saw one snap off once.
I have owned a car from the Ford Premium Auto Group as well, a 2004 V70. The door handles on that were made from solid metal. It didn’t have any chrome on the tailgate to compare through, sadly.
tl;dr: Give me a Chevy Saab over a Ford Jaguar any day.-
I’ll split the difference and stick with my Ford SAAB.
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Why do I get the sense that Bozi is just writing this post for me?
Also, Bozi, please move closer to California so you can help me when the inevitable repairs are needed. Thanks.-
Your car search inspired me to put all the random bits of knowledge of this oddity together. California doesn’t sound too bad but I like the east coast. Now you know you want to buy one.
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As an owner of an ’06 Saab 9-3 Aero (well, technically I’m married to the owner) I can absolutely guarantee that there are Saab only parts – and funny, they seem to be the parts that actually break and/or wear out and need to be replaced. See my previous gripes about rear window regulators and front coil springs. They also use their own scan system (I think it’s called IRIS or something similar) – we can sometimes trick a scanner into thinking it’s a 2006 Cadillac CTS with the 2.8 but it doesn’t always work quite the way it should
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You are correct that there are unique parts. As far as the ECM is concerned, I know that HP Tuners can do most data logging and some tuning. Engine codes can be read with all standard readers and you can also get I-Flash which can tune all of the maps on the ECM. I will have to check your past gripes to find out more but OEM window regulators can be found for about $215 and aftermarket closer to $100. The breaking coil springs were a real pain and I have heard of lots that had it and some that had to wait long periods of time for parts to come in under warranty. I believe that there are more parts out there now but many are past the extended warranty
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Right, a regular Tech 2 will read codes, but to do any actual programming you need the Saab specific software/access/etc. We (and by we, I mean the GM Master Tech that we take the car to) have been able to trick the system on some things by telling the Tech 2 it’s a Cadillac.
I may gripe, but in reality this is probably the most reliable, problem free vehicle we’ve owned. It just gets frustrating when those few little problems that do pop up can’t be remedied right away. I don’t want to discourage anyone from getting a Saab – in fact, everyone go buy one right now! Don’t wait. Buy now!-
You can get a new (blank) Tech2 card and format it with the SAAB programming. Until my 9-5 blew its turbo, I was looking into buying a Chinese Tech2 clone (available for as little as $200!) and ended up with the .BIN files for every SAAB programming card available for the Tech2, along with the software to flash them.
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Yep, there are some ways around it if you want to use the Tech2. I have been tempted by the Chinese Tech2’s before but am afraid of what issues may arise. The only Chinese diagnostic/tuning tool I use is the WIFI OBD2 reader that connects to my phone and it has worked pretty well
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There are several lengthy threads on SAAB Central about the Chinese Tech2 clones, and most of the (surprisingly few) problems with them have been shitty sellers on Alibaba.
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I will have to check that out. Were they delivery/money issues or faulty units?
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Mostly not delivering the whole described package, or charging more than the initial quote.
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I too see no problem in high end cars sharing non-essential components with mass produced models, as long as those components are actually good in the first place, obviously. I mean, would it be better if Maserati, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, etc… had to spend years designing and testing parts that will inevitably not be as good as those made by any mainstream carmaker, ten times more expensive and impossible to find as soon as the car goes out of production ?
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I agree, smaller cosmetic parts or parts that are going to be hidden away behind the dash won’t be seen much anyway and will allow for further development of vehicles
http://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2819/9399174487_dd0329d052_z.jpg
“The parts bin” is as good a name as any for my driveway.
(Admittedly I’ve moved since taking that photo, but the new driveway looks remarkably similar.)
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That looks like a fun driveway and my place isn’t much different at times.
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What caused you to move? The neighbors, with their torches and pitchforks? 🙂
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No, I just got fed up with their inconsiderate trampolining.
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Owning ‘quirky’ old SAABs isn’t for the light hearted. If you have any second guesses, I invite you to look at my receipt booklet for my ’97 900S and my ’99 9-5SE. 🙂
I have the receipts for my ’93 Volvo 245 in the same booklet, to compare/contrast.
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I know the 9-5SE was under GM ownership but I don’t have too much experience with the pre-GM SAABs so I can’t recommend them but I would be interested to hear what the big spenders are on those.
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the NG900 (’94-98), OG9-3 (’99-02), and OG9-5 (’99-08) run on the GM2900 platform but use SAAB engines… but every SAAB after ’90 had GM parts in it, even if it was a SAAB platform.
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I figured there would be some parts mixed in as soon as ownership took over but wasn’t sure if 900 deviated from its original 99 based underpinnings. I see now it shared the platform with the Opel Vectra and others in the new generation. I might have to do some reading now on how it all came together and what parts got used where
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The fact that the NG900 is on the same platform as the Vectra 4×4 has given me some bad ideas in the past that I hope I can one day complete. 🙂
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That sounds like a very fun Frankenstein style project which I am very fond of
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Take a look at this…too bad it’s in a førign langüage, and progress seems to be slow.
http://forum.saabturboclub.com/showthread.php/103508-NG900-2-0T-95-gt-NG900-2-3T-4×4-Helrenovering -
Whoa, Interesting 2×4 rotisserie setup
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I cannot thank you enough for that link. I knew that Abbott racing had done a 4×4 900 in the late 90’s but there’s no documentation other than photos of them racing it.
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What kept me in demand as a motorcycle parts guy (though never any better paid) was my willingness to tediously, randomly cross-reference parts back in the days of non-electronically-searchable microfiches, and remember what parts made up which bikes. I got a good feel for what could go into what, especially from Yamaha, who was the absolute god of parts-bin engineering.
I was once given a Kawasaki S1 250 triple with a shot big end. Triple cranks were a pressed-together assembly, only sold as a complete unit with rods, and had long since been discontinued from Kaw. I manged to find every part needed to build a completely new bottom, including bearings, pins and rods, (with the exception of the flywheels) in the Kawasaki parts book. Some were even old, dusty, obsolete parts that had been our stock room for 20-30 years.
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That’s insane but I come from the same background. The beauty of the internet now is that you find lots of cross reference information readily and even if it is not marked you can look at pictures and diagrams of parts online and find matches that are not listed. Not to get off topic, but I may have to pick your brain at some point as I am considering getting my first bike soon. I know you are supposed to start smaller but I have been eyeing the Yamaha FZ-09 due to combination of features and price and figuring I would not get bored with it quickly.
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THe FZ-09 is a great bike, but have you considered the FZ-07? It’s a grand cheaper, lighter, has a better seat and (IMHO) more fun around town. The only reason I would go with the 09 would be if I was going to be tackling serious distances, and in that case I would choose the FJ-09 instead.
http://i2.wp.com/www.asphaltandrubber.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2015-Yamaha-FJ-09-MT-09-Tracer-29.jpg-
Hmm, honestly have not looked at the FZ-07 and FJ-09 is out of the budget. I will have to go and check one out. Riding will be around town mostly with occasional 200-300 mile round trips around the state.
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I think the FZ-07 is probably the best new bike value on the market right now. If they ever did an FJ-style treatment of it (I LOVE the FJ-09), I might rethink my life-long rule of only buying used.
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Good to know about “he Brembo 4-piston calipers and rotors from the Cobalt SS. The Brembo upgrade can be completed for as little as $300” My 2006 Aero V6 Convertible will probably need brakes soon. LOVE my car!
I can see nobody’s shouting “Blasphemy!” at a well-written and -researched article that intentionally goes against mainstream opinion. Are we still on the internet? Reiterates that this is a good crowd!
With the neverending concentration in regional car markets, I wonder if we one day end up with completely interchangeable mechanics beneath individual designs? “I’d like a DIN T213 transmission for my 2026 Reliant Gomaxion EXP, please!”
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Great crowd here
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I thought “you should buy that quirky SAAB” was mainstream opinion.
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Or instead: “Need a left trafficator hinge for your 1917 Hitzengrubel Oberst? Download this file, ensure you have the pot-metal toner in your 3D printer, and hit print!”
Would be nice if the OP went into *which* parts-bin parts are interchangeable with which models. I’m approaching a large amount of front suspension parts replacements…AND rear upper and lower control arms on my 93SS, and am desperate to find out where this ‘parts bin’ that you speak of is.
How do I find out if the non-fuel pump side, fuel sender unit is the same as a Buick or Caddy? Part#s 12847003 or 12783024. If they aren’t the same how do I find out what is different so I can harvest what I need from the parts.
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