I am looking for information on Saab 900 /S or 9-3 I think. Basically I would like to know which Saab engine is more reliable (low cost of ownership) and what to look for before buying Saab product. For example, typical engine or transmission trouble area. Does the engine has timing belt or chain? How reliable is the turbo unit? Typical mileage expected from Saab engine. Any issue with automatic transmission or standard? The vehicle I am looking at has 160,000 and one with 250,000 Km. Is it too much mileage for this type of vehicle? I know Volvo product can handle this type of mileage no problem but not sure about Saab.
You have a choice of three engines; a NA 4 cylinder, a turbo 4 cylinder and a GM V6. You have automatics and manual transmissions. The manual uses a clutch cable for these years. Saab switched from the hydraulic clutch in 1994(?) and then back to it in 1997(?). Some people like the cable activated clutch and others don't - personal choice. The GM V6 uses a rubber timing belt that has to be replaced every 30,000 miles at a cost of around $1,000, but it does not have the DI cassette. The 4 cylinders use a timing chain with nylon gear tensioners - a technician told me these are sensative to oil change intervals. The 4 cylinders also have the DI cassettes you keep reading about. The New Generation (NG) Saab 900s are not adjustable for caster and camber, toe in only. A good thing is you can get a 5-door hatchback in the years you are considering, a body style Saab discontinued in the 9-3.
Since you are buying a Saab, the good thing is they do not hold their value. A Toyota with the same features and year/mileage would cost at least twice as much. As for Volvos handling mileage above 160,000 KM, I would say the older, rear wheel drive models can handle it. My 245 is a
1982 and is still going strong. It idles a little rough, but for 23 years old and over 200,000 miles I can live with that. It still idles smoother than my 1994 Saab with a GM V6 :-)
The 4-cylinder engine has a timing chain and is bulletproof, many hundred thousand miles on these isn't surprising or even remarkable. The V6 is not a Saab designed engine, it has timing belts, your performance tuning options are pretty much zero, and if you don't change the timing belts on time you _will_ have an expensive, valve/piston/head banging failure.
There's a "High mileage Saab" page on saabnet, I didn't bother submitting my 900 that I traded in with 247,000 miles because it would have been on page 12 or so. I've got a friend shooting for 1,000,000 miles, he's on track to hit it in a year or three.
I'm going to get some interesting reactions by saying this, but they're very similar in their attention to quality and longevity. Neither of those are high.
Actually, the Saab hatchback was discontinued after 1993 - when GM took over :-) The "real" Saab line stopped then. I am ready for the replies in my flameproof suit :-)
Long time ago, when real Saabs were designed and made in Sweden, the ignition system was more conventional and reliable. Then someone came up with the idea of a "better" ignition system, let's called it Direct Ignition (DI). Let's put all of the key ignition components in one unit and place it as close to the spark plugs as possible to improve performance. It did that, but longevity was a problem - the units burned out, either from heat or electrical issues. But since you could not only sell a car for $45,000, you could also get $400 for a DI cassette every 30,000 miles - great for the bottom line of the GM!
Other makes used this concept and have the same problem with DI cassettes burning up and leaving the driver stranded on the road. Saab/GM has been improving the DI cassette, so perhaps a new Saab with the newer design DI cassettes might be a good choice. The newer design has individual coils you can replace.
I believe you said you were familiar with Volvo. The older rear wheel drive Volvo's had power window switches you could replace or repair individually. The Volvo used the one piece window switch, if one switch failed, you replaced the all four as a single unit - at $300. The Saab power window switches can be replaced individually, just like the old Volvos.
Now wait just a second. Greed and GM have nothing to do with the design decision to go with DI. The performance, fuel economy, and emissions improvements made possible by going to DI are the reason that so many cars are now using it. The longevity problems are from Bosch (since fixed, I'm led to believe), not from GM...
The engine management system on the current Saab gasoline engines uses the spark plug as a sensor, detecting the conductance of the fuel:air mixture in the cylinder as it's being compressed by the piston, and deciding based on that and a half-dozen other factors when to fire the spark. You just plain can't do that sort of thing without having some intelligence in the ignition system. This is also why spark plugs are a critical "use this part, not the Bosch equivalent that the book at K-mart says you can use" type replacement part.
GM didn't take over in 1993, they bought half of the company in 1990 and bought the rest much later. The Type 4 project which resulted in Saab 9000 was planned in 1974 after the oil crisis and the first Saab 9000 from 1985 was a hatchback. It had no GM content whatsoever. It had also very little in common with the rest of the Type 4 cars, apart from wheelbase dimensions and styling in some cases.
The styling may look similar. But I have also owned a FIAT Croma, and I can tell you that the doors of the 9000 are in another league; much heavier and far more substantial construction. The electric door mechanism gave up quickly on my Croma, not so on my 9000. The same with the body; the Croma rusted around the window frames, the 9000 body has no rust. I could go on; they are vastly different cars.
I have had the Lancia version next to my 9000 and the only things that differ are the ends of the body, the engine the interior trim and the rear suspension. The doors may not be as well made but they would fit in the 'oles.
The 1994 Saab 900 has a GM V6 and I would suspect other GM parts. You mention the 1985 9000 hatchback has no GM parts, well the last time I took math, 1985 came before 1994 :-) So you do agree with me!
Saab made Saab9000 motor! Who told you that Saab 9000 is not reliable? The car is really well made and the 4 cyl turbo engine is legendary Saab. The 9000 has been on top of the JD powers UK survey. However, things can go wrong if you don't look after your car properly.
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