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[Dartastic]

So, my 2002 Saab Linear 9-5 has been spitting out a bit of smoke, and I decided to take it in to see what was wrong with it, and as it turns out my turbo is bad. The total cost to get it replaced was approximately $1450, and the turbo itself was $890. That being said, I can't really afford that, sooo....

I decided to do some Googling, and I found this turbo right here on Ebay. Obviously this isn't an official replacement part, but at the same time the turbo is only $250, it's brand new, it seems to fit, it's "built to meet or exceed OEM specifications" and has a 1 year warranty. Plus like, the seller seems to have an excellent reputation.

I was wondering what all you car people think of this. I'd still get the turbo installed by the professionals, but I can't really see why NOT to get the cheaper turbo. Help? Please?

 

[Mattlikewhoa]

Please don't do it...

"Cheap ebay turbo" should not be used in a sentence...EVER!

Seriously, it's going to fail, and cost you even more in the end.

And how "bad" is it? Can it be rebuilt? Are there trusted places in your area?

 

[speculawyer]

Buy it and do it yourself. Rugged self-reliance.

 

[Dartastic]

Please don't do it...

"Cheap ebay turbo" should not be used in a sentence...EVER!

Seriously, it's going to fail, and cost you even more in the end.

And how "bad" is it? Can it be rebuilt? Are there trusted places in your area?

Not sure how bad it is. The place I brought my car to didn't say if it could be rebuilt. They just quoted me an entirely new turbo. I've done some research online, and people don't really seem to be having problems with these turbos. The link on Ebay is not from just some random dude; it's from a reseller with like, almost 40,000 positive feedback. It also has a 1 year unlimited mileage warranty. It's a legit place to buy a part from.

 

[Arkos]

Look for a blue balloon

 

[Dartastic]

Look for a blue balloon

uhhhhh

 

[TransTrender]

As others have said, don't buy an EBAY turbo. It is crap and will wreck your engine.

Honestly $1450 seems like a pretty fair price for the parts and labor. Assuming that the bad turbo is the cause of the problem.

You could do it yourself if you can source a good turbo, but the job could still be a pain in the ass depending on how corroded the hardware is.

 

[Dartastic]

As others have said, don't buy an EBAY turbo. It is crap and will wreck your engine.

Honestly $1450 seems like a pretty fair price for the parts and labor. Assuming that the bad turbo is the cause of the problem.

You could do it yourself if you can source a good turbo, but the job could still be a pain in the ass depending on how corroded the hardware is.

That's the thing. It's not an EBAY turbo. It's a turbo that a seller just also happens to be selling on Ebay; I could also just go to their website and buy it there. The thing is, when I see that it's built to meet or exceed OEM specifications, I honestly don't know why I SHOULDN'T buy it, especially with a one year unlimited mileage warranty.

Here's a link to the part on their website.

http://www.buyautoparts.com/buynow/2002/Saab/9-5/Turbocharger/40-30050_AN.html

 

[Iolo]

Look for a blue balloon

This is for you:

 

[Zoolader]

The cheap Chinese turbos you find on ebay like the one you linked have bad reputations and reliability on them are very spotty. I've read that turbos like these from ebay can last a couple of years and some may not even last a month. The money you save between the different turbos is about the same as the cost of labor you were quoted. So say it fails within a year even with that warranty, you would still have to pay for labor again which would end up costing you more than if you were to go with the more expensive but also more reliable turbo now. Also if you don't go to a certified mechanic that warranty won't uphold, just a warning. It's a gamble buying this so I'd suggest if you do go this route you should start saving money asap for when you need another turbo.

Another option is buying the actual recommended turbo for your saab and see if you can save money by doing the labor yourself. The turbo looks like it's at the top of your engine if I'm looking at the right saab diagram online. That should make it a lot easier to access and work on. Just check some saab forums as well as youtube and I'm sure there are plenty of turbo swap diy's for your car.

Just thought of an option 3... There may be a saab specific repair shop near you who rebuilds turbos and may be able to repair yours or sell you a rebuilt one at a low cost.

 

[m_shortpants]

So, my 2002 Saab Linear 9-5 has been spitting out a bit of smoke, and I decided to take it in to see what was wrong with it, and as it turns out my turbo is bad. The total cost to get it replaced was approximately $1450, and the turbo itself was $890. That being said, I can't really afford that, sooo....

I decided to do some Googling, and I found this turbo right here on Ebay. Obviously this isn't an official replacement part, but at the same time the turbo is only $250, it's brand new, it seems to fit, it's "built to meet or exceed OEM specifications" and has a 1 year warranty. Plus like, the seller seems to have an excellent reputation.

I was wondering what all you car people think of this. I'd still get the turbo installed by the professionals, but I can't really see why NOT to get the cheaper turbo. Help? Please?

Well there's your problem.

I don't even know if 1450 is worth it. I'd rather put that money towards a Civic or Corolla.

 

[Dartastic]

The cheap Chinese turbos you find on ebay like the one you linked have bad reputations and reliability on them are very spotty. I've read that turbos like these from ebay can last a couple of years and some may not even last a month. The money you save between the different turbos is about the same as the cost of labor you were quoted. So say it fails within a year even with that warranty, you would still have to pay for labor again which would end up costing you more than if you were to go with the more expensive but also more reliable turbo now. Also if you don't go to a certified mechanic that warranty won't uphold, just a warning. It's a gamble buying this so I'd suggest if you do go this route you should start saving money asap for when you need another turbo.

Another option is buying the actual recommended turbo for your saab and see if you can save money by doing the labor yourself. The turbo looks like it's at the top of your engine if I'm looking at the right saab diagram online. That should make it a lot easier to access and work on. Just check some saab forums as well as youtube and I'm sure there are plenty of turbo swap diy's for your car.

Just thought of an option 3... There may be a saab specific repair shop near you who rebuilds turbos and may be able to repair yours or sell you a rebuilt one at a low cost.

Blargh. The place I took my Saab to is a Saab specialty place. I'll have to ask about rebuilding it. Is rebuilding a turbo something that can be done fairly reliably and affordably?

 

[Dai101]

2 words

Junk
Yard

Seriously. You'll save a lot and get a genuine replacement instead of an "OEM' part of dubious quality

 

[TransTrender]

Blargh. The place I took my Saab to is a Saab specialty place. I'll have to ask about rebuilding it. Is rebuilding a turbo something that can be done fairly reliably and affordably?

Better yet, find a Saab enthusiast forum and find the guy/shop/people that rebuild the turbos and deal directly with them. Unlikely the shop will do it themselves and they'll just sub it out to one of these places. Work the deal and ask the shop to give you the old turbo back so you can send it back to the rebuild guy and he should give you some cash for it. Ask for a return shipping label and use the same box when sending the old one.

 

[TransTrender]

I don't even know if 1450 is worth it. I'd rather put that money towards a Civic or Corolla.

Hmm, yeah. I checked KBB and used car listings and this repair would be a significant portion of the car's value. Assuming the car is clean and this is the only problem then it would be worth it, but if not then maybe start saving those pennies for something else.