Thermostat Replacement

[Pete]

My mechanic tells me that the thermostat on my '99 9-3 needs to be replaced and I'd like to do it myself. Has anyone used a NAPA aftermarket thermostat (made by Stant) instead of a Saab thermostat? NAPA assures me it's made to OEM specs but I don't want to do the work and have it fail. Maybe I'm over thinking this? Paralysis by analysis!

[rpiereck]

I always trusted NAPA parts and never had a problem, they stuff they put their own labels on isn't crap. NAPA Gold oil filters are some of the best and cheapest out there.

[nordwulf]

I bought a thermostat for my 9-5 at a local parts store (not NAPA) once. Quality seemed not as good as the original Saab OEM part and it didn't have the little vent valve. Even though I was pretty sure the aftermarket part would be fine, I decided to order the Saab thermostat after all.

It's a bit of a pain to replace and like Pete, I just want to make sure it was not going to fail on me again. At least the little bit more expensive Saab part bought me some peace of mind. Not all aftermarket parts are created equal.

[Shazam]

I used a Stant on my V4 and it works great. I've also got some NAPA parts on my 900, and haven't had any troubles. I wouldn't think it would cause any problems.

[Pete]

Yeah, it's the fact that it's missing the vent hole that's throwing me. Also, on a separate thread by Euromobile900 titled The Cooling System Thread - C900 he mentions that Saab thermostats reportedly have 3 positions. I called NAPA but they had no idea how many theirs has. Hmmm... I'll think I'll just get 'r done with what I have and hope for the best!

[Pete]

Just finished the thermostat install. It took 3 hours which mainly involved moving things out of the way so I could get to the t-stat. Not difficult, but patience was needed when there was only room to rotate the bolts 1/8 to 1/4 inch at a time with an open end wrench.

I learned a couple things which, besides actually fixing something that's broken, is kind of the point of DIY in my opinion. First, that the Saab t-stat for this car has a vent hole but the Stant aftermarket t-stat sold by NAPA doesn't. According to Stant's website, theirs has an integrated vent hole so although you can't see it, it's there. Apparently there's no need to worry about installing it the right way up. Also, theirs have 3 positions, so all in all they're a match. Second, I found out from other threads on SaabWorld that DexCool definitely does not play well with other radiator fluids, i.e. creates sludge. Thank you, SaabWorld for the tutorials and warnings on mixing radiator fluids!

[rpiereck]

on a separate thread by Euromobile900 titled The Cooling System Thread - C900 he mentions that Saab thermostats reportedly have 3 positions.

Actually only the C900 has the three position thermostat, the NG900 has a regular two position one.