Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Owner’s Manual
Saab 9-3 M2000
Safety 11
Security 29
Convertible 41
Instruments and controls 53
Saab 9-3 Audio System 89
Interior equipment, trunk 111
Starting and driving 133
Car care 167
Maintenance and owner assistance 211
Technical data 219
Index 233
NOTE
NOTE texts warn of potential damage to
the car if the recommendations are not
followed.
IB730
help.
time and that you keep it in the car for future
Introduction reference. Best wishes,
This manual provides practical guidance on To find a specific item, use the overviews Saab Automobile AB
driving and caring for your Saab. given on pages 3-6. A list of contents is
The Saab 9-3 is available with a 2.0l given at the beginning of each section of the The fitting of accessories that are not approved
turbo-engine, 185 hp or 205 hp or a 2.3l manual, and there is also a comprehensive by Saab Automobile AB can damage other parts
turbo-engine, 230 hp. index at the back of the book. of the car.
Although the manual describes the most Supplied with the car is a Warranties and The specifications, design particulars and illus-
important differences between model vari- Service Record booklet and a tire warranty trations included in the manual are not binding.
ants, it does not include precise specifica- folder which specifies the regular mainte-
tions of the different variants. Some differ- nance to be carried out. The book also con-
ences also occur to meet special legal tains important warranty conditions.:
requirements in different countries.
Importation and distribution of Saab auto- WARNING
mobiles, spare parts and accessories are
handled exclusively by General Motors of WARNING texts warn against the danger
Canada Limited in Canada and by Saab of injury if the specified instructions are
Cars USA, Inc. in the U.S.A. not followed.
We recommend that you read through the
manual before taking the car out for the first
3
Instrument panel Warning and indicator lights _____ 54 Trip computer
Tachometer __________________ 59 (Saab Information Display, SID) __ 62
Speedometer _________________ 59 Night panel __________________ 63
Odometer and trip meter ________ 59 Clock ____________________ 64, 70
Gauge showing turbo pressure ___ 60
Fuel gauge __________________ 61
High/low beam ________________ 71 Temperature gauge ____________ 60
Parking lights __________________ 71 Washers and wipers ______ 74
Daytime running lights ___________ 71 Rear-window wiper _______ 75
Changing bulbs _______________ 181 Replacing wiper blades __ 179
IB731
Seat heating controls ____ 118
Exterior Driving with a roof rack load ____ 158 Hood release handle __________ 168
Mounting of roof rack __________ 158 Engine compartment: washing __ 201
Maximum loads ______________ 220
IB1353
Upholstery: cleaning _____ 200
Engine bay: turbo Engine: description ____________ 168 Brake system ________________ 227
Engine oil, level control Brake fluid __________________ 176
and topping up _______________ 172 Brake pads __________________ 176
Engine oil: changing ___________ 172 ABS brakes _________________ 149
Oil grade, viscosity ____________ 223
Coolant, checking
and topping up ________ 174
Ignition system _________ 225 Coolant, changing ______ 175
Drive belt ______________ 179 Temperature gauge ______ 60
Alternator _____________ 179 Driving in hot weather ____ 156
Spark plugs ____________ 225 Driving in cold weather ___ 154
Catalytic converter ______ 137
Simple fault tracing
(A/C, ACC) ____________ 207
IB733
Important considerations Wiper/washer control stalk _ 74
for driving _____________ 136
Technical data: engine ___ 223
Manual transmission __________ 173 Steering servo _______________ 177 Battery _____________________ 177
Automatic transmission ________ 173 Fluid checking Battery charge _______________ 177
Transmission oil ______________ 173 and topping up ______________ 177 Jump starting ________________ 162
Gearbox: technical data ________ 226
7
Warning labels
WL4
Coolant:
WL3
WL2
Never open while engine is hot.
Radiator fan: Drive belt: Escaping coolant under pressure can cause
serious injuries.
The radiator fan can cut in even Danger! Moving belt
WL1
after engine has been switched off.
A/C system:
Refrigerant at high pressure.
Do not undo or remove any connections in the A/C system
until the system has been emptied. Working the wrong way
may result in injury. Work on the A/C system must be left
to qualified personnel only. For working instructions, see
the Workshop Handbook.
The A/C system complies with SAE J639.
Refrigerant: 770 g of R134a.
Compressor oil: 150 cc PAG Oil SP-10, or
SAAB oil 4759106 SP-10.
Battery:
Contains corrosive sulphuric acid (40%)
• FLAMMABLE GASES formed when car is running and during charging of battery
WL36
• Always wear eye and face protection when working on the battery
• Smoking, open flames and sparks can all cause battery to explode
• AVOID SPARKS, AVOID OPEN FLAMES, NO SMOKING • Consult the manual before using jumper cables.
• KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN • Battery acid can cause SERIOUS BURNS
• SEE MANUAL • Keep battery upright
• PROTECT YOUR EYES • Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing
• FLAMMABLE GAS • In the event of an accident, flush affected area promptly with water and seek medical help.
• ACID
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
8
IB1195
IB994
CANADA
Wheel changing:
Intended for the Saab 9-5 and 9-3. Use the jack
only on firm, level ground. Use blocks. Max. jack
USA load: 2200 lbs. (1000 kg). For further information,
see the manual.
AIR BAG
WARNING
Flip visor over
Belt beam
Warning for pinch risk due to
movable parts when beam is in
WL9
WARNING
unlocked position.
CANADA
Long loads
Always SECURE LOAD to prevent it from shift-
ing during transport.
An unsecured load could cause passenger
50 10 111
injuries in braking situations or in the event of a
USA collision.
Cover sharp edges with a protective wrap.
IB989
WARNING
• Max. weight 30 lbs. (15 kg).
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur. • Max. length 6 ft. (2 metres).
• Children 12 and under can be killed by the air bag. See your Owner’s Manual before securing
• The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for children. loads.
• NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in the front.
• Sit as far back as possible from the air bag.
• ALWAYS use SEAT BELT and CHILD RESTRAINTS
9
IB934
Soft top, Saab 9-3
Convertible
Push the handle in before
driving away.
There would otherwise be
IB963
a risk of injury.
Jack
Keep hands away from moving parts of the
convertible top. – The jack is designed solely for use in changing a wheel
or fitting snow chains.
Failure to do so may cause personal injury.
– The car must be standing level and the jack must be
Do not raise or lower top with passengers in positioned on a firm, level surface.
the rear seat.
– Never crawl under the car while it is raised on the jack.
Personal injury may result from head contact
with top. USE
1 Apply the parking brake and engage first or reverse
gear; if the car has automatic transmission, select P.
2 Fit the jack at the jacking point nearest to the wheel
that is to be changed.
3 Wind up the jack until the car just begins to lift.
4 If there is a wheel cover, remove it by inserting a
screwdriver behind it and prying it off.
5 Loosen the wheel bolts by half a turn, using the tool
in the toolkit.
6 Wind up the jack so that the wheel clears the ground.
Unscrew all the wheel bolts and take the wheel off.
7 Fit the spare wheel and tighten the wheel bolts
WL16
enough for the bolts and wheel to seat correctly.
8 Lower the car. Tighten the wheel bolts in the
sequence shown by the figure.
Child lock safety catch
Locked.
The door can not be opened
from inside.
10
11
Safety
Safety belts...................... 12
Child safety...................... 18
Airbag (Supplemental
Restraint System "SRS") 22
IB1301
12 Safety
IB1302
shield) and the headlining of your Saab
contain padding designed to reduce head For safety reasons, you should adjust
injuries (3 or 5-door only). No modifica- safety belts only while the car is station-
ary. Safety-belt reminder
tions to these areas should be made When the ignition is switched on, the ”fasten
unless done so by your authorized Saab belts” reminder will light up for 6 seconds or
dealer. until the driver and any passengers are
wearing their belts. An audible alarm will
Three-point inertia-reel safety belts are pro- also sound for six seconds or until the driver
vided for all seats. has fastened his belt.
Safety 13
Safety-belt pretensioners Correct position for safety belt
The belts of the front seats are fitted with • The lap part of the belt should be pulled
automatic pretensioners, which are acti- as tightly as comfortable and as low as
vated in the event of a severe frontal colli- possible across the hips, so that it is just
sion or very violent rear-end collision. They touching the top of the thighs. The shoul-
serve to reduce the forward movement of der belt should be well in on the shoulder
the body by tensioning the belt. but not touching the neck.
The belt pretensioners do not activate in
less severe frontal collisions, nor to side col-
lisions, or rollovers. WARNING
Proper positioning of the safety belt is
IB816
WARNING extremely important. An out of position
safety belt can result in the wearer sliding
If the car is involved in a collision, the underneath the belt in a collision (subma- Sit correctly before putting the belt on
safety belts, belt pretensioners and other rining) and injury can result from the lap
components must be inspected by an portion cutting into the abdomen.
authorized Saab dealer and replaced as • Refrain from tilting the backrest more than
necessary. necessary, as the safety belt provides
• Check to ensure that the belt is not twisted
Never make any alterations or repairs to or rubbing against any sharp edges. better protection when the seat is in the
the safety belt yourself but visit an author- more upright position.
• There should not be any slack in the belt.
ized Saab dealer. Pull the belt tight – particularly important • Only one person per safety belt!
when thick outer clothing is worn.
WARNING
If two people share a belt, they risk injury
by being crushed together in the event of
an accident.
WARNING
Never fasten the safety belt with the
shoulder belt behind the body or pull the
IB1305
belt off the shoulder and under the arm.
IB817
To fasten the belt Press the red button to release the belt.
Front seat belts To release the belt, press the red button on
Fasten the belt by pulling the belt and insert- the belt buckle, as illustrated.
ing the tongue in the buckle. Check that it is See page 199 for the checking of belt func-
securely fastened. tion, cleaning etc.
Because the lower belt-anchorage points
are on the seat, the belt buckle follows the
movement of the seat during seat adjust-
ment.
Grasp the shoulder belt close to the buckle
and pull the belt towards the shoulder to
tighten the lap belt part.
The belt must be as far in on the shoulder as
possible.
Safety 15
IB819
IB818
The belt guide on the door pillar Safety belt use during pregnancy
Pregnant women must always wear a
safety belt to protect both themselves and
Belt guide the unborn child.
The belt guide on the door pillar can be set
to five different heights. The lap portion of the belt should be worn as
low as possible across the hips – below the
Set the guide as high as possible without abdomen throughout the pregnancy.
causing the belt to chafe against the throat.
In the case of a short person the guide can
be lowered until the belt comes about an
inch (a few centimetres) from the throat but
still provides safe restraint.
Raise the belt guide by pushing it upwards
to the desired position. To lower it, the
release button must first be depressed.
Check that it has engaged in its new position
by pulling up and down.
16 Safety
IB960
IB821
Safety belts, rear seat (the central head restraint is an accessory) Securing a load on the rear seat
IB822
secured in position by the lap portion of the
• NEVER put a child seat in the front. safety belt, make use of the locking function
• Children 12 and under can be killed by of the buckle. Locking the lap belt
the airbag. Locking the lap portion of the belt lessens 1 Locked
the risk that the seat will work loose while 2 Unlocked
• The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place
for children. the car is in motion.
5 Check for correct locking function by
• Sit as far back as possible from the air The button for the locking function is located pulling on the lap portion of the belt. The
bag. on the back of the buckle. belt must not unreel.
1 Position the child seat in the back of the
The same attention must be given to child car.
safety in the car as is given to adults. 2 To activate the locking function, move
Children travel most safely when properly the locking button on the tongue of the
restrained, but restraints must be suitable belt to the position marked
for the size of the child. Always follow the ”CHILD SEAT” (item 1 in the figure) in
child seat/booster cushion manufacturer´s order to activate the locking function.
instructions when installing these devices in 3 Secure the base of the child seat with
your vehicle. the lap portion of the safety belt in accor-
dance with the installation instructions
accompanying the child seat.
4 Grasp the shoulder part of the safety belt
and pull it upwards to tighten the lap por-
tion against the child seat.
Safety 19
Child tether anchorages
WARNING
IB1362
IB1314
Child tether anchorages are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly fitted child restraints.
Child tether anchorage, Coupé and 5- Attaching tether strap hook to anchorage,
Under no circumstances are they to be door models. Convertible.
used for: The tether strap is not a part of the child The tether strap is not a part of the tether
• Adult safety belts. tether anchorage. child anchorage.
• Harnesses.
• Attaching other items or equipment to
the vehicle.
• Load securing device.
20 Safety
Integrated booster seat
(accessory)
IB825
This child restraint system conforms to all
applicable motor vehicle safety standards.
shoulder strap to tension the belt prop-
Fasten the belt
Folding out erly.
1 Press in the latches and lift and remove • See that the child is seated as far back as • Make certain the belt moves freely
the car’s regular head restraint. Turn it possible against the back support. between the retractor and the buckle.
180° and remount it. Make certain that it • Adjust the booster seat’s head support so
is locked securely in place. that its center is at ear height.
2 Lift up the booster seat’s headrest. • To attach the belt, pull it out slowly and
3 Pull out the upper part of the opener insert the latch plate into the buckle. Make
strap and lower the seat itself. Make cer- certain the latch plate is properly engaged
tain that it is locked in the lowered posi- in the buckle.
tion. • The lap portion of the belt must be posi-
tioned low on the pelvis, and the shoulder
strap must be as far in on the shoulder as
possible without chafing against the
child’s neck or causing discomfort.
• The belt must contact the body firmly to
provide the best protection. Pull up on the
Safety 21
Folding booster seat
a Pull the upper part of the release strap
out and fold up the seat itself. Make sure
that it is locked firmly in its folded-up
position.
b Press the booster seat’s headrest all the
way down.
c Press in the latches on the car’s regular
head restraint. Remove it, rotate it 180°
and remount it. Make certain it is locked
correctly.
WARNING
Label in integrated booster cushion
• Use only the vehicle’s lap and shoul-
der belt system when restraining the
child in the booster seat.
WARNING
• The seat must not be modified or
changed in any way. Failure to follow all the manufacturer’s
• Do not leave a child alone in a car with- instructions on the use of this child
out supervision. restraint system can cause your child to
strike the vehicle´s interior during a
• The car’s regular head restraint must
sudden stop or crash.
always be turned 180° back to its orig-
inal position after the integrated
booster seat is folded away.
• Check that the belt is not twisted or
rubbing against any sharp edges.
22 Safety
Airbag (Supplemental
Restraint System
"SRS")
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
• Always wear your safety belt.
• Always adjust your seat so that you
IB827
IB826
are as far back as possible but still
able to reach the steering wheel and
controls comfortably. Airbag in course of inflation (driver’s side) SRS (airbag) system with belt
• Children 12 and under or shorter than
pretensioners
1 Electronic control module and sensor
55 inches (140 cm) should always 2 Belt pretensioners (for both front safety belts)
When the system is triggered by impact of a
travel in the rear as the vehicle is 3 Steering wheel with integral airbag
frontal collision, the airbags in the steering
equipped with an airbag on the pas- 4 Recess for airbag on passenger’s side
wheel and passenger side of the dash board
senger side.
are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The supplementary restraint system (SRS) The entire process takes less than
comprises an airbag in the steering wheel, 0.1 second – literally, faster than the blink-
a front passenger airbag and side airbags in ing of an eye.
the front seats.
These airbags are triggered only by moder-
The system supplements the protection ate to severe frontal or near-frontal colli-
provided by the safety belts to further sions. They will not be activated by minor
enhance the safety of occupants. front-end impacts, rear-end or side impacts,
If a fault is detected in the SRS, the or by the car rolling over.
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru- Side airbags, see page 27.
ment panel will come on (see pages 56 and
24).
Safety 23
Operation of the airbag in a front-end
collision. • Never rest your hands or forearms on
the steering-wheel center padding.
WARNING
Moment of impact. • If the AIR BAG warning light remains
• Even if the car is equipped with an on after the car has been started or
SRS (airbag), safety belts must still comes on while you are driving, have
always be worn by all occupants. the car checked immediately by an
authorized Saab dealer. The warning
• Note that because an airbag inflates light could signify that the airbags may
and deflates extremely rapidly, it will not inflate in a crash, or they could
Sensor detects not provide protection against a
retardation and even inflate without a crash.
sends a signal via second impact occurring in the same
the control module to incident. Always use your safety belt.
a gas generator that
inflates the airbag. • Always sit with the whole of your back
in contact with the backrest of the seat,
and with your seat as far back as is
The inflating airbag practical. This is to reduce the risk of
cushions the driver. injury from contact with the backrest of
the seat when the airbag inflates and
also because the airbag needs space
in which to inflate.
• Never attach anything to the steering
wheel or passenger side of the instru-
Airbag now fully
inflated. ment panel, as this could result in
injury if the airbag should inflate. The
same applies to anything you might
have in your mouth, such as a pipe, for
instance.
• Some components of the airbag will
The steering column be hot for a short time. In some circum-
has collapsed and stances the airbag can cause burns or
the airbag starts to
deflate. abrasions to the body when the airbag
inflates/deflates.
IB828
24 Safety
Front passenger seat AIR BAG warning light
WARNING
WARNING • Children 12 and under can be killed by WARNING
the airbag.
Never secure a rear-facing child seat in • If the airbag readiness light stays on
the right front seat of a car equipped with • The back seat is the safest place for after you start your vehicle, it means
a passenger airbag. Inflation of the airbag children. the airbag system may not be working
in the event of an accident could seriously properly.
• Never allow a child to stand in front of
injure or kill a child. • The airbags in your vehicle may not
the seat or to sit on the lap of a
front-seat passenger. Serious injury or inflate in a crash, or they could even
The airbags are interconnected and have a death could result if the airbag is inflate without a crash.
common warning light, AIR BAG. The pas- inflated in a collision.
senger airbag module is housed in the • To help avoid injury to yourself or
fascia above the glove compartment and is others, have your vehicle serviced
• Never place anything on the dash or in
marked ”SRS AIR BAG”. right away if the airbag readiness light
front of the seat as, in addition to being
stays on after you start your vehicle.
Both airbags will be inflated in the event of a a hazard to passengers, this could
moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal interfere with the function of the airbag
collision, even if the passenger seat is unoc- in the event of an accident. The same SRS servicing
cupied. applies to the mounting of accessories The SRS must be inspected as part of the
on the dash. normal service program but otherwise may
be regarded as maintenance-free.
• Keep feet on the floor - never put feet
up on the dash, on the seat or out of
the window.
• Do not carry anything in your lap.
Safety 25
Scrapping or working on airbag and Frequently asked questions on func- How do I position the seat to leave room for
belt pretensioners tion of the airbag the airbag to inflate?
Do you still need to wear a safety belt if air- Don’t have your seat too far forward.
WARNING bags are fitted? Recline the seat back to increase the dis-
Yes, always! The airbag merely supple- tance between you and the airbag. For short
• Under no circumstances should any ments the car’s normal safety system. drivers, special accessory pedal extensions
modifications be made that affect the Moreover, the airbag will only be actuated in are available through your Saab dealer.
steering wheel or the airbag’s electri- a moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with
cal circuitry. collision, which means, of course, that it pro- great force - to be fast enough to protect an
vides no protection in minor frontal colli- adult in the seat.
• Before starting any welding work on sions, major rear-end or side-on collisions
the car, always disconnect the nega- or if the car rolls over.
tive (–) battery lead and cover the con- The safety belts help reduce the chance of
When does the airbag inflate?
ductor. the car occupants from being thrown around The airbag will only be inflated under certain
and injured inside the car. predetermined conditions in a moderate to
• Airbags and belt pretensioners must severe frontal, or near-frontal collision,
be deployed under controlled condi- But they also ensure that, if a collision
occurs in which the airbags are inflated, the depending on such factors as the force and
tions before the car is scrapped or any angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
of the system’s components are airbag will make the optimum contact with
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
removed. Airbags or belt pretension- the occupant, i.e. square on from the front.
the impacting object.
ers that have been deployed as a If the occupant meets the airbag in an offset
position, the protection afforded will be The airbag can only be activated once in the
result of an accident must be replaced same incident.
by new ones. reduced.
In addition, airbags provide no protection Do not attempt to drive the car after an
• Airbag-system components must against a secondary impact occurring in the airbag has been inflated, even if it is possi-
never be transferred for use in another same incident. So there is no doubt about ble.
vehicle. the benefit of wearing safety belts at all
times. What won’t trigger the airbag?
• All work involving the scrapping or Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs
replacement of airbags or belt preten- The airbag will not be activated in all
room to inflate. front-end collisions. For instance, if the car
sioners must only be carried out by
knowledgeable personnel. The airbag inflates very quickly and power- has hit something relatively soft and yielding
fully in order to protect an adult person in a (e.g. a snow drift or a hedge) or a solid
serious frontal collision. object at a low impact speed, the airbag will
not necessarily be triggered.
26 Safety
How loud is the inflation? Are the smoke and fumes given off when the What should I do if the AIR-BAG warning
The noise of the inflation is certainly loud, airbag operates at all harmful? light comes on?
but it is very short-lived and will not damage Most people who have remained in a car If the warning light is on, it means that a fault
your hearing. For a short time afterwards with little or no ventilation for several min- has been detected in the system. The
you could experience a buzzing noise in utes complained only of minor irritation of airbag cannot be relied on to operate as
your ears. the throat and eyes. Avoid as far as possible intended and it might even be activated
Most people who have experienced it getting dust on your skin as there is a risk of erroneously. You should therefore take the
cannot remember the noise of the inflation skin irritation. car to an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
at all - all they remember is the noise of the If this trouble persists, you should consult a possible.
crash. doctor.
If you suffer from asthma, the incident may WARNING
Can you still use a child seat in the front if a bring on an attack, in which case you should
passenger airbag is installed? follow the normal procedure advised by When an airbag is inflated there is dust in
Definitely not! your doctor. It is advisable to consult a the air.
doctor afterwards. Because the dust/smoke can, in certain
Children 12 and under can be injured or
killed by the airbag. cases, cause irritation to the skin, the fol-
The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for lowing precautions should be taken:
children. • As soon as possible, wash any
NEVER put a child seat in the front. exposed skin using a mild soap and
water.
• If there is irritation of the eyes, flush
them liberally with clean water for at
least 20 minutes.
Safety 27
IB987
IB986
door is not damaged in any way.
Security
Doors................................. 30
Central locking ................. 30
Car alarm .......................... 35
IB942
30 Security
Central locking 1
WARNING 2
Leaving children or pets unattended in a
locked car is dangerous. It is also danger-
ous to leave children in a vehicle with the
ignition key. A child or others could be
badly injured or even killed. 3
Key / Remote control
IB1116
IB844
The key fits all the locks on the car. The
spare key without the black key grip only fits
Door handle the door locks. Remote control
The key supplied with the car has a code 1 To lock
number on a black plastic tag that needs to 2 To unlock
be quoted for ordering additional keys. You 3 To unlock trunk lid
Doors should therefore make a careful note of the
To open trunk lid (Convertible)
IB845
IB965
inside using the switch on the driver’s door.
Locking / unlocking by remote control To unlock by remote control (2) Central locking
1 To lock 1 To lock
2 To unlock Press once on the control: driver´s 2 To unlock
door is unlocked. Press a second time to
Electronic starting interlock unlock the rest of the doors. Locking by key (1)
(immobilizer) The hazard warning lights will flash twice to Turn the key clockwise: all doors and trunk
Each time the key is removed from the igni- confirm. lid locked.
tion, the electronic starting interlock is acti- The trunk lid cannot be opened now from
vated and the car is thus immobilized, see inside using the switch on the driver’s door.
also page 36.
Unlocking by key (2)
Turn the key counterclockwise once: the
driver´s door unlocked.
Turn the key counterclockwise twice: all
doors, but not trunk lid, unlocked.
32 Security
The interior locking buttons on each door
affect only the respective door on sedan.
The driver´s door lock button will
lock/unlock both on the Convertible.
If the car is left with the doors open, the inte-
rior lighting will be switched off automati-
cally after 20 minutes, to prevent a dead
battery.
WARNING
IB843
IB995
Having the doors locked when you are
driving will reduce the likelihood of:
Switch for operation of central locking • Children, in particular, opening doors Changing the battery of the remote control
and falling out of the car. 1 Battery
2 Control module
The central locking can also be operated • Intruders entering the car when it is
moving slowly or at a standstill.
from inside the car by means of the
switch on the center console (except on • Injury resulting from a door bursting
open in the event of an accident. Changing the remote-control
Convertibles). battery
However, you must also be remembered When the battery voltage in the remote con-
• To lock all doors: press the symbol side of that locked doors can hamper rescuers in
the switch once. trol falls below a predetermined level the
the event of an accident. SID will issue the following message:
• To unlock the driver´s door: press the
switch once. REPLACE KEY BATTERY. Press the
CLEAR button on the SID to acknowledge
• To unlock all doors: press the switch this message. You must then replace the
twice. battery without delay to avoid malfunctions.
This switch is inoperative when the car is The life of the battery is 4-5 years. After
locked from the outside. changing the battery you must press the
unlocking button of the remote control four
times (or until the door locks cycle) while the
car is within the range of the remote control
in order for the control module to recognize
the remote.
Security 33
Battery type: Panasonic CR 2032, 3V lith-
ium. Avoid putting fingerprints on the flat
sides of the battery.
Dispose of the old battery properly when
you buy a new one. These batteries contain
substances that are environmentally
hazardous.
IB849
IB847
Child safety lock catch Trunk switch
1 Engaged
2 Disengaged
Trunk lock
Child safety locks The trunk does not unlock when the other
The rear doors have child safety locks that doors are unlocked. The trunk button on the
are activated by a button next to the door driver’s door is inoperative when the car is
latch on the end of the rear doors. locked or moving at a speed greater than
Shift the button up or down according to the 2.7 mph (4 km/h).
label on the door in question. To unlock
When the child safety lock is in the locked The trunk is unlocked using:
position, the door cannot be opened from
the inside, but can be opened from the out- • The button on the remote control.
side. • The trunk switch on the inside of the
driver’s door (if the car is unlocked and at
a standstill).
• The key in the trunk lock.
The trunk is opened using the opening
handle above the number plate.
Unlocking the trunk with the remote control
is confirmed by the direction indicators
blinking three times.
34 Security
Certain central lock-system func-
tions can be reprogrammed by an
authorized Saab dealer
See page 231.
IB848
Unlocking the trunk lid with the key
IB458
vated/deactivated when the car is with an authorized Saab dealer.
locked/unlocked by the remote control or by Be sure everyone using the car is familiar
the key. Remote control
1 Activate/lock with how both the car alarm and the locking
All the doors plus trunk lid and hood are 2 Deactivate/unlock system work. This will avoid the alarm being
monitored by microswitches, and win- 3 Deactivate trunk, sensors/unlock trunk lid triggered inadvertently.
dow-glass sensors will trigger the alarm if
any glass is broken.
Electronic starting interlock (immobilizer),
see page 36.
The car alarm is armed 10 seconds after the
car has been locked by the remote control.
During this ten-second delay period, the
doors, trunk lid and hood may still be
opened without the alarm being triggered.
The LED indicator on the dash will be on
continuously during this period, at the end of
which it will start to flash (once every third
second) when the alarm arms.
36 Security
Activating the car alarm Window glass sensor Electronic starting interlock
The car alarm (anti-theft system) is The car-alarm (anti-theft system) incorpo- (immobilizer)
activated/deactivated when the car is rates a sensor that monitors the window When the key is inserted in the ignition, a
locked/unlocked by the remote control or by glass for the sound of breakage. The sensor signal is sent to the receiver. If the signal is
the key. is fitted inside the rear dome light (on Con- verified, the engine can be started.
The car alarm cannot be activated if the vertibles: in the front interior light). Each time the key is removed from the igni-
driver’s door is open or if the ignition switch To avoid false alarms, such as the alarm tion, the electronic immobilizer is activated.
is in position ON. being triggered by children or pets left inside If a fault is detected (e.g. in the transmitter)
If, on the other hand, one of the other doors the car, the sensor can be temporarily dis- ”KEY NOT ACCEPTED” will appear on the
or the trunk or hood is open or opened and abled. SID.
not closed again during the 10-seconds To disable the sensor In this case, you can still start the car if you
delay period, it will be excluded from the To disable the sensor, first turn off the igni- turn the ignition key to ON and press one of
alarm function. tion and remove the key from the switch. the buttons on the remote control.
If it is then closed, a new delay period of ten Next, press and hold the NIGHT PANEL Take the car to an authorized Saab dealer to
seconds will start, and the door (or trunk or button until ”DOOR ALARM ONLY” appears have the system checked.
hood) will once again be secured by the on the SID and a chime sounds. The car The LED on the top of the dash dou-
alarm system. alarm must now be activated within three ble-flashes when the car is immobilized.
As usual, the LED will be on continuously minutes, or the glass sensor will become
during the new delay period and will start to active again.
flash every three seconds after the 10-sec- The glass sensor will be enabled again
onds period has elapsed. automatically the next time the car is
unlocked. The sensor can also be enabled
again by repeating the procedure for dis-
abling it. When the sensor has been
enabled, ”FULL THEFT ALARM” will
appear on the SID.
If a fault is detected in the glass sensor,
”SERVICE THEFT ALARM” will appear on
the SID.
9-3 Convertible: when the car is parked
with the soft top down, the glass sensor will
be automatically disabled.
Security 37
Alarm signals Panic-function
When the car alarm is armed, it will be trig- NOTE In the car alarm system is a function called
gered if any door, the trunk lid or hood, is • It is possible to inadvertently deacti- "Panic-function".
opened, or if a window is broken. vate the car alarm and at the same To activate panic function:
The alarm will also be triggered if an attempt time unlock the car, if the button on the
is made to bypass or short-circuit the igni- • Push and hold one of the buttons on the
remote control is pressed by mistake remote control for 2 seconds, or if you are
tion switch, or to disconnect the battery. when the control is still within range of sitting inside the car...
If the alarm is triggered, the following alarm the car.
signals will be set off: • Push the LOCK-switch on the center con-
• When locking the car by remote con- sole for 2 seconds (not Convertibles).
• Flashing of hazard warning lights for five trol in extremely cold weather, it is These actions will trigger the alarm (hazard
minutes. advisable to check that the lock warning lights and siren).
system has operated properly. To do
• Siren wailing for 30 seconds. To deactivate panic function:
so, check that the interior locking but-
The alarm signals will stop if the alarm is tons are all down.
deactivated (car unlocked) during the alarm • Push one of the buttons on the remote
If not, unlock and relock the car again. control, push the LOCK-switch in the
period.
center console, turn the key in one of the
doors or turn the ignition to ON.
When the panic-function is activated the car
will be locked/unlocked depending upon
which button was pushed.
When the ignition is ON the panic-function
cannot be activated.
38 Security
Overview of functions Battery for The battery for the remote control will normally
Locking/ Hazard warning lights flash once (0.5 seconds). remote control have a life of 4-5 years. When the battery needs
activation Horn chirps once. changing, ”REPLACE KEY BATTERY” will
The LED will come on for 10 seconds. appear on the SID.
After fitting a new battery, press the unlock but-
Unlocking/ Hazard warning lights flash twice. ton on the remote control at least four times in
deactivation Horn chirps twice. succession, so that the car alarm can recognize
The LED will come on for two seconds. the signals from the transmitter.
Unlocking/ Hazard warning lights flash three times. If the remote control has been exposed to very
deactivation of Horn chirps three times. low temperatures, it may not function properly. If
trunk lid alarm The LED will flash three times per second for 10 this happens, warm it in your hands for a few
seconds. minutes.
If the remote control is not working, it may be
Alarm triggered Hazard warning lights flash for 5 min. because the code signal has not been synchro-
Siren wails for 30 seconds. nized with that in the control module for the car
To switch off the alarm, deactivate the system in alarm. To rectify this, press the unlock button on
the normal way (unlocking) by unlocking the the remote control at least four times in quick
door with the key or the remote succession. When it is recognized, the door
locks will cycle.
Window-glass The sensor detects if any window is broken and
sensor triggers the alarm. Car-battery If the car-battery voltage is lost while the alarm is
To disable the sensor, see page 36. voltage activated - for instance, if the battery has died -
the car alarm will be deactivated. Once battery
Remote control The range of the remote control is normally voltage is present again, the alarm will revert to
5-10 yds. (5-10 metres), although it can be sub- its status at the time the voltage went down.
stantially more than this in ideal conditions. If the battery is disconnected, e.g. in an attempt
If a remote control is lost, the new one will have to break into the car, the alarm will be triggered
to be programmed from one of the remaining
remote controls to match the car’s unique secu-
rity code. Get in touch with an authorized Saab Alarm signals may differ between model variants for different coun-
dealer. Your dealer will need your second remote tries.
to program a new one Some of the car-alarm functions can be reprogrammed – con-
If another remote or key is desired (up to total of sult your Saab dealer for further details (see page 231).
4), all keys and remotes must be present when
programming additional ones.
Security 39
Overview of, LED signals and SID messages
Status LED signal SID message Reason/action
Activation (during 10-second delay). Comes on for 10 seconds. SERVICE THEFT ALARM Probably a faulty sensor or siren.
Have the car checked by an autho-
Alarm activated (after delay). Flashes once every third rized Saab dealer.
second.
KEY NOT ACCEPTED Fault in key transmitter or in igni-
Deactivation. Comes on for 2 seconds. tion-switch receiver. Turn ignition
Alarm not activated. Off. switch to ON and press one of the
buttons on the remote control. Start
Door, trunk lid or hood open or Flashes three times per sec- the engine.
opened during delay period. ond for 10 seconds. Have the car checked by an autho-
Unlocking the trunk lid. Flashes three times per sec- rized Saab dealer.
ond for 10 seconds. REPLACE KEY BATTERY Fit a new battery in the remote con-
Closing of door, trunk lid or hood Comes on for 10 seconds. trol.
after delay period. DOOR ALARM ONLY Window-glass sensor is disabled.
Car immobilized but not locked. Flashes twice at three sec- FULL THEFT ALARM Window-glass sensor is included in
Car alarm not activated. onds intervals. circuit.
Fault in a switch serving doors, hood Flashing (instead of being • REMOTE KEY Turn the ignition key to position ON
or trunk lid. on continuously) during • TRANSPONDR and then press the button for open-
delay period. ing the trunk lid. SID displays the
number of remote controls and
Some signals may differ between model variants for different
transmitters (transponders) coded to
countries.
the car.
40 Security
Canada only:
Convertible
General safety instruc-
tions ................................ 42
Folding the soft top ......... 43
Raising the soft top ......... 45
Manual raising of the soft
top ................................... 46
Fault messages in SID..... 48
Central operation of the
windows, 9-3 Convertible 49
Trunk, 9-3 Convertible ..... 50
Cleaning the soft top, 9-3
Convertible ..................... 51
Interior lighting................. 52
Manually opening the fuel
filler door ........................ 52
IB1361
42 Convertible
WARNING
• Do not touch the hinges or struts of the
soft top during folding, because of the
pinch hazard.
• Do not operate the soft top with pas-
sengers in the rear seat or bystanders
right next to the car, because of the
risk of head injuries.
• After lowering the top, make sure the
IB837
soft top cover has locked properly.
Locking handle
NOTE 1 Pull the handle out
2 Unfasten the hooks
If you drive away while the soft top is
being raised or lowered it will stop when
the car exceeds 6 mph (10 km/h). The 1 Start the engine and let it idle.
motion of the car and the resulting wind 2 Release the locking handle to free the
can seriously damage the components of two hooks.
the soft top system and may cause per-
sonal injury. • Pull the handle straight backwards.
• Pull the handle down, releasing the
hooks.
• Raise the handle up.
44 Convertible
IB839
IB838
3 Roof and rear window are
Switch for operating the soft top folded down.
1 Lowering
2 Raising
IB936
the ROOF button backwards a second
time to lower the windows.
4 Check that there are no fault messages
on the SID; see page 48. 4 Tonneau cover is closed.
NOTE
After folding the top down you should
check that the front of the tonneau cover
is locked at the front on both sides before
driving away.
IB937
Convertible 45
1
4
2
3
IB840
The front-edge locking of the tonneau
cover
IB841
Raising the soft top Locking handle
1 Pull the handle out and lift it
WARNING 2 Push the handle in
• Do not touch the hinges or struts of the strips when the soft top is raised.
1 Start the engine and let it idle. The window operation is bypassed
soft top during rasing the top, because
of the danger of being injured. 2 Slide the ROOF button forward until the throughout the raising cycle to prevent
5th bow is locked in the tonneau cover the windows being raised.
• Do not operate the soft top with pas- and the SID has given an OK signal
sengers in the rear seat or bystanders 3 Pull the front end of the soft top down
(beep). The top must be locked within with the aid of the closing handle and
right next to the car, because of the 20 seconds. If this is not done the soft
risk of head injuries. lock the soft top by rotating the locking
top will lift an inch or two (a few centime- handle up.
tres. In this case, slide the ROOF button
• Pull the handle down.
forward again until the SID gives an OK
signal. Lock the soft top with the locking • Rotate the handle upwards, the soft top
handle. will be locked.
Note that all side windows will be auto- • Push the handle in.
matically lowered an inch or two (a few Check that the hooks have locked the soft
centimetres) so as to protect the seal top.
46 Convertible
4 Raise the side windows by sliding the
ROOF button forward a second time.
Alternatively, use the central operating
switch for the side windows.
5 Check that there are no fault messages
on the SID; see page 48.
Manual raising of the
soft top
WARNING
IB842
IB938
Manual operation of the soft top must be
resorted to only to raise it in an emer- Valve for manual raising of the soft top Tool fitted for manual unlocking (1) or
gency (e.g. in case of an electrical or locking (2) of the tonneau cover
hydraulic fault).
After manual raising the soft top must on 1 Tip the backrests of the rear seats for- 8 Unlock the tonneau cover by pulling the
no account be folded down manually, ward. tool backwards. The cover should lift
since this could cause damage to the soft 2 Unlock the rear-seat backrest with the half an inch or so (a centimetre or so).
top mechanism. ignition key just outboard of the left rear Remove the tool. Close the trunk lid.
headrest and tip it forward.
Points 6 to 8 are only valid if the soft top is 3 Remove the round rubber cover over the
operated manually when the soft top ton-
hydraulic valve.
neau is locked.
4 Open the valve about half a turn.
5 Open the trunk lid.
6 Take out the wheel lug wrench.
7 In the soft top tonneau mechanism and
inside the trunk lid lining on the
right-hand side, is a hole into which the
straight part of the tool is to be inserted;
see the figure.
Convertible 47
IB939
Manual raising of the soft top
9 (ill. 1) Stand at the side of the car and 12 Climb down onto the floor and pull the get caught. Be sure the seat back locks
open the tonneau cover by grasping its soft top towards the windshield. Raise in place on both sides.
black part. the 5th bow (rear window). 16 Sit down in the front seat, open the
10 (ill. 2) Get into the car and stand on the 13 Stand at the side of the car and close the handle and lock the soft top to the wind-
lowered backrest. tonneau cover. shield beam. Make sure that the hooks
engage in the beam.
WARNING NOTE 17 In the trunk: replace the tool in the soft
top mechanism and lock the soft top ton-
Do not touch the hinges and struts of the Close the cover carefully so as not to neau by pushing the tool forward until
soft top during raising. Keep your hands damage the small flaps in the front. the stop point.
clear of the upper beam of the windshield 18 Take the tool out.
- this is a pinch hazard area. Do not oper- 14 Tip down the 5th bow/rear window as far The soft top system must be checked and
ate the soft top with passengers in the as possible. repaired by an authorized Saab dealer as
rear seat or with bystanders right next to Note: In manual raising it is not possible quickly as possible.
the car. to completely secure the 5th bow in the
recess of the tonneau cover.
11 (ill. 3) Take hold of the handle and pull 15 Shut the valve of the hydraulic system,
the soft top up. without making it too tight. Replace the
cover over it. Raise the rear-seat back-
rest again. See that the safety belts don’t
48 Convertible
IB301
has been folded down.
When the soft top is being raised, all side
Switch for central operation of the win-
windows are automatically lowered an inch
dows, Convertible
or two (a few centimetres) to protect their
seals. After the "beep" is heard, the hooks
of the soft top have been secured to the
windshield beam, hold the ROOF switch for-
ward again and all 4 windows will close.
WARNING
Remember the risk of personal injury
when raising the windows. Check that all
persons travelling in the car have their
head, hands and fingers away from the
windows before raising them.
50 Convertible
Trunk lid lock
Unlocking the trunk lid by using the remote
trunk release button on the driver’s door is
possible only when the top is fully lowered
or raised (note that the ignition must be in
position ON when the top is lowered).
NOTE
If the trunk lid is opened by unlocking it
with the key when the top is not fully raised
or lowered, damage to the trunk lid and/or
IB855
IB856
top system could result.
Suspending top bag Lock for rear backrest cushion
Rear seat
The rear seat is intended for two passen-
gers. Lowering the rear seatback
Trunk, 9-3 Convertible The two rear seat positions have three-point To increase the load-carrying capacity of
safety belts with inertia reels. the car, the rear seatback can be folded for-
Hooking up top storage bag
More space in the trunk can be obtained by ward. This will be easier if the front seats are
lifting the top storage bag up by the straps not too far back.
under it and hooking them in the eyelets at 1 Pass the rear safety belts under the
the top of the bag. black handles at both ends of the back-
The top storage bag can only be hooked up rest. This prevents the safety belts from
in this way when the top is raised. If you becoming caught when the seatback is
attempt to lower the top while the bag is raised again.
hooked up, the SID will display the message 2 The seatback is fitted with a lock at the
"CHECK SOFT TOP STORAGE"; see page top near the left rear head restraint. Use
48. the ignition key to unlock the entire back-
rest. Remove the key.
3 Lower the seatback. (In Canada, if using
child seat top tether strap, detach from
anchorage in trunk prior to lowering the
seatback.)
Convertible 51
IB857
Trunk Pass-Through in the rear 9-3 Convertible in automatic car
seatback for long, narrow loads washes.
A trunk pass-through is provided in the rear Pass through for long loads
• Park in the shade if possible. Long
seatback support so that long narrow standing in strong sunlight can affect
objects can be carried. Before using this the color and material of the soft top.
trunk pass-through, the rear seatback must
be lowered. • Never use strong bleaches or abra-
Suspend the top storage bag by means of sive cleaning agents, since they can
the hooks as previously described on page. damage the textile soft top.
50. • Wash bird droppings off at once, since
they can have a corrosive effect on the
textile soft top and paint.
• During prolonged parking, especially
winter storage, the soft top should be
up to give optimum airing of the fabric.
• Do not wash the fabric soft-top with a
high-pressure jet.
• Strong detergents and solvents can
damage the flame retardant treatment
of the soft top.
52 Convertible
Use mild soap, lukewarm water and a Cleaning the rear window
sponge for washing. The rear window can be cleaned with a
Rinse the top thoroughly with plain water to window cleaner or a mild soap solution and
get rid of all the soap. Flush the cleaning a soft, anti-static cloth.
agent off the bodywork as well, since it can Since the rear window is made of glass,
cause discoloration if it is left to dry on the when necessary, you can use an ice
paintwork. scraper on the outside. Never use a scraper
If further cleaning is needed after soap and on the inside!
water have been used, a mild shampoo may
be employed. First rinse the soft top, then Interior lighting
use shampoo on the complete top and The front light is located on the front roof rail.
scrub with a small soft hand brush.
IB861
The rear lighting consists of two lights built
Add water as needed until the cleaning in to the side panels adjacent to the rear
agent lathers. Use a rag or sponge to seat. The switch is on the center console
Wire for manual opening of fuel filler door
remove dirt, so as to avoid working it into the between the front seats, see also page 121.
(Convertible)
cloth. Thoroughly rinse the whole car with Certain variants have a mirror and lighting
plain water and make sure that cleaning built into the sun visors.
agents are not allowed to dry on the paint-
work.
Manually opening the
NOTE fuel filler door
After washing, the soft top must be given Convertible
time to dry completely before being folded If the fuel filler door, controlled by the central
down. A wet or damp top that is folded lock, does not unlock take the following
down can be damaged by mold. action:
Check fuse 25. If it is defective or blows
again after changing, the locking motor can
be detached from the flap by pulling a wire.
The wire, marked with a yellow arrow at the
end, is located in the trunk inside the open-
ing in the upholstery in front of the
right-hand rear light.
53
Instruments and
controls
Warning and indicator
lights ............................... 54
Instruments ...................... 59
Trip computer SID............ 62
Switches ........................... 71
Wipers and washers ........ 74
Manual climate-control
system............................. 76
Automatic climate control
(ACC) ............................... 80
IB946
54 Instruments and controls
Main instrument panel Warning and
indicator lights
A number of warning and indicator lights will
come on when the ignition is switched on
prior to starting (see page 58). Under
normal conditions, these should go out a
few seconds after the engine has started.
IB1356
This symbol comes on together with if
the oil pressure in the engine is too low. If
the symbol flashes or comes on while you
Main instrument panel are driving, stop as soon as possible and
1 Tachometer 6 Fuel gauge (tank volume: where it is safe to do so, switch off the
2 Indicator and warning lights 17 gallons (64 litres) engine and check the engine oil level, see
3 Speedometer 7 Engine temperature gauge page 172.
4 Indicator and warning lights 8 Trip meter reset button
5 Pressure gauge 9 Odometer and trip meter
NOTE
The car must not be driven under any cir-
cumstances when the warning lamp is on.
Too low oil pressure will damage the
engine.
Instruments and controls 55
Engine malfunction
Central warning light (CHECK ENGINE) SPORT Mode Indicator
This light comes on and a chime will sound On cars with automatic transmission the
if a fault has been detected in any system WARNING indicator light comes on when you press the
that is critical to safety. Any of the following SPORT button on the gear-lever knob.
can activate the central warning light and An illuminated CHECK ENGINE indicator In SPORT mode, the transmission remains
alarm: light indicates a serious engine-related longer in the (D, 3, 2, 1) gears before
problem. While your car may be able to be upshifting.
• Airbag system. driven with the CHECK ENGINE indicator
• Low oil pressure in engine. Quit Sport mode by again depressing the
light illuminated (limp-home mode), you
SPORT button; see also page 147.
• Parking brake is on (when car is moving). are advised to have your car serviced at
• Brake fluid level low. an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
possible.
• Fault detected in ABS system.
• Engine overheating. Continued driving without this problem WINTER Mode Indicator
being corrected might cause serious fur-
• Alternator not charging properly. ther damage to your car and create On cars with automatic transmission the
The symbol and the chime will also sound if unsafe driving conditions. The operator indicator light comes on when, in the D posi-
the ignition key is turned to the ON position should be prepared to take action if such tion, you press the WINTER button on the
but the engine is not started within 10 sec- unsafe conditions arise (e.g., apply the center console next to the gear selector.
onds. brakes, disengage transmission, turn off When the car is in the Winter mode it starts
the ignition etc.). in 3rd gear, which gives a better grip in
slippery conditions by reducing the ten-
Cruise Control This light indicates a malfunction in the dency to spin the wheels.
indicator light fuel-injection or ignition system. The car Quit Winter mode by again depressing the
may still be driven with care and with some- WINTER button; see also page 147.
The symbol is lit when cruise control is
what diminished performance.
active.
58 Instruments and controls
CHECK message
indicator Rear fog light Indicator
This light indicates that there is a message This light shows when the rear fog light is on
in the SID. A chime will also sound (see page 73).
(see page 63). The rear fog light is switched off automati-
cally when the engine is switched off. When
the fog light is next needed, it will have to be
Automatic transmission switched on manually again.
fault indicator
IB1279
On a car with an automatic transmission,
this warning symbol is illuminated if a fault
has been detected in the transmission.
High beam Indicator
1 Cars with automatic transmission
Switch the ignition off and on again to check The symbol is lit when the high beam
if the fault persists. is on.
Even if the fault persists, it is still possible in Autochecking of lights,
most cases to drive the car (see page 144). main instrument panel
Have the automatic transmission checked The above warning and indicator lights
by an authorized Saab dealer as soon as Open door Indicator should come on when the ignition is
possible. switched on. They go out after about 3 sec-
If a door has not been closed properly, the onds.
pictogram will indicate the door concerned The following lamps light up until the engine
NOTE (or trunk). starts, as long as no faults exist:
If the control module has actuated the
Limp-home function for the automatic Central warning light .
transmission, the car will remain in 4th Oil pressure warning light .
gear when D is selected, making it very
sluggish. To overcome this, move the Charge warning light .
selector lever to position 2.
When the indicator light is on, the car
must not be driven with a trailer attached.
Instruments and controls 59
IB340
IB341
IB606
Instruments Odometer and trip meter
The odometer records the distance trav-
Speedometer (U.S. speedometer
shown)
Tachometer elled in miles on U.S. vehicles and on Cana- The speedometer receives signals from a
The tachometer indicates the engine speed dian vehicles the distance indicated is in wheel sensor in the ABS system.
in thousands of revolutions per minute. The kilometres, and the trip meter in miles and If the NIGHT PANEL mode has been
needle may be allowed to enter the broken tenths (kilometres and tenths of kilometres selected, the scale will be illuminated up to
red zone on the dial only for an instant. on Canadian vehicles). 87 mph (140 km/h). The remainder of the
A safety cut-out function (in the fuel system) Reset button scale will be illuminated if the speed of the
prevents the engine speed exceeding The button is located close to the right of the car exceeds 84 mph (135 km/h).
approximately 6,200 rpm (2.0 Turbo) and odometer and trip meter in the main instru-
6,400 rpm (2.3 Turbo). ment panel.
The reset button has two functions, deter-
mined by whether the ignition is ON or OFF.
• When the ignition is ON, the button will
reset the trip meter.
• When the ignition is OFF, the button will
bring up the display for 20 seconds to
allow the odometer and trip-meter read-
ings to be viewed.
60 Instruments and controls
If the needle approaches the red zone,
which can occur in very hot weather or when
the engine is under a heavy load, drive in the
highest gear possible, keep the engine revs
low and avoid shifting down.
Check fuse 3 (radiator fan) in the fuse panel
under the hood, see page 191.
If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone,
stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so and
check the coolant level by looking at the
level visible through the plastic tank - do not
remove the cap.
IB343
IB344
NOTE
Temperature gauge Pressure gauge
The temperature gauge shows the temper- If the needle, despite the above action, The pressure gauge indicates the pressure
ature of the coolant. The needle should be enters the red zone, stop the car immedi- in the induction manifold. Under low load
in the middle of the scale when the engine ately. and while the engine is braking there will be
is at normal operating temperature. vacuum in the induction manifold.The
If the needle stays in the red zone, stop needle of the pressure gauge will then move
If the needle enters the red zone, the the engine. within the white zone. At higher engine
warning light will come on and an alarm speeds and higher loads, the turbo-com-
chime will sound. If the coolant level falls below the MIN mark, pressor produces an overpressure in the
the SID will display the message ”FILL induction manifold. The needle will then
COOLANT FLUID”. enter the orange zone. Normally the needle
should not enter the red zone, since a mon-
WARNING itoring system sets limits to the charging
pressure and protects the engine.
Never open the coolant expansion tank
cap when the engine is hot. It contains hot
coolant under pressure. Failure to heed
this warning may result in personal injury.
Instruments and controls 61
Under certain barometric conditions the
needle may enter the first part of the red
zone without necessarily indicating that a
fault has arisen.
If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone
and the engine at the same time loses
power, because the monitoring system is
holding the charging pressure down, you
should contact an authorized Saab dealer.
If the speed exceeds 143 mph (230 km/h),
the increase in speed will be limited by the
IB1280
lowering of the boost pressure. The pres-
IB345
sure gauge then moves towards the middle
of the orange zone, indicating reduced
engine output and thus reduces the speed Fuel gauge Gear selector indication
of the car as well. The fuel-tank capacity is 17.0 gal. (64 liters). (cars with automatic transmission)
The fuel gauge shows the amount of fuel left
in the tank. When this is down to about An indicator showing which gear is selected
2.5 gal. (10 liters), a warning light on the is situated in the main instrument panel.
main instrument panel will come on (see
page 56).
Use the Saab Information display (SID) to
check the approximate distance that can be
travelled on the remaining fuel
(see page 62).
Refueling; see page 138.
62 Instruments and controls
IB743
tains a varying number of functions depend- and +3°C), and also when temperature has
ing on the standard of equipment and the been selected and it has been outside the
model variant. SID 2 range from 21° to 43°F (-6°C to +6°C) and
SID 2 displays CHECK messages and has again enters the range between 26° and
four trip-computer functions. 38°F (-3°C and +3°C).
SID 3 displays CHECK messages and has
eight trip-computer functions; see page 65.
SID 2
WARNING
Selecting the function
WARNING Use the and buttons to scroll Remember that roads can be icy even at
through the following functions: temperatures of above 38°F (+3°C),
It is strongly recommended that the SID especially on bridges and stretches of
settings be changed only when the car is TEMP Outdoor temperature and Date. road that are sheltered from the sun.
stationary. The driver’s attention can oth- D.T.E. Estimated range (distance to
erwise easily be distracted from the road. empty fuel tank). Resetting values
Resetting is accomplished by depressing
FUEL Ø Average fuel consumption the CLEAR button for at least 4 seconds.
since function last reset.
The following values will be reset:
SPD Ø Average speed since function
last reset. • Distance To Empty (DTE).
• Average fuel consumption.
• Average speed.
Instruments and controls 63
CHECK messages The following CHECK messages may be Night Panel
When the engine is started, CHECKING will displayed: To improve night-driving conditions inside
appear on the display for about four sec- the car, the Night Panel mode can be
onds, while the SID checks are being per- Display shows: See selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
formed. page mation displayed is reduced, and only the
When a CHECK message is generated TEST BRAKE LIGHTS 1) 183 most important instruments and displays
while the car is being driven, a chime will will be illuminated.
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 183
sound, INFO DISPL will illuminate on the When the Night Panel button is pressed,
main instrument panel, and the message FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 181 only the speedometer will be illuminated (up
will appear on the SID. The number of mes- REAR LIGHT FAILURE 183 to the 87 mph or 140-km/h graduation), all
sages that can be displayed by the SID the other instruments illumination will be
varies with the specification of the car. FOG LIGHT FAILURE 183 extinguished and their needles moved to
If more than one CHECK message has WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 180 zero. Both the SID and the ACC displays will
been generated, the + symbol will appear to FILL COOLANT FLUID 174 be extinguished and the backlighting for
the left of the text on the display. The mes- switches and other controls will be dimmed.
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 138 Note: All indicator and warning lights,
sages appear in order of priority.
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 39 together with the display of CHECK mes-
If a new fault occurs while another message sages, will operate as normal.
is being displayed, the message relating to REPLACE KEY BATTERY 39
the new one will appear for 10 seconds, The following conditions will wake up the
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 39 respective displays in the Night-Panel
after which the display will return to the ear-
lier one. TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT- 144 mode:
ING
Press CLEAR once to acknowledge a mes- • Adjusting of the Audio System, SID or
sage, whereupon it will be cleared from the TIME FOR SERVICE 2) 212 ACC (display comes on for ten seconds).
display. It will not be displayed again before • CHECK message generated in the SID.
the ignition has been switched off and then 1 This message cannot be removed by pressing
CLEAR. Press the brake pedal to clear. • High engine revs cause the rev counter to
on again.
2 This message will be displayed approxi- be illuminated until the engine speed has
mately 600 miles (1,000 km) before the next fallen again.
scheduled service is due, or when 365 days • If the quantity of fuel remaining falls below
have elapsed since the last service. The
message should be cleared at the time of that 4 gallons (15 liters), the fuel gauge will be
service (see the Saab Warranties & Service illuminated.
Record Booklet). • If the engine temperature rises above nor-
If you have carried out the service yourself, mal, the temperature gauge will be illumi-
you can clear the message by pressing
CLEAR once. Reset by pressing CLEAR for nated.
at least eight seconds, until ”SERVICE”
appears on the display and a chime sounds.
64 Instruments and controls
• If the speed of the car exceeds 84 mph Units and language versions
(135 km/h), the entire speedometer will The SID has four sets of units:
be illuminated.
• In cars with automatic transmission, if the
selector lever is moved from D to position METRIC IMP. 1 IMP. 2 US
3, 2 or 1, the selector indication on the km miles miles miles
main instrument panel will be illuminated.
km/h mph mph mph
To restore the displays and lighting to the
normal mode, press the Night-Panel button. litres gallons gallons US
Setting the date gallons
°C °F °C °F
IB964
1 Use or to select TEMP/DATE.
24 hours 12 hours 12 hours 12 hours
2 Press the CLEAR button and for at
least one second (year starts to flash Clock
and a chime sounds). CHECK messages can be displayed in six Set the clock by using the two buttons under
language options: English, Swedish, the digital clock on the left of the display.
3 Set the year using or . German, French, Italian and Spanish. Programming features, see page 231.
4 Touch CLEAR. Selecting units and language
5 Set the month in the same way. 1 Depress the CLEAR button and at
6 Touch CLEAR. the same time for 4 seconds until an
7 Set the day in the same way. audible signal sounds.
8 Press CLEAR to save the date setting. 2 Select the required units with or .
3 Briefly depress the CLEAR button.
4 Press or to select the required
language.
5 Briefly depress the CLEAR button.
Instruments and controls 65
SID 3 (SCC) Entering values for the functions
Values can be entered for the following
functions: SPD ∅ (SPEED AVERAGE),
WARNING DIST, ARRIV, ALARM and SPD W.
It is strongly recommended that the SID 1 Select the desired function using or
IB744
settings be changed only when the car is
stationary. The driver’s attention can oth- .
erwise easily be distracted from the road. SID 3 (SCC, Saab Car Computer) 2 Press the SET button for at least one
second (figures start to flash and a
Selecting the function chime sounds).
Outside temperature
(Frost warning) 3 Use or to increase or decrease
Use the button to scroll through the Regardless of what function you have
following functions: the value (press CLR to reset).
selected, SID automatically switches to the 4 Press SET to record the value.
DIST Distance to destination / Trip outside-temperature function when the tem-
meter. perature is between 26° and 38°F (-3° and
+3°C), and also when temperature is
ARRIV Estimated time of arrival. selected and it has been outside the range
ALARM Alarm function. from 21° to 43°F (-6°C to +6°C) and again
enters the range between 26° and 38°F
SPD W Speed warning (chime). (-3°C and +3°C).
TEMP Outdoor temperature and Date. Remember that roads can be icy even at
temperatures of above 38°F (+3°C),
D.T.E. Estimated range (distance to especially on bridges and stretches of
empty fuel tank). road that are sheltered from the sun.
FUEL Ø Average fuel consumption
since function last reset.
SPD Ø Average speed since function
last reset.
66 Instruments and controls
Setting the date Turning the Alarm and Speed Calculation of arrival time and
warning on or off average speed
1 Use to select TEMP/DATE. 1 Select the Alarm or Speed-warning The settings must be made before the jour-
2 Press the SET button for at least one function. ney is started.
second (year starts to flash and a chime 2 Press SET to turn on the function.
sounds). Press CLR to turn off the function. Calculation of arrival time:
3 Set the year using or . When either function is on, an asterisk * will
be visible on the far right of the display. The 1 Select DIST using the button.
4 Touch SET.
function will be visible even if another func- 2 Hold SET until display starts flashing.
5 Set the month in the same way. tion has been selected.
6 Touch SET. The Alarm and Speed-warning settings will 3 Set the destination distance using or
7 Set the day in the same way. not be cancelled when the engine is .
8 Press SET to save the date setting. switched off.
4 Press SET to store settings.
When the Alarm has been set to come on at
a specified time, it will only be activated When ARRIV is selected during the journey,
once – it will not come on at the same time the arrival time based on the average speed
every day. Press SET to turn it on again. over the past 20 minutes will be displayed.
The Alarm will continue to beep for one Press DIST and the distance remaining to
minute if not switched off. the destination will be displayed in the same
way.
After the distance to destination has
decreased to zero, the DIST will function as
a trip meter (see ”Using DIST as a trip
meter”). The starting value for the trip meter
will be the last distance set in the DIST
function.
Example: The DIST setting was 100 miles.
Once 100 miles (160 km) has been cov-
ered, the DIST will start to function as a trip
meter, the initial reading of which will be
100 miles (160 km).
Instruments and controls 67
Using DIST as a trip meter To calculate the arrival time if a specified Calculating the requisite average speed:
If no value has been set for the DIST func- average speed is maintained
tion, DIST will now function as a trip meter 1 Press to select DIST.
(indicated by an arrow on the far right of the 1 Select DIST using the button. 2 Hold the SET button for two seconds.
display). 2 Hold the SET button for two seconds.
Press CLR to reset the trip meter. 3 Set the distance to be covered using
3 Set the distance to be covered using
Under 1000 miles the distance will be or .
shown in increments of 0.1 miles, or . 4 Press SET to store settings.
there-after, the reading will change in incre- 4 Press SET to store settings.
ments of 1.0 miles. 5 Press to select ARRIV.
Metric units: for just under a kilometer, the 5 Press to select SPD Ø. 6 Hold the SET button for two seconds.
distance will be shown in increments of 6 Hold the SET button for two seconds.
10 meters, there-after, the reading will 7 Set the average speed you intend to 7 Set the desired arrival time using or
change in increments of 100 meters.
When DIST is functioning as a trip meter, drive at using or . .
the ARRIV function will display the current 8 Press SET to display the estimated 8 Press SET to display the average speed
time. arrival time. you need to maintain to arrive at the
desired time.
At the beginning of a journey, the SPD Ø
and ARRIV functions will display current At the beginning of a journey, the SPD Ø
values. If values are set during the journey, and ARRIV functions will display current
the new values will be displayed after a values. If values are set during the journey,
delay of about 10 seconds. the new values will be displayed after a
delay of about 10 seconds.
68 Instruments and controls
Resetting values CHECK messages The following CHECK messages may be
To reset the values, press CLR for at least When the engine is started, CHECKING will displayed:
four seconds. appear on the display for about four sec-
Display shows: See
The following functions will be reset onds, while the SID checks are being per-
formed. page
simultaneously:
When a CHECK message is generated TEST BRAKE LIGHTS 1) 183
• Estimated range on remaining fuel
while the car is being driven, a chime will BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 183
(function based on a fuel consumption of
sound, INFO DISPL will illuminate on the
28 mpg) FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 181
main instrument panel, and the message
• Average fuel consumption will appear on the SID. The number of mes- REAR LIGHT FAILURE 183
• Average speed sages that can be displayed by the SID FOG LIGHT FAILURE 184
• Arrival time (function based on current varies with the specification of the car.
speed) If more than one CHECK message has WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 180
Programmed values for DIST, ALARM and been generated, the + symbol will appear to TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 138
SPD W will not be reset (see the respective the left of the text on the display. The mes- FILL COOLANT FLUID 174
function). sages appear in order of priority.
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 39
If a new fault occurs while another message
is being displayed, the message relating to REPLACE KEY BATTERY 39
the new one will appear for 10 seconds, SERVICE THEFT ALARM 39
after which the display will return to the ear- TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT- 144
lier one. ING
Press CLR once to acknowledge a mes-
sage, whereupon it will be cleared from the TIME FOR SERVICE 2) 212
display. It will not be displayed again before
1 This message cannot be removed by pressing
the ignition has been switched off and then CLR. Press the brake pedal to clear.
on again. 2 This message will be displayed approximately
600 miles (1,000 km) before the next sched-
uled service is due, or when 365 days have
elapsed since the last service. The message
should be cleared at the time of that service
(see the Saab Warranties & Service Record
Booklet).
If you have carried out the service yourself, you
can clear the message by pressing CLR once.
Reset by pressing CLR for at least eight sec-
onds, until ”SERVICE” appears on the display
and a chime sounds.
Instruments and controls 69
Night panel The following conditions will wake up the Units and language versions
To improve night-driving conditions inside respective displays in the Night-Panel The SID has four sets of units:
the car, the Night Panel mode can be mode:
selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
• Setting of the Audio System, SID or ACC METRIC IMP. 1 IMP. 2 US
mation displayed is reduced, and only the
(display comes on for ten seconds).
most important instruments and displays km miles miles miles
will be illuminated. • CHECK message generated in the SID.
When the Night Panel button is pressed, • High engine revs cause the rev counter to km/h mph mph mph
only the speedometer will be illuminated (up be illuminated until the engine speed has litres gallons gallons US
to the 87-mph or 140-km/h graduation), all fallen again. gallons
the other instruments illumination will be • If the quantity of fuel remaining falls below
extinguished and their needles moved to 4 gallons (15 liters), the fuel gauge will be °C °F °C °F
zero. Both the SID and the ACC displays will illuminated. 24 hours 12 hours 12 hours 12 hours
be extinguished and the backlighting for • If the engine temperature rises above nor-
switches and other controls will be dimmed. mal, the temperature gauge will be illumi-
Note: All indicator and warning lights, nated. CHECK messages can be displayed in six
together with the display of CHECK mes- language options: English, Swedish,
• If the speed of the car exceeds 84 mph
sages, will operate as normal. German, French, Italian and Spanish.
(135 km/h), the entire speedometer will
be illuminated.
• In cars with automatic transmission, if the
selector lever is moved from D to position
3, 2 or 1, the selector indication on the
main instrument panel will be illuminated.
To restore the displays and lighting to the
normal mode, press the Night-Panel button.
70 Instruments and controls
Selecting units and language
1 Press the CLR and SET buttons at the
same time for 4 seconds until an audible
signal sounds.
2 Press or to select the required
units.
3 Touch SET.
4 Press or to select the required
language.
5 Touch SET.
IB964
Clock
Set the clock by means of the two small but-
tons under the digital clock on the left of the
display.
Programming features, see page 231.
Instruments and controls 71
Switches
Daytime running lights
The parking lights and daytime running
lights come on automatically when the igni-
tion switch is in the ON position.
Note to owners in the U.S.: If you do not
want Daytime Running Lights, this feature
can be disconnected: switch off the engine
and remove fuse No. 15 (see page 189).
IB746
IB745
Note to owners in Canada: Daytime Run-
ning Lights must not be disconnected as
Light switches 1 Headlight flasher
they are a Canadian Federal legal require-
2 High/low beam
ment.
High/low beam
To switch from high to low beam, move the
Parking lights Headlights control stalk towards the steering wheel to
The headlights come on when the ignition position 2.
The parking lights can be switched on
regardless of the position of the ignition switch is in the OFF, ON or START posi- Headlight flasher
switch. Do not use parking lights when driv- tions. Note that they go off again when the To flash your headlights, move the control
ing. ignition switch is turned to LOCK. stalk towards the steering wheel to
Note: position 1. The high beam will remain on
until you release the switch.
The lighting switch must be in parking or
headlight position to operate the rear fog
light (see page 73).
72 Instruments and controls
Courtesy Headlamp Feature
A delay function allows the headlights to
remain on low beam for about 30 seconds
after the driver’s door has been closed.
To activate this function, switch off the igni-
tion, remove the key, open the driver’s door
and pull the high/low beam control stalk
towards the steering wheel like you are
flashing the high beam, see page 71. The
low beam headlights will now come on
immediately after the driver’s door has been
closed and will remain on for about
IB748
IB749
30 seconds.
Turn signal & lane change indicators Hazard warning lights
1 Right indicators When this button is pressed, all the turn
2 Left indicators
signal & lane change indicators and a
symbol in the button flash simultaneously. If
Turn signal & lane change indicators the ignition is on, both indicator lights on the
To switch on the indicators, move the stalk instrument panel will also flash.
up or down. If the hazard warning lights are left on for
The stalk has fixed positions for indicating a some time, the flasher frequency will be
right or left turn, and the indicators are can- reduced to save the battery.
celled automatically (stalk returns to off Hazard warning lights should only be used
position) after most turns. if, because of an accident or breakdown, the
The stalk also has an intermediate, car constitutes a hazard to other road users.
spring-loaded position that is useful for sig-
nalling when changing lanes or passing.
The respective indicator lights on the instru-
ment panel flash at the same frequency as
the indicators
Instruments and controls 73
WARNING
Switch on the hazard flashers if the car
has to be left at the roadside on account
of an accident, engine trouble or a flat tire.
If you carry a warning triangle or flares,
they should be set up along side of the
road 300 ft. (100 m) behind your vehicle.
If the car is not clearly visible (e.g. over
the brow of a hill or bridge), place the tri-
IB750
IB751
angle/flare even further back.
IB753
IB752
how long the washers were in action. If the
speed of the car is less than 12 mph
Instrument lighting (20 km/h) the wipers will make an additional 0 OFF
The brightness of the instrument lighting sweep after about 9 seconds. 1 Windshield wipers: intermittent operation.
The headlights are washed and wiped auto- The delay can be adjusted to between 2 and
can be varied by means of the dimmer 15 seconds
switch adjacent to the headlight switch, the matically whenever you use the windshield 2 Windshield wipers: low speed
ignition switch shall be in position ON. (See washers. They cannot be operated inde- 3 Windshield wipers: high speed
also Night panel on page 69). pendently of the windshield washers. 4 Washing the windshield and cleaning the
headlights
In daylight or other equally bright light, the
instrument and switch illumination is auto-
matically extinguished.
Instruments and controls 75
Rear-window wiper
Rear-window washing and wiping are car-
ried out using the same stalk switch as for
washing and wiping the windshield and
headlights.
This stalk has two additional switches,
ON/OFF and .
The ON position gives intermittent wiping.
The position gives washing and wiping.
After a few sweeps the wiper stops, or
reverts to intermittent wiping if this has been
IB935
IB754
selected. When washing/wiping of the rear
window ends, the wiper makes a single
Control for setting wiper delay sweep after about 15 seconds to wipe away Rear-window wiper
1 Long delay 1 Intermittent wiping
2 Short delay any remaining washer fluid. 2 Washing
Moving the control stalk to the
spring-loaded position between OFF and
ON will produce a single sweep of the wip-
ers.
Intermittent wiping of the rear window is
done when reverse gear is selected, if the
wipers are in position 1, 2 or 3, see page 74.
76 Instruments and controls
Manual climate-control
system
The air is drawn in through an intake at the
bottom edge of the windshield. It passes
through an efficient filter before being
routed through the climate-control system
and into the cabin. The cabin discharge vent
is located on the right behind the rear
bumper. The air discharge vents should be
kept free of snow and ice in the winter.
IB032
IB755
Fan
Control panel: manual system Dash vent
The rate of air flow inside the car is con- 1 Temperature 1 Adjusting the direction of the air flow.
trolled by means of the fan switch. 2 Fan speed 2 Adjusting the air flow
3 Air distribution
Temperature control 4 Air conditioning (A/C)
The temperature of the incoming air can 5 Rear-window heating
be steplessly varied using the temperature 6 Recirculation The dash vents swivel universally, so that
control. the air can be directed as desired.
Air distribution The flow of air through the dash vents can
The air distribution control is used to direct be adjusted for each vent by means of the
the flow of air to the defroster, dash and floor adjacent control.
vents. Air to the rear side windows is supplied by
The control permits settings intermediately the floor ducts. To demist these windows
between the three main settings so that the you should therefore select a defroster/floor
available air can be apportioned between combination.
the floor and the windshield (defroster) or If the windows are thoroughly cleaned it is
between the floor and the panel. much easier to keep them free of mist.
To counter cold drafts from the front side
windows when the control has been set to
defroster or floor, a small flow of air issues
from the dash vents.
Instruments and controls 77
Settings for
various weather
conditions
IB762
Winter - defroster
Defroster
IB983
Winter - comfort
IB984
Summer - cloudy
IB985
knob be turned two steps to the left from the Defroster position.
Summer - sunny
78 Instruments and controls
IB794
heated. drawn into the car from outside.
The air conditioning can be used at outdoor Note that recirculation should not be
Air vent at rear side window temperatures down to 32°F (0°C). used when the outside temperature is
Condensation water lower than 50°F (+10°C) except briefly,
When the A/C compressor is on, the incom- e.g. to avoid unpleasant air from enter-
ing air is dehumidified. The resulting con- ing the car. Prolonged use of recircula-
densation water is drained away through an tion could cause the windows to mist or
outlet under the car. ice up.
It is therefore perfectly normal for water to
be seen dripping from this outlet when the
car is parked. The warmer the ambient air
and the higher the humidity, the more con-
densation will form.
Instruments and controls 79
Recommended settings in
Electrically heated rear severe cold
window/external mirrors On starting with a cold engine, set the fan
The button is located on the climate-control switch to position 2 and select defrost to
panel. An LED in the button is lit as long as heat the cabin and defrost the windshield as
heating is on. quickly as possible.
Switch off the heating as soon as the rear When the engine is warm enough for the
window is clear. It will go off automatically reading of the temperature gauge to start
after about 10 minutes. rising, fan setting 3 may be chosen. Once
the windshield is clear, the air-distribution
If the battery voltage is lower than 12 V the control should be shifted two steps to the
heating will be switched off earlier so that left.
the battery can get the benefit of the alterna-
tor charge. The warm-up time of the engine depends on
the kind of driving. Town driving in high gear
Avoid placing sharp objects on the rear with a low RPM gives a longer warm-up time
parcel shelf; the heater elements may suffer than highway driving with a higher RPM.
damage if such objects touch the rear win-
dow. Do not switch the heating on until you Do not use position 4 on the fan switch, as
have started the engine. this is mainly intended to provide rapid cool-
ing in hot weather.
80 Instruments and controls
Automatic climate
control (ACC)
The air is drawn in through an intake at the
bottom edge of the windshield. It passes
through an efficient filter before being
routed through the climate-control system
and into the cabin. The cabin discharge vent
is located on the right behind the rear
bumper. The air discharge vents should be
kept free of snow and ice in the winter.
IB032
IB794
ACC (Automatic Climate Control) automati-
cally maintains the desired cabin tempera-
ture, regardless of the weather outside.
Air vent at rear side window Dash vent
The system will achieve the desired temper- 1 Adjusting the direction of the air flow.
ature in the quickest possible way. 2 Adjusting the air flow
Note that heating or cooling is not
speeded up by setting the temperature
higher or lower than you really want. The temperature interval within which you • It is recommended that changes in the
For the ACC system to be most effective, all can make adjustments is 58-82°F temperature setting be made in steps of
windows, and the sunroof if there is one, (15-27°C). Outside it, there is the HI position 2°F (1°C).
must be closed, and the panel vents must (max. heat and high fan speed) and the LO • Conversion between °C and °F is done in
be open. position (max. cooling and max. fan speed). the SID unit; see ”Units and language ver-
The incoming air is treated in three stages: The displayed temperature is not the actual sions”, page 69.
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu- temperature but corresponds to the comfort • During the cooling phase in warm
midified and cooled and, finally, if required, level normally experienced at that tempera- weather the panel vents must be open.
heated. ture after allowance has been made for the • Do not manually select recirculation in
air flow, relative humidity, solar radiation, cold/wintery weather. The reduced air
etc., currently prevailing inside the car. flow can cause misting and ice on the
• The most usual temperature setting is inside of the windows.
66-74°F (19-23°C), depending on per-
sonal preference and what clothing is
worn.
Instruments and controls 81
The system uses five sensors: Condensation water
• Outside-air temperature. When the A/C compressor is on, the incom-
ing air is dehumidified. The resulting con-
• Cabin-air temperature. densation water is drained away through an
• Sun sensor. outlet under the car.
• Blended-air temperature (located in the It is therefore perfectly normal for water to
heater unit). be seen dripping from this outlet when the
• Coolant temperature. car is parked. The warmer the ambient air
The sun sensor is centrally located on the and the higher the humidity, the more con-
dashboard panel between the defroster densation will form.
nozzles. Note that if anything is placed over
the sun sensor the ACC system will not
function properly.
IB763
1 Sun sensor
2 Interior-temperature sensor
82 Instruments and controls
Button Display
Setting the cabin temperature
1 Switch on the ignition.
2 Set the desired cabin tempera-
ture using the two buttons.
3 The temperature you have now
chosen will be stored, remaining
in the memory even when the
ignition is switched off, unless
IB764
ACC has been programmed with
a different "ON" setting. See pro-
gramming, page 86.
Functions
The function you have manually selected will be locked in, while
other functions remain automatic.
Temperature maintenance, except in positions HI and LO, is, there-
fore always automatic. The active function is shown in the display.
A manual selection is cancelled by pressing AUTO or by repeated
pressing of the button used to make the manual choice. For further
functions, see ”Programming II”, page 87.
Button Display
When the system is set to AUTO, the
temperature, air distribution, fan
speed and recirculation will be con-
trolled automatically.
The air conditioning is activated auto-
matically if the outside temperature is
above 32°F (0°C). When AUTO is
depressed again, all automatically
selected settings are shown on the
display.
Instruments and controls 83
Button Display Button Display
One touch:
When Defroster is manually selected
you will get demisting of all windows
(the air flow to the rear side windows
will be shut off) by high fan speed. Air
will be routed to the defroster noz-
zles. Normal temperature control,
recirculation and ECON will be Panel (and center rear vent)
switched off but the electric heating
of the rear window and outside mir-
rors will be switched on. Current set-
tings will be shown on the display and
AUTO will go out.
The demister function remains oper-
ative until another selection is made,
but the heating of the rear window
and the outside mirrors will be Floor, front and rear (and rear side
switched off after a certain time, windows)
depending on the outside tempera- Press
ture. simulta-
Two touches: neously
Two touches on the defroster button
routes the air to the windshield with-
out any increase in fan speed and
without switching on the rear-window
heating.
Defroster - floor (front and rear)
To revert to the previous setting,
press the AUTO button.
84 Instruments and controls
Button Display Button Display
Press Recirculation is controlled automati-
simulta- cally, but there is also manual
neously ON/OFF control.
IB793
86 Instruments and controls
Calibration Programming I
If the battery has been disconnected or has run flat, the system will The manual selections you have made can be saved so that the
recalibrate automatically. ACC system always starts up on these selections every time the
Manual calibration: ignition is switched on. But notice that the ignition must have been
off for at least 10 minutes before you try out the saved setting.
1 Start the engine.
1 Select the desired settings.
2 Press + at the same time. The ACC display flashes
once to indicate that calibration and self-testing have started. 2 Press + at the same time.
During calibration the display indicates the figure 0 or the fault codes (The ACC background lighting flashes to confirm that the informa-
(01-23) that have been found. tion has been stored.)
Calibration and self-testing takes about 30 seconds.
Example:
If you want the ACC system to distribute the air to the dash vents
from the start, proceed as follows:
1 Start the engine.
2 Press the button .
3 Press and at the same time.
4 Shut off the key.
5 The system will memorize this new program 10 minutes after the
key is shut off.
Cancelling program I
A saved setting is deleted only by pressing + at the
same time.
(The ACC display flashes to confirm that deletion has been
effected.)
Instruments and controls 87
Programming II Programming and cancellation of programming is carried out by
It is also possible to customize the ACC system to adapt to driving holding the appropriate button down until the corresponding symbol
and weather conditions. has flashed 4 times, an audible signal has sounded and the follow-
ing text for the desired function has appeared in the SID.
Function Operation in AUTO mode Standard operation in Make sure the ignition is ON.
after Programming II AUTO mode
Function Text displayed on SID Text displayed on SID
The A/C compressor is not A/C compressor cuts in
during programming when cancelling
switched on until the out- when outside tempera-
program
side temperature goes ture is above 32°F
above +55°F (+13°C). (0°C). ACC: LO TEMP ACC: NORMAL
– This function can be used A/C CTRL A/C CTRL
to save fuel, since the A/C
compressor will not be in ACC: MANUAL ACC: AUTO
action for so long a time. RDEFR CTRL RDEFR CTRL
In wet weather, however,
the A/C compressor should
be on at below 57°F (14°C) Example:
as well, since this reduces
the risk of misting on the If you want to control the switching on and off of the heating for the
windows. rear window and the door mirrors manually, hold the button
Rear-window heating can The heating will come on depressed until the symbol has flashed 4 times, an audible signal
only be switched on manu- about five seconds after has sounded and the following text has appeared in the SID.
ally. the engine has started if
the outside temperature SID shows:
is below +41°F (+5°C). ACC: MANUAL
–The activation time RDEFR CTRL
depends on the outside Once a function has been recorded under ”Programming II”, it will
temperature. remain in the system until you cancel the program.
AUTO will still show on the display after a function has been saved
in ”Programming II”.
Additional programming features, see page 231.
88 Instruments and controls
Useful tips: ACC - 9-3 Convertible
If the ACC system is not functioning When the soft top is folded down the ACC
satisfactorily the following should be tried system goes over to manual temperature
before you take the car to an authorized setting.
Saab dealer. Between HI and LO there are eleven (0-10)
• If the indication AUTO does not light up fixed temperature steps.
after starting (the ignition must have been The system adjusts itself as follows
IB795
switched off for at least 10 minutes): See • AUTO is turned off.
Cancelling programming of ACC.
• Heating, air distribution and fan speed are ACC display with soft top folded down
• If you think that the ACC system is not not affected.
functioning satisfactorily you should:
1. Check that the cigarette lighter plug is • Recirculation and electric rear window
in its socket (since if the socket is empty are turned off.
heated air can flow out and affect the • A/C assumes the same setting (ON/OFF)
cabin sensor). as it had when the soft top was last folded
2. Recalibrate: See the section headed down.
Calibration. All manual selections are possible with the
• If the battery has been disconnected or exception of electric rear window.
has died, the ACC system should be reca- Saab recommends leaving the ACC setting
librated: See Calibration. on ECON when the soft top is folded down
Programmed settings are not deleted if the to improve fuel economy and unnecessary
battery has been disconnected. running of the A/C compressor.
Extinguishing the lighting in ACC When the soft top is raised the system
reverts to the AUTO mode and the previous
See section Night Panel, page 63.
set temperature.
Saab 9-3 Audio System 89
IB1194
Fault codes ....................... 110
90 Saab 9-3 Audio System
Saab 9-3 Audio System The Audio Systems are interconnected with
SID (Saab Information Display) which is
Indicator
The Saab 9-3 Audio System comes in two located above the radio in the instrument AS Radio is in Autostore mode
levels, Premium and Prestige. They are panel. The Audio Systems uses the display RDM Random playback of CD
specially adapted to the cabin space in the of the SID instrument to show text/charac- tracks when CD player
Saab 9-3. ters and indications. selected
The Saab 9-3 Audio System consists of a
main unit with a radio and a cassette player. DOLBY B/C noise reduction
There is a also a CD player and a CD on for cassette player
(DOLBY
changer for 6 CD discs available as an B/C
accessory.
The Premium Audio System has two loud-
speakers at the front and two at the rear.
Output is 4x20 watts.
The Prestige Audio System 3 has two addi-
tional loudspeakers. They are mounted in
the front doors and reproduce bass tones
below 200 Hz. These subwoofers have their
own amplifier of 2x40 watts.
Saab 9-3 Audio System 91
Quick guide to the Saab 9-3 Preset station buttons
Audio System 1
4
2
5
3
6
Press once: play the preset station.
Press and hold briefly: store a new station.
Radio, see page 94
On Auto tuning
PUSH
ON
VOL PULL
BAL To switch the system ON, press the volume but- SEEK
Touch: SEEK.
ton. The last settings used will be activated. Press and hold briefly: manual tuning.
If the Audio System is switched on when the igni- Press SEEK once: frequency display
tion key is not in the switch, the system will auto-
matically be switched off after one hour has Touch: AS (AutoStore) ON/OFF.
elapsed since a control button on the radio was AS Press and hold briefly: automatic tuning and
SEARCH
last pressed. storing of the 6 strongest stations in the area in
Off which you are currently driving.
To switch the system OFF, press the volume but-
ton or remove the ignition key. Touch: change frequency band.
VOL RADIO
BAND
To adjust the volume, rotate the VOL control.
BAL
To adjust the balance between the left and right
Press once: Mute ON/OFF (on CD tuner only).
channels, pull out and turn the VOL control.
BAS
BAS TRE FAD
Press to release the button, and adjust the bass
level. Lock the setting by pushing the button in. Press once: activate Weather Band
TRE
Press to release the button, and adjust the tre-
ble. Lock the setting by pushing the button in.
FAD
Press to release the button, and adjust the bal-
ance between the front and rear sets of speak-
ers. Lock the setting by pushing the button in.
92 Saab 9-3 Audio System
Cassette player. See page 96 CD player. See page 99
Touch: choice of play when another sound Touch: change to CD playback when other
TAPE source is active. CD sound source is active.
RDM
Press and hold briefly: random playback.
Remove CD.
4 5 6
Saab 9-3 Audio System 93
Sound controls
ON/OFF
The Audio System will come on:
• When the volume control is pressed.
• When the ignition is switched ON, if the
Audio System was on when the ignition
key was last removed.
The Audio System will be switched off:
• When the volume control is pressed.
• When the ignition key is removed.
• One hour after the ignition was switched
OFF, if the ignition key has not been
removed.
IB1163
• When one hour has elapsed since a con-
trol button was pressed if the Audio
system was switched on when the
ignition key was not in the switch. BAS - Bass
TRE - Treble
VOL - Volume
FAD - Fader
BAL - Balance The fader control adjusts the balance
Pull out and rotate the VOL control to adjust between the front and rear sets of speakers.
the balance between the left and right
speakers. When the control is released, it The Bass, Treble and Fader controls must
reverts to the volume function. be pressed first to release them.
BAS/TRE/FAD controls:
Rotate clockwise to increase the level and
counter-clockwise to reduce it.
94 Saab 9-3 Audio System
Radio
Press the RADIO/BAND button (3) to switch
to the radio when another source is active.
Preset station buttons (1)
Press once (release within a second) to
select a preset station, e.g.
IB1166
Presetting a station
Press the desired button and hold it down
for more than a second to store the currently
tuned station. During this time, the radio will Seeking (2) Band selector (3)
be mute. The sound will return as soon as Automatic seek tuning: Touch the RADIO/BAND button repeatedly
the station has been stored. Press SEEK >> briefly to search for higher to move through the waveband selections:
frequencies or << SEEK for lower frequen- FM1, FM2 and AM.
cies. AS, Autostore (4)
Manual tuning: The autostore mode provides an additional
To switch to the manual-tuning function, preset function that can be used to search
press SEEK >> or << SEEK and hold until a for and to store stations when you are in an
chime sounds and the M indicator appears area where you are unfamiliar with the sta-
on the display. tions and their frequencies. This can be
The function will revert to automatic seek done without changing your normal presets.
tuning two seconds after the last manual Touch the AS button to switch the Autostore
frequency change has been made. mode ON/OFF. When the Autostore mode
is ON, the AS indicator will show at the
bottom of the display.
Saab 9-3 Audio System 95
Press and hold the AS button for more than
a second to initiate an automatic search for
the six strongest stations.
Each time the system finds and stores a sta-
tion, the number on the far right of the SID
display will change. If the system cannot
find six stations with good reception, the
remaining preset buttons will be empty. If
one of these empty buttons is pressed, FM
or AM**** will appear on the display.
When the system leaves the AS mode, it
returns to the station that was selected
before the AS mode was activated.
The AS mode can also be used in the AM
band.
IB1166
WB (Weather Band) (5)
Press the WB button to select the Weather
Band mode. The radio will automatically
search for the strongest national weather
service station in the area. When a weather
band station is received, the display indi-
cates "WB". The strongest station generally
provides the most accurate information for
the area in which you are travelling.
To exit the Weather Band mode, depress
the WB button again. Weather Band recep-
tion is available in CD and RADIO mode. If
the radio is unable to find a sufficiently
strong station to lock onto, the unit will con-
tinue to search and the display will indicate
"NO WB".
96 Saab 9-3 Audio System
Cassette player
Before playing a tape, make sure that the
label is secure and that the cassette is not
warped, otherwise the cassette can
become jammed in the deck. The cassette
player senses automatically whether the
tape is normal or metal (Type I or Type II).
TAPE (1)
Turn on the cassette player by pressing
TAPE
or by inserting a cassette in the
deck, with the exposed tape to the right.
Playback will start with the side that is facing
up (indicated by A on the display). The dis-
play will now be as follows:
IB1151
Dolby® noise reduction (3) Eject button (4)
Press TAPE/DOLBY to switch Dolby B/C To stop playback of a tape, press the eject
on/off.
Playback direction (2) button or select another source.
Dolby should be on for playback of tapes
To play the other side of the tape, recorded with Dolby, and off for those If you select another source without press-
recorded without Dolby. ing the eject button, the tape will remain in
press . the deck but the head and pinch rollers will
release from the tape. The same applies if
The deck will automatically change the play-
the Audio System is switched off while a
back direction when the end of the tape is
tape is being played. Tapes can still be
reached, be it during playback, fast
ejected when the system is turned off.
forward/rewind or music search.
Saab 9-3 Audio System 97
Music search forward/reverse (5) Fast forward/rewind Auto music search (Blank skip)
To search forward for a track, press Press and hold SEEK >> to start fast- To switch the Blank-skip function ON/OFF,
SEEK >> and release quickly (within half a forward to the end of the tape. The following press and hold SEEK (mid-segment).
second). The following will now appear on will now appear on the display: When the Blank-skip function is active (dis-
the display: play: BL SKIP ON), unrecorded gaps that
are longer than 15 seconds will automati-
cally be skipped.
When auto music search is in progress, the
following will show on the display:
Press SEEK >> once to cancel fast-for-
To perform a backward search, press ward.
<< SEEK instead. Press and hold SEEK briefly to switch to
A forward search will continue until a gap of music search.
at least 4 seconds is found, or until you Fast rewind (<< WIND) is performed in the
press SEEK >> or SEEK (mid-segment). same way as fast forward. If a track has been recorded at an unusually
Pressing and holding the button during a low level and is therefore identified incor-
search will initiate the fast-forward function. rectly as a gap between tracks, it could ini-
tiate a spurious “auto music search".
To cancel such a search, press and hold
SEEK (mid-segment) during playback. The
following will now appear on the display:
98 Saab 9-3 Audio System
Type II (metal) tapes Tape care
The cassette has an automatic tape-type Do not expose cassette tapes to direct sun-
selector. light or to extremes of temperature as this
can damage the cassette and the tape.
Cleaning-due indicator
After 30 hours’ playing time, the following Always keep cassettes in their boxes when
message will appear on the display: not in use.
If a cassette should become jammed in the
deck, seek help from an authorized Saab
dealer.
IB1165
A tiny, amber-colored LED indicator to the
left of the disc tray is illuminated when a disc
is loaded.
When all the tracks have been played, the Track search (1) Rapid play (passage search)
CD player will restart playback from track 1.
Touch << SEEK or SEEK >> repeatedly to When << SEEK or SEEK >> is pressed and
To cancel playback, press the eject or
move to preceding or following tracks. held, rapid play will be initiated, with the time
RADIO button.
Touching << SEEK once will restart play- and track showing on the display, e.g.:
back from the beginning of the current track.
To change to the preceding track, touch
SEEK twice.
IB1165
CD PLAY Pressing and holding
<< SEEK or SEEK >>
starts Rapid play.
CD TRACK Pressing and holding Random playback (RDM) (2) Eject (3)
<< SEEK or SEEK >> acti- Press and hold the CD/RDM button to
vates track changes. select/deselect random playback of the cur- Touch to remove the disc.
rent disc. When this function is selected, If you press the eject button to open the tray
RDM will appear at the bottom of the dis- but fail to remove the disc, the CD player will
play. automatically close the tray again after
Touch SEEK >> to move from the current 10 seconds to protect the disc, without
track to the next during random playback. restarting playback.
Touch << SEEK to repeat the current track
during random playback.
Pressing and holding << SEEK or SEEK >>
will start Rapid play.
Saab 9-3 Audio System 101
CD changer
(option/accessory) 3
IB799
1 Slide the cover back.
IB383
4
2 The CD magazine will automatically
eject after it has retrieved all discs. CD changer in trunk
3 Press the catch on the magazine to one
side.
4 Withdraw one CD tray at a time and To select the CD changer If the magazine in the CD changer is empty,
swap or load the CD (label side up). • If the Audio System is in the RADIO the following will appear on the display:
Slide the tray back into the magazine. mode, touch the CD/RDM button twice.
Note the position of the magazine for load- • If the CD player is active, touch the
ing (see picture). CD/RDM button once.
Insert the entire magazine carefully inside If the CDs in the magazine have not been
the CD changer and slide the cover closed changed, the system will restart playback
again. from where it left off.
If there is no magazine in the CD changer,
the following will appear on the display:
102 Saab 9-3 Audio System
If the CD changer is activated immediately
after a magazine has been loaded, the fol-
lowing will appear on the display:
IB1164
If the selected CD-tray, e.g. 3, is empty, the
Selecting CDs (1) following will appear on the display:
When the CD changer is operating, the
radio preset buttons work for the six CDs in
the magazine. Press the button for the cor-
responding CD.
If the selected CD is already being played,
playback will restart from the first track.
Saab 9-3 Audio System 103
After two seconds, the status of the trays in Fast track changes Random playback (RDM) (3)
the magazine (i.e. loaded or empty) will be Touch SEEK (mid-segment) to switch Press and hold the CD/RDM button to
shown on the display, e.g.: between the CD PLAY and CD TRACK select/deselect random playback of the
modes. CDs in the magazine. When this function is
selected, RDM will appear at the bottom of
the display.
Touch SEEK >> to move from the current
track to the next during random playback.
If for some reason the CD selected by the Touch << SEEK to repeat the current track
preset button cannot be played, playback of The CD-PLAY and CD-TRACK modes during random playback.
the current CD will continue. change the function of << SEEK and Pressing and holding << SEEK or SEEK >>
Track change (2) SEEK >>. The selected mode will also be will start Rapid play.
Touch << SEEK or SEEK >> repeatedly to active the next time the system is switched
on. Choose the mode that you find most To stop playback from the CD changer,
move to preceding or following tracks. simply select another source (RADIO/CD).
Pressing << SEEK once will restart play- convenient.
The CD changer will now enter stand-by
back from the beginning of the current track. CD PLAY Pressing and holding mode.
Thus, to play the preceding track, touch << SEEK or SEEK >>
<< SEEK twice. starts Rapid play.
Rapid play CD TRACK Pressing and holding
When << SEEK or SEEK >> is pressed and << SEEK or SEEK >> acti-
held, rapid play will be initiated, with the time vates track changes.
and track showing on the display, e.g.:
IB945
TAPE mode: Play other side of tape.
CD mode: Inoperative.
Audio System controls on steering wheel
CD-changer mode: Change CD in the
magazine 1⇒2⇒ ... ⇒6⇒1⇒ ...
If a CD changer has been installed, it will
SRC (SOURCE) also have been security coded.
<< SEEK >>: Press repeatedly to switch between If the security code for the CD changer does
RADIO mode: Auto/manual seeking. RADIO ⇒TAPE or CD ⇒(CD changer) ⇒ not match when the changer is selected, the
TAPE mode: Music search/Fast forward or RADIO ⇒ ... following will appear on the display:
rewind.
CD/CD-changer mode: Track VOL +/–:
change/Rapid play. Volume adjust.
IB978
IB977
IB979
Multipath interference Shadow effect Sources of FM interference
When the radio waves from an FM transmit- Because FM radio waves travel in straight Interference to FM reception can be caused
ter collide with a large building, for example, lines from the transmitter, a shadow effect by the electrical systems in other vehicles,
they will be reflected so that they reach the can occur when tall buildings or hills particularly if the signal from the transmitter
car antenna slightly later than the direct obstruct the interference path from the is weak.
waves. This is referred to as multipath dis- transmitter to the car. To maintain good radio reception do not tint
tortion. The effect is liable to be blamed the rear windshield, particularly with film
upon malfunctions in the radio. containing small metal flakes.
Antenna
The antenna of the Audio System is motor-
ized.
Saab 9-3 Viggen Coupé and 5-door: The
antenna is located on the roof.
NOTE
Remove the antenna if you wash the car
in a car wash, to avoid it being damaged.
For the cleaning of the motorized antenna,
see the section headed "Washing", page
201.
108 Saab 9-3 Audio System
FM AM
IB980
IB981
IB388
Cross-modulation Radio waves, FM/AM Sources of AM interference
When the radio is tuned to a weak transmit- FM radio waves radiate in straight lines from AM reception is prone to interference, e.g.
ter in the vicinity of a stronger one, the car’s the transmitter. Because such waves do not from electrical systems on other vehicles,
antennas will receive signals from both. follow the curvature of the Earth, their high-tension power lines and lightning.
Such interference is apparent when the strength becomes weaker the further they
unwanted broadcast can be heard faintly in travel. That is why a large number of trans-
the background. mitters are needed to provide good recep-
tion.
AM waves, on the other hand, are reflected
off the ionosphere, thus greatly extending
their range.
Saab 9-3 Audio System 109
Installation of car phone Provision has been made on certain vari-
ants of the Saab 9-3 for the installation of a
• "TELEPHONE" appears on the SID when
phone is in use.
(option) hands-free car phone.
Installation must be done by an authorized
WARNING Saab dealer.
A car-phone cradle is available as an acces-
To prevent crashes while using a cell sory.
• Volume level for ongoing conversation
phone: Your Saab dealer has details of which can be adjusted by volume controls on
• Do not use the cell phone in distracting phones are suitable for the installation. steering wheel or on audio-system mod-
traffic situations. Turn it off if traffic is Provision for hands-free phone (Con- ule. See also ”Volume-preset mode”,
heavy. vertible, only if Saab 9-3 Audio System is page 104.
fitted) • If the sound is a bit fuzzy, adjust by means
• Dial sensibly, at a stoplight or safely off
the road. • Car phone connects to car’s circuitry. of the volume control on the phone set.
• Coaxial cable for external antenna is pre- • Phone battery is charging when ignition is
• Consider installing hands-free or ON and phone in its cradle.
speaker phone. run.
• Microphone for hands-free phone use Please refer to the instructions supplied with
• Avoid stressful and intense phone the phone for details of how to make and
incorporated in overhead panel at front
conversations. receive calls.
(not Convertible).
• Audio System mute functions when OnStar System (US Only Option)
NOTE phone activated. Your car may be equipped with OnStar, a
• Phone conversation amplified through vehicle telematics system for communica-
The A-pillar area (area beside the wind- Audio System speakers. tion and navigation. Please consult the sep-
shield) and the headlining of your Saab arate owner’s manual for OnStar provided
contain padding designed to reduce head in your document organizer.
injuries. No modifications to these areas
should be made unless done by your
authorized Saab dealer.
110 Saab 9-3 Audio System
Mobile phones and TAPE ERR Tape snarled up or
communications radios 02/03 mechanical fault in
Mobile phones and communications radios WARNING
deck.
that do not have a separate external
antenna radiate an electromagnetic field Always consult an authorized Saab TAPE ERR 11 Cassette jammed: can-
inside the car. dealer for installation guidance. not be loaded/ejected.
If you feel that any of the warnings or fault
WARNING indications are unclear, have the equip- WARNING
ment checked by an authorized Saab
The electromagnetic field inside the car dealer. The CD player/CD changer is classified
can be detrimental to your health. as Class 1 laser equipment.
Fault codes • Service and repair work must only be
carried out by authorized technicians.
NOTE
NOTE • If the casing is damaged, hazardous
The electromagnetic field can cause laser radiation can occur.
interference with other electrical systems Great care should be exercised in trying
in the car, such as the Audio System. to rectify a fault. If you are at all unsure,
contact an authorized Saab dealer.
Adjusting the frequency steps
North America/Europe
Saab therefore recommends that a car If the car is taken from Europe to North
phone/radio transmitter should always be The Audio System has a built-in diagnostics America, the radio’s frequency steps will
connected to an external antenna. function. If a fault is detected, a fault code is need to be adjusted.
generated to help dealer technicians to
An external antenna also provides • With the radio off, press and hold SEEK
diagnose the fault. Below is an example of
improved transmission/reception and a (mid-segment) and switch the radio on at
greater range. a fault code that you might be able to rectify
yourself. the same time.
Mobile phones and communications radios The station presets will be cancelled and
that are not supplied as standard equipment Fault code Possible cause replaced by preset frequencies.
by Saab can interfere with the car’s electri-
cal system and cause misleading fault CD/CDC CD is dirty, loaded
codes to be generated. ERROR wrong side up or defec-
12/17/19 tive.
TAPE ERR 01 Tape broken or
mechanical fault in
deck.
Interior equipment, trunk 111
Interior equipment,
trunk
Seats ................................. 112
Steering-wheel adjust-
ment ................................ 118
Electrical windows........... 119
Sunroof (option)............... 120
Interior lighting................. 121
Cup holder ........................ 122
Ashtrays (accessory)....... 123
Glove compartment ......... 123
Rear-view mirrors ............ 124
Trunk, Coupé and 5-door 125
Tools and spare wheel .... 130
Manually opening the fuel
filler door ........................ 131
IB941
112 Interior equipment, trunk
Seats
The following seat adjustments can be
made to achieve a comfortable driving
position:
• Height (driver´s seat).
• Legroom.
• Backrest rake angle.
• Lumbar support.
• Head-restraint height.
We recommend that adjustments to the
driver’s seat be performed in the following
order:
IB803
IB801
1 Height.
2 Legroom.
3 Backrest rake angle. Height adjustment, driver’s seat Legroom adjustment
Lastly, adjust the steering wheel (see Lift the lever to raise the seat. The lever is Lift the lever under the front of the seat and
page 118). spring-loaded to return to its neutral posi- slide the seat to the desired position.
tion. Repeated lifting of the lever will
increase the height in steps. WARNING
WARNING
Press down the lever to lower the seat.
Repeated downward presses of the lever Check that the seat is locked in the new
Never adjust the driver’s seat except will lower the seat in steps.
when the car is stationary. position - if not, it may move while the car
is being driven. If the fore-and-aft setting
of the seat has not been locked, it could
Side airbags (SRS) result in injury to the occupant in the event
See page 27. of an accident.
Interior equipment, trunk 113
WARNING
Center armrest
Certain models have a foldable center arm-
rest that is attached to the driver´s seat.
IB804
IB802
Adjusting the backrest Lumbar support
1 Catch, backrest (Coupé and Convertible Turn the smaller knob for stepless adjust-
versions) ment of the lumbar support.
Backrest rake angle
To find the most comfortable position, turn
the knob to provide stepless adjustment of
the backrest.
114 Interior equipment, trunk
Head restraint Front seats, Coupé and
The front seats in the Saab 9-3 are Convertible versions
equipped with Saab Active Head Restraints Both front seats have release levers on the
(SAHRs). These reduce the risk of whiplash outside of the backrest. The passenger seat
injury if the car is hit from behind at low also has a release on the inside of the back-
speeds. rest so that the driver can tilt the backrest for
In the event of a rear-end collision, the body the convenience of rear-seat passengers.
is forced back against the backrest. This, in Raise the release levers to tip the backrest
turn, causes the mechanism to press the forward.
head restraint forward and upward, thus lim-
iting the backward movement of the head.
The SAHR is a mechanical system, actu-
ated by body weight. The mechanism is built
into the top of the backrest, where it is con-
IB629
nected to the head restraint.
Because the SAHR is mechanically oper-
ated, it does not need to be replaced after a The head restraint can be raised or lowered
collision has occurred. and is adjustable in various positions.
• Raising: grasp the head restraint on both
sides and pull it straight up.
• Lowering: depress the catch on the
left-hand side of the attaching point and
press the head restraint down.
WARNING
IB805
WARNING
Manually adjusted front seat, Coupé and
• Always check that the catch engages Convertible versions
properly after the backrest is raised. 1 Release lever, tipping backrest forward
2 Activation of the ”Easy Entry” feature when
• Check also that the seat’s lateral the backrest is tipped forward
adjuster is properly secured by trying
to shift the seat. Both the backrest and
the whole seat must be locked in
place; otherwise you are at risk of
injury during braking or in a collision.
116 Interior equipment, trunk
Electrically adjustable front seats
(certain variants)
Both seats can be operated from outside
when one of the front doors is opened, to
improve access to the car.
For safety reasons, if the door is closed, the
seat can only be adjusted when the ignition
is ON.
Note, that both front seats can be adjusted
up to 30 seconds after the door has been
closed.
WARNING
IB807
IB806
The seats are actuated by powerful
motors. Bear this in mind when adjusting
the seat, and make sure that nothing gets
caught and damaged. Height Legroom adjustment
Bear in mind that children can be injured Raise the seat by lifting the front switch bar For power seats, slide the switch bar for-
if they play with the electrically-operated straight up. ward or rearward to the desired position.
seats. Lower the seat by pushing the front switch
bar down.
The same switch bar can be used to adjust
the height of the front and rear edges of the
seat independently by moving half of the
switch in the direction desired.
Interior equipment, trunk 117
Memory function (certain variants)
In some variants the electrically adjustable
driver’s seat has a memory function. Three
different settings can be programmed.
1 Make the desired adjustments to the
seat setting.
2 Store the setting of the seat by keeping
the ”M” depressed and at the same time
pressing one of the memory buttons, 1,
2 or 3. The SID will acknowledge stor-
age with a chime.
When you next wish to activate the memory
function, keep the desired memory button
depressed while the seat adopts the pro-
IB809
IB808
grammed settings.
To change any of the three programmed
Backrest rake angle settings, repeat stages 1 and 2.
Push the rear lever forward or rearward to
adjust the rake angle of the backrest.
118 Interior equipment, trunk
IB267
IB810
IB811
Electrically heated front seats Electrically heated seat cushions Lever for steering-wheel adjustment
(option on some model vari- in the rear seat
ants/markets) (option on some model variants /
Both front seats incorporate heating for the markets)
seat cushion and backrest. It is switched on Electrically heated seat cushions for the two Steering-wheel
and off using the buttons on the instrument outer seats in the back are available as an adjustment
panel. option.
The steering wheel can be positioned
The heating is thermostatically controlled. It The ON/OFF control button for the cushion fore-and-aft by pulling the lever to the left.
comes on when the temperature of the seat heating is located on the back of the center
console. Set the steering wheel to the desired posi-
cushion goes below 79°F (26°C) and turns tion and return the lever to the locked status.
off when it reaches 97°F (36°C). The warming-up time varies with the tem-
Shut off the heating once the seat is warm. perature outside. You can also switch the
heat off by means of the button. WARNING
The button has an integral indicator that is
illuminated when the heating is on. For safety reasons, you should adjust the
steering wheel only while the car is sta-
tionary.
Horn signal
The horn is operated by pressing at the
outer edges of the airbag module in the
center of the steering wheel.
Interior equipment, trunk 119
Electrical windows
WARNING
IB245
• Always remove the ignition key when
leaving the car to avoid the danger of
injury arising from unattended children
operating the windows. 1 Control, sunroof (soft top operation, Convertible)
2 Window switches, front
3 Control for disengaging the window switches at the rear
The electric window motors are equipped
with overload protection. If this protection Child safety: rear windows
should trip, wait several seconds before (ON/OFF)
operating the electric windows again. The window switches on the rear doors can
To open be rendered inoperative by the ON/OFF
switch in the panel on the center console. Extra button for the rear window operator
Press the window symbol on the button.
The switches for the front windows have a When the switch is ON, the rear side win-
third position for automatic opening of the dows can be operated by the switch on each
window. Press the switch down all the way rear door.
to lower the window completely. When the switch is OFF, the rear side win-
To cancel automatic lowering of the win- dows can only be operated from the panel
dow, lift the switch briefly. on the center console.
To close
Lift the symbol side of the button.
The actuating motor will be switched off
automatically when the window is fully
closed or when the switch is released.
IB829
120 Interior equipment, trunk
IB831
IB830
But you must release the control after each
Sunroof (option) position so as to shift between the two
Emergency operation of the sunroof
The sunroof can be operated manually with
The sunroof is operated electrically using functions. a screwdriver, e.g. in the case of an electri-
the ROOF control on the center console. The sunroof also has an inner sun blind that cal fault. Slide back the cover on the roof
The sunroof can be opened completely or slides by hand. console. Insert a screwdriver into the slot in
partially. As soon as you release the control the center of the motor shaft and turn
the sunroof stops.
WARNING Turn clockwise to open the sunroof.
1 If you wish to open the sunroof all the Turn counterclockwise if the sunroof is open
way from the closed position, proceed at the rear edge.
as follows: Be alert to danger of fingers being
trapped when operating the sunroof.
• To open: slide the control rearwards. Always remove the ignition key when
• To close: slide the control forwards. leaving the car, to avoid the danger of
2 You also have the option of opening the injury arising from unattended children
rear edge of the sunroof from the closed operating the sunroof.
position for the purpose of ventilation.
• To open: slide the control forwards.
• To close: slide the control rearwards.
Interior equipment, trunk 121
IB832
IB951
1 Interior lighting is off Rear-seat lighting
2 Lighting comes on when a door is opened 1 Reading lights
3 Interior lighting on continuously 2 Dome light
IB1177
IB1329
IB833
Sun visor with vanity mirror Cup holder in the center console
Cup holder
There are two cupholders, one in the fascia
under the SID unit and one in the cen-
ter-console compartment between the front
seats on certain models.
Next to the cup holder between the front
seats is a coin tray.
Interior equipment, trunk 123
IB834
IB836
IB835
Front ashtray Rear ashtray Glove compartment
1 To unlock
2 To lock
Open the rear ashtray by lightly pulling its
Ashtrays (accessory) upper edge rearward. Remove it by
The car is equipped with two ashtrays. One
is positioned low down on the dash and the
depressing the catch and opening it past the
catch point.
Glove compartment
other on the back of the center console. To put it back, align it with the two locating
Open the front ashtray by lightly pressing on pins on either side of the opening, then push WARNING
the front. Remove it by depressing the catch it closed.
on the underside. You do not need to open The cigarette lighter socket can also be The glove compartment must be closed
it in order to take it out. To replace it, just used as a power supply for a mobile phone while travelling. An open glove-compart-
push it straight in. or other electrical accessory. ment door could cause leg injuries in the
event of a collision.
WARNING There are additional storage pockets on the
front edges of the front seats and on the
The maximum output that can be taken passenger side of the center console.
from the cigarette lighter socket is 240 W
(20 A).
124 Interior equipment, trunk
IB813
IB812
IB814
Rear-view mirror Adjusting the door mirrors Retracting a mirror
1 Day position 1 Select mirror
2 Night position 2 Use touch pad to adjust mirror
The mirror can also be retracted by hand,
Rear-view mirrors which can be useful when parking in con-
The rear-view mirror has day/night positions Door mirrors fined spaces, e.g. on car ferries. Don’t forget
that can be selected by means of a knob The door mirrors are electrically adjustable. to fold the mirrors out again before driving
beneath the mirror. Adjust the mirror for best The controls are on the driver’s door. away.
vision in the day position and pull the tab on The electric heating of the door mirrors is
the bottom of the mirror toward you for the 1 Use the upper button to select a door
switched on and off with the same button as
night position. mirror.
the heating of the rear window.
2 Use the touch pad to set the mirror ver-
tically and horizontally. There are raised
points at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock posi- NOTE
tions to indicate adjustment points. The door mirrors should be retracted
If subjected to a certain force, the whole before the car is put through an automatic
mirror will fold back to prevent injury. carwash.
Interior equipment, trunk 125
Trunk, Coupé and 5-door
WARNING
When the back seat has been put back in place, make certain that
the belt beam is locked firmly on both sides (the red warning tabs
must go down). This is vital since the upper anchorages for the
safety belts are located in the belt beam. The belts will not
restrain a rear seat occupant if the belt beam is not properly
latched.
IB850
When the entire rear seat has been lowered, you must remove the
rear window shelf. Otherwise it could come loose and cause per-
sonal injury during a collision. Lowering the entire rear seat
To lower the rear seat, the front seats must be moved forward if they
Trunk lid lock are in the most rearward position. The seat back must be almost ver-
Unlock the trunk lid by pressing the lower button on the remote trans- tical.
mitter, by pressing the remote release button on the driver’s door or 1 Flip up the seat bottom by pulling the loops located between the
by using the key. The alarm horn sounds three times and the lights backrest cushions and seat cushions.
flash when the trunk is released with the remote control.
2 Rest the seat cushions on edge just behind the front seats.
Programming features, see page 231.
3 Release the entire backrest cushion, including the belt beam, by
pressing in the latch in the handle on the left (driver’s) side. After
this has been done, the fact that the belt beam has been
released is indicated by the red "warning tabs" popping up on the
right and left sides of the beam. For increased load capacity with
the backrest cushion down, remove the rear seat head restraints
(5).
126 Interior equipment, trunk
4 Lower the entire backrest cushion by pulling this same handle Lowering the right-hand part of the rear seat
(item 3) forward. At the same time, pivot the beam backwards.
IMPORTANT: When you replace the belt beam using the handle
(item 3), you must verify that it is properly locked and that the two WARNING
red "warning tabs" go down (thereby indicating that locking has
taken place properly). • If the head restraints have been removed, they must be stored
5 To increase the volume, the rear head restraints can be removed safely so that they cannot be thrown about and injure someone
before the backrest cushion is lowered. while braking or in a collision.
• Do not ride in the rear seat without having remounted the head
restraints, and making sure they are properly locked in place.
WARNING
• Whenever you handle any system containing moving parts,
Never leave a child or animal unattended in the car. During sunny such as the belt beam, always be careful not to get pinched.
weather the temperature in the cabin/luggage compartment can • Never keep objects on the rear window shelf since they can be
climb to 160-180°F (70-80°C). Small children are very susceptible thrown forward and cause personal injury during heavy brak-
to heat stroke. ing or in the event of a collision.
• When the back seat has been put back in place, make certain
that the belt beam is locked firmly on both sides (the red warn-
ing tabs must go down). This is vital since the upper anchor-
ages for the safety belts are located in the belt beam. The
belts will not restrain a rear seat occupant if the belt beam is
not properly latched
Interior equipment, trunk 127
To provide more flexibility, the rear seat is divided so that you can
lower the narrower (right) part separately.
1 Tilt the seat cushion forward by pulling the loop located between
the backrest and the seat cushion.
2 Stand the seat cushion on end behind the front seats.
3 Release the right backrest cushion by means of the latch on the
belt beam’s right side just behind the head restraint.
4 Lower the right backrest cushion.
IMPORTANT: When you replace the right backrest cushion, make
certain that it is properly locked.
IB1308
Warning tabs
IB852
128 Interior equipment, trunk
IB853
IB090
Removing the parcel shelf Load opening (trunk pass through)
1 Open the trunk lid. A load opening is provided in the backrest so that you can carry long
2 Unhook the rubber ties. narrow objects.
3 Lift the rear parcel shelf and pull it away from the guide pins in Switch off the engine and set the parking brake before loading or
the front edge of the shelf support. unloading long objects. Otherwise, there is risk that you will inadvert-
ently bump the gear/selector lever and the car could start moving.
1 Lower the rear armrest.
2 Open the cover by lifting the locking handle.
Interior equipment, trunk 129
WARNING WARNING
IB854
Trunk:
Lay heavy suitcases flat on the floor. • When the rear seat backrest is placed
Then place smaller and lighter items of upright after having been folded for-
Tie downs ward, ensure that all rear safety belts
Four tie downs for securing the load are luggage on top.
are accessible and properly routed.
fitted inside the trunk. Place the load as far Always secure heavy, bulky loads to the
in as possible. four tie downs in the trunk. This will • Make sure that tire pressures are
reduce risk of having them thrown about properly adjusted in accordance with
Trunk lighting altered vehicle weight (refer to tire
during heavy braking or during a collision
To the left in the trunk is a light which goes pressures in the Specifications sec-
and causing personal injury. When the
on and off when the trunk lid is opened and backrest is lowered, narrow objects can tion of this manual).
closed.
also be thrown around and cause injury.
The lighting can also be turned on and off You should thus secure them well.
using the button on the light housing. If the
trunk lid is left open, the lighting will go off To retain the car’s safe normal handling
after 20 minutes to prevent the battery from characteristics, you must be careful not to
being drained. exceed its maximum load capacity, (see
page 220).
130 Interior equipment, trunk
IB1259
IB858
Rear spoiler, Saab 9-3 Viggen Coupé and
Tools and spare wheel 5-door
The tool kit and compact spare wheel are
kept beneath the carpeting in the trunk.
WARNING
IB860
rectangle on the right in the upholstery in
the trunk so that you can access the two
retaining screws that secure the lock 1 Cutout outline in the upholstery of the trunk
motor to the fuel filler door. 2 Undo the retaining screws of the lock motor
3 Remove the screws through the screw
2 Unscrew the retaining screws some- holes
what and back them out through the
screw holes, whereupon the lock motor
will be released from the door.
Manually opening the fuel filler door, Con-
vertible, see page 52.
132 Interior equipment, trunk
Starting and driving 133
IB943
Gear changing ................. 141 Towing the car.................. 160
Manual transmission ...... 141 Jump starting ................... 162
Automatic transmission . 141 Driving considerations
Cruise Control ................. 148 with compact spare
Braking ............................. 149 wheel/tire fitted............... 165
Parking ............................. 151 For long trips.................... 165
Economical motoring ..... 153 Driving with the trunk lid
open ................................ 166
Driving in deep water....... 166
134 Starting and driving
LOCK position
Put the gear lever in reverse and turn the ignition key to the LOCK posi-
tion.
For cars with automatic transmission, select the Parking (P) position
and turn the ignition key to the LOCK position.
The gear lever is now locked. The key can only be removed when the
gear lever is in this position.
The parking lights, the hazard warning lights and the interior lighting can
still be illuminated.
OFF position
Gear lever is not locked (manual transmission).
IB862
Automatic transmission: gear lever is locked until brake pedal is
depressed.
Ignition switch
The single lock used for both the ignition
and gear/selector lever is in the center con- ON position
sole located between the front seats. Before The entire electrical system is operative. Do not leave the key in the
you can remove the key, the car must be in ON position while the engine is not running. Turn the key to the
reverse gear (manual gearbox cars) or the LOCK position to disconnect the electrical system.
Parking (P) position (cars with automatic When you turn the key to the ON position, the warnings and indicators
transmission). in the main instrument light so that you can check to see that they are
The key for this lock also fits all other locks functioning properly. They are extinguished after approx. 3 seconds.
in the car. The key number is on a small
plastic tag delivered together with the keys. Start position (ST)
Be sure to save this plastic tab since it has The starter motor operates in this position. When you release the key,
the key number on it. it springs back to the ON position. Restarting the starter motor is pre-
vented. If starting is unsuccessful, you must turn the key back to a posi-
tion between OFF and LOCK before you can turn it to the start (ST)
position again.
Starting and driving 135
Starting the engine The hydraulic cam lifters are completely
service free; the valve clearance is set up at
WARNING the factory and will not need any subse-
WARNING quent adjustment.
• Always remove the key before leaving
the car. Starting the engine
• Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, The engine has an automatic choke and
• Always apply the parking brake before odorless, poisonous gas. Be alert to should be started as follows:
removing the ignition key. the danger of CO – always open the
garage doors before starting the Cars with manual gearbox
engine in the garage. To start the engine the clutch pedal must
NOTE be fully depressed.
• There is also a danger of CO poison-
ing if the exhaust system is leaking. 1 Depress the clutch pedal but do not
Take care not to spill drinks or to drop
crumbs over the ignition switch. If dirt or touch the accelerator.
liquid gets into it, the switch may not Do not run the starter motor for more than 2 Start the engine. Let the ignition key
operate properly. 25 seconds at a time. Wait 20-30 seconds spring back as soon as the engine has
before running the starter again, to give the started and is running smoothly – at very
battery time to recover. low temperatures, you may need to run
If the car does not start the starter for up to 50 seconds.
If the text "KEY NOT ACCEPTED" appears Avoid racing the engine or putting a heavy
on the SID when the engine refuses to start, load on it before it has warmed up. Let the Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do
the trouble may be a fault in the transponder engine idle for at least 10 seconds and then not open the throttle wide for at least
of the key or in the receiver of the ignition drive away as long as the engine oil warning 2-3 minutes after starting.
switch. Proceed as follows: light has gone out to enable the engine to Cars with automatic transmission
attain its normal temperature as quickly as The selector lever must be in the P or N
• Turn the key back to the LOCK position. possible. position.
• Turn the key to the ON position. It is possible for air to enter the lubricating
system in conjunction with an oil or oil-filter 1 Keep your foot on the brake pedal.
• Press one of the buttons on the remote
control (the LED on top of the dash stops change, or if the car has been stored for 2 Start the engine. Let the ignition key
flashing). some time. This air can cause the hydraulic spring back as soon as the engine has
cam followers to emit a ticking noise, which started and is running smoothly – at very
• Start the engine. low temperatures, you may need to run
can persist for up to 15 minutes after start-
Try the other key. If it works, the trouble is in ing. Although this is quite normal and does the starter for up to 50 seconds.
the first key. not indicate any malfunction, it is advisable Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do
Call on an authorized Saab dealer for not to exceed 3,000 rpm before the noise not open the throttle wide for at least
inspection and correction. has disappeared. 2–3 minutes after starting.
136 Starting and driving
Useful tips on cold climate starting
If the engine has failed to start after several
Important 2 Stopping the engine
attempts in very cold weather, press and considerations for • Do not rev the engine immediately
before switching it off - stop the engine
hold the accelerator down to the floor and
run the starter for 5–10 seconds. This will
driving when it is idling.
prevent the engine being flooded (exces- The engine-management system in the 3 Regulating the charging pressure
sively rich fuel-air mixture). Saab 9-3 is called Saab Trionic T7. The
system manages the ignition, fuel injection • The system is optimized for fuel with an
Now start the engine in the normal way – do octane rating of AON 90. For cars with
not touch the accelerator. and turbo boost pressure.
205 hp engines and the Viggen, the
If the engine stalls immediately after starting The Trionic T7 system developed by Saab system is optimized for AON 93. One of
(e.g. if the clutch was released too quickly), is an intelligent engine-management the advantages of the system is that it
do not touch the accelerator when restarting system designed to achieve optimum drive- enables the engine to be run safely on
the engine. ability under differing driving conditions. lower-grade fuel, although not lower
The system makes adjustments automati- than AON 87. However, engine perfor-
Every time the engine is switched off the cally, for instance, if the car is being driven
spark plugs are automatically cleaned. If mance will fall off slightly, and heavy
at altitude (oxygen-deficient air), for differ- loading should be avoided. For best
your attempt to start nevertheless fails, let ent grades of fuel (AON 87–93) and for dif-
go of the ignition key and allow it to spring performance you should use the rec-
ferent load conditions. ommended grade of fuel, AON 90
back. This initiates more vigorous cleaning
of the sparking plugs which goes on for 1 Starting and driving (205 hp engine and Viggen AON 93).
about 5 seconds. Then start in the ordinary • The maximum boost pressure is
• Refrain from using full throttle before
way. Do not touch the accelerator; if the adjusted automatically to the knocking
the engine has warmed up (before
accelerator is pressed to the floor the fuel or pinging tendency of the engine.
needle is in the mid-range on tempera- Occasional, short-lived knocking when
supply is shut off. ture gauge) to avoid unnecessary the engine is under a heavy load is per-
wear. If the needle of the pressure fectly normal; the extent will depend on
gauge repeatedly enters the red zone
the grade of fuel in the tank.
the engine may suddenly lose power,
owing to the intervention of a monitor- • Isolated instances of knocking are
ing system which curtails the charging more likely to occur with low-octane
pressure. Get in touch with an autho- fuel. This controlled form of knocking,
rized Saab dealer at once. followed by a reduction in the boost
pressure, is a sign that the wastegate is
• A safety function prevents the engine functioning and is perfectly safe for the
from revving faster than 6,200 rpm by
engine.
temporarily shutting of the fuel injec-
tors.
Starting and driving 137
Saab 9-3 Viggen: The Saab 9-3 Viggen has Important considerations with cata-
a high-performance engine which means lytic converters
that a certain amount of care should be The catalytic converter is an emission-con-
exercised, in particular when accelerating in trol device incorporated in the car’s exhaust
the lower gears. This is especially important system. It consists of a metal canister with a
when the road surface is slippery to avoid honeycomb insert, the cells of which have
the driving wheels losing their grip walls coated in a catalytic layer (mixture of
precious metals).
NOTE NOTE
If constant knocking occurs every time a
Use only unleaded gasoline. Leaded gas-
IB1315
load is put on the engine, this indicates a
oline is detrimental to the catalyst and
malfunction in the system.
oxygen sensor and will seriously impair
Have the car checked without delay by an the function of the catalytic converter. Engine-management system with catalytic
authorized Saab dealer. converter
To ensure that the catalytic converter con- 1 Engine control module
tinues to function properly, and also to avoid 2 Oxygen sensor (lambda probe)
NOTE damage to the converter and its associated 3 Catalytic converter
If the engine is being run with the car on a components, the following points must be
observed: have started the engine, it is important
rolling road or dynamometer, longer than
• Have the car serviced regularly in accor- that it runs on all cylinders. If it is misfiring,
for a standard state emission inspection,
dance with the service program. The fuel allow it to idle for up to five minutes to give
to ensure adequate cooling, air must be
and ignition systems are particularly it time to settle and run smoothly. If, after
blown into the engine compartment and
important in this context. this time, the engine still fails to run prop-
under the car at a rate equivalent to the
• Always be alert to any misfiring of the erly, turn off the engine and get in touch
ram-air effect that would be obtained at
engine (not running on all cylinders) and with an authorized Saab dealer for advice.
the corresponding road speed.
any loss of power or performance. At the • Never park the car on dry grass or other
first sign of a malfunction, reduce speed combustible material. The catalytic con-
and take the car to an authorized Saab verter gets very hot and could therefore
dealer as soon as possible. start a fire.
• If the engine fails to start (in very cold • Never drive off if the engine is misfiring.
weather or if the battery is dead), the car • If you jump start the car when the engine
can be push started (manual gearbox is already up to normal temperature, the
only) or started using jumper cables to a engine must start to run on all cylinders.
donor battery. However, as soon as you
138 Starting and driving
Stop jump-starting if the engine fails to
start immediately.
Refueling
Ensure that you are using the correct grade
of fuel, unleaded AON 87-93. For optimum
NOTE performance we recommend:
If the car runs out of fuel, it is possible for • AON 90 for 2.0 Turbo 185 hp.
air to get into the fuel system. If this • AON 93 for 2.0 Turbo 205 hp and
happens, the catalytic converter may 2.3 Turbo Viggen.
overheat and be damaged. If fuel containing a mixture of alcohol is
used, the following restrictions apply:
• Failure to follow these directions could Methanol: max. 5% by volume.
result in the catalytic converter and asso-
IB016
Ethanol: max. 10% by volume.
ciated components being damaged, and MTBE: max. 15% by volume.
could represent a breach of the warranty The fuel filler cap is located in the right rear
conditions. The most effective way to prevent conden-
quarter panel. sation forming in the tank (and thus avoid
Switch off engine. possible running problems) is to keep the
Insert the fuel-pump nozzle beyond the tank well filled.
flange on the filler pipe. Do not withdraw the Before the onset of freezing temperatures in
nozzle while filling is in progress. winter, it may be advisable to add gasoline
Cease refuelling the first time the pump anti-freeze to the fuel a few times to dispel
stops. any condensation in the system.
NOTE WARNING
Do not overfill. Fuel should not come right • Never use fuel for any purpose other
up the filler pipe as expansion room is than as engine fuel.
needed.
• Gasoline is highly flammable and can
Fuel-tank capacity: 17.0 US gal. (64 liters) cause severe burns. Never use an
exposed flame in the vicinity of gaso-
Screw on the filler cap and keep turning until line. Never smoke when filling the
it has clicked at least three times. vehicle up with gasoline.
Manually opening the fuel filler door, see
page 131, Convertible, page 52.
Starting and driving 139
Recommended fuel: be found in all parts of the United States and
NOTE The engine in your Saab 9-3 is designed to Canada, but particularly in geographic
operate on unleaded gasoline that has an areas and cities that have high carbon mon-
• Fill to maximum filling capacity octane rating of: oxide levels. Saab approves the use of such
• Stop filling after the first time that the "reformulated" gasolines in its products,
• AON 90 (minimum 87) for 185 hp which help in reducing pollution from all
nozzle trips to shut off the flow of fuel
engines. motor vehicles, provided that the following
• Filling capacity can differ between • AON 93 (minimum 87) for 205 hp engines blending percentages are met by such
different fuel stations and outside and Viggen. fuels:
temperature. Fuel tank volume when
Octane rating is determined according to • Up to 10% ethanol by volume, with corro-
nozzle trips to shut off, may vary by
0.5 gal. (2 liters). the formula: sion inhibitors.
• Do not fill fuel all the way up the filler • Up to 15% MTBE by volume (methyl ter-
MON + RON tiary butyl ether).
pipe. The gasoline must be allowed
room for expansion especially during 2 • Up to 5% methanol by volume, with an
hot weather. equal amount of a suitable co-solvent and
where MON is the Motor Octane Number, added corrosion inhibitors.
and RON is the Research Octane Number. Other, less common, fuel additives used by
The average of these two values is the some gasoline dealers are also acceptable,
octane rating of the gasoline as it appears provided that the resultant gasoline is not
on the pump at a retail gas station. This more than 2.7% oxygen by weight. In many
value is sometimes referred to as the cases, you may not be able to determine the
"Anti-Knock Index" (AKI) or the "Average exact type or percentage by volume of fuel
Octane Number" (AON). additive in the gasoline you purchase for
To avoid deposit formation on the fuel injec- your car.
tors which can cause poor driveability, use Some Canadian and U.S. gasolines contain
only quality gasolines that contain deter- an octane enhancing additive called meth-
gents and corrosion inhibitors. Because lycyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
gasolines sold at retail gas stations vary in (MMT). If such fuel is used, your emission
their composition and quality, you should control system performance may deterio-
switch to a different brand if you begin expe- rate and the malfunction indicator lamp on
riencing driveability and/or hard starting your instrument panel may turn on. If this
problems shortly after refueling your car. In occurs, return to your authorized Saab
recent years, a variety of fuel additives and dealer for service.
alcohols or oxygenates have been blended However, these blended gasolines are reg-
with gasoline. These types of gasolines may ulated and should never exceed these rec-
140 Starting and driving
ommended blend percentages and service
station operators should know if their gaso- NOTE Engine Break-in Period
lines contain detergents and oxygenates, Pistons, cylinder bores and bearings need
and have been reformulated to reduce vehi- The engine control module (ECM) mon- time to obtain uniform, wear-resistant sur-
cle emissions. Nevertheless, if you begin to itoring the engine parameters also faces.
notice a problem with the way your car starts stores fault codes. If a new engine is driven too hard, this grad-
or runs shortly after it has been refueled, try Under certain circumstances, this may ual process of bedding-in will not be possi-
a different brand of gasoline. cause constant illumination of the ble and the life of the engine will be short-
Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE) ened.
During the first 1,200 miles (2,000 km), do
NOTE lamp , thus indicating a fault that not exceed 5,000 rpm.
must be checked by your Saab dealer,
Higher concentrations of methanol than see page 57. In addition, refrain from driving the car at full
listed above, or the use of methanol- throttle, other than for brief instances,
blended gasoline without suitable NOTE: always observe the following two during the first 1,800 miles (3,000 km).
co-solvents and corrosion inhibitors, measures:
Wearing in new brake pads
can damage your car’s fuel system, • Make sure that the fuel filler cap is
leading to the need for repairs which are screwed on correctly before the New brake pads take time to bed in, about
not covered by Saab’s product warranty. engine is started. Screw on the fuel 90 miles (150 km) if the car is driven largely
filler cap until you hear three distinct under stop-and-go conditions or about
clicks. 300 miles (500 km) of highway driving.
To extend the useful life of the pads, avoid
• Avoid driving with the fuel low level hard braking as much as possible.
indicator illuminated. The symbol
illuminates when less than approxi- Wear indicators
mately 2.5 gallons (10 litres) of fuel The outer brake pads on the front wheels
remains in the tank. have acoustic wear indicators, When 3 mm
remain on the pads, a scraping or shrieking
noise is heard on braking. When this occurs,
the pads should be changed as soon as
possible.
Changing brake pads should only be
carried out by an authorized Saab dealer.
Starting and driving 141
Gear changing Automatic transmission
Manual transmission
WARNING
To start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed. • Make it a habit to keep your foot on the
The gear positions are marked on the gear brake when selecting a drive position,
lever. Before reverse (R) can be engaged, to prevent the car from creeping for-
you must lift the ring underneath the ward (or backwards if reverse is
gear-lever knob. selected).
To change gear, fully depress the clutch • The car must be at a standstill before
pedal and then release it smoothly. It is P, R or N is selected. You have to have
IB864
inadvisable to drive with your hand resting your foot on the brake pedal to move
on the gear lever, as this can increase the the lever out of park. If the car is still
wear on the gearbox. moving when a drive position is subse-
When shifting down from 5th to 4th gear,
Shift-up indicator for improved fuel
economy quently selected, this could cause an
ease the gear lever straight back, without (U.S. models only) accident or damage the automatic
applying any lateral pressure. This will pre- transmission.
Cars equipped with a manual transmission
vent 2nd gear being engaged by mistake, have a "Shift-up" light on the instrument
which can result in overreving and possible • Never park the car with the selector
panel. The light begins to work after the lever in a drive position, even if the
damage to the engine. vehicle is warmed up and provides you with parking brake is on.
a good indication when to shift to a higher
NOTE gear. • If you want to leave the car with the
engine running, move the selector
When the reverse gear is to be engaged It is not necessary or recommended to lever to P or N and apply the parking
the car must be at a standstill with the follow the shift-up recommendations in all brake.
accelerator fully released. Lift the reverse driving conditions, for example, when driv-
lock-out collar and push the gear lever ing in heavy urban traffic or steep downhill
firmly to the right in neutral before easing grades.
it into reverse. However, shifting with the light should result
in improved fuel economy. Therefore, for
reduced fuel consumption and better
energy conservation, you should make a
habit of shifting before or when the shift-up
light comes on.
142 Starting and driving
R N D 3 2
P 1
IB1280
IB866
IB865
Selector lever Indication of gear position on the main Detent positions for selector movement
1 Catch instrument panel
2 Button for SPORT position
3 Button for WINTER position The detent button on the selector lever has
When the car is stationary, the engine must to be pressed before the selector can be
be idling when the selector lever is moved. moved between certain positions.
The electronic control module for the auto-
You must have your foot on the brake Three modes for the automatic transmis-
matic transmission receives information on
pedal to move the lever out of park. If the sion can be selected: Normal, Sport and
engine torque and road speed. It also con-
accelerator is depressed while the lever is Winter.
trols the hydraulic pressure in the transmis-
moved, this will result in abnormal wear in
sion to ensure that gear changing is as The Normal mode, which provides the best
the transmission.
smooth as possible. fuel economy, is the default setting when
The position of the selector lever is shown the engine is started.
by the symbols adjacent to the lever and NOTE
Sport mode alters the angle of the throttle
also by an indicator on the main instrument After selecting a drive position, pause valve for increased power compared to the
panel. briefly to allow the gear to engage (the car same accelerator position in Normal mode.
The ignition key can only be removed when starts to pull a little) before you acceler- This means gear changes are made to opti-
the selector lever is in the P position. ate. mize the car’s performance. The SPORT
indicator light is shown on the main instru-
ment panel; see page 147).
The Winter mode is intended for use when
pulling away and driving on icy roads. In this
mode, the transmission starts in 3rd gear, to
Starting and driving 143
provide better grip, and the WINTER indica- Shift Lock override
tor appears on the main instrument panel.
When the ignition is turned to OFF, the auto- NOTE
matic transmission will automatically revert
to Normal mode (see page 147). Due to electrical problems it may not be
Adaptive gear change pattern is a func- possible to move the selector out of the
tion of the Normal and Sport modes. It park position, even if the ignition is ON. If
allows gear changing to be suited to the pre- for some reason the selector has to be
vailing driving conditions. The transmission moved out of the park position (i.e. to tow
control module senses the engine load and the car a short distance) do as described
temperature of the transmission and selects below.
one of the four available gear change pat-
IB947
terns. Unnecessary gear changes and 1 Apply the parking brake.
undesired temperature increases in the 2 Make sure the key is in the ON position.
transmission are avoided. Check fuse No. 1 (see page 189). If the fuse
3 Use a small tool such as a screwdriver is OK, check the battery voltage.
The automatic transmission has a special and push the lever downwards so that
shift pattern during the first minute after a the detent button can be pressed If the problem was cured by changing the
cold engine is started so that the catalytic approx. 10 mm. fuse or battery, you do not have to contact a
converter will reach its correct working tem- Saab dealer.
4 Move the selector out of position P to N.
perature more rapidly If the fuse blows again as soon as the Shift
5 Remove the tool. Lock feature is activated you should contact
Lock-up function 6 Release the parking brake if the car is to your Saab dealer.
The automatic transmission has a lock-up be moved immediately; otherwise keep
function, which renders the torque con- it applied.
verter inoperative in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears.
The result is reduction in the engine speed
and, hence, fuel consumption.
When the lock-up function comes into oper-
ation, it may give the impression of an over-
drive being engaged.
144 Starting and driving
Driving in hilly country with a heavy
Automatic transmission NOTE load
fault indicator Overheating of the automatic-transmission
If the control module has actuated the fluid can occur when the car is towing a
If the symbol appears on the main instru- Limp-home function for the automatic heavy load, such as a trailer in hilly country,
ment panel, the system has detected a fault transmission, the car will remain in 4th with the wrong gear selected, resulting in
in the automatic transmission or its control gear when D is selected, making it very abnormally frequent gear changing. Try
module (see page 58). selecting position 1, 2 or 3. High ambient
sluggish. To overcome this, move the
This also means that the Limp-home mode selector lever to position 2. temperatures can also increase the temper-
has been selected, to guard against further ature of the transmission fluid or the oil
damage being done to the transmission. In cooler may be faulty. As the transmission
this mode, the automatic transmission Overheated transmission oil fluid temperature increases, its useful ser-
starts in 4th gear, and gear changes (if nec- If the transmission oil becomes overheated vice life is reduced. Contact an authorized
essary) will have to be made manually. while driving, the following message Saab dealer (see also page 156).
appears on the SID: TRANSMISSION
It is not possible to select the SPORT or OVERHEATING. In this event, stop the car
WINTER mode when the Limp-home mode in a suitable place, switch off the engine, WARNING
is active. open the hood and wait until the message
You should have the automatic transmis- goes out. When driving subsequent to the Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
sion checked as soon as possible by an transmission oil overheating, select a tor position 1, 2, or 3) to spare the brakes
authorized Saab dealer. locked gear position in which the engine when you are driving on a long or steep
The following gears will be engaged in the speed is about 3,000 rpm. downhill slope. Select the same gear as
respective selector positions when the auto- The transmission oil can become very hot you would on the corresponding uphill
matic transmission is in the Limp-home when the car is driven with a heavy load; for slope.
mode: example, driving with a trailer on hilly roads Brake failure can result from overheated
when the wrong gear has been selected, brakes!
Position R D 3 2 1 resulting in many extra gear changes.
Select one of the positions 1, 2 or 3. A high Towing
Gear Reverse 4th 4th 3rd 3rd outside temperature or a defective oil cooler
Towing a car with automatic transmission,
can also cause the oil temperature to
see page 162.
increase. Contact an authorized Saab work-
shop, see also page 156.
Starting and driving 145
Selector positions D
P The Drive position (D) is the position for normal
To shift out of the P position you must depress motoring. Gear changes between 1st and 4th will
the brake pedal and the ignition must be ON. take place automatically, the timing of which is
The parking position (P) must only be selected determined by the throttle (accelerator) position
when the car is at a complete standstill. The selec- and the speed of the car.
tor lever is locked and the transmission is After moving the selector lever to D, pause to give
mechanically immobilized. Always apply the park- the gear time to engage (car starts to pull).
ing brake after parking the car. 3
The engine can be started. In position 3, 4th gear is locked out. The car will
R start in 1st gear and normal gear changing (up
The reverse (R) position must only be selected and down) will take place automatically between
when the car is at a complete standstill. The gears 1, 2 and 3.
detent-release button must be pressed before the Position 3 is recommended on roads with fre-
selector lever can be moved to R. Wait until quent bends and in congested traffic.
reverse gear has engaged (car starts to creep) Moving the selector lever from D to 3 will cause a
before touching the accelerator. downshift to 3rd gear, which will give better
engine-braking.
Do not move the selector to position 3 at speeds
N in excess of 90 mph (150 km/h).
In the Neutral position (N), the transmission is dis-
engaged from the engine. The engine can be 2
started, but first ensure that the parking brake is Position 2 is recommended in hilly country. This
on, to prevent the car from moving off unexpect- gear enables the performance of the engine to be
edly. exploited better and also provides effective
To prevent the engine and transmission from engine-braking. Normal gear changing (up and
becoming hotter than necessary, select N for down) between 1st and 2nd gear will take place
stops other than brief ones, e.g. if stuck in a traffic automatically. Third and 4th gears are locked out.
jam. Do not move the selector to position 2 at speeds
The normal drive position (D) is recommended for in excess of 70 mph (110 km/h).
waiting at traffic lights.
146 Starting and driving
IB876
system engine is switched off.)
The system is operated by means of the To re-engage the system
controls on the stalk switch: To set the desired speed To revert to the preset speed, slide the
Move the switch to ON. Accelerate to the switch to RES/–. This will only operate when
• OFF (system is disconnected; the system desired speed (minimum speed: 25 mph the car’s speed is above 25 mph (40 km/h).
is always in the OFF position when the (40 km/h) and press SET/+.
engine is started). To reduce the preset speed
To increase the preset speed The cruise-control system will always disen-
• ON (system switched on). Accelerate to the desired speed and press gage automatically the moment that either
• SET/+ (to set the desired speed). SET/+. the brake pedal or the clutch pedal is
• CANCEL (cancel operation of system, You can also increase the speed of the car depressed.
e.g. to reduce speed temporarily). using the SET/+ button. Press it once to It is also possible to reduce the speed by:
• RES/– (resume preset speed). increase the speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h) or
hold it in and release when the desired • Sliding the button to RES/– once will
When the system is ON, the CRUISE indi-
speed is reached. reduce the speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
cator light will appear on the main instru-
ment panel and will be extinguished when • Holding the button in the RES/– position
the system is switched OFF. If CANCEL is will effect a gradual reduction in speed
selected, CRUISE will flash off once. until the button is released.
Starting and driving 149
Disengaging the system
The system will be disengaged:
Braking WARNING
To avoid overheating the brakes, (e.g. when
• When the brake or clutch pedal is negotiating long descents with a drop of • It is prudent to try your brakes from
depressed. several hundred feet), select a low gear to time to time, especially when driving in
• When the switch is moved to CANCEL. use the braking effect of the engine. If the heavy rain, on roads with a lot of sur-
• When the switch is moved to OFF. car has automatic transmission, move the face water, or in snow or slush. In such
selector lever to position 1 or 2. conditions, the brakes may take
• When the engine is switched off.
When driving fast, you can help to prolong longer than normal to take effect. To
• When the selector lever is moved to posi- the life of the brakes by thinking ahead and rectify this, touch the brake pedal peri-
tion N (cars with automatic transmission). braking harder for short periods, rather than odically to dry the brakes out.
braking more moderately over long
stretches. • The same applies after the car has
been washed or when the weather is
Brake pad wear indicators very humid.
The outboard brake pads on the front • The brakes are power assisted and it
wheels incorporate pad-wear indicators. should be kept in mind that the servo
When the lining is down to 3 mm, the pad unit only provides the power assis-
will produce a screeching, squealing or tance when the engine is running.
scraping noise when the brakes are applied.
New pads should be installed without delay. • The brake pressure required when the
Brake pads should only be replaced by engine is off,( e.g. when the car is
an authorized Saab dealer. being towed) is roughly four times the
normal pedal force required. The
To ensure optimum brake performance, pedal also feels hard and unrespon-
it is recommended that you use only sive.
Saab original brake pads.
150 Starting and driving
ABS brakes
WARNING
• The additional safety afforded by the
ABS system is not designed to allow
drivers to drive faster but to make
normal driving safer.
• To stop as quickly as possible, without
loss of directional stability, whether
the road surface is dry, wet or slippery,
IB877
IB878
press the brake pedal down hard
without letting up (do not pump the
pedal), declutching simulta- ABS braking - confirmation that the sys- Braking with ABS - evasive steering
neously, and steer the car to safety. tem is operating
IB1269
fire.
• Do not leave children or pets unat-
tended in the car. In warm, sunny
weather, the temperature inside the
car can reach 160–180°F (70–80°C). NOTE
Saab 9-3 Viggen: The body design
NOTE together with the relatively low ground
clearance of the car means that great
• Apply the parking brake. care must be taken during parking to
avoid damage to the under part of the
• Shift into Reverse for manual trans- bumper.
mission; for automatic transmission:
move selector lever to P (Park)), and
remove the ignition key.
• Lock the car.
IB982
152 Starting and driving
• Wash and wax the car. Clean the rubber
seals on the hood, trunk lid and doors,
and lubricate them with glycerol (glyc-
erin).
• After washing the car, dry the brake discs
by taking the car out on the road and
applying the brakes a few times.
• Fill the fuel tank with fuel to prevent con-
densation forming in it.
• Top up the coolant and check the anti-
freeze before the onset of winter.
IB879
• Park the car in a dry, covered and
well-ventilated building. Leave the park-
1 Pointing downhill and 2 Pointing uphill and 3 Pointing uphill or down- ing brake OFF!
against the curb against the curb hill – no curb • Disconnect the negative (-) battery lead.
– Turn the wheels into the – Turn the wheels away – Turn the wheels towards If freezing temperatures are likely to occur
curb and edge the car for- from the curb and edge the the edge of the road. If the during the long-term parking, remove the
ward until the wheels touch car back until the wheels car should start rolling, it
the curb. touch the curb. will not run into the road. battery and store it away from freezing
temperatures.
• Ideally, the car should be put up on
blocks, with the wheels off the ground. If
this is not possible, inflate the tires to
about 43 psi (300 kPa).
Parking on a hill Long-term parking • Leave all the windows open a crack and
When parking on a steep hill, turn the front If the car is not going to be used for some cover the car with a fabric tarpaulin - not
wheels so that they will be blocked by the time, e.g. 3–4 months, the following steps one made of plastic which will not breath.
curb if the car should move. are recommended:
• Run the engine to normal temperature
before long-term parking.
• Drain the washer-fluid reservoir and
hoses.
Starting and driving 153
Economical motoring the engine has started from cold. Thus, if the
car is mainly used for short journeys of
Factors affecting fuel consumption 3–5 miles (5–8 km), the fuel consumption
Fuel consumption is greatly affected by the will be 60–80 % higher than normal.
general driving conditions, the way in which Driving technique
the car is driven and at what speeds, the
weather, the state of the road, the condition • To obtain the best running economy, not
of the car, etc. only regarding fuel consumption but gen-
eral wear also, regular service is required.
Breaking-in
• High speed, unnecessary acceleration,
Fuel consumption may be somewhat higher
heavy braking and much low gear work all
during the break-in period (the first 3,000–
gives rise to higher fuel consumption.
4,000 miles (5,000–7,000 km) than stated
under ”Technical data”. • Frequent gear changing in traffic, starting
IB311
in cold weather, the use of studded tires
Weather conditions and roof racks, and towing a trailer all
Fuel consumption can be as much as 10 % Percentage increase in fuel consumption increase fuel consumption.
lower in summer than in winter. The higher of engine starting from cold compared to • Do not run the engine when the car is sta-
consumption in cold weather is explained by engine at normal temperature tionary.
the longer time it takes for the engine to If idling, it will take much longer before the
reach normal operating temperature, and engine becomes hot. Engine wear is
for the transmission and wheel bearings to How to read the graph: greatest during this warming-up phase.
warm up. Fuel economy is also affected by Therefore drive away as soon as possible
the distance driven: short journeys of If fuel consumption with the engine at
normal temperature is 28 mpg after the engine is started and avoid high
3-5 miles (5-8 km) do not give the engine revving.
enough time to reach normal temperature. (10l/100 km), the actual fuel consumption 3
Strong winds can also affect fuel consump- miles (5 km) after the engine has started
tion. from cold will be:
– 23.5 mpg (12l/100 km) at outside temp.
of 68°F (20°C) (increase of 20%)
– 17.7 mpg (16l/100 km) at outside temp.
of 32°F (0°C) (increase of 60%)
– 14 mpg (20l/100 km)) at outside temp. of
–4°F (–20°C) (increase of 100%)
As can be seen, both the distance travelled
by the car and the outside temperature have
a major impact on fuel consumption after
154 Starting and driving
• Driving in a low gear results in higher fuel
consumption than in a high gear because
Engine block heater (standard
equipment in Canada, accessory in
Driving in cold weather
of the lower engine speed for a given road U.S.) Before starting a journey in cold weather
speed. Always change up to a higher gear The following are just some of the benefits you should check the following:
as soon as traffic conditions allow and use to the car and the environment of using an • That the wiper blades have not become
the highest gear as much as possible. engine block heater: frozen to the windshield/glass.
• Check the air pressure in the tires once a • Lower fuel consumption. • Brush any snow away from the air intake
month. Incorrect pressures increase tire for the heater system (opening between
wear. It is better to have slightly higher • Reduced wear on the engine.
• Inside of car warms up faster. hood and windshield).
pressure than lower.
• It may be advisable to lubricate the
• Check fuel consumption regularly. • Exhaust emissions substantially reduced
over short runs. door-lock cylinder (use molybdenum
Increased consumption can indicate that disulphide, MoS2) to prevent its freezing.
something is wrong and that the car The engine block heater is effective with If the lock has frozen, take care not to
needs to be checked by an authorized outside temperatures up to +60 – +70°F break the key (or use the remote control)
Saab dealer. (+15 – +20°C). The warmer it is outside, the – heat it first or spray it with de-icer.
Practical tests on the roads have demon- shorter the time the heater need be con-
nected. Longer than 1.5 hours is unneces- • Periodically during the winter, add gaso-
strated that substantial savings in fuel con-
sary. line anti-freeze to the fuel to dispel any
sumption can be made if the above advice
condensation in the fuel tank which could
is heeded. If the car is equipped with a removable elec- freeze and cause problems in the system.
Road conditions trical cabin heater that is not in use, this Keep the tank well filled to reduce the risk
Wet roads increase fuel consumption, as do should be stored in the luggage compart- of condensation forming.
ment. If the car is parked outside in freezing
unpaved roads and driving in hilly country
(the amount of fuel saved driving downhill is weather, fuel additives (gasoline
less than the additional amount required to anti-freeze) will not do any good as it
climb the hill). cannot remove water that has already fro-
zen. Park the car in a warm place so that
any ice that may have built up melts, then
add gasoline anti-freeze when filling up
the tank. Condensation is caused by
changes in the outdoor temperature or by
the car being parked alternately in a
garage and outside.
• It is particularly important when the roads
are slippery that the brakes and tires be in
good condition.
Starting and driving 155
• Check the anti-freeze in the engine cool- Acquaint yourself with the legal provi- Tire chains
ant, see page 174. sions governing the use of different If you want to fit tire chains (where legally
The car´s trip computer will warn you when types of winter tires and snow chains. permitted) they should only be installed to
there is a risk of slippery conditions. For fur- Studded tires are not allowed in some the tires recommended under ”Technical
ther information on this function, see page countries. data” (see page 227).
62. If winter tires are installed, the same type Consult your Saab dealer for details about
The car is equipped with tires designed to must be installed on all wheels. Your Saab approved tire chains.
provide optimum grip on both wet and dry dealer will be pleased to advise you on the
roads, although this has been achieved at best tires for your car. WARNING
the expense of somewhat reduced grip on Remember that tires age. It may therefore
snow and ice. For regular driving on snow be necessary to change them before they • Do not exceed 30 mph (50 km/h)
and ice, we therefore recommend that reach the legal wear limit, as they gradually when tire chains are fitted.
winter (snow) tires be fitted. lose their friction properties. • Tire chains can reduce the directional
Winter (snow) tires, particularly studded The best response if the car gets into a stability of the car.
tires (where use is legally permitted), gener- front-wheel skid is to freewheel (manual
ally make driving safer on snow and ice. gearbox only), i.e. disengage the clutch (so • Tire chains must not be used on the
that the wheels are neither driven nor rear wheels.
braked by the engine) and carefully steer
the wheels in the direction you want to go.
NOTE
If the car has an automatic transmission you
should lift off the accelerator somewhat and • Check the links frequently for wear.
carefully steer the wheels in the direction
you want to go. • Check that the chains do not contact
the wheel-arch liner at full lock.
In a rear-wheel skid, steer into the skid, i.e.
in the same direction as that in which the • See section "Technical data", page
back is sliding. 227, for information on allowable
wheel dimensions for the fitting of tire
chains.
156 Starting and driving
IB1270
WARNING The following time limits are based on the
capacity of the cooling system in warm
When towing a trailer, do not attempt to weather, i.e. approximately 104°F (40°C).
NOTE negotiate a hill having a gradient in
excess of 15%. The weight distribution Gradient Maximum Maximum dura-
Saab 9-3 Viggen cannot be equipped over the front wheels of the car will be of hill, % trailer tion, minutes
with a trailer hitch because of the design insufficient to prevent wheelspin, making weight, lbs.
of the body and chassis. further progress impossible. (kg)
In addition, the parking brake may not 10-15 1110 (500) 15 max.
always be able to hold the car and trailer
securely, with the result that the wheels When negotiating long hills, bear the follow-
can start to slide downhill. ing important considerations in mind:
Do not drive continuously with the WINTER
The specified trailer weights and gradients mode selected in hilly country when you are
assume you are operating in hilly terrain and towing a trailer, as this will increase fuel con-
therefore apply only to short trips. sumption and risk overheating the transmis-
sion.
158 Starting and driving
Trailer hitch load
The weight distribution on the trailer makes
Driving with a roof rack
a lot of difference to the handling properties load
of the car and trailer combination.With sin-
gle-axle trailers, whenever possible, con-
centrate the load over the axle and keep it WARNING
as low as possible.
• A roof load will affect the car’s center
The trailer should be loaded so that the of gravity and aerodynamics. Be
maximum load on the towbar ball is 5% to aware of this when cornering and driv-
7% of the trailer weight with a maximum per- ing in crosswinds.
missible tongue weight of 165 lbs (75 kg).
• Adjust your speed to the prevailing
IB880
Note that this load must be added to the total
load for the car. If this now exceeds the conditions.
specified load capacity, the load in the trunk
Distribution of load in trailer The maximum permissible roof load is
will have to be reduced by a corresponding
amount. a Light 220 lbs (100 kg). Note that the roof load is
b Moderate included in the car’s maximum permissible
Driving considerations load (see page 221).
Always take extra care when towing a c Heavy
Strong, sturdy roof carriers designed spe-
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different cially for the car are available from your
and its braking effect reduced. The trailer’s Saab dealer. Always secure the roof load
braking system and suspension also have a safely.
considerable effect on these characteris-
tics, see also "Driving with a load" page
160.
If the car is equipped with automatic trans-
mission, select position 1 when ascending
or descending steep hills.
NOTE
IB883
IB882
3 Position the carrier gently across the
roof, with the rigid foot towards you. Hold
the foot clear of the roof to avoid damag- Mounting holes for load carrier, front on Carrier mounting, rear, on Coupés
ing the paintwork. Coupés and front/rear on five-door mod-
els
4 Fold back the rubber strip and insert the 7 When fitting the rear carrier on Coupés,
pins of the foot into the fixing holes. In fit- press the foot down over the pins in the
ting the rear carrier on Coupés, press mounting and slide it forward.
the foot down over the pins in the mount- 8 Make the carrier hand-tight by turning
ing and slide it forward. the knob clockwise.
5 Carefully close the doors on this side, so
as to hold the feet in place.
6 Move to the other side of the car and
remove the plastic cover from the
adjustable foot. Fold back the rubber
strip and insert the pins of the foot into
the fixing holes.
160 Starting and driving
IB884
• Heavy loads mean that the car’s center of Much greater pressure than normal
gravity is further back. As a result, the car will therefore be required to operate
will sway more during evasive steering. the brake pedal. Front towing eye
• Never exceed the permissible load in the • Nor does the steering pump operate
roof box, even if there is room for more. when the engine is off. The steering
• Ensure that the tire pressure is correct – will therefore be much heavier than Transporting the car
slight overinflation is preferable to under- usual.
inflation. • Always seek professional help if the NOTE
• The braking distance of a loaded car is car needs to be towed.
always greater. Keep your distance from If a car with sports (lowered) chassis is
the vehicle in front. transported, for example on a flat bed
The car is fitted with towing eyes at both truck, take extra care not to damage the
Tire pressure, see page 192 and back front and rear. For access to the front towing spoiler and/or underbody.
cover. eye, compress the grille (see illustration)
and pull it straight out.
If the car is equipped with a trailer hitch, this
can be used to tow another car.
Starting and driving 161
Towing a car with manual gearbox
The gear lever must be in neutral. Switch
hazard lights on.
Drive carefully and do not exceed the
speed limit for vehicles in tow.
Always try to keep the towrope taut by
gently applying the brake as necessary.
This will avoid the towrope being jerked vio-
lently.
NOTE
IB1331
IB885
If the car is to be towed with the front
Rear towing eye Front towing eye, Saab 9-3 Viggen wheels off the ground, make sure the
parking brake is off, as this acts on the
rear wheels.
Saab 9-3 Viggen
The front towing eye is stored in a storage
bag beside the spare wheel. Remove the
plastic cover with a screwdriver from the
car’s toolkit, and screw in the towing eye.
NOTE
The design of the underside of the rear
bumper means that the rear towing eye
must not be used. This is to prevent dam-
aging the bumper.
162 Starting and driving
Towing a car with automatic
transmission
1 Selector lever in position N.
2 Raise the oil level in the gearbox above
Jump starting
The following rules must be observed if a normal by 2 extra quarts. Use oil of type If your battery has run down, you may want
car with automatic transmission is to be Texaco Texamatic Dexron III. to use another vehicle and some jumper
towed. cables to start your Saab. Follow the steps
3 The local regulations on towing speeds below to do it safely.
The gear selector must be in the N position. must be followed.
Switch hazard lights on. The highest permissible towing speed is
Drive carefully and do not exceed the 30 mph (50 km/h), unless the legal limit WARNING
speed limit for vehicles in tow. is lower. The longest permissible towing
Always try to keep the towrope taut by distance is 25-30 miles (40-50 km). If the Batteries can cause injury. They can be
gently applying the brake as necessary. car has to be transported farther than dangerous because:
This will avoid the towrope being jerked vio- that, summon a tow truck. A flat bed tow • They contain acid that can burn you.
lently. truck is the preferred method to tow.
• They contain gas that can explode or
4 When the car is being returned to ser-
ignite.
vice, check the gearbox oil, and reduce
NOTE it to the prescribed amount if necessary. • They contain enough electricity to
The engine cannot be started by towing or injure you.
The car must be towed front first.
pushing the car. In emergency, the engine If you do not follow these steps exactly,
If the car is to be towed with the front can be started as described in the section some or all of these things can hurt you.
wheels off the ground, make sure the ”Jump starting”.
parking brake is off, as this acts on the
rear wheels.
Starting and driving 163
2 Get the vehicles close enough so the
NOTE jumper cables can reach, but be sure the
vehicles are not touching each other. If
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
a poor connection on the negative
damage to your vehicle that would not be
jumper cable should exist, it is possible
covered by your warranty. for damage to be caused to electrical
Trying to start your car by pushing or pull- systems/components of either vehicle
ing it could damage your vehicle, even if should inadvertent contact be made.
you have a manual transmission. If you You would not be able to start your car
have an automatic transmission, your and bad grounding could damage the
vehicle cannot be started by pushing or electrical systems.
pulling it.
IB886
To jump start your vehicle: WARNING
1 Check the other vehicle. It must have a You could be injured if the vehicles roll. 4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
12-volt battery with a negative ground Set the parking brake firmly on each vehi-
system. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) termi-
cle. Put an automatic transmission in P nals on the battery.
(Park) or a manual transmission in Neu-
NOTE tral.
WARNING
If the other system is not a 12-volt system 3 Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
with a negative ground, both vehicles can Turn off all lights that are not needed, An electric fan can start up even when the
be damaged. and radios. This will avoid sparks and engine is not running and can injure you.
help save both batteries and it could Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
save your radio. any underhood electric fan.
NOTE
If you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
164 Starting and driving
5 Check that the jumper cables do not 9 Attach the cable at least 18 inches
WARNING have loose or missing insulation. If they (45 cm) away from the discharged bat-
do, you could get a shock and also the tery, but not near engine parts that
Using a match or flame of any kind near a vehicles could be damaged. move. The electrical connection is just
battery can cause battery gas to explode. Before you connect the cables, here are as good there, but the chance of sparks
You can suffer burns or be blinded. Use a some basic things you should know. getting back to the battery is much less.
flashlight if you need more light. Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and 10 Start the vehicle with the good battery
Be sure the battery has enough water. negative (-) will go to negative (-) or a and run the engine for a while.
The battery installed in your new Saab major metal engine part with a good 11 Try to start the vehicle with the dis-
has filler caps. Be sure the right amount ground. Do not connect (+) to (-) or you charged battery. If it does not start after
of water is there. Add distilled or boiled will get a short that could injure you or a few tries, it probably needs service.
water if the level is too low. If you don’t, would damage the battery and maybe
other parts as well. 12 Remove the cables in reverse order to
explosive gas could be present. prevent electrical shorting. Take care
6 Connect the red positive (+) cable to the that they do not touch each other or any
Be sure the electrolyte in the battery is not positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with
frozen. Discharged batteries will freeze. other metal.
the discharged battery.
When connecting jumper cables to a
frozen battery, gas from the chemical 7 Do not let the other end touch metal.
reaction inside the battery can build up Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
under the ice and cause an explosion. the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
8 Now connect the black negative (-)
you. Do not get it on you. If you acciden- cable to the good battery’s negative ter-
tally get it in your eyes or on your skin, minal.
flush the area with water and get medical Do not let the other end touch anything
help immediately. until the next step. The other end of the
negative cable does not go to the dead
battery. It goes to a major metal part with
a good ground on the engine of the vehi-
cle with the discharged battery.
Starting and driving 165
Driving considerations For long trips
with compact spare NOTE Before starting off on a long journey, it is
advisable to have your car inspected over
wheel/tire fitted To avoid damaging a punctured alloy
wheel this can be placed outside up in the
by your Saab dealer.
spare-wheel well but only while driving to Obtain a few important items to take along
WARNING the closest workshop. on your journey such as spare bulbs, wiper
blades, fuses, a Poly-Vee-belt and the like.
A general rule is that all heavy loads must You can check some points yourself before-
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) as the
be well secured in the luggage compart- hand:
tire can overheat and adversely affect the
ment, see page 129.
handling of the car. • Make sure that the engine is in good con-
The tire should be inflated to 60 psi dition.
(420 kPa). • Check that no oil or fuel leaks out of the
engine or gearbox/transmission.
The following should be observed when the • Inspect the Poly-Vee-belt and replace it if
compact spare wheel (T115/70 R16) is it shows any signs of wear.
installed: • Check the battery charge.
The compact spare is light and easy to • Check the tires for tread pattern and air
handle when changing the wheel. Do not pressure, including the compact spare
drive farther than necessary with the com- wheel.
pact spare fitted – the maximum life of the
wheel is only just over 2000 miles • Take an extra car key/remote control and
(3,500 km). Have the standard wheel keep it separate, see also page 30.
repaired and reinstalled as soon as possi- • Check the brakes.
ble. • Check all bulbs.
The car’s ground clearance is reduced with • Check for the presence of the tool kit and
the compact spare fitted. Note that only one the jack in the car.
compact spare wheel may be used at any
time. Take care not to hit the curb and do not
fit snow chains. Leave the wheel cover off,
so that the warning text is readily visible.
166 Starting and driving
Car care
Hood release handle ....... 168 Upholstery and trim ......... 200
Engine .............................. 168 Textile carpeting .............. 200
Engine bay ....................... 169 Engine bay........................ 201
Engine oil ......................... 172 Washing ............................ 201
Transmission fluid .......... 173 Waxing and polishing...... 202
Touching up the paint ..... 202
IB944
Coolant ............................. 174
Brake- clutch fluid and Anti-corrosion treatment. 203
brake pads ..................... 176 Recovery and/or recycling
Power steering ................ 177 of automotive materials. 205
Battery .............................. 177 Air conditioning (A/C
system) ........................... 207
Drive belt.......................... 179
Wipers and washers ....... 179
Wiper blades .................... 179
Changing bulbs ............... 181
Fuses ................................ 187
Wheels.............................. 192
Safety belts ...................... 199
168 Car care
IB888
When you close the hood you should drop it and connecting rods. The effect occurs
from a height of about 8 inches (20 cm), twice in each revolution of the engine, coun-
without slamming it. Hood release pressure plate teracting the vibration from its moving parts,
and at the same time reducing unwanted
engine noise.
The gearbox, located on the right (viewed
from the front), is integrated with the engine.
1 Engine-oil dipstick
2 Brake-fluid reservoir
3 Power-steering fluid reservoir
4 Fuse box
5 Coolant reservoir
6 MAXI fuses
7 Washer-fluid reservoir
8 Battery
9 Ignition discharge module
10 Drive belt
11 Air filter
IB1160
170 Car care
Engine families
Saab cars imported into the United States
Emission control Saab Trionic engine management
system
and Canada meet all applicable emission systems The Saab Trionic engine management
control standards. The engine family and The systems for controlling emissions to the system is a unique Saab development that
appropriate tune-up specifications are iden- atmosphere require regular checking and combines sequential multiport fuel injection,
tified on a label affixed to the left front inner adjustment at the intervals specified in the electronic distributorless ignition and turbo-
fender. service program. charger boost pressure control into one sys-
These engine families meet applicable EPA In addition to meeting the exhaust emission tem.
Federal Standards, California State Stan- regulations and thereby helping to keep the The Trionic engine control module (ECM)
dards and Canadian Federal Standards and environment clean, a correctly tuned engine monitors many different engine parameters
are equipped with the following systems: will also give maximum fuel economy. such as:
• Sequential multiport fuel injection system. • Intake manifold pressure.
• Three way catalytic converter. • Intake air temperature.
• Crankcase emissions control system. • Crankshaft position.
• Evaporative emission system. • Engine coolant temperature.
• Throttle position.
• The oxygen content of the exhaust gases.
The ECM receives information regarding
engine knocking from a sophisticated feed-
back function in the ignition discharge unit.
By processing all of this information, the Tri-
onic system can control fuel injector open-
ing duration, ignition timing and turbo-
charger boost pressure to provide excellent
engine performance while maintaining low
emissions and fuel consumption.
Car care 171
ORVR (Onboard Refueling Vapor
NOTE Recovery)
The Trionic engine management system All hydrocarbons formed when refuelling
continuously monitors the operation of will be recovered by the car and not
these systems and has on-board diag- released into the atmosphere. The hydro-
nostic capabilities (OBD II). If the CHECK carbons are absorbed in an evaporative
ENGINE light in the main instrument illu- emission canister. When the engine is sub-
minates, the Trionic ECM has detected a sequently started, the evaporative emission
problem. The car will continue to operate, canister is gradually purged as air is sucked
but performance may be diminished. You into it through a shut-off valve. The hydro-
should have your car checked by a Saab carbon/air mixture passes through the evap
dealer as soon as possible. canister purge valve and into the engine
where it is burned. "Refueling", see page
138.
172 Car care
Engine oil
Checking the fluid level
Regularly check the oil level in the engine.
Do this with the car standing on level ground
with the engine warm, 2-5 minutes after it
has been turned off. Take the dipstick out
and wipe it off with a clean rag before carry-
ing out the check.
The level must not be below the MIN mark
on the dipstick, but nor should it be above
IB890
the MAX mark. Excess engine oil could
IB891
result in abnormal oil consumption.
The distance between MIN and MAX corre-
Oil filler cap and dipstick Drain plug
sponds to a volume of about one quart.
When necessary, add oil of the recom-
mended grade via the dipstick pipe. Make 1 Unscrew the drain plug in the bottom of
sure that the cap of the dipstick is screwed the sump and leave the oil to drain into
on properly after the check. an oil tray or other suitable receptacle for
Oil changing at least ten minutes. Take care, as the oil
The engine oil must be changed in accor- may be hot.
dance with the service program, see page 2 After the oil has been drained, unscrew
215. and remove the oil filter.
Oil volume and grade, see page 223. 3 Fit a new filter and tighten it by hand.
Oil changing should be carried out on a 4 Refit the drain plug with a new washer.
warm engine. 5 Add new oil.
NOTE MAX
WARNING +80°
Change of engine oil and oil filter may be • Prolonged and repeated exposure of
required more frequently (5000-mile the skin to engine oil can cause seri-
intervals (8,000 km)) if any one of the fol- ous skin disorders.
lowing conditions apply to the car:
• Avoid prolonged skin contact when-
• Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 ever possible. Wash the affected area
to 16 km). This is particularly important thoroughly with soap and water after +80°
when outside temperatures are below any contact. MIN
freezing.
IB495
• Keep oil out of reach of children.
• Most trips include extensive idling
(such as frequent stop-and-go driving). • Do not touch the turbocharger or Oil dipstick, automatic transmission
manifold. These get very hot when the
• Most trips are through dusty areas. engine has been running.
• You frequenty tow a trailer or use a car-
rier on top of your vehicle.
• Do not spill oil on hot parts of the Transmission fluid
engine as this could cause a fire.
Manual transmission
• If the vehicle is used for delivery ser- • Protect the environment. Do not dis- Check and top up the fluid in accordance
vice, police, taxi or other commerical pose of oil in the ground or down a with the service program.
applications. drain. Dispose of all used oil and oil fil- If original fluid cannot be obtained for top-
ters at an appropriate disposal facility. ping up, Dexron III (synthetic fluid) auto-
matic transmission fluid can be used. If so,
the car should be taken to an authorized
Saab dealer as soon as possible to have the
reason for low fluid level corrected and orig-
inal fluid installed.
Automatic transmission
Check the fluid level as follows:
1 Park the car on level ground and apply
the parking brake. The automatic trans-
mission fluid must be at normal running
temperature, approximately 175°F
174 Car care
(80°C). This can be achieved by driving
the car for about 30 min on the open
Coolant
road. The expansion tank is transparent, to facili-
2 With the engine idling, move the selector tate checking. The level must be a little
lever to D and wait for at least under the mark ”KALT – COLD” on the tank
15 seconds. Next, move the selector when the engine is cold. If the SID message
lever to R and wait for 15 seconds again. "FILL COOLANT FLUID" is displayed, the
Finally, move the selector lever to P. Let level in the expansion tank should be
the engine idle. checked. Top up as necessary with equal
parts of clean water and coolant. Use only
3 Wipe the dipstick clean with a lint-free coolant approved by Saab.
cloth and put it back.
If the expansion tank is empty when coolant
4 With the fluid at normal temperature, the is added, run the engine to normal temper-
level should be between the MAX and ature and top up again, as necessary.
MIN marks on the dipstick. Top up, as Coolant expansion tank
necessary, with Texaco Texamatic Coolant
Dexron III automatic-transmission fluid, The cooling system is filled at the factory
adding it through the dipstick pipe. The with coolant containing a 50% concentra-
distance between the MIN and MAX tion of a combined antifreeze and corrosion
marks on the dipstick corresponds to a inhibitor. A weaker mixture will result in
volume of approximately 0.4 qts reduced anticorrosion protection. For pro-
(0.4 litre). tection against freezing in very cold
weather, a stronger concentration will be
needed.
NOTE
A 60% concentration of antifreeze will pro-
If there is a burnt smell or the fluid is black, vide protection at temperatures down to
change the fluid as soon as possible. -58 F (-50°C).
The corrosion-inhibiting properties of the
If the outside temperature is below 50°F coolant deteriorate over time, but coolant
(10°C), the fluid will not reach the specified approved by Saab can be used for
temperature of 175°F (80°C). In this case, year-round protection. Change the coolant
the correct fluid level may be 0.8 in (20 mm) as specified in the service program (page
below the MAX mark. 215) and use only coolant approved by
Saab – other makes may need changing
more frequently and may damage the sys-
tem.
Car care 175
5 Mix antifreeze and water in a suitable
container. Use only Saab-approved
WARNING coolant.
6 Add the coolant slowly to the expansion
• Proceed with caution if the radiator is tank. This will take about two minutes,
boiling when you open the hood. as the air needs time to escape.
Never remove the expansion-tank
7 Screw the expansion-tank cap on and
filler cap when the radiator is boiling. run the engine to normal temperature.
Loosen the cap carefully, and let the Top up with coolant until the level is just
engine cool before removing the cap. under the "KALT – COLD" mark on the
• The cooling system is pressurized – tank.
IB893
hot coolant and vapor can escape 8 Check the coolant again after a few days
when the filler cap is released. and top up as necessary.
Radiator drain cock
Changing the coolant
(Usually carried out as part of the Saab
original service by an authorized Saab
dealer)
NOTE 1 If the engine is hot, loosen the expan-
Always mix the antifreeze with the sion-tank filler cap a little to release the
appropriate volume of water before pressure. Leave the cap in place.
adding it to the cooling system. 2 Fit a suitable piece of hose onto the
nipple of the drain cock. Let the hose dis-
If pure antifreeze is added, the engine charge into a receptacle under the radi-
could still freeze and be damaged. This is ator and open the drain cock, which is
because the antifreeze will not mix located on the inside of the radiator
properly with the coolant before the facing the engine bay.
thermostat has opened to allow full
circulation. 3 Remove the filler cap on the expansion
tank.
4 In a couple of minutes the system will be
empty. Close the drain cock.
176 Car care
Brake- clutch fluid and brake pads are worn and need replacing. It
is therefore essential that brake pads be
brake pads checked regularly, as specified in the ser-
vice program, see page 215.
WARNING
NOTE
Brake fluid deteriorates as it becomes Avoid spilling brake fluid onto paintwork,
old. Because it is hygroscopic, it absorbs since it can cause the paint to bubble and
water from the air and, in time, could allow lift. If any brake fluid is spilled, the area
vapor to form in the brake system, thus should be flushed with large quantities of
reducing its performance. It is therefore water as quickly as possible.
IB894
important that brake fluid be changed reg-
ularly, as specified in the service pro-
gram, see page 215. Brake pad wear indicators
Checking the fluid level The outboard brake pads on the front
The combined brake and clutch-fluid reser- wheels incorporate pad-wear indicators.
voir is transparent to facilitate checking of When the lining is down to 0.11 in (3 mm),
the fluid level. the pad will produce a screeching, squeal-
The level should be between the MAX and ing or scraping noise when the brakes are
MIN marks. Top up, as necessary, with applied. New pads should be installed with-
DOT 4 fluid. Do not use DOT 5 brake fluid. out delay.
Use only new brake fluid from a sealed con- Brake pads should only be changed by
tainer. an authorized Saab dealer. To ensure
Check that there are no leaks in the brake optimum brake performance, use only
system. Saab original brake pads.
Changing of the brake fluid should be
carried out by an authorized Saab dealer.
The vehicle´s regular braking system is
adjusted automatically, but the parking
brake has to be adjusted manually. This
work, involving adjustment of the parking
brake cables and brake pads, must only be
carried out by an authorized Saab dealer.
It is not possible to detect, through abnormal
pedal or parking brake-lever travel, whether
Car care 177
Power steering Battery
Check the level of the power-steering fluid
in the reservoir regularly, in accordance with WARNING
the service program.
The wheels should point forward during the • Work on the battery may entail an
check. explosion hazard, since the battery
Clean around the cap before it is gives off hydrogen which forms an
unscrewed. explosive mixture with the oxygen in
Unscrew the cap and wipe the dipstick. To the air.
check the fluid level, first screw the cap on For this reason, always avoid sparks
fully again and then remove. The level or open flames when working near the
IB896
should be between the MAX and MIN marks battery.
on the dipstick when the oil temperature is • The battery contains corrosive sulphu-
about 68°F (+20°C). If the oil is colder the oil Power-steering fluid reservoir ric acid. Always wear a face mask or
level can be lower, and in higher tempera- goggles when working on the battery.
tures the level can be higher, both of which
are acceptable. • If battery acid gets into the eyes or
splashes the skin or clothing, wash the
Top up with power-steering fluid CHF 11S affected area liberally with water.
(part number 3032380). If acid gets into the eyes or a large
quantity makes contact with the skin,
seek medical help.
NOTE
Never use tap water to top up the battery.
NOTE
• Don’t connect the battery terminals
+ and – the wrong way around.
• Serious damage can occur to the car’s
electrical system if a battery or alterna-
tor lead is disconnected while the
engine is running.
IB1173
IB897
Correct fluid level in the battery Taking out the battery
The charge level should be checked with a A car with standard equipment and a fully
battery-acid tester. The specific gravity of charged battery can be left for up to 40 days
the acid in a fully charged battery should be and still have a sufficient charge for starting.
1.28. A specific gravity of 1.18 roughly indi- If extra equipment is fitted, such as a mobile
cates a 50% charge. telephone, the time may be reduced to
about 15 days.
NOTE Always connect the positive (red) cable to
the positive (+) terminal of the battery and
A discharged battery can freeze and frac- the negative (blue) cable to its negative (-)
ture. Batteries should therefore always be terminal. Always disconnect both battery
stored away from frost. leads when boost charging the battery.
NOTE
IB929
IB901
Serious damage can occur to the car’s
electrical system if an alternator lead is Drive belt Windshield and rear window
disconnected while the engine is running. 1 Push the catch in (1).
2 Pull the complete wiper blade down-
The alternator is situated on the right-hand
side of the engine. It is driven via a
Wipers and washers wards so that it comes away from the
wiper arm. Slide the entire blade out
poly-V-belt from the crankshaft pulley. Wiper blades from the arm.
The poly-V-belt also drives the water pump, Check and clean all wiper blades regularly.
the A/C compressor and the steering servo We recommend Saab washer fluid for
pump. cleaning.
The belt tension is critical, and is adjusted If poor wiper performance is experienced,
by an automatic belt tensioner. clean the windshield with Saab washer fluid.
See also page 55, "Warning charging". This is particularly important if the car has
been through an automatic car wash, as this
sometimes leave a wax coating on the wind-
shield.
If wiper performance is still unsatisfactory,
fit new blades.
180 Car care
IB902
IB900
IB899
Headlight wipers Washer-fluid reservoir Washer jets
1 Lift the wiper arm off the headlight. The washer jets, which are adjustable, can
2 Detach the wiper blade by pulling it be cleaned with a pin if necessary.
Washer The jet for rear-window washing is located
laterally from the wiper arm. The reservoir holds 5 quarts (4.7 litres).
3 Fit the new blade by sliding it into the in the right-hand part of the high-mounted
When the SID message "WASHER FLUID brake light.
retainer on the wiper arm and pressing it LEVEL LOW" appears there is about
firmly home. 1.5 quarter (1.4 litres) left.
Fill with quality washer fluid, available from
your Saab dealer and follow the instructions
on the package to reduce the risk of freez-
ing.
If the reservoir is run dry and the car has a
rear-window wiper, then after refilling you
cannot wash the rear window until you have
first washed the windscreen.
Car care 181
Changing bulbs
WARNING
Before changing a bulb in the engine bay, switch off the engine
to avoid the danger of fingers and hands being injured by
moving parts.
The radiator fan can cut in even when the engine is switched off.
IB903
NOTE
Switch off the ignition before changing a bulb, to avoid possible
short-circuiting. 1 Headlight bulb
2 Parking-light bulb
Headlight IMPORTANT! When changing bulbs, use the same type of bulb,
1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the light units. (e.g. Long-life).
2 Unplug the connector. Headlight aiming, see page 208.
3 Unhook the spring clip by pushing it forward and then to the side. Parking lights
4 Remove the bulb. The parking-light bulb is fitted in the same light unit as the headlight
5 Insert the new bulb, without touching the glass with your fingers. bulb.
Line it up so that the three lugs fit into the corresponding slots in 1 Remove the bulb holder from the lamp unit.
the reflector and secure it with the spring clip. 2 Then take the bulb out of the holder.
NOTE
Do not fit bulbs with a rating above 60/55W, since the headlight
reflector and the wiring of the car are not designed for a higher
wattage.
Do not touch the glass of the bulbs with your fingers. The oil on
your skin can shorten the life of the bulb.
182 Car care
IB906
IB904
1 Retaining screw Side-mounted turn signal
2 Turn signal bulb
1 Slide the lens forward so that its rear part can be pulled out.
Front turn signal bulb 2 Change the bulb.
To change the bulb, the complete lamp unit has to be removed. 3 When refitting, make sure that the groove in the spring engages
the edge of the body panel and that the rubber gasket is correctly
1 Loosen the screw (1). There is no need to remove it completely. positioned.
2 Carefully remove the complete lamp unit.
3 Grasp the two plastic tabs and turn the bulb holder counterclock-
wise.
4 Pull the bulb holder out of the lamp unit and change the bulb.
5 Check that the new bulb is firmly in place and has good contact.
6 When mounting the lamp unit, see that the two guide lugs on the
rear edge of the unit come inside the edge of the body panel.
7 Insert the lamp unit in towards the headlight and see that the
front bracket comes under the screw. Tighten the screw (1).
Car care 183
IB1127
IB955
IB907
Front fog lights and cornering lights Rear light clusters Stop lights, taillights and direction
1 Front fog light 1 Direction indicators indicators
2 Cornering light 2 Tail lights/stop lights
3 Reversing lights 1 Open the door in the trunk upholstery.
4 Rear fog light 2 Press aside the plastic tab that secures
Front fog light / cornering lights 5 High-mounted stop light the bulb holder.
1 Slightly turn the bulb holder counter-
clockwise. 3 Carefully pull the entire bulb holder out
of the lamp unit. Replace the dead bulb.
2 Unplug the connector.
4 When the bulb holder is being refitted,
3 Remove the bulb. check that its plastic catches snap into
place.
WARNING
Never crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack use axle stands;
for further information about jacking up
the car, see page 197.
184 Car care
IB909
IB968
IB908
Reversing lights and rear fog light Dome light, front Dome light, rear
1 Open the hatch on the inside of the 1 Insert a screwdriver on one side and pry 1 Remove the entire overhead panel:
trunk. gently upwards. Remove the cover lens. ease out the trailing end of the dome
2 Press down the plastic tab that secures 2 Change the bulb. light first, and then both front edges.
the bulb holder. 2 Change the bulb.
3 Carefully pull the entire bulb holder out
of the lamp unit. Replace the dead bulb.
4 When refitting the bulb holder, fit it in first
at the lower edge. Then push the bulb
holder in so that the plastic tab snaps
into place.
Car care 185
IB913
IB910
IB914
Glove-compartment lighting (detach the License plate lighting (the glass is held in Reading lamps, rear seat (Convertible)
whole lamp unit with a short screwdriver place by two screws)
applied at the lower edge)
Reading lamps, 9-3 Convertible
Detach the whole lamp unit by inserting a
screwdriver into the notch and carefully
Trunk light (detach the whole lamp unit prying the lamp unit out. Pull the bulb holder
with a screwdriver applied at one edge) out of its bracket and change the bulb.
Replace the bulb holder in its bracket and
refit the entire lamp unit.
Other lighting
If any other bulbs need changing, you are
advised to take the car to an authorized
Saab dealer.
IB912
186 Car care
Bulb table
NOTE
IB1330
Do not change any bulbs with ones of another wattage: only use
what is stated.
Car care 187
Fuses WARNING
30
15
15
10
15
15
The fuses are housed in two fuse panels:
one at the end of the instrument panel on the To avoid the risk of short-circuiting and/or
10
10
20
20
20
20
20
15
15
driver’s side, and one under the hood. fire breaking out in the electrical system,
To check if a fuse has blown, first remove it the following advice should be heeded:
10
30
30
10
20
15
15
15
from the panel (see below). If the filament is • Always consult an authorized Saab
15
15
10
10
10
10
10
broken, the fuse has blown. dealer before modifying or adding any
A special tool for removing fuses is provided electrical equipment. Failure to do so
10
20
30
30
15
at the bottom of the fuse panel on the fascia. can result in the electrical system being
30
Simply push the tool onto the fuse, squeeze damaged.
and remove the fuse.
IB916
• Never replace a fuse with one having a
higher/lower rating than specified
(see page 189). The color of the fuse Tool for changing fuses
indicates its amperage.
• If the same fuse blows repeatedly,
have the electrical system checked by
an authorized Saab dealer.
• If a MAXI fuse blows, it means that
there is a major fault in the electrical
system. Have the car checked without
delay by an authorized Saab dealer.
• When a fuse is to be replaced, it is
essential that the new one should have
the same rating as the one being
Sound fuse/Blown fuse replaced (see the Table on page 189).
The color of the fuse indicates its
amperage.
IB917
188 Car care
DICE / TWICE The DICE and TWICE control modules are
DICE = Dashboard Integrated Central Elec- linked to a data bus, which is basically an
tronics information carrier that allows information to
TWICE = Theft-Warning Central Electronics be exchanged between all the control mod-
ules and components connected to the bus.
DICE and TWICE are electronic control
modules. If a fault occurs in any of these components,
diagnostic faults codes are set in the rele-
DICE controls, among other things: vant control module, which enhances fault
•Front lights and interior lighting. diagnosis at the Saab dealer.
•Instrument illumination. The scan tool connector for fault diagnosis
•Intermittent wiper operation. is located under the instrument panel on the
IB920
drivers side.
•Electric heating of rear window and door
mirrors.
MAXI fuse for soft-top system TWICE controls, among other things:
(Convertible)
• Central locking.
MAXI fuses • Car alarm (Anti-theft system).
The MAXI fuses are housed in the fuse box • Engine immobilizer.
under the hood. These fuses can be • Auto checking of lights.
checked in the same way as the other fuses.
• Electric heating of rear seat.
The MAXI fuses are designed to protect the
car’s electrical system from being dam- • Safety belt reminder.
aged. Each MAXI fuse protects a number of • Electrically adjustable passenger seat.
electrical circuits and functions and there-
fore has a higher rating (amperage) than the
standard fuses. No spare MAXI fuses are
supplied with the car.
NOTE
If a MAXI fuse blows, it means that there
is a major fault in the electrical system.
Have the car checked without delay by an
authorized Saab dealer.
Car care 189
6 30 Cigarette lighter
6A 7.5 Automatic transmission
7 30 Rear window operators, rear-view mirrors, sunroof
A B C 1 2 3 4 5 6
8 15 Rear wiper
30
15
15
10
15
15
9 7.5 ACC panel
6A 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
10
10
10
20
20
20
20
20
15
15
10 – –
16B 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
10
30
30
10
20
15
15
15
11 7.5 DICE / TWICE
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 12 20 Stop lights; front fog lights
15
15
10
10
10
10
10
32 33 34 35 36 13 15 Diagnostics; radio
10
20
30
30
15
14 30 Front window motors
37 38 39
30
15 20 Daytime running lights
IB918
16 30 Electrically operated front seat, left
Fuse holder on the end of the instrument panel 16B 30 Control module, engine management system
17 15 DICE/TWICE; instruments; memory for
electrically operated driver’s seat
Fuses 18 10 Airbag
19 10 ABS; A/C; rear fog light
No. Amp Function 20 20 Electric heating, front seats
A – –
B 10 Stop lights, trailer
C 30 Cabin fan, ACC
1 30 Electrically heated rear window and rear-view mir-
rors
2 20 Direction indicators
3 30 Cabin fan, A/C
4 15 Trunk light; switch illumination; electrically powered
radio antenna
5 30 Electrically operated front seat, right
190 Car care
Relay holder
No. Amp Function Under the instrument panel next to the steering wheel
21 10 Manual A/C; soft top (Convertible)
Item Function
22 15 Cruise Control; direction indicators
A Electric heating of rear seat
23 20 Soft top (Convertible); telephone
B Reversing light, cars with automatic transmission
24 7.5 Radio
C1 –
25 30 Central locking
C2 Lock motor, trunk lid
26 30 Control module, engine management system; igni-
tion cassette D1 Rear wiper
27 15 High beam flash; ACC D2 Rear-window washing
E Ignition switch
28 10 Engine management system
29 10 Right parking light; number-plate lighting F –
30 10 Left parking light G Windshield wipers (intermittent)
H Rear-window heating
31 20 Reversing light; windshield wipers; headlight
beam-length adjustment I Fuel pump
32 15 Fuel pump J –
33 15 Electric heating of rear seat K Start relay
34 10 SID; control module; automatic transmission L Main relay (injection system)
35 15 DICE/TWICE; main instrument panel; interior light-
ing
36 10 Relay, starter
37 – –
38 25 Oxygen sensor (lambda probe)
39 – –
Car care 191
Fuses and relays
Fuse panel in engine bay
IB919
10 7.5 Headlight wipers
11 – – Fuses and relays in engine bay (left side)
12 – Extra lights
13 7.5 APC
14 10 Extra heater; water pump (Europe) D Radiator fan, low speed
15 15 Extra heater (Europe) E Lamp check (filament monitor, front)
MAXI 1 30 Radiator fan, high speed F1 – –
MAXI 2 50 ABS F2 – –
G1 Horn
Item Amp Function G2 Front fog lights
A Low beam H –
B High beam I Radiator fan, high speed
C1 Extra heater (Europe) J A/C-compressor
C2 Vacuum pump (Turbo aut.)
192 Car care
IB969
IB998
IB921
Date code Wear indicators Spare wheel (under the carpet in the
trunk)
• Never crawl under a car that is If light-alloy wheels have been fitted to the
supported only by a jack. car for several years and a change is made
IB1262
IB1261
to steel wheels, the threads for the wheel
• Special care must be taken if the car is bolts in the brake discs should be cleaned
on a slope – use wheel chocks! before the thinner steel wheels are fitted.
Spare wheel (under the carpet in the
trunk), Saab 9-3 Viggen • Position chocks, one ahead and one The innermost threads in the holes may be
behind, the wheel that is diagonally clogged with sand, salt and rust so that the
opposite to the one to be changed. correct tightening torque cannot be
When changing a wheel, take the tool kit out achieved.
first, then the spare wheel. • Switch on the hazard warning lights if
the car is on a road.
NOTE • Apply the parking brake and leave the
car in gear (1st or reverse). Automatic
To avoid damaging a punctured alloy transmission: move selector to the
wheel this can be placed outside up in the P position.
spare-wheel well but only while driving to
the closest workshop. • Ensure that everybody is out of the car
A general rule is that all heavy loads must before jacking it up.
be well secured in the luggage compart-
ment, see page 129. • Never start the engine while the car is
jacked up.
• The jack must stand on a firm, level
surface.
Car care 197
IB1311
IB924
Position for jack Jacking points for a floor jack.
NOTE
Saab 9-3 Viggen: The minimum permis-
sible wheel diameter is 16”, due to the
size of the brake discs.
IB1174
Position for jack, Saab 9-3 Viggen
NOTE
When refitting wheel covers (where
applicable), make sure that the valve
protrudes through the hole in the wheel
cover.
Car care 199
Flat spotting Safety belts
All tires get hot, especially on long journeys
or when the car is driven hard. After the car WARNING
has been parked with hot tires and the tires
have cooled down, a flat spot can form in the Safety belts and belt pretensioners that
tire, where it is in contact with the ground. were in use in a serious collision must be
The same can occur if the car has not been replaced even if they are not visibly
moved for a long time. damaged.
Flat spots can cause vibration that can be
felt through the steering wheel, similar to No attempt must be made to repair, or
that experienced when the wheels need bal- modify the function of, safety belts.
IB923
ancing. Flat spots of this type disappear
once the tires get hot again, usually after A check should be made periodically to
Removing the wheel cover 10–15 miles (20–25 km) of driving at cruis- ensure that the safety belts are working
ing speed. properly.
• Hold the diagonal strap and pull it sharply.
The seat belt should lock and it should not
be possible to withdraw it further.
A sharp tug on the belt should cause the
Tightening sequence, wheel bolts inertia reel to lock. Check the floor anchor-
age points for corrosion damage. If a belt is
worn or has any fraying edges, it should be
replaced.
Safety belts must not come into contact with
substances such as polishes, oil or chemi-
cals. If the belts get dirty, wash them with
warm water and a detergent or have them
replaced.
IB925
200 Car care
IB1271
ered antenna about once a month with and stone-chip damage yourself. The nec-
a clean, dry rag. essary tools and materials, such as primer,
IMPORTANT! Use no oil, nor any sili- touch-up paint and brushes, are available
cone-based cleaning product. Removing the roof-mounted antenna, from your Saab dealer.
Saab 9-3 Viggen Coupé and 5-door In the case of minor flaws in the paintwork,
• Fixed antennas must be removed
when going through an automatic car where the metal has not been exposed and
wash. an undamaged layer of paint remains,
touch-up paint can usually be applied
• Saab 9-3 Viggen, Coupé and
5-door: If you wash the car in an auto-
Waxing and polishing directly, after any dirt has been scraped
Do not wax a new car during the first three away using a pointed knife.
matic car wash, you must first remove
the roof-mounted antenna, otherwise or four months. In fact, there is no need to If corrosion has already set in, e.g. as a
it will be damaged. polish the car before the paintwork has result of stone-chip damage, use a pointed
started to go dull through oxidation. Other knife to scrape off all surface rust. If possi-
• On Covertible models with OnStar, than in exceptional cases, do not use abra- ble, the damaged area should be taken
fold down the cellular antenna sive polishes containing a cutting agent on back to the bare metal. The metal should
mounted on the windshield before a new car. Always wash the car thoroughly then be primed with two thin coats of primer
entering a car wash to avoid damage before waxing or polishing. applied by brush.
to the antenna or convertible top. After the primer has dried, apply several thin
layers of topcoat enamel until the surface of
the repaired area is flush with the surround-
ing paintwork.
Stir both primer and touch-up enamel thor-
oughly before use and allow each coat to
dry before applying the next.
Car care 203
Two-coat enamel
As the name implies, two-coat enamel is
Anti-corrosion
applied in two operations. The first coat, the treatment
base color, contains the pigment, metal The entire car is corrosion-protected at the
flakes and binder. The second coat consists factory in different stages by an electrolytic
of a clear enamel, which provides the final immersion coating and a polyester-based
gloss for the paintwork and protects the protective coating to protect against corro-
base from moisture and environmental con- sion caused by stones flung up by the
taminants. wheels. A thin penetrating anti-rust oil is
Touch-up stone-chip damage as follows: also applied in cavities and body members.
1 Thoroughly clean the damaged area. In addition to conventional anti-corrosion
IB1334
2 Then apply the primer, base color, and treatment like painting, underbody treat-
finally, the enamel. To achieve the best ment and cavity treatment, most of the body
finish, apply two or three coats of primer. panel surfaces are galvanized. These
Surface-treatment composition
1 Body panel
include the hood, the doors and the under-
2 Zinc (certain parts) 7.5 µm body.
3 Phosphate coating The anti-corrosion treatment on the under-
4 Cathodic ED 28 µm side of the car and inside the wheel arches
5 Intermediate coat 35 µm
6 Metallic base/solid base15 µm is particularly exposed to constant wear and
7 Clear enamel 40 µm possible damage, the degree of which will
obviously depend on driving conditions.
204 Car care
Preventive maintenance 2 Clean the underside of the car during
The following procedures are necessary to the winter. Use high pressure water to
help protect against rusting. Refer also to clean the car’s underside (floor panels,
the terms and conditions of the Performa- wheel wells) at least at mid- winter and
tion Limited Warranty described in the war- in the spring.
ranty booklet. 3 Inspect the car frequently for leaks or
1 Wash the car frequently, and wax at damage, and arrange for needed
least twice a year. Under adverse con- repairs promptly. After washing or after
ditions, where there is a rapid buildup of heavy rain, check for leaks. When wash-
dirt, sand or road salt, wash your car at ing the car inspect body surfaces for
least once a week. After extreme expo- paint damage. While checking for leaks,
lift the floor mats and check underneath
IB926
sure to salted snow or slush, evidenced
by a white film on the car, wash the car them. Water can collect in these areas
immediately. Frequent washing will pre- and remain for prolonged periods. Dry
Drainage holes in doors any wet areas including the floor mats.
vent paint damage from acid rain and
other airborne contaminants such as Have leaks repaired as soon as possi-
tree sap and bird droppings. If any of ble.
What causes rust? these contaminants are noticed on the Use touch-up paint to repair small
Steel body panels of automobiles are sub- car the finish should be washed immedi- scratches or minor finish damage. Areas
ject to rusting whenever air and moisture ately. where metal is exposed will rust quickly
manage to penetrate the protective finish. and MUST be repaired immediately by
Body panels may rust through if the process • Begin washing by rinsing the entire car touch-up or professional repainting.
is unchecked. Rusting can occur wherever with water to loosen and flush off heavy Rust must be removed, the bare metal
water is trapped or where the car’s panels concentrations of dirt (include the primed and painted. Major body
are continuously damp. underbody). damage should be repaired immediately
Damage to paint and undercoating by • Sponge the car with a solution of either and new panels or exposed areas
stones, gravel and minor accidents immedi- a good quality car soap or mild general should be undercoated with anti- corro-
ately exposes metal to air and moisture. purpose (dish washing) detergent and sion material.
Road salts used for de-icing will collect on water. Repairs of this type are the owner’s
the bottom of the car and promote rusting. • Rinse car thoroughly with clean water. responsibility and are not covered under
Areas of the country with high humidity have • After washing, check and clear all warranty.
a greater potential for rust problems, espe- drains in doors and body panels.
cially where salt is used on roads or there is • Wipe the car dry, preferably using a
moist sea air. Industrial pollution (fallout) chamois.
may also damage paint and promote rust-
ing.
Car care 205
Inspect the undercoating and touch up if
necessary. Pay particular attention to the
Recovery and/or Approximately 90% of the materials in the
car can be recycled or recovered, where
fenders and wheel housings, which are recycling of automotive facilities exist.
exposed to abrasion by flying gravel, etc. If
the composition has worn or flaked off, the materials Before the car is scrapped, all the oils and
other fluids that could pollute the environ-
steel must be thoroughly cleaned and dried A typical car consists of metals (65–75%), ment should be recovered from the car. It
before a fresh coat is applied. The cleaning plastics (10–14%), rubber (5%) and small may be of interest in this context to learn that
is best done with a scraper and a steel wire quantities of glass, wood, paper and tex- the refrigerant used in the Saab 9-3’s A/C
brush, followed by washing with solvent. tiles. and ACC systems (R134a) contains neither
Apply the new coating thinly, otherwise it Some of these materials can be recycled, CFCs nor any other chlorine compounds
may run off or fall off when dry. while others can be recovered in chemical
processes for reuse in new products or as a
source of energy.
While the Saab 9-3 was still at the draw-
ing-board stage, Saab engineers were
giving serious consideration to how the
maximum quantity of materials could be
reclaimed from the car on its eventual
scrapping. To facilitate sorting, plastic parts,
for instance, have been marked to identify
the precise nature of the plastic.
206 Car care
1 A-pillar trim: PP, PP/EPDM.
2 Windshield trim: PP, PP/EPD. ABS Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene
ASA Acrylonitrile-styrene (acrylic plastic)
3 Seals: EPDM. EPDM Ethylene-propylene rubber 3 4
4 Rear-window casing PUR. PA Polyamide (plastic) 2
PC Polycarbonate (plastic) 5
5 Trim panel ABS. PE Polyethylene 1
6 C/D-pillar trim PP. PMMA Polymethyl methacrylate
POM Acetal plastic 6
7 Rear light cluster: PMMA. PPO Polyphenylene oxide (plastic)
PP Polypropylene
8 Corner filler panel PPO/PA. PUR Polyurethane 7
9 Rear bumper PVC Polyvinyl chloride
Expanded PP core 24 8
PP/EPDM sheathing.
10 Fuel tank PE. 23
11 Side-window casing: 9
PP/EPDM. 22
IB927
13 A-pillar upholstery trim: 10
PC/ABS, textile.
20 12
14 Rearview mirror: ABS. 11
15 Sill scuff plate: PP/EPDM.
16 Wheel-arch liner: PP. 19 16 13
17 Wheel cover: PA. 17
18 Direction-indicator lamp lens: PMMA. 18 15 14
19 Front spoiler: PP/EPDM.
20 Front bumper,
cellular core, expanded PP,
sheathing: PP/EPDM.
21 Fan shroud: PP.
22 Radiator grille: ABS.
23 Washer-fluid reservoir: PE.
24 Cowl trim: PC/ASA.
Car care 207
Air conditioning Fault diagnosis
If a fault occurs in the A/C system, there are
Inadequate cooling:
a Make sure that the temperature and
(A/C system) a number of checks you can perform your- air-distribution controls are in the
self. If the fault persists, however, have the appropriate settings, see page 77.
NOTE system checked by an authorized Saab
b Check that the condenser (forward of
dealer. the radiator) has not become clogged
• The A/C system is designed for use Important! with dirt and insects.
with R134a refrigerant. When the A/C system is in operation, mois- c Make sure that the drive belt for the com-
• Refrigerant handling requires special ture from the air will condense on the evap- pressor is not slipping, see page 179.
equipment and special procedures for orator. When the car is then parked, this d Check the fuses for the ventilation fans
charging and draining the system. condensation will drip off the evaporator and compressor, see page 189.
and form a small pool of water on the
• All repairs and adjustments on the A/C ground. This is normal. The warmer the
system must be carried out by a Saab ambient air and the higher the humidity, the
dealer authorized for this kind of work. greater the amount of condensation formed.
• Never mix R134a and R12 refriger-
ants.
WARNING
• The A/C system is pressurized. Do not
break any connections or undo A/C
system components.
• Escaping refrigerant gas can cause
blindness or other injury.
208 Car care
Maintenance
• The drive belt for the compressor should
Headlight aiming • Place the vehicle on a level pad or surface
• The vehicle should be unladen and fuel
be inspected under the regular service tank full, and one person or 160 lbs.
program. WARNING (75 kg) on the drivers seat
• Clean dirt and insects away from the con- • The vehicle should not have any snow, ice
denser and radiator to prevent clogging. Before checking/adjusting the headlight or mud attached to it
When washing the car, use the hose to aiming, switch off the engine to avoid
• Tires should be inflated to the prescribed
spray the radiator and condenser (located danger of fingers and hands being injured
pressure
forward of the radiator) from both sides by moving parts.
• Rock the vehicle to stabilize the suspen-
(both from the front of the car and from The radiator fan can start up even when sion
inside the engine bay). Do not use a pres- the engine is switched off.
sure washer.
Caution: Do not use the hose when the The vehicle is equipped with vertical and
engine is hot. horizontal aim indicators. The aim has been
Other than in extremely cold weather, do not preset at the factory and should normally not
cover the radiator, e.g. with screen netting, need further adjustments. This is true even
as this will greatly diminish its cooling capac- though your vertical and horizontal aim indi-
ity. cators may not fall exactly on the "0" (zero)
Note: The A/C system will only operate marks on their scales.
when the outdoor temperature is above the If your headlight is damaged in an accident,
freezing point (0°C, 32°F). Switch on the the headlight aim may be affected. If you
A/C system when the car stands in a warm believe your headlights need to be
place. re-aimed, we recommend that you take it to
your Saab dealer for service. However, it is
possible for you to re-aim your headlights as
described in the following procedure.
To check the aim, the vehicle should be
properly prepared as follows:
Car care 209
Open the hood and locate the vertical aim
level (B) that you can see through the top of A B 2
the headlight lens.
If you find that the headlight needs adjust-
ment follow these steps:
1 Locate the vertical aiming device (A) 1
located behind and below the outer
headlight assembly.
2 Turn the vertical aiming screw with a
0.24 in. (6 mm) Hexagonal Allen wrench
until the bubble inside the level is cen-
IB1169
IB1170
tered between the two red lines (zero).
3 Check the horizontal aim (1) and adjust
as necessary. The horizontal aiming Vertical adjustment Horizontal adjustment
device (2) is located behind the inner A Vertical aiming device 1 Horizontal aim
headlight assembly. Turn the horizontal B Vertical aim level 2 Horizontal aiming device
aiming knob until the zero (0) line on the
knob aligns with the zero mark on the
graduation scale.
4 Recheck the vertical aim to make sure it
is still correct after the horizontal aim
adjustment. Readjust as necessary.
NOTE
To make sure that your headlights are
aimed properly read all instructions
before beginning. Failure to follow these
instructions could cause damage to
headlight parts or a not correctly aimed
headlight.
210 Car care
Maintenance and owner assistance 211
Maintenance and
owner assistance
Maintenance schedule..... 212
Owner assistance ............ 213
Reporting Safety Defects
(U.S.A.) ............................ 214
Reporting Safety Defects
to the Canadian govern-
ment ................................ 214
Saab Original Service
Program M2000 USA,
Canada, (9-3 Models) ..... 215
IB1367
212 Maintenance and owner assistance
(112,000 km)
(128,000 km)
(144,000 km)
(160,000 km)
(16,000 km)
(32,000 km)
(48,000 km)
(64,000 km)
(80,000 km)
(96,000 km)
(1,600 km)
Miles = U.S. Cars
100,000
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
Kilometers = Canadian Cars
1,000
Service # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
* These are the minimum required Emission Control System maintenance steps. Saab urges that all recommended maintenance procedures be performed
according to this program.
(a.) Engine oil and filter should be changed at least once a year. Intermediate oil and filter changes (halfway between indicated intervals) suggested for
cars primarily used for driving in dense city traffic or for repeated short trip operation without sufficient warm up.
** Service intervals: Refer to the Warranties & Service Record Book for service intervals beyond 100,000 miles (160,000 km).
Service Intervals **
(112,000 km)
(128,000 km)
(144,000 km)
(160,000 km)
(16,000 km)
(32,000 km)
(48,000 km)
(64,000 km)
(80,000 km)
(96,000 km)
(1,600 km)
Miles = U.S. Cars
100,000
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
Kilometers = Canadian Cars
1,000
Service # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
* These are the minimum required Emission Control System maintenance steps. Saab urges that all recommended maintenance procedures be performed
according to this program.
(b.) Change automatic transmission fluid at more frequent intervals (30,000; 90,000 miles, etc.) if car is driven in dense city traffic where the outside tem-
perature regularly reaches 90°F or higher, if car is used in a mountainous/high altitude area or for trailer towing.
Maintenance and owner assistance 217
Service Intervals **
(112,000 km)
(128,000 km)
(144,000 km)
(160,000 km)
(16,000 km)
(32,000 km)
(48,000 km)
(64,000 km)
(80,000 km)
(96,000 km)
(1,600 km)
Miles = U.S. Cars
100,000
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
Kilometers = Canadian Cars
1,000
Service # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Chassis
R Ball joint clearance, outer and inner steering joints and
" " " " " " " " " "
rubber boots
R Front suspension, rear axle mountings; retighten "
R Shock absorbers and bushes; tightness and condition " " "
R Tire pressure, tread depth and wear (c.) " " " " " " " " " " "
R Rotate tires, front to rear " " " " " " " " " "
R Brake pads and discs; wear and condition (d.) " " " " " " " " " "
R Brake lines and hoses " " " " " " " " " " "
R Brake fluid level & renewal (max. 2-year intervals) " " " ! " " ! " " ! "
R Check parking brake function " " " " " " " " " " "
R Power steering fluid level " " " " " " " " " " "
Service Intervals **
(112,000 km)
(128,000 km)
(144,000 km)
(160,000 km)
(16,000 km)
(32,000 km)
(48,000 km)
(64,000 km)
(80,000 km)
(96,000 km)
(1,600 km)
Miles = U.S. Cars
100,000
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
Kilometers = Canadian Cars
1,000
Service # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Chassis (cont.)
R Toe-in " " "
R Cabin air filter ! ! ! ! !
R Door hinges, stops and locks # # # # # # # # # #
R Removable towbar # # # # # # # # # # #
R Airbag system, SRS warning lamp, visual inspection " " " " " " " " " " "
R Safety belts; operation and visual inspection of belt for
" " " " " " " " " " "
tears and fraying
R Wiper blades " " " " " " " " " " "
R Washer system: check and top-up " " " " " " " " " " "
R Reset service indicator " " " " " " " " " " "
Customer programming
R Carry out systems programming per customer request "
Road test
R Check performance of drive train, steering and brakes
and verify tire balance.
Check function of instruments and controls, including
" " " " " " " " " " "
horn, windshield wipers, cruise control and climate sys-
tem.
Note any noises or problems for correction.
Technical data 219
Technical data
General particulars .......... 220
Engine ............................... 223
Engine oil.......................... 223
Engine variants ................ 225
Electrical system.............. 225
Drive belts......................... 225
Manual transmission ....... 226
Automatic transmission .. 226
Suspension....................... 226
IB993
Steering............................. 226
Brake system.................... 227
Rims and tires .................. 227
Plates and labels.............. 229
220 Technical data
General particulars Gross vehicle
Overall length, with bumper(s): weight (GVW)
Coupé/5-door/Convertible____________ 182.3" (4629 mm) Maximum train
Viggen __________________________ 182.7” (4639 mm) weight
Overall width, including door mirrors _____ 76.2" (1936 mm) (GVW + max.
IB541
trailer weight)
Maximum height ____________________ 56.2" (1428 mm)
Maximum height when the soft top is being approx. 87" Maximum axle
operated (Convertible) ______________ approx. 2200 mm load, front
Wheelbase ________________________ 102.6" (2605 mm) Maximum axle
Track: load, rear
front, Coupé/5-door/Convertible _______ 57.2" (1452 mm) Permissible load (in addition to the driver) = GVW minus curb weight.
The maximum permissible axle load, front or rear, must not be exceeded.
front, Viggen ______________________ 57.7” (1466 mm) The precise curb weight of the vehicle (weight ready for driving + driver
rear, Coupé/5-door/Convertible _______ 56.8" (1442 mm) á 154 lbs. (70 kg) and load capacity are specified in the vehicle registra-
tion documents.
rear, Viggen ______________________ 57.3” (1456 mm)
Ground clearance at max. weight _______ approx. 3.9" Chassis number plate in engine bay
(100 mm)
Number of occupants, incl. driver: Length of the trunk:
Coupé and 5-door _________________ 5 rear seat raised, Coupé- and 5-door car 37.0" (940 mm)
Convertible _______________________ 4 rear seat lowered, Coupé- and 5-door car 67.2" (1705 mm)
Turning circle: Volume of trunk according to SAE:
measured at vehicle extremities _______ 36.4 ft. (11.1 m) with parcel shelf, Coupé- and 5-door car 15.9 cu.ft.
curb to curb_______________________ 34.4 ft. (10.5 m) (451 dm3)
whole rear seat tipped forward,
Coupé- and 5-door car _____________ 46.0 cu.ft.
(1303 dm3)
Convertible, soft top up _____________ 12.5 cu.ft.
(354 dm3)
Convertible, soft top down ___________ 10.1 cu.ft.
(285 dm3)
Technical data 221
Weight ready for driving (i.e. with full fuel Gross vehicle weight (GVW)
tank, washer- fluid reservoir, standard Coupé___________________________ 3930-4060 lbs.
tools and spare wheel) (1785-1840 kg)
Coupé ___________________________ 2990-3170 lbs. Viggen, Coupé ____________________ 4060 lbs. (1840 kg)
(1355-1440 kg)
5-door __________________________ 3980-4100 lbs.
Viggen, Coupé ____________________ 3090-3160 lbs. (1805-1860 kg)
(1405-1435 kg)
Viggen, 5-door ____________________ 4100 lbs. (1860 kg)
5-door ___________________________ 3030-3220 lbs.
(1375-1460 kg) Convertible ______________________ 3920-3990 lbs.
(1780-1810 kg)
Viggen, 5-door ____________________ 3140-3210 lbs.
Viggen, Convertible ________________ 3970 lbs. (1800 kg)
(1425-1455 kg)
Convertible _______________________ 3130-3260 lbs. Maximum axle load
(1420-1480 kg) front ____________________________ 2300 lbs. (1045 kg)
Viggen, Convertible ________________ 3220-3230 lbs. rear ____________________________ 1930 lbs. (875 kg)
(1460-1465 kg) Weight distribution:
Curb weight, front/rear ______________ approx. 62/38 %
GVW, front/rear ___________________ approx. 58/42%
222 Technical data
Maximum permitted load in trunk Trailer weights:
Coupé and 5-door at curb weight plus Trailer with brakes _________________ Max. 2000 lbs.
4 passengers à 155 lbs. (70 kg) _______ 130 lbs.(60 kg) (900 kg)
For each passenger less in the rear seat the load may be Trailer without brakes _______________ Max. 1000 lbs.
increased by 100 lbs. (45 kg) (450 kg)
Convertible at curb weight and Recommended towbar-ball load ______ 110-165 lbs.
3 passengers à 155 lbs. (70 kg) _______ 120 lbs. (55 kg) (50-75 kg)
Coupé and 5-door at curb weight and Maximum towing speed, trailer with
rear seat right down ________________ 475 lbs. (215 kg) brakes __________________________ 62 mph (100 km/h)
The above max. weights and speed limit are those which Saab
Automobile AB permits. Note that the national rules may set lim-
WARNING its to permitted weights and speed; see also page 156.
IB929
Compression ratio _________________ 9.3:1
Drive belt
226 Technical data
Manual transmission Suspension
Type _____________________________ 5-speed, fully Spring type, front and rear ____________ Coil springs
synchronized with Maximum deflection of springs:
final-drive gear and
differential front, Coupé/5-door/Convertible _______ 6.4" (163 mm)
Oil type (for topping-up) ______________ Saab synthetic man- front, Viggen ______________________ 6.5” (165 mm)
ual gearbox oil rear, Coupé/5-door/Convertible _______ 8.3" (212 mm)
Oil capacity ________________________ 1.8 qts. (1.8 l) rear, Viggen ______________________ 7.9” (200 mm)
Speed (mph/km/h) at 1000 rpm in 5th gear 26/42 Dampers, front and rear ______________ Gas-filled tele-
scopic shock
Automatic transmission absorbers
Type _____________________________ Electronically con-
trolled 4-speed with Steering
torque converter Steering __________________________ Power-assisted
and differential steering gear of
Gear selector positions ______________ PRND321 rack-and-pinion
type with tele-
Oil quantity, total ____________________ 7.4 qts. (7.2 litres) scopic, universal
Oil volume (on changing) _____________ 3.4 qts. (3.25 litres) joint steering- col-
Oil type ___________________________ Texaco Texamatic umn shaft
Dexron III, mineral Number of turns, lock to lock __________ 3.0
oil based Oil type ___________________________ Power Steering
Clutch type ________________________ Hydraulically-oper- Fluid CHF 11S
ated plate clutches,
brake bands and
one-way clutches
Speed (mph/km/h) at 1000 rpm in 4th gear 25/40
Technical data 227
Brake system Rims and tires
Footbrake (ABS) ___________________ Hydraulic disc Rim size:
brakes with vacuum Coupé/5-door/Convertible ___________ 6.5 x 15 or 6.5 x 16
servo, diagonally
split circuits Viggen __________________________ 7.5 x 17
Parking brake ______________________ Acts on rear wheels Viggen must use 6.5 x 16 or 7 x 17
Brake fluid ________________________ DOT 4
Do not use DOT 5 Tire sizes (summer tires):
Disc diameter: 6.5 x 15 (not Viggen) _______________ 195/60 R15
front, Coupé/5-door/Convertible _______ 11.4" (288 mm) 6.5 x 16__________________________ 205/50 R16
front, Viggen ______________________ 12.0” (306 mm) 7.5 x 17 Viggen only________________ 215/45 R17
rear ____________________________ 11.3" (286 mm) Tire sizes (winter tires):
Total friction area of brake pads: 6 x 15 (not Viggen) _________________ 185/65 R15 M+S
front, Coupé/5-door/Convertible _______ 34.4 in² (224 cm²) 195/60 R15 M+S
front, Viggen ______________________ 35.9 in² (234 cm²) 6.5 x 16 _________________________ 205/50 R16 M+S
rear ____________________________ 14.2 in² (92 cm²) Recommended rims for snow chains:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible ___________ 6 x 15
Viggen __________________________ 6.5 x 16
Spare wheel:
Tire:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible ___________ T115/70 R15
Viggen __________________________ T115/70 R16
Rim:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible ___________ 4.0 x 15
Viggen __________________________ 4.0 x 16
Maximum life _____________________ 2000 miles
(3500 km)
Maximum speed __________________ 50 mph (80 km/h)
228 Technical data
NOTE
Snow chains
Snow chains must not be fitted to the rear wheels and must be
used on the following tire/wheel combinations.
Wheel Tire
6 x 15 _________185/65 R15 M+S (not Viggen),
195/60 R15 (not Viggen) or
195/60 R15 M+S (not Viggen)
6.5 x 15________195/60 R15 (not Viggen)
6.5 x 16________205/50 R16 or 205/50 R16 M+S
Max. speed is 30 mph (50 km/h).
Consult your authorized Saab dealer of approved snow chains.
NOTE
Coupé/5-door/Convertible: Bigger rims than 16” must not be
used. The offset of the rims must not exceed 49 mm.
Viggen: Bigger rims than 17” must not be used.
The offset of the rims must not exceed 42 mm.
Front-wheel angles:
Toe-in, measured on the wheel rim ____ 1.5±0.5 mm
Viggen __________________________ 1.3±0.3 mm
Technical data 229
Plates and labels
In contacts with your Saab dealer it may
sometimes be necessary to quote the car’s
chassis, engine and gearbox numbers.
1 Modification identity plate (in the spare
wheel compartment). On certain model 4728473
CANADA
US
IB1368
230 Technical data
position: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
| | | | | | | | | | | |
VIN: Y S 3 D F 5 8 K 7 Y 2 005543
IB541
| | | | | |
1 2 3 4 5 6 = identification codes for certain chassis details
Fault codes, Audio System ________ 110 If the car does not start ___________ 135
Flat spot ______________________ 199
Folding the soft top _______________ 43
Ignition switch __________________ 134
Immobilizer _____________________ 31
M
Fuel filler door, emergency opening _ 131 Important considerations concerning Main beam ______________________ 71
Fuel gauge _____________________ 61 cars with catalytic converters _____ 137 Main instrument panel _____________ 54
Fuel grade _____________________ 224 Maintenance schedule ___________ 212
Index 235
Manual climate-control system ______ 76
Manual raising of the soft top,
Parking lights ___________________ 71
Plates and labels ________________ 229
S
Convertible ____________________ 46 Power-steering fluid, check ________ 177 SAHR, head restraint ____________ 114
Manually opening the fuel filler door, Pressure gauge __________________ 60 SID (Side instrument display) _______ 62
Convertible ____________________ 52 Programmable driver’s seat _______ 117 SRS (airbag) ____________________ 22
Manually opening the fuel filler door, Programming, ACC _______________ 86 Safety belts _____________________ 12
Coupé and 5-door ______________ 131 Safety belts, care of ______________ 199
Maxi fuses _____________________ 188 Seat-belt pretensioners ____________ 13
Memory, driver’s seat ____________ 117
Motoring abroad ________________ 165
R Seats _________________________ 112
Securing a load __________________ 33
Radio __________________________ 94 Service costs ___________________ 213
Raising the soft top, Convertible _____ 45 Service information ______________ 214
N Rear fog light ____________________ 73
Rear seat _____________________ 125
Service intervals ________________ 212
Service record retention __________ 213
Night Panel _____________________ 69 Rear seat, tipping _______________ 125 Side airbag _____________________ 27
Rear window wiper _______________ 75 Side airbags ____________________ 27
Rearview mirrors ________________ 124 Ski hatch ______________________ 128
O Rear-window wiper _______________ 75
Recirculation ____________________ 78
Snow tires _____________________ 227
Soft-top storage, Convertible ________ 50
Odometer ______________________ 59 Recycling _____________________ 205 Spare wheel ___________________ 130
Oil specification _________________ 223 Refuelling _____________________ 138 Speedometer ____________________ 59
OnStar _______________________ 109 Relay table ____________________ 190 Starting the engine ______________ 135
Opening handle _________________ 30 Remote control __________________ 30 Steering pump oil, grade __________ 226
Owner assistance _______________ 213 Remote control battery, changing ____ 32 Steering-wheel adjustment ________ 118
Reporting safety defects __________ 214 Sunroof _______________________ 120
Rev counter _____________________ 59
P Reversing lights _________________ 73
Paint touch-up __________________ 202
Rotating the tires ________________ 193
Running-in _____________________ 140
T
Parcel shelf ____________________ 128 Tachometer _____________________ 59
Parking _______________________ 151 Tailgate, opening _________________ 33
Parking brake __________________ 151 Technical data __________________ 220
236 Index
Temperature gauge ______________ 60
Textile carpeting, cleaning ________ 200
V
Through-load hatch ______________ 128 Vanity mirror ___________________ 124
Tie-down eyes _________________ 129
Tipping the rear seat _____________ 125
Tire pressures __________________ 192
Tires and wheels, sizes __________ 227
W
Tools _________________________ 130 Warning labels ___________________ 7
Touching up paintwork ___________ 202 Warning light, AIR BAG (SRS) ______ 24
Towing a caravan or trailer ________ 156 Washer fluid ___________________ 179
Towing the car _________________ 160 Washer jets ____________________ 180
Trailer hitch load ________________ 158 Washers _______________________ 74
Transmission, automatic __________ 141 Washing ______________________ 201
Transporting the car _____________ 160 Waxing and polishing ____________ 202
Traveling abroad ________________ 165 Wear indicators, brake pads _______ 140
Trionic ________________________ 170 Wear indicators, tires ____________ 195
Trip computer, SID _______________ 62 Wheels _______________________ 192
Trip meter ______________________ 59 Wheels and tires, sizes ___________ 227
Trunk _________________________ 125 Window glass sensor, car alarm _____ 36
Trunk lid lock, Convertible _________ 50 Windshield washers ______________ 74
Trunk, Convertible _______________ 50 Windshield wipers ________________ 74
Turbo gauge ____________________ 60 Winter driving __________________ 154
Turn signal _____________________ 72 Wiper blades ___________________ 179
Wipers _________________________ 74
U
Upholstery and trim ______________ 200
Upholstery and trim, care of _______ 200
Useful tips on starting ____________ 136
Useful tips, ACC _________________ 88