2000 SAAB 9-3 ECO mode

2IntroductionThis manual provides practical guidance on
driving and caring for your Saab.
The Saab 9-3 is available with a 2.0l
turbo-engine, 185 hp or 205 hp or a 2.3l
turbo-engine, 230 hp.
Although the manual describes the most
important differences between model vari-
ants, it does not include precise specifica-
tions of the different variants. Some differ-
ences also occur to meet special legal
requirements in different countries.
Importation and distribution of Saab auto-
mobiles, spare parts and accessories are
handled exclusively by General Motors of
Canada Limited in Canada and by Saab
Cars USA, Inc. in the U.S.A.
We recommend that you read through the
manual before taking the car out for the first time and that you keep it in the car for future
reference.
To find a specific item, use the overviews
given on pages 3-6. A list of contents is
given at the beginning of each section of the
manual, and there is also a comprehensive
index at the back of the book.
Supplied with the car is a Warranties and
Service Record booklet and a tire warranty
folder which specifies the regular mainte-
nance to be carried out. The book also con-
tains important warranty conditions.: Since the policy at Saab is one of continual
improvement, we retain the right to incorpo-
rate modifications and to alter specifications
during production without prior notice.
If you have any queries concerning your car,
its equipment, the warranty conditions or
the like, your Saab dealer will be pleased to
help.
Best wishes,
Saab Automobile AB
The fitting of accessories that are not approved
by Saab Automobile AB can damage other parts
of the car.
The specifications, design particulars and illus-
trations included in the manual are not binding.
WARNING
WARNING texts warn against the danger
of injury if the specified instructions are
not followed.
NOTENOTE texts warn of potential damage to
the car if the recommendations are not
followed.
IB730
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16 SafetySafety belts, rear seat Three-point safety belts are provided for all
three rear-seat passengers (2 for Convert-
ible model).
Fasten the belts by pulling the belt across
you and inserting the tongue into the buckle.
Check that it is securely fastened.
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.
Press the red button on the belt buckle to
release the belt.
WARNING
 Make sure that the belt does not
become trapped when the backrest is
folded down or raised (see page 125).
 If you must carry an item of luggage on
a seat, ensure that it is held securely
by the safety belt. This will reduce the
risk of injury by flying objects in the
event of an accident.
 Protect the belt from sharp edges.
IB960
Safety belts, rear seat (the central head restraint is an accessory)
IB821
Securing a load on the rear seat
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22 SafetyAirbag (Supplemental
Restraint System
"SRS") The supplementary restraint system (SRS)
comprises an airbag in the steering wheel,
a front passenger airbag and side airbags in
the front seats.
The system supplements the protection
provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of occupants.
If a fault is detected in the SRS, the
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on (see pages 56 and
24). When the system is triggered by impact of a
frontal collision, the airbags in the steering
wheel and passenger side of the dash board
are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The entire process takes less than
0.1 second – literally, faster than the blink-
ing of an eye.
These airbags are triggered only by moder-
ate to severe frontal or near-frontal colli-
sions. They will not be activated by minor
front-end impacts, rear-end or side impacts,
or by the car rolling over.
Side airbags, see page 27.
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to reach the steering wheel and
controls comfortably.
 Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) should always
travel in the rear as the vehicle is
equipped with an airbag on the pas-
senger side.
IB827
Airbag in course of inflation (driver’s side)
IB826
SRS (airbag) system with belt
pretensioners 1 Electronic control module and sensor
2 Belt pretensioners (for both front safety belts)
3 Steering wheel with integral airbag
4 Recess for airbag on passenger’s side
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25 Safety
Scrapping or working on airbag and
belt pretensioners Frequently asked questions on func-
tion of the airbag
Do you still need to wear a
safety b
elt if air-
bags are fitted?
Yes, always! The airbag merely supple-
ments the car’s normal safety system.
Moreover, the airbag will only be actuated in
a moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal
collision, which means, of course, that it pro-
vides no protection in minor frontal colli-
sions, major rear-end or side-on collisions
or if the car rolls over.
The safety belts help reduce the chance of
the car occupants from being thrown around
and injured inside the car.
But they also ensure that, if a collision
occurs in which the airbags are inflated, the
airbag will make the optimum contact with
the occupant, i.e. square on from the front.
If the occupant meets the airbag in an offset
position, the protection afforded will be
reduced.
In addition, airbags provide no protection
against a secondary impact occurring in the
same incident. So there is no doubt about
the benefit of wearing safety belts at all
times.
Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs
room to inflate.
The airbag inflates very quickly and power-
fully in order to protect an adult person in a
serious frontal collision.
How do I position the seat to leave room for
the airbag to inflate?Don’t have your seat too far forward.
Recline the seat back to increase the dis-
tance between you and the airbag. For short
drivers, special accessory pedal extensions
are available through your Saab dealer.
Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with
great force - to be fast enough to protect an
adult in the seat. When does the airbag inflate? The airbag will only be inflated under certain
predetermined conditions in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal collision,
depending on such factors as the force and
angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
the impacting object.
The airbag can only be activated once in the
same incident.
Do not attempt to drive the car after an
airbag has been inflated, even if it is possi-
ble. What won’t trigger the airbag? The airbag will not be activated in all
front-end collisions. For instance, if the car
has hit something relatively soft and yielding
(e.g. a snow drift or a hedge) or a solid
object at a low impact speed, the airbag will
not necessarily be triggered.
WARNING
 Under no circumstances should any
modifications be made that affect the
steering wheel or the airbag’s electri-
cal circuitry.
 Before starting any welding work on
the car, always disconnect the nega-
tive (–) battery lead and cover the con-
ductor.
 Airbags and belt pretensioners must
be deployed under controlled condi-
tions before the car is scrapped or any
of the system’s components are
removed. Airbags or belt pretension-
ers that have been deployed as a
result of an accident must be replaced
by new ones.
 Airbag-system components must
never be transferred for use in another
vehicle.
 All work involving the scrapping or
replacement of airbags or belt preten-
sioners must only be carried out by
knowledgeable personnel.
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38 SecurityOverview of functions
Alarm signals may differ between model variants for different coun-
tries.
Some of the car-alarm functions can be reprogrammed – con-
sult your Saab dealer for further details (see page 231). Locking/
activation Hazard warning lights flash once (0.5 seconds).
Horn chirps once.
The LED will come on for 10 seconds.
Unlocking/
deactivation Hazard warning lights flash twice.
Horn chirps twice.
The LED will come on for two seconds.
Unlocking/
deactivation of
trunk lid alarm Hazard warning lights flash three times.
Horn chirps three times.
The LED will flash three times per second for 10
seconds.
Alarm triggered Hazard warning lights flash for 5 min.
Siren wails for 30 seconds.
To switch off the alarm, deactivate the system in
the normal way (unlocking) by unlocking the
door with the key or the remote
Window-glass
sensor The sensor detects if any window is broken and
triggers the alarm.
To disable the sensor, see page 36.
Remote control The range of the remote control is normally
5-10 yds. (5-10 metres), although it can be sub-
stantially more than this in ideal conditions.
If a remote control is lost, the new one will have
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
dealer. Your dealer will need your second remote
to program a new one
If another remote or key is desired (up to total of
4), all keys and remotes must be present when
programming additional ones.Battery for
remote control The battery for the remote control will normally
have a life of 4-5 years. When the battery needs
changing, ”REPLACE KEY BATTERY” will
appear on the SID.
After fitting a new battery, press the unlock but-
ton on the remote control at least four times in
succession, so that the car alarm can recognize
the signals from the transmitter.
If the remote control has been exposed to very
low temperatures, it may not function properly. If
this happens, warm it in your hands for a few
minutes.
If the remote control is not working, it may be
because the code signal has not been synchro-
nized with that in the control module for the car
alarm. To rectify this, press the unlock button on
the remote control at least four times in quick
succession. When it is recognized, the door
locks will cycle.
Car-battery
voltage If the car-battery voltage is lost while the alarm is
activated - for instance, if the battery has died -
the car alarm will be deactivated. Once battery
voltage is present again, the alarm will revert to
its status at the time the voltage went down.
If the battery is disconnected, e.g. in an attempt
to break into the car, the alarm will be triggered
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39 Security
Overview of, LED signals and SID messagesSome signals may differ between model variants for different
countries.Status LED signal
Activation (during 10-second delay). Comes on for 10 seconds.
Alarm activated (after delay). Flashes once every third
second.
Deactivation. Comes on for 2 seconds.
Alarm not activated. Off.
Door, trunk lid or hood open or
opened during delay period.Flashes three times per sec-
ond for 10 seconds.
Unlocking the trunk lid. Flashes three times per sec-
ond for 10 seconds.
Closing of door, trunk lid or hood
after delay period.Comes on for 10 seconds.
Car immobilized but not locked.
Car alarm not activated.Flashes twice at three sec-
onds intervals.
Fault in a switch serving doors, hood
or trunk lid.Flashing (instead of being
on continuously) during
delay period.
SID message Reason/action
SERVICE THEFT ALARM Probably a faulty sensor or siren.
Have the car checked by an autho-
rized Saab dealer.
KEY NOT ACCEPTED Fault in key transmitter or in igni-
tion-switch receiver. Turn ignition
switch to ON and press one of the
buttons on the remote control. Start
the engine.
Have the car checked by an autho-
rized Saab dealer.
REPLACE KEY BATTERY Fit a new battery in the remote con-
trol.
DOOR ALARM ONLY Window-glass sensor is disabled.
FULL THEFT ALARM Window-glass sensor is included in
circuit.
 REMOTE KEY
 TRANSPONDRTurn the ignition key to position ON
and then press the button for open-
ing the trunk lid. SID displays the
number of remote controls and
transmitters (transponders) coded to
the car.
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59 Instruments and controls
Instruments TachometerThe tachometer indicates the engine speed
in thousands of revolutions per minute. The
needle may be allowed to enter the broken
red zone on the dial only for an instant.
A safety cut-out function (in the fuel system)
prevents the engine speed exceeding
approximately 6,200 rpm (2.0 Turbo) and
6,400 rpm (2.3 Turbo).
Odometer and trip meterThe odometer records the distance trav-
elled in miles on U.S. vehicles and on Cana-
dian vehicles the distance indicated is in
kilometres, and the trip meter in miles and
tenths (kilometres and tenths of kilometres
on Canadian vehicles). Reset button The button is located close to the right of the
odometer and trip meter in the main instru-
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.
Speedometer (U.S. speedometer
shown)The speedometer receives signals from a
wheel sensor in the ABS system.
If the NIGHT PANEL mode has been
selected, the scale will be illuminated up to
87 mph (140 km/h). The remainder of the
scale will be illuminated if the speed of the
car exceeds 84 mph (135 km/h).
IB340
IB341
IB606
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62 Instruments and controlsTrip computer SID(Saab Information Display)The car is equipped with SID (Saab
Information Display). This instrument con-
tains a varying number of functions depend-
ing on the standard of equipment and the
model variant.
SID 2 displays CHECK messages and has
four trip-computer functions.
SID 3 displays CHECK messages and has
eight trip-computer functions; see page 65.
SID 2 Selecting the function Use the and buttons to scroll
through the following functions:
Outside temperature
(warning of slippery conditions) Regardless of what function you have
selected, SID automatically switches to the
outside-temperature function when this
temperature is between 26° and 38°F (-3°
and +3°C), and also when temperature has
been selected and it has been outside the
range from 21° to 43°F (-6°C to +6°C) and
again enters the range between 26° and
38°F (-3°C and +3°C). Resetting values Resetting is accomplished by depressing
the CLEAR button for at least 4 seconds.
The following values will be reset:
 Distance To Empty (DTE).
 Average fuel consumption.
 Average speed.
WARNING
It is strongly recommended that the SID
settings be changed only when the car is
stationary. The driver’s attention can oth-
erwise easily be distracted from the road.
TEMP Outdoor temperature and Date.
D.T.E. Estimated range (distance to
empty fuel tank).
FUEL Ø Average fuel consumption
since function last reset.
SPD Ø Average speed since function
last reset.
WARNING
Remember that roads can be icy even at
temperatures of above 38°F (+3°C),
especially on bridges and stretches of
road that are sheltered from the sun.
IB743
SID 2
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