2000 SAAB 9-3 tow

72 Instruments and controlsCourtesy 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
30 seconds.
Turn signal & lane change indicatorsTo switch on the indicators, move the stalk
up or down.
The stalk has fixed positions for indicating a
right or left turn, and the indicators are can-
celled automatically (stalk returns to off
position) after most turns.
The stalk also has an intermediate,
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
Hazard warning lightsWhen this button is pressed, all the turn
signal & lane change indicators and a
symbol in the button flash simultaneously. If
the ignition is on, both indicator lights on the
instrument panel will also flash.
If the hazard warning lights are left on for
some time, the flasher frequency will be
reduced to save the battery.
Hazard warning lights should only be used
if, because of an accident or breakdown, the
car constitutes a hazard to other road users.
IB748
Turn signal & lane change indicators 1 Right indicators
2 Left indicators
IB749
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79 Instruments and controls
The button is located on the climate-control
panel. An LED in the button is lit as long as
heating is on.
Switch off the heating as soon as the rear
window is clear. It will go off automatically
after about 10 minutes.
If the battery voltage is lower than 12 V the
heating will be switched off earlier so that
the battery can get the benefit of the alterna-
tor charge.
Avoid placing sharp objects on the rear
parcel shelf; the heater elements may suffer
damage if such objects touch the rear win-
dow. Do not switch the heating on until you
have started the engine.
Recommended settings in
severe cold On starting with a cold engine, set the fan
switch to position 2 and select defrost to
heat the cabin and defrost the windshield as
quickly as possible.
When the engine is warm enough for the
reading of the temperature gauge to start
rising, fan setting 3 may be chosen. Once
the windshield is clear, the air-distribution
control should be shifted two steps to the
left.
The warm-up time of the engine depends on
the kind of driving. Town driving in high gear
with a low RPM gives a longer warm-up time
than highway driving with a higher RPM.
Do not use position 4 on the fan switch, as
this is mainly intended to provide rapid cool-
ing in hot weather.
Electrically heated rear
window/external mirrors
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85 Instruments and controls
Starting in cold weather: The automatic
climate control system selects the defroster
position, max. heating and low fan speed to
begin with.
As the engine temperature rises, the fan
speed is increased and air is routed towards
the floor.
As the temperature inside the car nears the
selected value, both the fan speed and the
heat will be decreased to a level determined
by the system.
Starting in hot weather: The automatic cli-
mate control system selects air to the panel
vents and high fan speed. Recirculation is
switched on about 30 seconds after starting
if the selected cabin temperature is mark-
edly lower than the actual temperature.
Unless the ECON button has been
depressed, the A/C compressor is always
switched on at outside temperatures above
32°F (0°C) in order to cool and dehumidify
the incoming air, unless the ECON button
has been depressed.
As the temperature inside the car nears the
selected value, the fan speed will be
decreased to a value determined by the
system.
Action to be taken in special types of
weather Normally, misting and icing problems on the
windows do not occur other than in extreme
situations, e.g. when you are driving in
heavy rain or severe cold in combination
with high air humidity or when those travel-
ling in the car are sweaty and wet. If you
have trouble with misting or icing in such
cases we suggest the following counter-
measures:
1 Select and temperature 70°F
(21°C).
2 Select . If this is not enough ...
3 Increase the fan speed. If this is not
enough ...
4 Select a higher temperature.
Air to the rear side windows is supplied by
the floor ducts. To demist these windows
you should therefore select a defroster/floor
combination by pressing both buttons at the
same time.
IB793
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124 Interior equipment, trunkRear-view mirrorsThe rear-view mirror has day/night positions
that can be selected by means of a knob
beneath the mirror. Adjust the mirror for best
vision in the day position and pull the tab on
the bottom of the mirror toward you for the
night position.
Door mirrorsThe door mirrors are electrically adjustable.
The controls are on the driver’s door.
1 Use the upper button to select a door
mirror.
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-
tions to indicate adjustment points.
If subjected to a certain force, the whole
mirror will fold back to prevent injury. The mirror can also be retracted by hand,
which can be useful when parking in con-
fined spaces, e.g. on car ferries. Don’t forget
to fold the mirrors out again before driving
away.
The electric heating of the door mirrors is
switched on and off with the same button as
the heating of the rear window.
NOTEThe door mirrors should be retracted
before the car is put through an automatic
carwash.
IB813
Adjusting the door mirrors 1 Select mirror
2 Use touch pad to adjust mirror
IB814
Retracting a mirror
IB812
Rear-view mirror1 Day position
2 Night position
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133 Starting and driving
IB943Starting and drivingIgnition switch ................. 134
Starting the engine .......... 135
Important considerations
for driving....................... 136
Engine Break-in Period... 140
Gear changing ................. 141
Manual transmission ...... 141
Automatic transmission . 141
Cruise Control ................. 148
Braking ............................. 149
Parking ............................. 151
Economical motoring ..... 153 Driving in cold weather ... 154
Driving in hot weather ..... 156
Towing a trailer ................ 156
Driving with a roof rack
load .................................. 158
Towing the car.................. 160
Jump starting ................... 162
Driving considerations
with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted............... 165
For long trips .................... 165
Driving with the trunk lid
open ................................ 166
Driving in deep water....... 166
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143 Starting and driving
provide better grip, and the WINTER indica-
tor appears on the main instrument panel.
When the ignition is turned to OFF, the auto-
matic transmission will automatically revert
to Normal mode (see page 147).
Adaptive gear change pattern is a func-
tion of the Normal and Sport modes. It
allows gear changing to be suited to the pre-
vailing driving conditions. The transmission
control module senses the engine load and
temperature of the transmission and selects
one of the four available gear change pat-
terns. Unnecessary gear changes and
undesired temperature increases in the
transmission are avoided.
The automatic transmission has a special
shift pattern during the first minute after a
cold engine is started so that the catalytic
converter will reach its correct working tem-
perature more rapidlyLock-up functionThe automatic transmission has a lock-up
function, which renders the torque con-
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.
Shift Lock override1 Apply the parking brake.
2 Make sure the key is in the ON position.
3 Use a small tool such as a screwdriver
and push the lever downwards so that
the detent button can be pressed
approx. 10 mm.
4 Move the selector out of position P to N.
5 Remove the tool.
6 Release the parking brake if the car is to
be moved immediately; otherwise keep
it applied.Check fuse No. 1 (see page 189). If the fuse
is OK, check the battery voltage.
If the problem was cured by changing the
fuse or battery, you do not have to contact a
Saab dealer.
If the fuse blows again as soon as the Shift
Lock feature is activated you should contact
your Saab dealer.NOTEDue to electrical problems it may not be
possible to move the selector out of the
park position, even if the ignition is ON. If
for some reason the selector has to be
moved out of the park position (i.e. to tow
the car a short distance) do as described
below.
IB947
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144 Starting and driving
Automatic transmission
fault indicator
If the symbol appears on the main instru-
ment panel, the system has detected a fault
in the automatic transmission or its control
module (see page 58).
This also means that the Limp-home mode
has been selected, to guard against further
damage being done to the transmission. In
this mode, the automatic transmission
starts in 4th gear, and gear changes (if nec-
essary) will have to be made manually.
It is not possible to select the SPORT or
WINTER mode when the Limp-home mode
is active.
You should have the automatic transmis-
sion checked as soon as possible by an
authorized Saab dealer.
The following gears will be engaged in the
respective selector positions when the auto-
matic transmission is in the Limp-home
mode:
Overheated transmission oilIf the transmission oil becomes overheated
while driving, the following message
appears on the SID: TRANSMISSION
OVERHEATING. In this event, stop the car
in a suitable place, switch off the engine,
open the hood and wait until the message
goes out. When driving subsequent to the
transmission oil overheating, select a
locked gear position in which the engine
speed is about 3,000 rpm.
The transmission oil can become very hot
when the car is driven with a heavy load; for
example, driving with a trailer on hilly roads
when the wrong gear has been selected,
resulting in many extra gear changes.
Select one of the positions 1, 2 or 3. A high
outside temperature or a defective oil cooler
can also cause the oil temperature to
increase. Contact an authorized Saab work-
shop, see also page 156.
Driving in hilly country with a heavy
loadOverheating of the automatic-transmission
fluid can occur when the car is towing a
heavy load, such as a trailer in hilly country,
with the wrong gear selected, resulting in
abnormally frequent gear changing. Try
selecting position 1, 2 or 3. High ambient
temperatures can also increase the temper-
ature of the transmission fluid or the oil
cooler may be faulty. As the transmission
fluid temperature increases, its useful ser-
vice life is reduced. Contact an authorized
Saab dealer (see also page 156).TowingTowing a car with automatic transmission,
see page 162. Position R D 3 2 1
Gear Reverse 4th 4th 3rd 3rd
NOTEIf the control module has actuated the
Limp-home function for the automatic
transmission, the car will remain in 4th
gear when D is selected, making it very
sluggish. To overcome this, move the
selector lever to position 2.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position 1, 2, or 3) to spare the brakes
when you are driving on a long or steep
downhill slope. Select the same gear as
you would on the corresponding uphill
slope.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
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149 Starting and driving
Disengaging the system The system will be disengaged:
 When the brake or clutch pedal is
depressed.
 When the switch is moved to CANCEL.
 When the switch is moved to OFF.
 When the engine is switched off.
 When the selector lever is moved to posi-
tion N (cars with automatic transmission).
BrakingTo avoid overheating the brakes, (e.g. when
negotiating long descents with a drop of
several hundred feet), select a low gear to
use the braking effect of the engine. If the
car has automatic transmission, move the
selector lever to position 1 or 2.
When driving fast, you can help to prolong
the life of the brakes by thinking ahead and
braking harder for short periods, rather than
braking more moderately over long
stretches. Brake pad wear indicatorsThe outboard brake pads on the front
wheels incorporate pad-wear indicators.
When the lining is down to 3 mm, the pad
will produce a screeching, squealing or
scraping noise when the brakes are applied.
New pads should be installed without delay.
Brake pads should only be replaced by
an authorized Saab dealer.
To ensure optimum brake performance,
it is recommended that you use only
Saab original brake pads.

WARNING
 It is prudent to try your brakes from
time to time, especially when driving in
heavy rain, on roads with a lot of sur-
face water, or in snow or slush. In such
conditions, the brakes may take
longer than normal to take effect. To
rectify this, touch the brake pedal peri-
odically to dry the brakes out.
 The same applies after the car has
been washed or when the weather is
very humid.
 The brakes are power assisted and it
should be kept in mind that the servo
unit only provides the power assis-
tance when the engine is running.
 The brake pressure required when the
engine is off,( e.g. when the car is
being towed) is roughly four times the
normal pedal force required. The
pedal also feels hard and unrespon-
sive.
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