2000 SAAB 9-3 lock

45 Convertible
Raising the soft top
1 Start the engine and let it idle.
2 Slide the ROOF button forward until the
5th bow is locked in the tonneau cover
and the SID has given an OK signal
(beep). The top must be locked within
20 seconds. If this is not done the soft
top will lift an inch or two (a few centime-
tres. In this case, slide the ROOF button
forward again until the SID gives an OK
signal. Lock the soft top with the locking
handle.
Note that all side windows will be auto-
matically lowered an inch or two (a few
centimetres) so as to protect the seal strips when the soft top is raised.
The window operation is bypassed
throughout the raising cycle to prevent
the windows being raised.
3 Pull the front end of the soft top down
with the aid of the closing handle and
lock the soft top by rotating the locking
handle up.
 Pull the handle down.
 Rotate the handle upwards, the soft top
will be locked.
Push the handle in.
Check that the hooks have locked the soft
top.
WARNING
 Do not touch the hinges or struts of the
soft top during rasing the top, because
of the danger of being injured.
 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.
IB840
The front-edge locking of the tonneau
cover
IB841
1
2
34
Locking handle 1 Pull the handle out and lift it
2 Push the handle in
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46 Convertible4 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 topPoints 6 to 8 are only valid if the soft top is
operated manually when the soft top ton-
neau is locked.1 Tip the backrests of the rear seats for-
ward.
2 Unlock the rear-seat backrest with the
ignition key just outboard of the left rear
headrest and tip it forward.
3 Remove the round rubber cover over the
hydraulic valve.
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. 8 Unlock the tonneau cover by pulling the
tool backwards. The cover should lift
half an inch or so (a centimetre or so).
Remove the tool. Close the trunk lid.
WARNING
Manual operation of the soft top must be
resorted to only to raise it in an emer-
gency (e.g. in case of an electrical or
hydraulic fault).
After manual raising the soft top must on
no account be folded down manually,
since this could cause damage to the soft
top mechanism.
Valve for manual raising of the soft top
IB842
IB938
Tool fitted for manual unlocking (1) or
locking (2) of the tonneau cover
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47 Convertible
9 (ill. 1) Stand at the side of the car and
open the tonneau cover by grasping its
black part.
10 (ill. 2) Get into the car and stand on the
lowered backrest.
11 (ill. 3) Take hold of the handle and pull
the soft top up. 12 Climb down onto the floor and pull the
soft top towards the windshield. Raise
the 5th bow (rear window).
13 Stand at the side of the car and close the
tonneau cover.
14 Tip down the 5th bow/rear window as far
as possible.
Note: In manual raising it is not possible
to completely secure the 5th bow in the
recess of the tonneau cover.
15 Shut the valve of the hydraulic system,
without making it too tight. Replace the
cover over it. Raise the rear-seat back-
rest again. See that the safety belts don’t get caught. Be sure the seat back locks
in place on both sides.
16 Sit down in the front seat, open the
handle and lock the soft top to the wind-
shield beam. Make sure that the hooks
engage in the beam.
17 In the trunk: replace the tool in the soft
top mechanism and lock the soft top ton-
neau by pushing the tool forward until
the stop point.
18 Take the tool out.
The soft top system must be checked and
repaired by an authorized Saab dealer as
quickly as possible.
WARNING
Do not touch the hinges and struts of the
soft top during raising. Keep your hands
clear of the upper beam of the windshield
- this is a pinch hazard area. Do not oper-
ate the soft top with passengers in the
rear seat or with bystanders right next to
the car.
NOTEClose the cover carefully so as not to
damage the small flaps in the front.
IB939
Manual raising of the soft top
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48 ConvertibleFault messages in SIDThe following CHECK messages are
included in the soft top system and can be
displayed on the SID together with a beep.
SID displays Cause Action
CHECK SOFT
TOP STORAGE  The soft top storage bag is hooked up.
 An item in the trunk under the soft top is
obstructing the soft top. Unhook and lower the soft top storage bag, see page 50.
 Make sure that no item in the trunk is lying against the soft top
storage.
CLOSE TRUNK
LID  The raising or lowering of the soft top is
obstructed because the trunk lid is not closed.  Close the trunk lid so it is latched securely.
CHECK SOFT
TOP LATCHES The soft top is not latched to the top beam of the
windshield.
 Somebody is trying to lower the soft top while it
is still locked to the windshield beam.  Lock the soft top with the locking handle, see page 45.
 Release the soft top with the locking handle, see page 43.
FINISH SOFT
TOP MOTION Raising or lowering was stopped before the
cycle completed. Finish the soft top motion completely.
CHECK SOFT
TOP COVER The soft top cover is not being locked.
 The soft top cover doesn’t open.  Make sure that the valve for manual raising of the soft top is
closed, see page 46.
 Try to slide the ROOF button backwards once more.
SOFT TOP FAIL-
URE Serious fault in soft top mechanism.  Try to slide the ROOF button once more.
 BE VERY CAREFUL AND MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING IS
OBSTRUCTING THE OPERATION OF THE SOFT TOP.
Remove anything that can obstruct the operation of the soft top.
 Operate the soft top manually, see page 46.
CHECK SOFT
TOP Something is in the way and is obstructing the
operation of the soft top by the electro- hydrau-
lics.
 The soft top cover has not locked at the front on
both sides.
 The 5th bow (rear window) has not locked to the
soft top cover on both sides.  Try to slide the ROOF button once more.
 BE VERY CAREFUL AND MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING IS
OBSTRUCTING THE OPERATION OF THE SOFT TOP.
Remove anything that can obstruct the operation of the soft top.
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50 ConvertibleTrunk, 9-3 ConvertibleHooking up top storage bagMore space in the trunk can be obtained by
lifting the top storage bag up by the straps
under it and hooking them in the eyelets at
the top of the bag.
The top storage bag can only be hooked up
in this way when the top is raised. If you
attempt to lower the top while the bag is
hooked up, the SID will display the message
"CHECK SOFT TOP STORAGE"; see page
48.
Trunk lid lockUnlocking 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).Rear seatThe rear seat is intended for two passen-
gers.
The two rear seat positions have three-point
safety belts with inertia reels.
Lowering the rear seatbackTo increase the load-carrying capacity of
the car, the rear seatback can be folded for-
ward. This will be easier if the front seats are
not too far back.
1 Pass the rear safety belts under the
black handles at both ends of the back-
rest. This prevents the safety belts from
becoming caught when the seatback is
raised again.
2 The seatback is fitted with a lock at the
top near the left rear head restraint. Use
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.)
NOTEIf 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
top system could result.
IB855
Suspending top bag
IB856
Lock for rear backrest cushion
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52 ConvertibleUse mild soap, lukewarm water and a
sponge for washing.
Rinse the top thoroughly with plain water to
get rid of all the soap. Flush the cleaning
agent off the bodywork as well, since it can
cause discoloration if it is left to dry on the
paintwork.
If further cleaning is needed after soap and
water have been used, a mild shampoo may
be employed. First rinse the soft top, then
use shampoo on the complete top and
scrub with a small soft hand brush.
Add water as needed until the cleaning
agent lathers. Use a rag or sponge to
remove dirt, so as to avoid working it into the
cloth. Thoroughly rinse the whole car with
plain water and make sure that cleaning
agents are not allowed to dry on the paint-
work.
Cleaning the rear windowThe rear window can be cleaned with a
window cleaner or a mild soap solution and
a soft, anti-static cloth.
Since the rear window is made of glass,
when necessary, you can use an ice
scraper on the outside. Never use a scraper
on the inside!Interior lightingThe front light is located on the front roof rail.
The rear lighting consists of two lights built
in to the side panels adjacent to the rear
seat. The switch is on the center console
between the front seats, see also page 121.
Certain variants have a mirror and lighting
built into the sun visors.
Manually opening the
fuel filler doorConvertible If the fuel filler door, controlled by the central
lock, does not unlock take the following
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.
NOTEAfter washing, the soft top must be given
time to dry completely before being folded
down. A wet or damp top that is folded
down can be damaged by mold.
IB861
Wire for manual opening of fuel filler door
(Convertible)
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55 Instruments and controls

Warning charging
This light comes on together with if the
battery is not charging. If it comes on while
you are driving, stop the car as soon as pos-
sible and switch off the engine.
Check the alternator drive belt (see page
179). If the belt has broken, the engine may
overheat (cooling system will not function
properly), the belt is slack or broken, battery
charging will be poor and engine cooling
unsatisfactory.
Brake warning light
This light will come on together with if
there is insufficient brake fluid in the reser-
voir, see page 176.
If the ABS warning light is on at the same
time, the ABS system may be inoperative
because of a fault (see anti-lock brake warn-
ing).
Parking brake warning
light
The light will show when the parking brake
is on (see page 151.)
If the car driven with the parking brake on,
will also come on and a chime will
sound.
The parking brake is mechanical and oper-
ates on the rear wheels.
WARNING
Never drive the car when these warning
lights are on. Danger of brake failure!
Have the brake system checked at once
by an authorized Saab dealer.
WARNING
• Always apply the parking brake when
parking
 Always apply the parking brake before
removing the ignition key
 Do not apply the parking brake while
the car is moving (see page 151)
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56 Instruments and controls
Anti-lock brake warning
This light together with and indi-
cates that a fault has occurred in the ABS
system. Conventional braking without the
ABS function will still be available.
For safety reasons, stop the car and check
the level of the brake fluid (see page 176).
If the level is normal, depress the brake
pedal firmly two or three times. Now check
the level again. If the level is still normal, you
may drive the car, with considerable cau-
tion, to the nearest authorized Saab dealer
to have the brake system checked.

Airbag warning light
This light together with will come on if
a potentially serious fault has occurred in
the airbag system.
This light will come on for about three sec-
onds when the ignition switch is turned to
the Start or Drive position. It should go out
after the engine has started.

Indicator, fuel
This light comes on when there is less than
about 2.5 gallons (10 litre) of fuel left in the
tank.
WARNING
 If the ABS is inoperative, there is a
danger of the rear wheels locking up
on hard braking
 If the level of brake fluid in the reser-
voir is below the MIN mark, the car
should be towed to an authorized
Saab dealer
WARNING
 If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the airbag system may not be working
properly.
 The airbags in your vehicle may not
inflate in a crash, or they could even
inflate without a crash.
 To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle serviced
right away if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
NOTEIf the car runs out of fuel, air can have
been drawn in with the fuel, which, in turn,
can cause the catalytic converter to be
damaged by overheating.
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