2000 SAAB 9-3 engine coolant

6Engine bay: turboWarning labels ___________ 7
V.I.N. number __________ 229
Engine number _________ 229
Gearbox number ________ 229
Color coding ___________ 229Ignition system _________ 225
Drive belt ______________ 179
Alternator _____________ 179
Spark plugs ____________ 225
Catalytic converter ______ 137
Simple fault tracing
(A/C, ACC) ____________ 207Turbo-compressor ________ 60
Pressure gauge __________ 60
Important considerations
for driving _____________ 136
Technical data: engine ___ 223Manual transmission __________ 173
Automatic transmission ________ 173
Transmission oil ______________ 173
Gearbox: technical data ________ 226
Battery _____________________ 177
Battery charge _______________ 177
Jump starting ________________ 162IB733
Engine: description ____________ 168
Engine oil, level control
and topping up _______________ 172
Engine oil: changing ___________ 172
Oil grade, viscosity ____________ 223
Washer fluid ___________ 180
Topping up with fluid _____ 180
Washer jets ___________ 180
Wiper/washer control stalk _ 74
Steering servo _______________ 177
Fluid checking
and topping up ______________ 177
Coolant, checking
and topping up ________ 174
Coolant, changing ______ 175
Temperature gauge ______ 60
Driving in hot weather ____ 156
Driving in cold weather ___ 154Fuse panels ___________ 187
Changing a fuse ________ 187
Table of fuses __________ 189
Relays _______________ 191
Brake system ________________ 227
Brake fluid __________________ 176
Brake pads __________________ 176
ABS brakes _________________ 149
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7
WL4
Coolant: Never open while engine is hot.
Escaping coolant under pressure can cause
serious injuries.
WL3
Drive belt: Danger! Moving belt
WL2
Radiator fan: The radiator fan can cut in even
after engine has been switched off.
Battery: Contains corrosive sulphuric acid (40%)
 FLAMMABLE GASES formed when car is running and during charging of battery
 Always wear eye and face protection when working on the battery
 Smoking, open flames and sparks can all cause battery to explode
 Consult the manual before using jumper cables.
 Battery acid can cause SERIOUS BURNS
 Keep battery upright
 Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing
 In the event of an accident, flush affected area promptly with water and seek medical help.
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
Warning labels
WL1
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.
WL36
 AVOID SPARKS, AVOID OPEN FLAMES, NO SMOKING
 KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
 SEE MANUAL
 PROTECT YOUR EYES
 FLAMMABLE GAS
 ACID
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60 Instruments and controlsTemperature gaugeThe temperature gauge shows the temper-
ature of the coolant. The needle should be
in the middle of the scale when the engine
is at normal operating temperature.
If the needle enters the red zone, the
warning light will come on and an alarm
chime will sound. 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.
If the coolant level falls below the MIN mark,
the SID will display the message ”FILL
COOLANT FLUID”.
Pressure gaugeThe pressure gauge indicates the pressure
in the induction manifold. Under low load
and while the engine is braking there will be
vacuum in the induction manifold.The
needle of the pressure gauge will then move
within the white zone. At higher engine
speeds and higher loads, the turbo-com-
pressor produces an overpressure in the
induction manifold. The needle will then
enter the orange zone. Normally the needle
should not enter the red zone, since a mon-
itoring system sets limits to the charging
pressure and protects the engine.
NOTEIf the needle, despite the above action,
enters the red zone, stop the car immedi-
ately.
If the needle stays in the red zone, stop
the engine.
WARNING
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.
IB343
IB344
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63 Instruments and controls
CHECK messages When the engine is started, CHECKING will
appear on the display for about four sec-
onds, while the SID checks are being per-
formed.
When a CHECK message is generated
while the car is being driven, a chime will
sound, INFO DISPL will illuminate on the
main instrument panel, and the message
will appear on the SID. The number of mes-
sages that can be displayed by the SID
varies with the specification of the car.
If more than one CHECK message has
been generated, the
+ symbol will appear to
the left of the text on the display. The mes-
sages appear in order of priority.
If a new fault occurs while another message
is being displayed, the message relating to
the new one will appear for 10 seconds,
after which the display will return to the ear-
lier one.
Press CLEAR once to acknowledge a mes-
sage, whereupon it will be cleared from the
display. It will not be displayed again before
the ignition has been switched off and then
on again. The following CHECK messages may be
displayed:
1 This message cannot be removed by pressing
CLEAR. Press the brake pedal to clear.
2 This message will be displayed approxi-
mately 600 miles (1,000 km) before the next
scheduled 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
CLEAR once. Reset by pressing CLEAR for
at least eight seconds, until ”SERVICE”
appears on the display and a chime sounds.
Night Panel To improve night-driving conditions inside
the car, the Night Panel mode can be
selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
mation displayed is reduced, and only the
most important instruments and displays
will be illuminated.
When the Night Panel button is pressed,
only the speedometer will be illuminated (up
to the 87 mph or 140-km/h graduation), all
the other instruments illumination will be
extinguished and their needles moved to
zero. Both the SID and the ACC displays will
be extinguished and the backlighting for
switches and other controls will be dimmed.
Note: All indicator and warning lights,
together with the display of CHECK mes-
sages, will operate as normal.
The following conditions will wake up the
respective displays in the Night-Panel
mode:
 Adjusting of the Audio System, SID or
ACC (display comes on for ten seconds).
 CHECK message generated in the SID.
 High engine revs cause the rev counter to
be illuminated until the engine speed has
fallen again.
 If the quantity of fuel remaining falls below
4 gallons (15 liters), the fuel gauge will be
illuminated.
 If the engine temperature rises above nor-
mal, the temperature gauge will be illumi-
nated. Display shows: See
page
TEST BRAKE LIGHTS
1)
183
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 183
FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 181
REAR LIGHT FAILURE 183
FOG LIGHT FAILURE 183
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 180
FILL COOLANT FLUID 174
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 138
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 39
REPLACE KEY BATTERY 39
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 39
TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT-
ING 144
TIME FOR SERVICE
2)
212
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68 Instruments and controlsResetting values
To reset the values, press CLR for at least
four seconds.
The following functions will be reset
simultaneously:
 Estimated range on remaining fuel
(function based on a fuel consumption of
28 mpg)
 Average fuel consumption
 Average speed
 Arrival time (function based on current
speed)
Programmed values for DIST, ALARM and
SPD W will not be reset (see the respective
function).
CHECK messages When the engine is started, CHECKING will
appear on the display for about four sec-
onds, while the SID checks are being per-
formed.
When a CHECK message is generated
while the car is being driven, a chime will
sound, INFO DISPL will illuminate on the
main instrument panel, and the message
will appear on the SID. The number of mes-
sages that can be displayed by the SID
varies with the specification of the car.
If more than one CHECK message has
been generated, the
+ symbol will appear to
the left of the text on the display. The mes-
sages appear in order of priority.
If a new fault occurs while another message
is being displayed, the message relating to
the new one will appear for 10 seconds,
after which the display will return to the ear-
lier one.
Press CLR once to acknowledge a mes-
sage, whereupon it will be cleared from the
display. It will not be displayed again before
the ignition has been switched off and then
on again. The following CHECK messages may be
displayed:
1 This message cannot be removed by pressing
CLR. Press the brake pedal to clear.
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. Display shows: See
page
TEST BRAKE LIGHTS
1)
183
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 183
FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 181
REAR LIGHT FAILURE 183
FOG LIGHT FAILURE 184
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 180
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 138
FILL COOLANT FLUID 174
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 39
REPLACE KEY BATTERY 39
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 39
TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT-
ING 144
TIME FOR SERVICE
2)
212
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152 Starting and drivingParking on a hillWhen parking on a steep hill, turn the front
wheels so that they will be blocked by the
curb if the car should move.
Long-term parkingIf the car is not going to be used for some
time, e.g. 3–4 months, the following steps
are recommended:
 Run the engine to normal temperature
before long-term parking.
 Drain the washer-fluid reservoir and
hoses.  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.
 Park the car in a dry, covered and
well-ventilated building. Leave the park-
ing brake OFF!
 Disconnect the negative (-) battery lead.
If freezing temperatures are likely to occur
during the long-term parking, remove the
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).
 Leave all the windows open a crack and
cover the car with a fabric tarpaulin - not
one made of plastic which will not breath.
IB879
1Pointing downhill and
against the curb
– Turn the wheels into the
curb and edge the car for-
ward until the wheels touch
the curb. 2Pointing uphill and
against the curb
– Turn the wheels away
from the curb and edge the
car back until the wheels
touch the curb. 3Pointing uphill or down-
hill – no curb
– Turn the wheels towards
the edge of the road. If the
car should start rolling, it
will not run into the road.
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156 Starting and drivingDriving in hot weather Always check the coolant level before
starting a journey. When the engine is
cold, the coolant must not be above the
KALT/COLD mark on the expansion tank.
 At the end of a journey, if the engine has
worked hard, allow it to idle for two or
three minutes before switching it off.
If the needle on the temperature gauge
enters the red zone:
1 Bring the car to a standstill but leave the
engine running. Do not remove the cap
on the expansion tank even if the tank is
empty. The engine temperature should
decrease. If the temperature continues
to rise with the engine idling, the engine
must be switched off. 2 If the engine is idling and the needle on
the temperature gauge falls, wait until a
normal temperature is shown (about in
the middle of the scale) before switching
off the engine. If the coolant needs top-
ping up, unscrew the cap on expansion
tank carefully.
Top up, as necessary, ideally with a
50/50 mixture of coolant and water. Use
a Saab-approved coolant. If only water
is available, use that, but remember to
have the coolant mixture checked as
soon as possible.
3 As soon as possible, have the cooling
system checked by an authorized Saab
dealer.
Towing a trailerTrailer hitch attachment Trailer hitch attachments are available as
accessories. These are designed for a max-
imum trailer weight of 2000 lbs (900 kg),
see also page 222.
Use only the electrical trailer hitch socket
provided in the trailer hitch kit.
Saab recommends:
 Use a Saab original hitch kit attachment
which is designed and tested by Saab.
 Consult your Saab dealer as regards the
right hitch kit for your car.
WARNING
Always undo the expansion tank filler cap
carefully, releasing the pressure and any
vapor before removing the cap com-
pletely.
NOTEUse only a genuine Saab trailer hitch and
wiring, since other wiring methods can
cause expensive damage to the car’s
body and electrical system.
Consult an authorized Saab dealer for
guidance on how to connect the trailer
hitch electrical system.
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167 Car care
IB944
Hood release handle ....... 168
Engine .............................. 168
Engine bay ....................... 169
Engine oil ......................... 172
Transmission fluid .......... 173
Coolant ............................. 174
Brake- clutch fluid and
brake pads ..................... 176
Power steering ................ 177
Battery .............................. 177
Drive belt .......................... 179
Wipers and washers ....... 179
Wiper blades .................... 179
Changing bulbs ............... 181
Fuses ................................ 187
Wheels.............................. 192
Safety belts ...................... 199 Upholstery and trim ......... 200
Textile carpeting .............. 200
Engine bay ........................ 201
Washing ............................ 201
Waxing and polishing ...... 202
Touching up the paint ..... 202
Anti-corrosion treatment . 203
Recovery and/or recycling
of automotive materials. 205
Air conditioning (A/C
system) ........................... 207 Car care
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