
3
Instrument panel High/low beam ________________ 71
Parking lights __________________ 71
Daytime running lights ___________ 71
Changing bulbs _______________ 181High/low beam control stalk 71
Direction indicators _______ 72
Cruise Control __________ 148Rear fog light ___________ 73
Front fog lights ___________ 73Instrument lighting ________ 74
Warning and indicator lights _____ 54
Tachometer __________________ 59
Speedometer _________________ 59
Odometer and trip meter ________ 59
Gauge showing turbo pressure ___ 60
Fuel gauge __________________ 61
Temperature gauge ____________ 60
IB731
Ashtrays ___________________ 123
Cigarette lighter ______________ 123
Tr i p c o m p u t e r
(Saab Information Display, SID) __ 62
Night panel __________________ 63
Clock ____________________ 64, 70
Washers and wipers ______ 74
Rear-window wiper _______ 75
Replacing wiper blades __ 179Audio system____________ 90
Cassette player __________ 96
CD player ______________ 99Hazard warning lights _____ 72Climate control system:
manual _______________ 76
Climate control system:
automatic _____________ 80
Car care ______________ 167Seat heating controls ____ 118
Steering-wheel-mounted
controls, Audio System __ 105
ProCarManuals.com

5
Interior Power steering _________ 226
Steering-wheel adjustment 118
Airbag _________________ 22
Internal rearview mirror ________ 124
Door mirrors ________________ 124
Vanity mirror ________________ 122
Safety belts _____________ 12
Safety-belt care ________ 199
Airbag _________________ 22
Child seats _____________ 18
Child safety lock catch ____ 33Glove compartment _____ 123Gear changing _________ 141
Manual transmission ____ 141
Automatic transmission __ 141
IB1353
Seat adjustment ________ 112
Safety belts _____________ 12
Seat heating ___________ 118
Rear seat _____________ 125
Folding down the rear seat 125
Child seats _____________ 18
Upholstery: cleaning _____ 200
Interior lighting switch _________ 121
Interior lighting: changing bulbs __ 185
Center console ______________ 119
Electric windows _____________ 119
Sunroof ____________________ 120
Convertible __________________ 42
Ignition switch _______________ 134
Starting the engine ___________ 135
Engine break-in period ________ 140
Parking ____________________ 151
Driving in hot/cold weather _____ 154
ProCarManuals.com

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.
ProCarManuals.com

57 Instruments and controls
Central warning light
This light comes on and a chime will sound
if a fault has been detected in any system
that is critical to safety. Any of the following
can activate the central warning light and
alarm:
Airbag system.
Low oil pressure in engine.
Parking brake is on (when car is moving).
Brake fluid level low.
Fault detected in ABS system.
Engine overheating.
Alternator not charging properly.
The symbol and the chime will also sound if
the ignition key is turned to the ON position
but the engine is not started within 10 sec-
onds.
Cruise Control
indicator light
The symbol is lit when cruise control is
active.
Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)
This light indicates a malfunction in the
fuel-injection or ignition system. The car
may still be driven with care and with some-
what diminished performance.
SPORT Mode Indicator
On cars with automatic transmission the
indicator light comes on when you press the
SPORT button on the gear-lever knob.
In SPORT mode, the transmission remains
longer in the (D, 3, 2, 1) gears before
upshifting.
Quit Sport mode by again depressing the
SPORT button; see also page 147.
WINTER Mode Indicator
On cars with automatic transmission the
indicator light comes on when, in the D posi-
tion, you press the WINTER button on the
center console next to the gear selector.
When the car is in the Winter mode it starts
in 3rd gear, which gives a better grip in
slippery conditions by reducing the ten-
dency to spin the wheels.
Quit Winter mode by again depressing the
WINTER button; see also page 147.
WARNING
An illuminated CHECK ENGINE indicator
light indicates a serious engine-related
problem. While your car may be able to be
driven with the CHECK ENGINE indicator
light illuminated (limp-home mode), you
are advised to have your car serviced at
an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
possible.
Continued driving without this problem
being corrected might cause serious fur-
ther damage to your car and create
unsafe driving conditions. The operator
should be prepared to take action if such
unsafe conditions arise (e.g., apply the
brakes, disengage transmission, turn off
the ignition etc.).
ProCarManuals.com

76 Instruments and controlsManual climate-control
systemThe 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.
The rate of air flow inside the car is con-
trolled by means of the fan switch. Temperature control The temperature of the incoming air can
be steplessly varied using the temperature
control.
Air distribution The air distribution control is used to direct
the flow of air to the defroster, dash and floor
vents.
The control permits settings intermediately
between the three main settings so that the
available air can be apportioned between
the floor and the windshield (defroster) or
between the floor and the panel.
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. The dash vents swivel universally, so that
the air can be directed as desired.
The flow of air through the dash vents can
be adjusted for each vent by means of the
adjacent control.
Air to the rear side windows is supplied by
the floor ducts. To demist these windows
you should therefore select a defroster/floor
combination.
If the windows are thoroughly cleaned it is
much easier to keep them free of mist.
Fan
IB755
Control panel: manual system 1 Temperature
2 Fan speed
3 Air distribution
4 Air conditioning (A/C)
5 Rear-window heating
6 Recirculation
IB032
Dash vent 1 Adjusting the direction of the air flow.
2 Adjusting the air flow
ProCarManuals.com

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
ProCarManuals.com

80 Instruments and controlsAutomatic 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.
ACC (Automatic Climate Control) automati-
cally maintains the desired cabin tempera-
ture, regardless of the weather outside.
The system will achieve the desired temper-
ature in the quickest possible way.
Note that heating or cooling is not
speeded up by setting the temperature
higher or lower than you really want.
For the ACC system to be most effective, all
windows, and the sunroof if there is one,
must be closed, and the panel vents must
be open.
The incoming air is treated in three stages:
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu-
midified and cooled and, finally, if required,
heated. The temperature interval within which you
can make adjustments is 58-82°F
(15-27°C). Outside it, there is the HI position
(max. heat and high fan speed) and the LO
position (max. cooling and max. fan speed).
The displayed temperature is not the actual
temperature but corresponds to the comfort
level normally experienced at that tempera-
ture after allowance has been made for the
air flow, relative humidity, solar radiation,
etc., currently prevailing inside the car.
The most usual temperature setting is
66-74°F (19-23°C), depending on per-
sonal preference and what clothing is
worn. It is recommended that changes in the
temperature setting be made in steps of
2°F (1°C).
Conversion between °C and °F is done in
the SID unit; see ”Units and language ver-
sions”, page 69.
During the cooling phase in warm
weather the panel vents must be open.
Do not manually select recirculation in
cold/wintery weather. The reduced air
flow can cause misting and ice on the
inside of the windows.
IB794
Air vent at rear side window
IB032
Dash vent 1 Adjusting the direction of the air flow.
2 Adjusting the air flow
ProCarManuals.com

83 Instruments and controls
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
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
switched off after a certain time,
depending on the outside tempera-
ture.
Two touches:
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.
To revert to the previous setting,
press the AUTO button.
Button Display
Panel (and center rear vent)
Floor, front and rear (and rear side
windows)
Defroster - floor (front and rear) Press
simulta-
neously
ProCarManuals.com