2000 SAAB 9-3 spare tire

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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4Exterior Sunroof _______________ 120
Convertible _____________ 42
Washing the car ________ 201
Waxing and polishing ____ 202
Touching-up of paintwork _ 202
Anticorrosion treatment ___ 203
Service program ________ 215Taillights ______________ 183
Stop lights _____________ 183
Light switches ___________ 71
Changing bulbs _________ 181Towing ________________ 160
Towrope attachment eyes _ 160
Towing a trailer _________ 156Trunk lid lock ___________ 125
Lowering the rear seat ____ 125
Trunk _________________ 128
Spare wheel ___________ 130
Tools _________________ 130
Lighting _______________ 183
Driving with a roof rack load ____ 158
Mounting of roof rack __________ 158
Maximum loads ______________ 220
Hood release handle __________ 168
Engine compartment: washing __ 201
Central locking __________ 30
Interior locking buttons ____ 31
Trunk lock ______________ 33
Child safety lock catch ____ 33
Car alarm (Anti-theft alarm) 35Headlight switches _______ 71
High/low beam control stalk 71
Turn signal & lane change
indicators ______________ 72
Headlamp wipers _______ 180
Changing bulbs ________ 181Fuel filler door __________ 138
Refuelling _____________ 138
Fuel grade ____________ 224
Fuel gauge _____________ 61
Fuel economy __________ 153
Tires & Rims _____________ 192 / 227
Driving in cold weather ________ 154
Brakes and braking ___________ 149
Compact spare wheel _________ 195
Changing a wheel ____________ 196
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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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165 Starting and driving
Driving considerations
with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted The following should be observed when the
compact spare wheel (T115/70 R16) is
installed:
The compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the wheel. Do not
drive farther than necessary with the com-
pact spare fitted – the maximum life of the
wheel is only just over 2000 miles
(3,500 km). Have the standard wheel
repaired and reinstalled as soon as possi-
ble.
The car’s ground clearance is reduced with
the compact spare fitted. Note that only one
compact spare wheel may be used at any
time. Take care not to hit the curb and do not
fit snow chains. Leave the wheel cover off,
so that the warning text is readily visible.
For long tripsBefore starting off on a long journey, it is
advisable to have your car inspected over
by your Saab dealer.
Obtain a few important items to take along
on your journey such as spare bulbs, wiper
blades, fuses, a Poly-Vee-belt and the like.
You can check some points yourself before-
hand:
 Make sure that the engine is in good con-
dition.
 Check that no oil or fuel leaks out of the
engine or gearbox/transmission.
 Inspect the Poly-Vee-belt and replace it if
it shows any signs of wear.
 Check the battery charge.
 Check the tires for tread pattern and air
pressure, including the compact spare
wheel.
 Take an extra car key/remote control and
keep it separate, see also page 30.
 Check the brakes.
 Check all bulbs.
 Check for the presence of the tool kit and
the jack in the car.
WARNING
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) as the
tire can overheat and adversely affect the
handling of the car.
The tire should be inflated to 60 psi
(420 kPa).
NOTETo avoid damaging a punctured alloy
wheel this can be placed outside up in the
spare-wheel well but only while driving to
the closest workshop.
A general rule is that all heavy loads must
be well secured in the luggage compart-
ment, see page 129.
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193 Car care
Changing the wheels round Because of front wheel drive, the front tires
tend to wear faster than the rear ones. New
tires should always be fitted in pairs, so that
tires on the same axle have the same
amount of tread.
If swapping the complete set, e.g. winter
tires for summer tires, mark the tires
removed to ensure that they go back in the
same position (e.g. FL for front left, RL rear
left, etc.).
Store wheels lying flat or hanging – never
standing upright.
Tire markingsAn example of the meaning of the different
markings in a tire size is given below for a
tire size of 195/60 R15 88V:
Winter tiresWinter (snow) tires are recommended for
winter climates where the majority of your
driving will be done on snow and ice. Winter
tires should be fitted to all four wheels to
maintain a proper balance. Your Saab
dealer can advise you of to the correct size
tire for your car (if different from the original
size) and also supply Saab approved winter
tires pre-mounted on steel or alloy rims.Tire quality grading (cars sold in
U.S.)New tires must be graded and labeled in
accordance with new Federal regulations.
Standard tests are conducted to measure
performance in the areas of traction and
temperature resistance. Refer to the tire
sidewall for the specific quality grades of the
tires provided on your new Saab. Compact
spare tires are exempt.
DOT QUALITY GRADES
 Treadwear.
 Traction AA, A, B, C.
 Temperature A, B, C.
All passenger car tires must conform to Fed-
eral safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
WARNING
When fitting just one new pair of tires,
these should be fitted to the rear wheels,
as these are more critical to the direc-
tional stability of the car (e.g. on braking
or in a skid). The existing rear tires should
therefore be moved to the front. Always
move left rear to left front and right rear to
right front, so that the direction of rotation
remains the same.
195 Tire section width, mm
60 Aspect ratio, i.e. the section height
is 60 % of the section width
R Radial ply
15 Wheel rim diameter 15 in. at bead
seats
88 Tire load code
V Speed marking
Speed ratingsS Tire approved for speeds up to
112 mph (180 km/h)
T Tire approved for speeds up to
118 mph (190 km/h)
H Tire approved for speeds up to
130 mph (210 km/h)
V Tire approved for speeds up to
150 mph (240 km/h)
W Tire approved for speeds up to
167 mph (270 km/h)
Y Tire approved for speeds up to
186 mph (300 km/h)
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195 Car care
Date codeTires should be regarded as perishable
goods. As the tires age, the rubber becomes
progressively harder, and the roadholding
ability of the tires diminishes. This is partic-
ularly true on winter tires.
Tires now have a date-code marking for the
year of manufacture. The first two digits
denote the week number and the last digit
the year. The ”<” symbol points to the year.
Accordingly, a date code of 157 signifies
that the tire was manufactured in week 15,
1997.
Wear indicatorsThe tires incorporate wear indicators in the
form of smooth, treadless strips across the
width, which become visible when only
2/32" (1.6 mm) of tread remains. As soon as
the indicators become visible, new tires
should be fitted without delay.
Make sure you are familiar with the legal
limit for minimum tread depth in your
country and also any regulations gov-
erning the use of winter tires.
Compact spare wheelThe compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the wheel. Its use is
only permitted when a standard wheel has
sustained a puncture. The maximum life of
the wheel is only 2000 miles (3,500 km).
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) with the
compact spare fitted.
The compact spare should be inflated to
60 psi (420 kPa). Carry the punctured tire in
the spare-wheel well under the trunk floor.
Have the standard wheel repaired and refit-
ted as soon as possible
Driving considerations with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted, see page 165.
The spare wheel, the tools and the jack with
its crank are carried under a panel in the
trunk.
IB969
Date code
IB998
Wear indicators
IB921
Spare wheel (under the carpet in the
trunk)
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227 Technical data
Brake system Rims and tires Footbrake (ABS) ___________________ Hydraulic disc
brakes with vacuum
servo, diagonally
split circuits
Parking brake ______________________ Acts on rear wheels
Brake fluid ________________________ DOT 4
Do not use DOT 5
Disc diameter:
front, Coupé/5-door/Convertible _______ 11.4" (288 mm)
front, Viggen ______________________ 12.0” (306 mm)
rear ____________________________ 11.3" (286 mm)
Total friction area of brake pads:
front, Coupé/5-door/Convertible _______ 34.4 in² (224 cm²)
front, Viggen ______________________ 35.9 in² (234 cm²)
rear ____________________________ 14.2 in² (92 cm²)Rim size:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible ___________ 6.5 x 15 or 6.5 x 16
Viggen __________________________ 7.5 x 17
Viggen must use 6.5 x 16 or 7 x 17
Tire sizes (summer tires):
6.5 x 15 (not Viggen) _______________ 195/60 R15
6.5 x 16__________________________ 205/50 R16
7.5 x 17 Viggen only ________________ 215/45 R17
Tire sizes (winter tires):
6 x 15 (not Viggen) _________________ 185/65 R15 M+S
195/60 R15 M+S
6.5 x 16 _________________________ 205/50 R16 M+S
Recommended rims for snow chains:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible ___________ 6 x 15
Viggen __________________________ 6.5 x 16
Spare wheel:
Tire:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible ___________ T115/70 R15
Viggen __________________________ T115/70 R16
Rim:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible ___________ 4.0 x 15
Viggen __________________________ 4.0 x 16
Maximum life _____________________ 2000 miles
(3500 km)
Maximum speed __________________ 50 mph (80 km/h)
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229 Technical data
Plates and labelsIn contacts with your Saab dealer it may
sometimes be necessary to quote the car’s
chassis, engine and gearbox numbers.
1 Modification identity plate (in the spare
wheel compartment). On certain model
variants, the plate is located on the
right-hand door pillar.
2 V.I.N. number inside windshield.
3 Certification label.
4 Gearbox number.
5 Engine number.
6 Label for tire pressures and color codes
(trim and body).
7 Chassis number.
8 Chassis number (stamped on body).
9 Vehicle Emission Control Information.
10 Spark ignition system information
(Canada only)
4728473IB1368
CANADA US
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