
182 Car care and technical informationChanging bulbs Check that the new bulb is working when finished.
Some bulbs are of the ”Long-Life” type. Make sure the same type is
fitted when changing one of these.
Headlamp aiming, see page 214.
Headlamp bulb for high beam1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the lamp unit.
2 Unplug the connector.
3 To remove the spring clip, push it in and then move it to the right.
4 Remove the bulb.
5 Without touching the glass with your fingers, insert the new bulb.
6 Line up the bulb with the guide in the reflector and secure it with
the spring clip.
7 Plug in the connector.
8 Screw on the cover.
WARNING
Before changing a bulb in the engine bay, switch off the engine to
avoid danger of fingers and hands being injured by moving parts.
The radiator fan can start up even when the engine is switched off.
NOTE Do not fit bulbs with a higher rating than 55 W.
Switch off the ignition before changing a bulb, to avoid possible
short-circuiting.
IB510
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184 Car care and technical informationParking-light bulb The parking-light bulb is adjacent to the bulb
for low beam.
1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the
lamp unit.
2 Withdraw the bulb holder.
3 Change the bulb.
Front fog lights / cornering lights1 From under the front bumper, grip the
bulb holder and twist counterclockwise.
2 Unplug the connector.
3 Change the bulb.
Refit in the reverse order.
Front turn signal bulbsTo change the bulb, the complete lamp unit
has to be removed.
1 Loosen the screw (1). There is no need
to remove it completely.
2 Carefully pull out the lamp unit.
3 The bulb holder has a bayonet fitting.
Grip the holder and twist it counterclock-
wise.
4 Withdraw the bulb holder from the lamp
unit.
5 The bulb also has a bayonet fitting.
Press in the bulb and twist it counter-
clockwise.
6 Fit the new bulb and check that it is cor-
rectly seated.
WARNING
Never crawl under a car that is supported
only by a jack.
IB511
Parking-light bulb
IB1127
1
2
IB1128
1
23
Front turn signal bulb1 Retaining screw
2 Bayonet pin
3 Plastic lugs
Front fog lights and cornering lights1 Front fog light
2 Cornering light
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192 Car care and technical informationFusesThe fuses are housed in two fuse panels:
one at the end of the instrument panel on the
driver’s side, and one under the hood.
To check if a fuse has blown, first remove it
from the panel (see below). If the filament is
broken, the fuse has blown.
A special tool for removing fuses is provided
at the bottom of the fuse panel. Simply push
the tool onto the fuse, squeeze and remove
the fuse.
WARNING
To avert the risk of short-circuiting and/or
fire breaking out in the electrical system,
the following advice should be heeded:
Always consult an authorized Saab
dealer before modifying or adding any
electrical equipment. Failure to do so
can result in the electrical system
being damaged.
Never replace a fuse with one having
a higher/lower rating than specified
(see page 194). The color of the fuse
indicates its amperage.
If the same fuse blows repeatedly,
have the electrical system checked by
an authorized Saab dealer.
IB527
Fuse panel in instrument panel
IB528
Fuse box under the hood
IB144
Sound fuse / Blown fuse
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193 Car care and technical information
Maxi fusesThe Maxi fuses are housed in the fuse box
under the hood. These fuses can be
checked in the same way as the other fuses.
The Maxi fuses are designed to protect the
car’s electrical system from being dam-
aged. Each Maxi fuse protects a number of
electrical circuits and functions and there-
fore has a higher rating (amperage) than the
standard fuses. No spare Maxi fuses are
supplied with the car.
DICE / TWICEDICE = Dashboard Integrated Central Elec-
tronics
TWICE = Theft-Warning Central Electronics
DICE and TWICE are electronic control
modules that monitor and control a variety
of functions, including:
DICE controls (among other things):
Front lights and interior lighting.
Instrument illumination.
Intermittent wiper operation.
Electric heating of rear window and door
mirrors.
Cooling fans.
TWICE controls (among other things):
Central locking.
Car alarm (Anti-theft system).
Engine immobilizer.
Autochecking of lights.
Electric heating of rear seat.
Safety belt reminder.
Electrically adjustable passenger seat.The DICE and TWICE control modules are
linked to a data bus, which is basically an
information carrier that allows information to
be exchanged between all the control mod-
ules and components connected to the bus.
If a fault occurs in any of these components,
diagnostic faults codes are set in the rele-
vant control module, which facilitates fault
diagnosis at the Saab dealer.
The scan tool connector for fault diagnosis
is located under the instrument panel on the
drivers side.
NOTEIf a Maxi fuse blows, it means that there
is a major fault in the electrical system.
Have the car checked without delay by
an authorized Saab dealer.
IB529
Maxi fuses under the hood
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199 Car care and technical information
Rotating tiresBecause the car has 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:
205/65 R15 94 V
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 as to the correct size
tire for your car (if different from the original
size) and also supply Saab approved winter
tires.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 wheels
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.
205 Tire section width, mm
65 Aspect ratio, i.e. the section height
is 65% of the section width
R Radial ply
15 Wheel rim diameter 15 in at bead
seats
94 Tire load code
V Speed marking
Speed ratings S Tire approved for speeds up to
100 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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200 Car care and technical informationUniform Tire Quality Grading (US)Quality grades can be found where applica-
ble on the tire sidewall between tread shoul-
der and maximum section width. For exam-
ple:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature ATreadwearThe treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
TractionThe traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B and C. These grades represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Wear indicatorsThe tires incorporate wear indicators in the
form of smooth, treadless strips across the
width, which become visible when only
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.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to a tire is
based on straight-ahead braking, traction
test and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
SG840
Wear indicators
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201 Car care and technical information
TemperatureThe temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dis-
sipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temper-
ature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
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 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.
WARNING
The temperature grade for a tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire fail-
ure.
IB533
Date code
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202 Car care and technical informationCompact spare wheelThe compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the tire. Its use is
only permitted when a standard tire has sus-
tained a puncture. The maximum life of the
tire 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 luggage-
compartment floor.
Have the standard tire repaired and refitted
as soon as possible (see also page 154).The spare wheel, together with the jack and
jack handle, front towrope attachment eye
and toolkit, is stowed away underneath a
panel in the luggage-compartment floor.
If you need to change a wheel, remove the
tool kit first and then the spare wheel.
The panel over the spare wheel can be held
open by hooking the handle onto the rubber
seal.
In the Saab 9-5 Sedan, there is a holder for
a warning triangle (accessory) in the lug-
gage compartment trim. In the Saab 9-5
Wagon, there is space for a warning triangle
underneath the panel in the luggage com-
partment floor.
NOTETo avoid damaging a punctured alloy
wheel it 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 118 and 121.
IB534
Panel hooked back, 9-5 Sedan
IB1232
Hanging up the cover and spare wheel
compartments mats, 9-5 Wagon
IB1186
Spare wheel (under panel in luggage
compartment)
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