2000 SAAB 9-5 hood open

160 Starting and drivingJump startingIf your battery has run down, you may want
to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your Saab. Follow the steps
below to do it safely.
To jump start your vehicle:
1 Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground
system.
2 Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure the
vehicles are not touching each other. If a
poor connection on the negative jumper
cable should exist, it is possible for
damage to be caused to electrical sys-
tems/components of either vehicle
should inadvertent contact be made.
You would not be able to start your car and bad grounding could damage elec-
trical systems.
3 Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Turn off all lights that are not needed,
and radios. This will avoid sparks and
help save both batteries and it could
save your radio.
4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (-) termi-
nals on the battery.
WARNING
Batteries can cause injury. They can be
dangerous because:
 They contain acid that can burn you.
 They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
 They contain enough electricity to
injure you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly,
some or all of these things can hurt you.NOTEIgnoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be
covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your car by pushing or pull-
ing it could damage your vehicle, even if
you have a manual transmission. If you
have an automatic transmission, your
vehicle cannot be started by pushing or
pulling it.
NOTEIf the other system is not a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged.
WARNING
You could be injured if the vehicles roll.
Set the parking brake firmly on each vehi-
cle. Put an automatic transmission in P
(Park) or a manual transmission in Neu-
tral.NOTEIf you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
+
–
+
–
IB484
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163 Starting and driving
Parking 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, luggage compartment lid and doors, and lubricate them with
glycerol (glycerin).
 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 frost is likely to occur during the
long-term parking, remove the battery
and store it away from the frost.
 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.
123
IB485
1Pointing downhill and
against the curb
– Turn the wheels into
the curb and edge the
car forward 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
downhill – 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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166 Car care and technical informationHood release handleThe hood release handle is located under-
neath the instrument panel. To open the
hood:
1 Pull the release handle.
2 The front of the hood will now spring up,
providing access to the secondary
safety catch.
3 Push the catch upwards, lifting the hood
at the same time. The hood can now be
lifted right up.
To close the hood, release it from a height
of about 8 in (20 cm). Do not press down on
it.
In cold weather, when the mechanism is
stiff, the hood might need to be released
from twice the height to lock properly.
Check that the hood is now closed securely.
WARNING
Make sure not to hold your fingers
between the hood and the hood safety
catch if you lay the hood down but not
closing it.
IB487
IB486
Hood release handle Hood secondary safety catch
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174 Car care and technical informationCoolant The expansion tank is transparent to facili-
tate checking of the coolant level.
When the engine is cold, the coolant must
not lie over the KALT/COLD mark on the
expansion tank.
If the message “FILL COOLANT FLUID” is
displayed on the SID, check the level of fluid
in the expansion tank.
Top up, as necessary, with equal parts of
clean water and Saab-approved coolant.
If the expansion tank is empty when coolant
is added, run the engine to normal temper-
ature and top up again, as necessary.
Coolant The cooling system is charged at the factory
with coolant containing a 50% concentra-
tion of a combined antifreeze and corrosion
inhibitor. A weaker mixture will result in
reduced anticorrosion protection. For pro-
tection against freezing in very cold
weather, a stronger concentration will be
needed.
A 60% concentration of antifreeze will pro-
vide protection at temperatures down to
-58 F (-50°C).The corrosion-inhibiting properties of the
coolant deteriorate over time, but
Saab-approved coolant can be used for
year-round protection. Change the coolant
as specified in the service program and use
only Saab-approved coolant – other makes
may need changing more frequently and
may damage the system.

WARNING
 Proceed with caution if the radiator is
boiling when you open the hood.
Never remove the expansion-tank
filler cap when the radiator is boiling.
Loosen the cap carefully, and let the
engine cool before removing the cap.
 The cooling system is pressurized –
hot coolant and vapor can escape
when the filler cap is released.
NOTEAlways mix the antifreeze with the
appropriate volume of water before
adding it to the cooling system.
If pure antifreeze is added, the engine
could still freeze and be damaged. This is
because the antifreeze will not mix
properly with the coolant before the
thermostat has opened to allow full
circulation.
IB1338
Coolant expansion tank
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215 Car care and technical information
To check the aim, the vehicle should be
properly prepared as follows:
 Place the vehicle on a level pad or sur-
face.
 The vehicle should be unladen and fuel
tank full, and one person or 160 lbs.
(75 kg) on the drivers seat.
 The vehicle should not have any snow, ice
or mud attached to it.
 Tires should be inflated to the prescribed
pressure.
 Rock the vehicle to stabilize the suspen-
sion.Open the hood and locate the vertical aim
level (B) that you can see through the top of
the headlamp lens.
If you find that the headlamp needs adjust-
ment follow these steps:
1 Locate the vertical aiming device (A).
2 Turn the vertical aiming screw with a
0.24 in. (6 mm) Hexagonal Allen socket
until the bubble inside the level is cen-
tered between the two red lines (zero).3 Check the horizontal aim (1) and adjust
as necessary with a 0.24 in. (6 mm)
Hexagonal Allen socket. Turn the hori-
zontal aiming device (2) until the arrow
aligns with the zero (0) mark.
4 Recheck the vertical aim to make sure it
is still correct after the horizontal aim
adjustment. Readjust as necessary.NOTETo make sure that your headlamps are
aimed properly read all instructions
before beginning. Failure to follow these
instructions could cause damage to
headlamp parts or a not correctly aimed
headlamp.
IB1168
A
B
Vertical adjustmentA Vertical aiming device
B Vertical aim level
IB1167
1
2
Horizontal adjustment1 Horizontal aim
2 Horizontal aiming device
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244 IndexStarting in cold weather, ACC _______ 73
Starting in hot weather, ACC ________ 73
Steering wheel adjustment ________ 107
Steering, technical data ___________ 232
Stone-chip damage, repairing ______ 210
Storage compartments ___________ 113
Sun visors _____________________ 112
Sunroof _______________________ 111
Suspension ____________________ 232
Suspension, technical data ________ 232
Switches _______________________ 61
Systems, adjustment _____________ 237TTCS OFF _______________________ 51
Table of fuses __________________ 194
Tachometer _____________________ 52
Tailgate, opening _________________ 36
Tank gauge _____________________ 53
Technical data __________________ 225
Temperature control, ACC _________ 69
Temperature gauge, engine ________ 53
Temperature zones, ACC __________ 69
Textile carpeting ________________ 208
Through-load hatch ______________ 118
Tie Downs _____________________ 118
Tightening torque, wheel studs _____ 203
Tire markings ______________ 198, 199
Tire pressure _______________ 157, 198
Tires _____________________ 198, 233
Tools _________________________ 126Touching-in the paintwork _________ 210
Towbar attachment ______________ 152
Towbar load ____________________ 153
Towing the car __________________ 158
Towing, automatics ______________ 158
Traction _______________________ 147
Trailer weights __________________ 227
Trionic ________________________ 169
Trip computer ___________________ 54
Trip meter ______________________ 52
Trunk _________________________ 116
Trunk lid, opening ________________ 36
Turbo, points to note _____________ 132
UUnder the hood, 4-cyl ____________ 167
Under the hood, 6-cyl ____________ 168
Upholstery and trim ______________ 208
Upholstery and trim, care of _______ 208
Useful tips, ACC _________________ 75VVanity mirrors __________________ 112
Ventilated front seats _____________ 105
Viscosity, engine oil ______________ 228
WWarning labels ____________________ 8
Warning light, AIR BAG ____________ 26
Warning lights ___________________ 46
Washers ______________________ 180
Washers, windshield _____________ 181
Washing the car _________________ 209
Waxing and polishing ____________ 209
Wear indicators, tires _____________ 200
Wheels and tires ____________ 198, 233
Wheels and tires, sizes ___________ 233
Window-glass sensor, car alarm _____ 39
Windshield washers _______________ 65
Windshield wipers ________________ 65
Wiper blades, headlamp __________ 180
Wiper blades, replacing ___________ 180
Wipers and washers __________ 65, 180
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