2000 SAAB 9-5 Owners Manual

17 Safety
Lockable belt tongue In fitting a child seat that is intended to be
secured in position by the lap portion of the
safety belt, make use of the locking function
of the buckle.
Locking the lap portion of the belt lessens
the risk that the seat will work loose while
the car is in motion.
The button for the locking function is located
on the back of the buckle.
1 Position the child seat in the back of the
car.
2 To activate the locking function, move
the locking button on the tongue of the
belt to the position marked
”CHILD SEAT” (item 1 in the figure) in
order to activate the locking function.
3 Secure the base of the child seat with
the lap portion of the safety belt in accor-
dance with the installation instructions
accompanying the child seat.
4 Grasp the shoulder part of the safety belt
and pull it upwards to tighten the lap por-
tion against the child seat.
5 Check for correct locking function by
pulling on the lap portion of the belt. The
belt must not unreel.
WARNING
Safety belts are designed to bear upon
the bony structure of the body, and should
be worn low across the front of the pelvis
or the pelvis, chest and shoulders, as
applicable; wearing the lap portion of the
belt across the abdominal area must be
avoided.
Safety belts should be adjusted as firmly
as possible, consistent with comfort, to
provide the protection for which they have
been designed. A loose belt will greatly
reduce the protection afforded to the
wearer.
Care should be taken to avoid contamina-
tion of the webbing with polishes, oils and
chemicals, and particularly battery acid.
Cleaning may safely be carried out using
mild soap and water. The belt should be
replaced if webbing becomes frayed,
contaminated or damaged.
It is essential to replace the entire assem-
bly after it has been worn in a severe
impact even if damage to the assembly is
not obvious.
Belts should not be worn with straps
twisted.
Each belt assembly must only be used by
one occupant; it is dangerous to put a belt
around a child being carried on the occu-
pant´s lap.
WARNING
No modifications or additions should be
made by the user which will either prevent
the safety belt adjusting device from oper-
ating to remove slack, or prevent the
safety belt assembly from being adjusted
to remove slack.
IB822
Locking the lap belt1 Locked
2 Unlocked
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18 SafetyChild safety

The same attention must be given to child
safety in the car as is given to adults.
Children travel most safely when properly
restrained, but restraints must be suitable
for the size of the child. Always follow the
child seat/booster cushion manufacturer´s
instructions when installing these devices in
your vehicle.
Make sure you are acquainted with the
legal requirements for seating children
in the car.
Make sure that it is possible to fit a child
restraint in accordance with the manufac-
turer’s child seat instructions.Saab 9-5 Sedan
For child car seats that are approved for
rear-facing installation in the rear seat and
have top tether straps, we recommend that
you position it on one of the outer places.
Fasten such a child seat with the three-point
seat belt and the two underside anchorage
tethers.
The tethers should be attached according to
the manufacturer´s instructions, to the fixing
points beneath the driver´s and passen-
ger´s seat. The fixing points on electrically
adjustable seats are color marked.
If you intend to install another make of child
car seat, make sure that it is possible to fit it in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.
When fitting child seats in cars you must
always read the instructions supplied by
the car seat manufacturer.
WARNING
 Children must always be suitably
restrained in the car.
 NEVER put a child seat in the front.
 Children 12 and under can be killed by
the airbag.
 The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place
for children.
 Sit as far back as possible from the air
bag.
WARNING
A special accessory is available for lock-
ing the center armrest so that a child seat
can be installed in the middle seat. See
your Saab dealer for details.
When a rear-facing child seat is fitted in
the center position of the rear seat in the
Saab 9-5 Sedan the center armrest must
be secured in place with this strap. If this
is not done, the center armrest could
swing down in the event of a frontal colli-
sion and cause injury to the child.
IB1204
Fitting the locking strap on the center arm-
rest, Saab 9-5 Sedan.
The locking strap is standard equipment
on certain markets.
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19 Safety
Saab 9-5 Wagon:
For child car seats that are approved for
rear-facing installation in the rear seat and
have top tether straps, we recommend that
you position the seat in the center seat. This
type of child seat must be secured with the
three-point seat belt and the two underside
anchorage belts. These belts should be
attached to the attachment points beneath
the driver’s and passenger’s seat. The
attachment points on electrically-adjusted
seats are marked in colour.
If a child seat from another manufacturer is
used, ensure that it can be correctly
mounted, according to the child-seat
instructions.
When fitting child seats in cars you must
always follow the instructions supplied
by the car seat manufacturer.
Child tether anchorages(required in Canada, available at no
charge from Saab in the U.S.)
Child restraints with a tether strap must be
anchored according to Canadian law.
If you have any questions regarding child
tether anchorages please contact your
Saab dealer.
There are two designs of child tether
anchorages.
Upon request, your Saab dealer will obtain
the anchorage hardware kit and install it for
you. Please use the tether anchorage hard-
ware kit available from your Saab dealer as
the hardware was specifically designed for
your vehicle.9-5 Sedan:
1 Open the cover of the appropriate
anchorage.
2 Place the child restraint in the rear seat.
3 Attach the tether to the anchorage.
WARNING
Child tether anchorages are designed to
withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly fitted child restraints.
Under no circumstances are they to be
used for:
 Adult safety belts.
 Harnesses.
 Attaching other items or equipment to
the vehicle.
 Load securing device.
IB587
Child tether anchorages in parcel shelf,
Saab 9-5 Sedan
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20 SafetyChild restraints with a tether strap must be
anchored according to Canadian law.
If you have any questions regarding child
tether anchorages please contact your
Saab dealer.
Design 1 (9-5 Wagon only):
1 Place the child restraint in the rear seat.
2 Raise the head restraint to its upper
position and than route the tether under
the head restraint.
3 Attach the tether to the anchorage.Design 2 (9-5 Wagon only):
All three child anchorages are installed at
factory.
1 Fold the backrest of the rear seat for-
ward, see page 119.
2 Fold the appropriate anchor to upright
position.
3 Place the child restraint in the rear seat.
4 Raise the head restraint to its upper
position and than route the tether under
the head restraint.
5 Attach the tether to the anchor.
6 Raise the backrest of the rear seat.
Make sure it locks properly.
WARNING
Make sure the child-restraint anchorages
are folded all the way up or down other-
wise it can obstruct locking the rear seat
backrest.
IB1266
Child tether anchorages, Saab 9-5
Wagon. Design 1
IB1352
Child tether anchorages, Saab 9-5
Wagon. Design 2
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21 Safety
Integrated booster seat(Accessory) The integrated booster seat in the back is
intended for children weighing 33-80 lbs.
(15-36 kg) and between 38 and 54 inches
(97 and 137 cm) tall.
When seated in the integrated booster seat,
the child must wear the standard three-point
safety belt.
Whatever the age or weight of the child, it is
vital that the safety belt be worn correctly.
The seat should always be kept clean and
intact to ensure that it continues to function
as intended. Folding down To fold the seat down, pull the strap pro-
vided between the seat and the backrest. Fastening the safety belt
 Seat the child well back in the seat, snug
against the backrest.
 Pull out the safety belt smoothly and
insert the tongue in the lock. Check that it
is securely fastened.
 Ensure that the lap strap is positioned low
across the hips and that the diagonal
strap is well in on the shoulder, although
not touching the neck or in a position that
creates discomfort.  For optimum protection, the safety belt
should be snug against the body. Pull the
diagonal strap towards the shoulder to
take up any slack.
 After fastening the belt, grasp the strap at
the shoulder, pull it out and, without letting
go, allow the slack to be taken up by the
reel. Make sure that the strap is well in on
the shoulder.
 Check that the belt runs freely between
the reel and the lock.
To fold the seat away Fold back the seat and ensure that it is
locked in position.
WARNING
Never wear a safety belt with the diagonal
strap positioned behind your back or
slipped off the shoulder and under your
arm.
IB605
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22 Safety
WARNING
 The standard safety belt must still
always be used in conjunction with the
integrated booster seat.
 The seat must not be modified in any
way.
 Never leave a child unattended.
 Check to ensure that the belt is not
twisted or rubbing against any sharp
edges.
 Adjust the head restraint so that it pro-
vides the best possible support when
there is a passenger in the rear seat.
WARNING
Failure to follow all the manufacturer’s
instructions on the use of this child
restraint system can cause your child to
strike the vehicle´s interior during a
sudden stop or crash.
Label in integrated booster seat
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23 Safety
Airbag (Supplemental
Restraint System
"SRS") The supplementary restraint system (SRS)
comprises an airbag in the steering wheel,
a front passenger airbag and side airbags in
the front seats.
The system supplements the protection
provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of occupants.
If a fault is detected in the SRS, the
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on (see pages 48 and
26). When the system is triggered by impact of a
frontal collision, the airbags in the steering
wheel and passenger side of the dash board
are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The entire process takes less than
0.1 second – literally, faster than the blink-
ing of an eye.
These airbags are triggered only by moder-
ate to severe frontal or near-frontal colli-
sions. They will not be activated by minor
front-end impacts, rear-end or side impacts,
or by the car rolling over.
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to reach the steering wheel and
controls comfortably.
 Children 12 and under or shorter than
140 cm (55 inches) should always
travel in the rear as the vehicle is
equipped with an airbag on the pas-
senger side.
WARNING
 Even if the car is equipped with an
SRS (airbag), safety belts must still
always be worn by all occupants.
 Note that because an airbag inflates
and deflates extremely rapidly, it will
not provide protection against a
second impact occurring in the same
incident. Always use your safety belt.
 Always sit with the whole of your back
in contact with the backrest of the seat,
and with your seat as far back as is
practical. This is to reduce the risk of
injury from contact with the backrest of
the seat when the airbag inflates and
also because the airbag needs space
in which to inflate.
 Never attach anything to the steering
wheel or passenger side of the instru-
ment panel, as this could result in
injury if the airbag should inflate. The
same applies to anything you might
have in your mouth, such as a pipe, for
instance.
 Some components of the airbag will
be hot for a short time. In some circum-
stances the airbag can cause burns or
abrasions to the body when the airbag
inflates/deflates.
 Never rest your hands or forearms on
the steering-wheel center padding.
 If the AIR BAG warning light remains
on after the car has been started or
comes on while you are driving, have
the car checked immediately by an
authorized Saab dealer. The warning
light could signify that the airbags may
not inflate in a crash, or they could
even inflate without a crash.
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24 Safety
IB417Moment of impact.
Sensor detects decel-
eration and sends a
signal via the control
module to a gas gen-
erator that inflates the
airbag.
The inflating airbag
cushions the driver.
Airbag now fully
inflated.
The steering column
has collapsed and the
airbag starts to
deflate.
IB419
Inflated airbag (driver side) Inflation and deflation together take less than
0.1 second.
IB418
5
1
4
2
6
3
2
6
5
SRS (airbag) system with belt
pretensioners 1 Electronic control module and sensor
2 Belt pretensioners (for both front safety belts)
3 Steering wheel with integral airbag
4 Passenger airbag
5 Side-airbag sensor
6 Side airbag
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