8
Battery
Contains corrosive sulfuric acid (40%)
FLAMMABLE GASES formed when car running and during charging
of battery
Always wear eye protection when working on the battery
Smoking, open flames and sparks can all cause battery to explode
See Owner’s Manual before using jump leads
Battery acid can cause SERIOUS BURNS
Keep battery upright
Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing
If contact made with acid, flush affected area with water and seek med-
ical help
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN Brake fluid
CLEAN FILLER CAP BEFORE
REMOVING. USE ONLY DOT 4
FLUID FROM SEALED CON-
TAINER. Radiator fan
The radiator fan can cut in even
after engine has been switched
off.
WL2
IB336
Drive belt
Danger! Moving belt
WL3
A/C system
Refrigerant at high pressure.
Always drain the A/C system before undoing any connections. Failure to
follow prescribed procedures can result in injury. System to be serviced by
authorized personnel only. See Workshop Service Manual for correct pro-
cedures.
The A/C system complies with SAE J639.
Refrigerant: 875 g of R134a.
Refrigeration oil: 145 cc of PAG ND-8 oil or Saab 4319752 SK 20 oil
Warning labels
IB1081
WL35
Do not loosen or remove the A/C system fitting
before charging the A/C system. Improper
servicing methods may cause personal injury.SYSTEM TO BE SERVICED BY QUALIFIED PERSONNELONLY. for instructions consult workshop manual.
The A/C system complies with SAE J639
Ne pas desserrer les connexions du systeme A/C
avant l’evacuation du refrigerant. Une methode
de service erronee peut causes des lesions.L’ENTRETIEN DOIT ETRE FAIT PAR UN PERSONNALQUALIFIE. Consulter le manuel de service.
ca systeme eat conforme a la norme SAE J639
Manufactured by SAAB Automobile AB, Trollhatten, Sweden
4756961
Charge: 875 g R134a
Compressor oil:
145cc PAG oil ND-8 alt
SAAB oil 4319752
SK-20
Charge: 875 g R134a
Muile de compresseur
145cc PAG oil ND-8 ou
SAAB oil 4319752
SK-20
R134a
WARNING
Refrigerant under high pressure
ATTENTION
Refrigerant sous haute pression
WL36
NO SMOKING
AVOID SPARKS AND NAKED FLAMES
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
SEE OWNER’S MANUAL
WEAR EYE PROTECTION
FLAMMABLE GAS
ACID
ProCarManuals.com
47 Instruments and controls
Warning, charging
This light will come on together with if
the battery is not charging. If it comes on
while you are driving, stop the car as soon
as possible and switch off the engine.
Check the alternator drive belt (see page
179). If the belt has broken, the engine may
overheat (cooling system will not function
properly), the battery will not be charged,
the A/C compressor will not run and power
assistance for the steering will be lost.
Brake warning light
This light will come on together with if
there is insufficient brake fluid in the reser-
voir (see pages 175 / 176).
If the ABS warning light is on at the same
time, the ABS system may be inoperative
because of a fault (see “Anti-lock brake
warning”, page 48).
Parking brake warning
light
This light will show when the parking brake
is on (see page 162).
If the car is driven with the parking brake still
on, will also come on and a chime will
sound.
The parking brake is mechanical and oper-
ates on the rear wheels.
WARNING
Never drive the car when these warning
lights are on. Danger of brake failure!
Have the brake system checked by an
authorized Saab dealer.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when
parking.
Always apply the parking brake before
removing the ignition key.
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48 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 175).
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.
The 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.
CHECK message indicator
This light indicates that there is a message
in the SID. A chime will also sound
(see page 58).
Central warning light
This light will come 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 audible alarm are also acti-
vated if the ignition key is turned to the ON
position and the engine is not started within
10 seconds.
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.
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52 Instruments and controlsAutochecking of lights,
main instrument panel The above warning and indicator lights
should come on when the ignition is
switched on prior to starting. They should go
out after about 3 seconds.
The following lights light up until the engine
is started, presuming that no fault exists:
Central warning light .
Oil pressure warning light .
Warning, charging .
InstrumentsTachometerThe tachometer indicates the engine speed
in thousands of revolutions per minute. The
needle may be allowed to enter the broken
red zone on the dial only for an instant.
A safety cut-out function (in the fuel system)
prevents the engine speed exceeding
approximately 6,200 rpm.
Odometer and trip meter The odometer records the distance trav-
elled in miles on U.S. vehicles and on Cana-
dian vehicles the distance indicated is in
kilometres, and the trip meter in miles and
tenths (kilometres and tenths of kilometres
on Canadian vehicles). Reset button The reset button has two functions, deter-
mined by whether the ignition is ON or OFF.
When the ignition is ON, the button will
reset the trip meter.
When the ignition is OFF, the button will
bring up the display for 20 seconds to
allow the odometer and trip-meter read-
ings to be viewed.
IB1279
IB340
IB341
1 Cars with automatic transmission
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98 Saab 9-5 Audio SystemSources of AM interference AM reception is prone to interference, e.g.
from electrical systems on other vehicles,
high-tension power lines and lightning. Adjusting the frequency steps North
America/Europe If the car is taken from Europe to North
America, the radio’s frequency steps can be
adjusted.
Press and hold SEEK (mid-segment) and
switch the radio on at the same time.
The preset stations will be cancelled and
replaced by default frequencies.
Installation of car phone
(option)Provision has been made on the Saab 9-5
for the installation of a hands-free car
phone.
A car-phone mount is available as an acces-
sory.
Your Saab dealer has details of proper
phone installation procedures. Provision for hands-free phone
Car phone connects to car’s circuitry.
Microphone for hands-free phone use
incorporated in overhead panel at front.
Audio System mute function when phone
activated.
Phone conversation amplified through
Audio System speakers.
TELEPHONE appears on the SID when
phone in use.
Volume level for ongoing conversation
can be adjusted by volume controls on
steering wheel or on Audio System
module (see also ”Volume-preset mode”,
page 93).
If the sound is distorted, adjust by means
of the volume control on
telephone set
.
Phone battery charging when phone is in
its cradle.
Please refer to the instructions supplied with
the phone for details of how to make and
receive calls. In order to fully utilize the
hands-free function, certain circuits must be
available from the telephone to be installed.
Your authorized Saab dealer has this infor-
mation available.
WARNING
To prevent crashes while using a cell
phone:
Don’t use the phone in distracting traf-
fic situations. Turn it off if traffic is
heavy.
Dial sensibly, at a stoplight or safely off
the road.
Consider installing hands-free or
speaker phone.
Avoid stressful and intense phone
conversations.NOTEThe A-pillar area (area beside the wind-
shield) and the headlining of your Saab
contain padding designed to reduce head
injuries. No modifications to these areas
should be made unless done by your
authorized Saab dealer.
IB392
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178 Car care and technical informationCharging/replacing the batteryConnect the positive lead to the positive (+)
battery terminal (red), and the negative lead
to a good ground point, e.g. the lifting lug at
the front of the engine.
To remove the battery, always disconnect
the negative (black) lead first and reconnect
it last when fitting the new battery.
The battery size must comply with DIN
53735 MFI 230/2.16. NOTETo avert the danger of short-circuiting
between the positive (+) terminal on the
battery and the inlet manifold on the
engine, always disconnect the negative
(-) battery lead first and reconnect it last.NOTE Never reverse the polarity of the bat-
tery by connecting the leads to the
wrong terminals. The red, positive
lead connects to the positive (+) termi-
nal, and the black, negative lead to the
negative (-) terminal.
Serious damage can be done to the
car’s electrical system if a battery or
alternator lead is disconnected while
the engine is running.
The nut on the battery clamp should
be tightened to a torque of 10 Nm.
IB564
Correct position for battery clamp
IB1125
Battery
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179 Car care and technical information
Drive belts The alternator is situated on the right-hand
side of the engine, adjacent to the bulkhead.
It is driven via a Poly-Vee-belt from the
crankshaft pulley.
The Poly-Vee-belt also drives the water
pump, the A/C compressor and the steering
servo pump.
The belt tension is critical and is adjusted
automatically by the belt tensioner.
See also page 47, ”Warning, charging”.
WARNING
Keep hands and clothing well clear of
drive belts when engine is running.
Always stop engine before inspecting
drive belts.NOTESerious damage can be done to the car’s
electrical system if an alternator lead is
disconnected while the engine is running.
IB542
Routing of the Poly-Vee-belt:
4-cylinder engine with A/C
IB543
Routing of the Poly-Vee-belt:
V6 engine with A/C
ProCarManuals.com
206 Car care and technical informationFlat spottingAll tires get hot, especially on long journeys
or when the car is driven hard. After the car
has been parked with hot tires and the tires
have cooled down, a flat spot can appear in
the tire, where it is in contact with the
ground. The same can occur if the car has
not been moved for a long time.
Flat spots can give rise to vibration that can
be felt through the steering wheel, similar to
that experienced when the wheels need bal-
ancing. Flat spots of this type disappear
once the tires get hot again, usually after
10–15 miles (20–25 km) of driving at cruis-
ing speed.
Air conditioning
(A/C system)
Fault diagnosis If a fault occurs in the A/C system, there are
a number of checks you can perform your-
self. If the fault persists, however, have the
system checked by an authorized Saab
dealer.
Important!
When the A/C system is running, the intake
air is dehumidified, and the resultant con-
densation is drained off through two outlets
underneath the floor of the car in the vicinity
of the front doors. It is therefore perfectly
normal for water to be seen dripping from
these outlets when the car is parked. The
warmer the ambient air and the higher the
humidity, the greater will be the amount of
condensation formed.
Inadequate cooling:
a Make sure that the temperature and
air-distribution controls are in the
appropriate settings.
b Check that the condenser (forward of
the radiator) has not become clogged
with dirt and insects.
c Make sure that the drive belt for the com-
pressor is not slipping.
d Check the fuses for the ventilation fans
and compressor.
NOTE The A/C system is designed for use
with R134a refrigerant.
Refrigerant handling requires special
equipment and special procedures for
charging and draining the system.
All repairs and adjustments on the A/C
system must be carried out by a Saab
dealer authorized for this kind of work.
Never mix R134a and R12 refriger-
ants.
WARNING
The A/C system is pressurized. Do not
break any connections or undo A/C
system components.
Escaping gas can cause blindness or
other injury.
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