2001 SAAB 9-3 Owners Manual

185 Starting and driving
Driving with the trunk lid
openAvoid driving with the trunk lid partly or fully
open, since exhaust fumes can be drawn
into the cabin.
If you must drive with the trunk lid open, all
windows and the sunroof (if fitted) must be
closed and the cabin fan on at its highest
speed setting.Driving in deep waterTowing the car
The car is fitted with towing eyes at both
front and rear. For access to the front towing
eye, located on the right-hand side of the
car, compress the grille (see illustration)
and pull it straight out.
If the car is equipped with a trailer hitch, this
can be used to tow another car.
Transporting the car NOTE
Do not drive in water deeper than 11”
(30 cm) and do not drive faster than at
idling speed. Water can otherwise be
sucked into the engine. The engine will be
damaged if water enters the intake sys-
tem. The car´s electrical systems may
also be affected.
WARNING
 The towing vehicle should always be
heavier than the vehicle being towed.
 Never allow passengers to ride in the
car being towed.
 Remember that the brake servo does
not operate when the engine is off.
Much greater pressure than normal
will therefore be required to operate
the brake pedal.
 Nor does the steering pump operate
when the engine is off. The steering
will therefore be much heavier than
usual.
 Always seek professional help if the
car needs to be towed. NOTEDo not confuse the front towing eye with
the oil pipe for the power steering.
NOTEIf a car with sports (lowered) chassis is
transported, for example on a flat bed
truck, take extra care not to damage the
spoiler and/or underbody.
IB1537
Front towing eye
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186 Starting and driving
Saab 9-3 ViggenThe front towing eye is stored in a storage
bag beside the spare wheel. Remove the
plastic cover with a screwdriver from the
car’s toolkit, and screw in the towing eye.
Towing a car with manual gearboxThe gear lever must be in neutral. Switch
hazard lights on.
Drive carefully and do not exceed the
speed limit for vehicles in tow.
Always try to keep the towrope taut by
gently applying the brake as necessary.
This will avoid the towrope being jerked vio-
lently.
NOTEThe design of the underside of the rear
bumper means that the rear towing eye
must not be used. This is to prevent dam-
aging the bumper.
NOTEIf the car is to be towed with the front
wheels off the ground, make sure the
parking brake is off, as this acts on the
rear wheels.
IB885
Rear towing eye
IB1331
Front towing eye, Saab 9-3 Viggen
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187 Starting and driving
Towing a car with automatic
transmission The following rules must be observed if a
car with automatic transmission is to be
towed.
The gear selector must be in the N position.
Switch hazard lights on.
Drive carefully and do not exceed the
speed limit for vehicles in tow.
Always try to keep the towrope taut by
gently applying the brake as necessary.
This will avoid the towrope being jerked vio-
lently.1 Selector lever in position N.
2 Raise the oil level in the gearbox above
normal by 2 extra quarts. Use oil of type
Texaco Texamatic Dexron III.
3 The local regulations on towing speeds
must be followed.
The highest permissible towing speed is
30 mph (50 km/h), unless the legal limit
is lower. The longest permissible towing
distance is 25-30 miles (40-50 km). If the
car has to be transported farther than
that, summon a tow truck. A flat bed tow
truck is the preferred method to tow.
4 When the car is being returned to ser-
vice, check the gearbox oil, and reduce
it to the prescribed amount if necessary.
The engine cannot be started by towing or
pushing the car. In emergency, the engine
can be started as described in the section
”Jump starting”.
Jump 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.
NOTEThe car must be towed front first.
If the car is to be towed with the front
wheels off the ground, make sure the
parking brake is off, as this acts on the
rear wheels.
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.
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188 Starting and drivingTo 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
systems/components of either vehicle
should inadvertent contact be made.
You would not be able to start your car
and bad grounding could damage the
electrical 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.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.
WARNING
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
IB886
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189 Starting and driving
5 Check that the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock and also the
vehicles could be damaged.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some basic things you should know.
Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and
negative (-) will go to a major metal
engine part with a good ground. Do not
connect (+) to (-) or you will get a short
that could injure you or would damage
the battery and maybe other parts as
well.
6 Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
7 Do not let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8 Now connect the black negative (-)
cable to the good battery’s negative ter-
minal.
Do not let the other end touch anything
until the next step. The other end of the
negative cable does not go to the dead
battery. It goes to a major metal part with
a good ground on the engine of the vehi-
cle with the discharged battery.9 Attach the cable at least 18 inches
(45 cm) away from the discharged bat-
tery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just
as good there, but the chance of sparks
getting back to the battery is much less.
10 Start the vehicle with the good battery
and run the engine for a while.
11 Try to start the vehicle with the dis-
charged battery. If it does not start after
a few tries, it probably needs service.
12 Remove the cables in reverse order to
prevent electrical shorting. Take care
that they do not touch each other or any
other metal.
WARNING
Using a match or flame of any kind near a
battery can cause battery gas to explode.
You can suffer burns or be blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
The battery installed in your new Saab
has filler caps. Be sure the right amount
of water is there. Add distilled or boiled
water if the level is too low. If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Be sure the electrolyte in the battery is not
frozen. Discharged batteries will freeze.
When connecting jumper cables to a
frozen battery, gas from the chemical
reaction inside the battery can build up
under the ice and cause an explosion.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you acciden-
tally get it in your eyes or on your skin,
flush the area with water and get medical
help immediately.
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190 Starting and drivingDriving 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.Points to bear in mind when driving with a
compact spare wheel:
 The car’s ground clearance is reduced
with the compact spare fitted.
 Only one compact spare wheel may be
used at any time.
 Take care not to hit the curb.
 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 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.
 Check the coolant and power steering
fluid levels. Check also for leaks.
 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 36.
 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 dealer.
A general rule is that all heavy loads must
be well secured in the luggage compart-
ment, see page 148.
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191 Car care
IB944
Hood release handle ....... 192
Engine .............................. 194
Engine bay ....................... 193
Engine oil ......................... 196
Transmission fluid .......... 197
Coolant ............................. 198
Brake- clutch fluid and
brake pads ..................... 200
Power steering ................ 201
Battery .............................. 201
Drive belt .......................... 203
Wipers and washers ....... 204
Wiper blades .................... 204
Changing bulbs ............... 206
Fuses ................................ 212
Wheels.............................. 217
Safety belts ...................... 224 Upholstery and trim ......... 225
Textile carpeting .............. 225
Engine bay ........................ 226
Washing ............................ 226
Waxing and polishing ...... 227
Touching up the paint ..... 227
Anti-corrosion treatment . 228
Recovery and/or recy-
cling of automotive mate-
rials .................................. 230
Air conditioning (A/C
system) ........................... 232 Car care
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192 Car careHood release handleThe handle of the hood lock is located on the
left under the instrument panel. Open the
hood in the following way:
1 Pull the release handle.
2 The hood moves to the half-locked posi-
tion and is stopped by a safety catch at
the front edge.
3 Press the lever of the catch upwards and
raise the hood.
When you close the hood you should drop it
from a height of about 8 inches (20 cm),
without slamming it.
WARNING
Never hold your fingers between the hood
and safety catch if lowering but not clos-
ing the hood.
IB1514
Hood release pressure plate
IB887
Hood release handle
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