2001 SAAB 9-3 lock

175 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, trunk lid and doors,
and lubricate them with glycerol (glyc-
erin).
 After washing the car, dry the brake discs
by taking the car out on the road and
applying the brakes a few times. If the traf-
fic conditions allow, brake quite heavily
just before parking.
 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 freezing temperatures are likely to occur
during the long-term parking, remove the
battery and store it away from freezing
temperatures.
 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 which will not breath.
IB879
1Pointing downhill and
against the curb
– Turn the wheels into the
curb and edge the car for-
ward 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 down-
hill – 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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177 Starting and driving
 Driving in a low gear results in higher fuel
consumption than in a high gear because
of the lower engine speed for a given road
speed. Always change up to a higher gear
as soon as traffic conditions allow and use
the highest gear as much as possible.
 Check the air pressure in the tires once a
month. Incorrect pressures increase tire
wear. It is better to have slightly higher
pressure than lower.
 Check fuel consumption regularly.
Increased consumption can indicate that
something is wrong and that the car
needs to be checked by an authorized
Saab dealer.
Practical tests on the roads have demon-
strated that substantial savings in fuel con-
sumption can be made if the above advice
is heeded.Road conditions Wet roads increase fuel consumption, as do
unpaved roads and driving in hilly country
(the amount of fuel saved driving downhill is
less than the additional amount required to
climb the hill).
Engine block heater (standard
equipment in Canada, accessory in
U.S.)The following are just some of the benefits
to the car and the environment of using an
engine block heater:
 Lower fuel consumption.
 Reduced wear on the engine.
 Inside of car warms up faster.
 Exhaust emissions substantially reduced
over short runs.
The engine block heater is effective with
outside temperatures up to +60 – +70°F
(+15 – +20°C). The warmer it is outside, the
shorter the time the heater need be con-
nected. Longer than 1.5 hours is unneces-
sary.
If the car is equipped with a removable elec-
trical cabin heater that is not in use, this
should be stored in the luggage compart-
ment.
Driving in cold weatherBefore starting a journey in cold weather
you should check the following:
 That the wiper blades have not become
frozen to the windshield/glass.
 Brush any snow away from the air intake
for the heater system (opening between
hood and windshield).
 It may be advisable to lubricate the
door-lock cylinder (use molybdenum
disulphide, MoS
2) to prevent its freezing.
If the lock has frozen, take care not to
break the key (or use the remote control)
– heat it first or spray it with de-icer.
 Periodically during the winter, add gaso-
line anti-freeze to the fuel to dispel any
condensation in the fuel tank which could
freeze and cause problems in the system.
Keep the tank well filled to reduce the risk
of condensation forming.
If the car is parked outside in freezing
weather, fuel additives (gasoline
anti-freeze) will not do any good as it
cannot remove water that has already fro-
zen. Park the car in a warm place so that
any ice that may have built up melts, then
add gasoline anti-freeze when filling up
the tank. Condensation is caused by
changes in the outdoor temperature or by
the car being parked alternately in a
garage and outside.
 It is particularly important when the roads
are slippery that the brakes and tires be in
good condition.
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178 Starting and driving Check the anti-freeze in the engine cool-
ant, see page 198.
The car´s trip computer will warn you when
there is a risk of slippery conditions. For fur-
ther information on this function, see page
69.
The car is equipped with tires designed to
provide optimum grip on both wet and dry
roads, although this has been achieved at
the expense of somewhat reduced grip on
snow and ice. For regular driving on snow
and ice, we therefore recommend that
winter (snow) tires be fitted.
Winter (snow) tires, particularly studded
tires (where use is legally permitted), gener-
ally make driving safer on snow and ice. Acquaint yourself with the legal provi-
sions governing the use of different
types of winter tires and snow chains.
Studded tires are not allowed in some
countries.
If winter tires are installed, the same type
must be installed on all wheels. Your Saab
dealer will be pleased to advise you on the
best tires for your car.
Remember that tires age. It may therefore
be necessary to change them before they
reach the legal wear limit, as they gradually
lose their friction properties. Date code, see
page 220.
The best response if the car gets into a
front-wheel skid is to freewheel (manual
gearbox only), i.e. disengage the clutch (so
that the wheels are neither driven nor
braked by the engine) and carefully steer
the wheels in the direction you want to go.
If the car has an automatic transmission you
should lift off the accelerator somewhat and
carefully steer the wheels in the direction
you want to go.
In a rear-wheel skid, steer into the skid, i.e.
in the same direction as that in which the
back is sliding.
Tire chainsIf you want to fit tire chains (where legally
permitted) they should only be installed to
the tires recommended under ”Technical
data” (see page 252).
Consult your Saab dealer for details about
approved tire chains.
WARNING
 Do not exceed 30 mph (50 km/h)
when tire chains are fitted.
 Tire chains can reduce the directional
stability of the car.
 Tire chains must not be used on the
rear wheels.NOTE Check the links frequently for wear.
 Check that the chains do not contact
the wheel-arch liner at full lock.
 See section "Technical data", page
252, for information on allowable
wheel dimensions for the fitting of tire
chains.
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183 Starting and driving
Installing the roof carriers (acces-
sory) The carrier feet are marked with a top view
of the car and an arrow indicating their
positions.
1 Slip the plastic cover onto the adjustable
foot of the carrier (the foot with a knob for
tightening) to protect the paintwork
during assembly.
2 Open all the doors.
Fold back the rubber strip and locate the
fixing holes. On Coupés, the cover
plates for the rearmost points of attach-
ment must be removed.
3 Position the carrier gently across the
roof, with the rigid foot towards you. Hold
the foot clear of the roof to avoid damag-
ing the paintwork.
4 Fold back the rubber strip and insert the
pins of the foot into the fixing holes. In fit-
ting the rear carrier on Coupés, press
the foot down over the pins in the mount-
ing and slide it forward.
5 Carefully close the doors on this side, so
as to hold the feet in place.
6 Move to the other side of the car and
remove the plastic cover from the
adjustable foot. Fold back the rubber
strip and insert the pins of the foot into
the fixing holes.
7 When fitting the rear carrier on Coupés,
press the foot down over the pins in the
mounting and slide it forward.
8 Make the carrier hand-tight by turning
the knob clockwise.
IB882
IB883
Mounting holes for load carrier, front on
Coupés and front/rear on five-door mod-
els Carrier mounting, rear, on Coupés
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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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207 Car care
Front turn signal bulb To 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 remove the complete lamp unit.
3 Grasp the two plastic tabs and turn the bulb holder counterclock-
wise.
4 Pull the bulb holder out of the lamp unit and change the bulb.
5 Check that the new bulb is firmly in place and has good contact.
6 When mounting the lamp unit, see that the two guide lugs on the
rear edge of the unit come inside the edge of the body panel.
7 Insert the lamp unit in towards the headlight and see that the
front bracket comes under the screw. Tighten the screw (1).
Side-mounted turn signal1 Slide the lens forward so that its rear part can be pulled out.
2 Change the bulb.
3 When refitting, make sure that the groove in the spring engages
the edge of the body panel and that the rubber gasket is correctly
positioned.
IB904
1 Retaining screw
2 Turn signal bulb
IB906
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208 Car careFront fog lights1 Slightly turn the bulb holder counter-
clockwise.
2 Unplug the connector.
3 Remove the bulb.
Stop lights, taillights and direction
indicators 1 Open the door in the trunk upholstery.
2 Press aside the plastic tab that secures
the bulb holder.
3 Carefully pull the entire bulb holder out
of the lamp unit. Replace the dead bulb.
4 When the bulb holder is being refitted,
check that its plastic catches snap into
place.
WARNING
Never crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack, use axle stands;
for further information about jacking up
the car, see page 222.
IB905
IB955
Rear light clusters 1 Direction indicators
2 Tail lights/stop lights
3 Reversing lights
4 Rear fog light
5 High-mounted stop light
IB907
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213 Car care
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.
DICE controls, among other things:
 Front lights and interior lighting.
 Instrument illumination.
 Intermittent wiper operation.
 Electric heating of rear window and door
mirrors.
TWICE controls, among other things:
 Central locking.
 Car alarm (Anti-theft system).
 Engine immobilizer.
 Auto checking 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 enhances 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.
IB920
MAXI fuse for soft-top system
(Convertible)
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