2001 SAAB 9-5 roof

129 Interior equipment and trunk
To open:  Slide the control towards the rear to open
the sunroof to the comfort position.
To open it fully, slide the control back a
second time. Press the control to stop it
earlier. To close:  Slide the control forwards until the sun-
roof is closed. Ventilation position  Press the middle of the control (when sun-
roof closed).
 To close: slide the control forwards.
To fully open the sunroof from the ventila-
tion position, slide the control back. The sunroof incorporates an interior, man-
ual, sliding sun blind.
After the car has been waxed, the sunroof
may squeak or squeal on opening to the
ventilation position. If this should occur, fully
open the sunroof and, using washer fluid,
wash the seal along the front edge, together
with the paintwork that is in contact with the
seal when the roof is closed.
Emergency operation of sunroofIn an emergency (e.g. if there is an electrical
failure) the sunroof can be operated by a
screwdriver. Remove the cover at the front
of the sunroof opening, insert a screwdriver
in the groove, and rotate.
Rotate counterclockwise to close sunroof.
IB430
1
3
2
Sunroof control 1 To open
2 To close
3 Ventilation position
IB431
Manual operation of sunroof
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141 Interior equipment and trunk
Cargo netThe pull-out cargo net’s storage cassette is
mounted on the rear of the backrest.
1 Remove the covers near the two rear
fixing points in the roof. Carefully bend in
the lower edge of the cover with a screw-
driver.
2 Pull the cargo net out directly back-
wards.
3 Snap the net’s two fasteners into the two
fixing points on the roof.
4 Make sure that the hooks on the net’s
own storage cassette fit against the net
mesh.The pull-out cargo net can also be used
when the whole rear seat is folded. There
are two front attachment points in the roof
for this purpose.
Removing the cargo net storage cas-
sette
1 Fold down the entire rear seat (see
page 137).
2 Push the cassette to the right.
WARNING
 The cargo in the luggage compart-
ment must be anchored properly,
even if the cargo net is correctly in
position. The only purpose of the net is
to prevent objects from being thrown
about in the cabin during heavy brak-
ing or in the event of a collision.
 Take extra care when tipping the wide
section of the rear seat forwards if the
car has a pull-out cargo net on the rear
of the backrest. Make sure that no one
is injured by the cargo net’s storage
cassette on the right-hand side where
the backrest is already folded.
IB1217
Cover over the fixing point for the cargo
net
IB1218
Attaching the cargo net to the roof
IB1219
Hooks on the net’s storage cassette
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147 Starting and driving
Starting and driving
IB597
Ignition switch ................. 148
Starting the engine .......... 149
Important considerations
for driving ....................... 151
Refueling .......................... 154
Engine Break-In Period ... 157
Gear changing ................. 158
Cruise control .................. 166
Braking ............................. 167
Traction Control System . 169
Economical motoring ...... 170
Driving in cold weather ... 172 Driving in hot weather .... 173
Towing a trailer ................ 174
Driving with a roof rack
load ................................. 176
Driving with a load .......... 179
Driving considerations
with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted .............. 180
Driving with the trunk
lid/tailgate open ............. 180
Driving in deep water ...... 180
Towing the car ................. 181 Jump starting ................... 183
Parking brake ................... 185
Parking .............................. 185
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171 Starting and driving
a major impact on fuel consumption after
the engine has started from cold. Thus, if the
car is mainly used for short journeys of
3–5 miles (5–8 km), the fuel consumption
will be 60–80 % higher than normal.Driving technique To obtain the best running economy, not
only regarding fuel consumption but gen-
eral wear also, regular service is required.
 High speed, unnecessary acceleration,
heavy braking and much low gear work all
gives rise to higher fuel consumption.
 Frequent gear changing in traffic, starting
in cold weather, the use of studded tires
and roof racks, and towing a trailer all
increase fuel consumption.
 Do not run the engine when the car is sta-
tionary.
If idling, it will take much longer before the
engine becomes hot. Engine wear is
greatest during this warming-up phase.
Therefore drive away as soon as possible
after the engine is started and avoid high
revving. Driving in a low gear results in higher fuel
consumption than in a high gear because
of the higher 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 pos-
sible.
 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 trials 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 heater is effective at outside
temperatures up to +15-20°C. The warmer
it is outside, the shorter the time the engine
heater needs to be connected. Longer than
1.5 hours is unnecessary.
If the car is equipped with a removable,
electrical cabin heater that is not in use, this
should be stored in the luggage compart-
ment.
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176 Starting and drivingTrailer hitch loadThe weight distribution on the trailer makes
a lot of difference to the handling properties
of the car and trailer combination. As
regards single-axle trailers, whenever pos-
sible, concentrate the load over the wheels
and keep it as low as possible.
The trailer should be loaded so that the
maximum load on the towbar ball is 5% to
7% of the trailer weight with a maximum per-
missible tongue weight of 165 lbs. (75 kg).
Note that this load must be added to the total
load for the car. If this now exceeds the
specified load capacity, the load in the lug-
gage compartment will have to be reduced
by a corresponding amount.
Driving with a roof rack
loadThe maximum permissible roof load is
220 lbs. (100 kg).
Note that the roof load is included in the
car’s maximum permissible load (see page
250).
Strong, sturdy roof carriers designed spe-
cially for the car are available from your
Saab dealer. Always secure the roof load
safely.
WARNING
 A roof load will affect the car’s center
of gravity and aerodynamics. Be
aware of this when cornering and driv-
ing in crosswinds.
 Suit your speed to the prevailing con-
ditions.
 Due to higher aerodynamic drag, fuel
economy may suffer when driving with
a roof rack.
IB106
Distribution of load in trailer aLight
b Moderate
cHeavy
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177 Starting and driving
Fitting the roof carriers (accessory)
9-5 SedanThe carrier feet are marked with a top view
of the car and arrow indicating their posi-
tions.
1 Slip the plastic cover onto the adjustable
foot of the carrier (foot with knob for
tightening) to protect the paintwork
during assembly.
2 Open all the doors.
Fold back the rubber strip and find the
fixing holes.
3 Start on the left-hand side of the car.
Rest the carrier carefully across the roof,
with the rigid foot towards you. Hold the
foot clear of the roof to avoid damaging
the paintwork.
Fold back the rubber strip and insert the
pins on the foot into the fixing holes.
Make sure that the rubber strip comes
inside the plastic cover on the carrier.
Repeat the procedure with the other car-
rier. 4 Close the doors on the left-hand side of
the car gently, to hold the carrier feet in
place.
5 Now go around to the other side of the
car and remove the plastic cover from
the carrier’s adjustable foot. Fold back
the rubber strip and insert the pins on the
foot into the fixing holes. Do the same
with the other carrier and close the doors
gently.
6 Tighten each carrier by turning the knob
clockwise (by hand). Tighten just
enough to bring the foot up against the
edges of the fixing holes.
Remove the carriers when not in use, as
they increase fuel consumption.
The instructions that accompany the carri-
ers also include advice on driving with a roof
load - we strongly recommend that you read
them carefully.
IB480
IB481
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178 Starting and drivingFitting the roof carriers (accessory)
9-5 Wagon1 Clean the car’s roof rails.
2 Check the markings on the cross mem-
bers to see which is the front and which
is the rear roof carrier.
3 Place the cross members on the roof
rails, on their respective sides of the
center supports. The cross members
must not be placed beyond the front or
rear joint on the rail. Ensure that the dis-
tance between the cross members is at
least 28 inches (700 mm).
If a roof box is to be fitted, the cross
members must be positioned so that the
tailgate can be opened fully without hit-
ting the roof box.
4 Using your thumb, press the bracket so
that it lies snugly against the outside of
the roof rail. Make sure that the roof car-
riers are seated centrally on the rubber
spacers and that these sit correctly on
the roof rail. Pull the spacers down
slightly on the inside of the roof rail.
5 Center the roof carriers so that they pro-
trude equally on both sides.
6 Tighten the roof carriers by hand.
Ensure that the tightening knobs are
upright once the roof carriers have been
tightened.
7 Make sure the roof carriers are securely
in place.
IB1294
IB1295
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179 Starting and driving
Driving with a loadThe driving characteristics of the car are
affected by the way it is loaded.
 Place heavy loads as far forward and as
low as possible in the trunk.
 Secure the load to the tie downs, see
page 136.
 The load should be such that the car´s
total weight or axle weight are not
exceeded, see page 250.
 Heavy loads mean that the car’s center of
gravity is further back. As a result, the car
will sway more during evasive steering.
 Never exceed the permissible load in the
roof box, even if there is room for more.
 Ensure that the tire pressure is correct –
slight overinflation is preferable to under-
inflation.
 The braking distance of a loaded car is
always greater. Keep your distance from
the vehicle in front.
 Roof loads can negatively affect tele-
communication.
Tire pressure, see page 259 and back
cover.
TiresThe tire pressure should match the current
load and speed of the car; see the back
cover or the tire pressure label on
page 259.
The tire pressures given apply to cold tires,
that is tires that are the same temperature
as the outside air temperature.
The tire pressure increases as the tires
become warm (e.g. during highway driving)
with approximately 0.3 bar (4 psi). When
the temperature of the tires changes by 50°
(10°C), the tire pressure will change 0.1 bar
(2 psi).Never reduce the pressure of a hot tire. If the
tires are hot when you check them, only
increase the pressure, if necessary.
Underinflated tires wear more quickly than
slightly overinflated tires.
If a valve is leaking, simply unscrew it and fit
a new one.
Important! Remember to adjust the tire
pressures if you change the load in the car
or intend to drive at substantially lower or
higher speeds than normal.NOTECheck the tire pressure at least once a
month. Underinflation is the main cause
of:
 Damage to the wheels.
 Premature tire wear.
 Damage to the sidewalls.
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