236 Car care and technical information4Inspect the undercoating and touch
up if necessary. Pay particular atten-
tion to the fenders and wheel housings,
which are exposed to abrasion by flying
gravel, etc. If the composition has worn
or flaked off, the steel must be thor-
oughly cleaned and dried before a fresh
coat is applied. The cleaning is best
done with a scraper and a steel wire
brush, followed by washing with solvent.
Apply the new coating thinly, as other-
wise it may run off or fall off when dry.
For long tripsBefore setting off on a long journey, it is
advisable to have your car checked over by
your Saab dealer.
Obtain a few important items to take along
on your journey such as spare bulbs, wiper
blades, fuses, a Poly-V-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 gasoline leaks out of
the engine or gearbox/transmission.
Check the coolant and power steering
fluid levels. Check also for leaks.
Inspect the Poly-V-belt and replace it if it
shows any signs of hard wear.
Check the battery charge.
Check the tires for tread pattern and air
pressure, including the compact spare
wheel.
Check the brakes.
Check all bulbs.
Check for the presence of the tool kit and
the jack in the car.
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materialsA typical car consists of metals (65–75%),
plastics (10–14%), rubber (5%) and small
quantities of glass, wood, paper and tex-
tiles.
Some of these materials can be recycled,
while others can be recovered in chemical
processes for reuse in new products or as a
source of energy.
While the Saab 9-5 was still at the draw-
ing-board stage, Saab engineers were
giving serious consideration to how the
maximum quantity of materials could be
reclaimed from the car on its eventual
scrapping. To facilitate sorting, plastic parts,
for instance, have been marked to identify
the precise nature of the plastic.
Approximately 90% of the materials in the
car can be recycled or recovered, where
facilities exist.
Before the car is scrapped, all the oils and
other fluids that could pollute the environ-
ment should be recovered from the car. It
may be of interest in this context to learn that
the refrigerant used in the Saab 9-5’s ACC
systems (R134a) contains neither CFCs nor
any other chlorine compounds.
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257 Specifications
Brake system Wheels and tiresFootbrake (ABS) ___________________ Hydraulic disc
brakes with vacuum
servo unit. Diago-
nally split circuits;
ventilated discs on
front wheels. EBD
function, see page
167.
Handbrake _______________________ Acts on rear wheels
Brake fluid ________________________ DOT 4
Brake-fluid capacity _________________ 0.925 qts (900 ml)
Disc diameter:
Front __________________________ 11.34 in (288 mm)
Front, 2.3 Turbo Aero ______________ 12.05 in (306 mm)
Rear ___________________________ 11.26 in (286 mm)
Total friction area of brake pads:
Front __________________________ 36.3 in
2 (234 cm
2)
Rear ___________________________ 15.5 in
2 (100 cm
2)Wheel size ________________________ 6.5 x 16 or 7 x 17
2.3 Turbo Aero ______________________ Use 6.5 x 16 or
7 x 17 only
Contact an authorized Saab dealer if you
wish to fit other wheels than those fitted
as standard.
Tire size (summer tires):
6.5 x 16 wheels ___________________ 215/55 R16
7 x 17 wheels _____________________ 225/45 R17
Tire size (winter tires):
6 x 15 wheels (not 2.3 Turbo Aero) _____ 195/65 R15 M+S
6.5 x 16 wheels ___________________ 205/55 R16 M+S
Recommended wheels for snow chains _ 6 x 15 (not 9-5 2.3
Turbo Aero) or
6.5 x 16
Compact spare:
Wheel ___________________________ 4 x 16
Tire _____________________________ T115/70 R16
Pressure_________________________ 60 psi (420 kPa)
Maximum life _____________________ 2,200 miles
(3500 km)
Maximum speed __________________ 50 mph (80 km/h)
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