2001 SAAB 9-5 wheel

224 Car care and technical informationTemperatureThe temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dis-
sipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temper-
ature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Date codeTires should be regarded as perishable
goods. As the tires age, the rubber becomes
progressively harder, and the roadholding
ability of the tires diminishes. This is partic-
ularly on winter tires.
Tires now have a date-code marking for the
year of manufacture. The first two digits
denote the week number and the two last
digits the year. The ”<” symbol points to the
year.
Accordingly, a date code of 0200 signifies
that the tire was manufactured in week 02,
2000.
WARNING
The temperature grade for a tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire fail-
ure.
IB1564
Date code
ProCarManuals.com

225 Car care and technical information
Compact spare wheelThe compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the tire. Its use is
only permitted when a standard tire has sus-
tained a puncture. The maximum life of the
tire is only 2000 miles (3,500 km).
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) with the
compact spare fitted.
The compact spare should be inflated to
60 psi (420 kPa). Carry the punctured tire in
the spare-wheel well under the luggage-
compartment floor.
Have the standard tire repaired and refitted
as soon as possible (see also page 180).The spare wheel, together with the jack and
jack handle, front towrope attachment eye
and toolkit, is stowed away underneath a
panel in the luggage-compartment floor.
If you need to change a wheel, remove the
tool kit first and then the spare wheel.
The panel over the spare wheel can be held
open by hooking the handle onto the rubber
seal.
In the Saab 9-5 Sedan, there is a holder for
a warning triangle in the luggage compart-
ment trim. In the Saab 9-5 Wagon, there is
space for a warning triangle underneath the
panel in the luggage compartment floor.
NOTETo avoid damaging a punctured alloy
wheel it can be placed outside up in the
spare-wheel well but only while driving to
the closest workshop.
A general rule is that all heavy loads must
be well secured in the luggage compart-
ment, see page 136 and 139.
IB534
Panel hooked back, 9-5 Sedan
IB1232
Hanging up the cover and spare wheel
compartments mats, 9-5 Wagon
IB1186
Spare wheel (under panel in luggage
compartment)
ProCarManuals.com

226 Car care and technical informationChanging a wheel
WARNING
 The car jack is designed solely for use
in changing a wheel or fitting snow
chains. It must not be used to support
the car during repair work or servicing.
 Never crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack.
 Special care must be taken if the car is
on a slope – use wheel chocks!
 Position chocks, one ahead and one
behind, the wheel that is diagonally
opposite to the one to be changed.
 Switch on the hazard warning lights if
the car is on a road.
 Apply the parking brake and leave the
car in gear (1st or reverse). Automatic
transmission: move selector to the
P position.
 Ensure that everybody is out of the car
before jacking it up.
 Never start the engine while the car is
jacked up.
 The jack must stand on a firm, level
surface.
 Stow the jack in the place provided for
it under the panel in the floor of the lug-
gage compartment. Secure it properly
to avert injury to passengers in the
event of an accident.
 Do not use the jack for any purpose
other than for jacking up the car.
ProCarManuals.com

227 Car care and technical information
To jack up the car, apply the jack to one of
the special jacking points under the sills.Pos i ti o n for j ack
IB536
IB1553
Positioning the jack
IB1554
Jack location, between spare wheel and
sill
ProCarManuals.com

228 Car care and technical informationIf a floor jack is used, it can be applied to the
standard jacking points used by the dealer.
A floor jack can lift both front wheels or both
rear wheels off the ground simultaneously.
A jack stand must then be applied under-
neath the front of the engine subframe (at
the fixing point for the towrope-attachment
eye) or to the rear towrope-attachment eye
(or under the trailer hitch, if fitted).
1 Put the car in 1st gear (automatic trans-
mission: move selector to the P position)
and apply the parking brake.2 Wind the jack up to a suitable height
before placing it under the recess in the
sill.
Make sure that the jack fully engages
the recess in the sill and that the base of
the jack is steady and flat on the ground.
3 Remove the wheel cover (where appli-
cable).
Loosen the wheel bolts by half a turn.
4 Wind the jack to raise the wheel clear of
the ground. Remove the wheel bolts and
lift off the wheel.
5 Fit the wheel and screw in the bolts in the
sequence shown (opposite pairs).
Tighten the bolts enough for the bolts
and wheel to be seated correctly.
6 Lower the car and tighten the wheel
bolts to the correct torque in the
sequence shown (opposite pairs).
Tightening torque
Light-alloy wheels: 80 ft.lbs. (110 Nm)
Steel wheels: 80 ft.lbs. (110 Nm)
Do not overtighten the bolts using a per-
cussion nut tightener: not only can this
damage the wheels but it can also make
it impossible to undo the bolts using the
wheel wrench in the car’s toolkit. 7 Check-tighten the wheel bolts after a
few miles.
Tightening torque
Light-alloy wheels: 80 ft.lbs. (110 Nm)
Steel wheels: 80 ft.lbs. (110 Nm)NOTEApply the jack only to the jacking points
indicated.
NOTEWhen refitting wheel covers (where
applicable), make sure that the valve
protrudes through the hole in the wheel
cover.
IB1130
Jacking points for a trolley jack
ProCarManuals.com

229 Car care and technical information
Flat 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.
IB539
Tightening sequence, wheel bolts
IB538
Removing the wheel cover
ProCarManuals.com

234 Car care and technical information
Two-coat enamel As the name implies, two-coat enamel is
applied in two operations. The first coat, the
base color, contains the pigment, metal
flakes and binder. The second coat consists
of a clear enamel, which provides the final
gloss for the paintwork and protects the
base from moisture and environmental con-
taminants.
Touch-up stone-chip damage as follows:
1 Thoroughly clean the damaged area.
2 Apply the primer, base color and finally,
the enamel. To achieve the best finish,
apply two or three coats of primer.
Anticorrosion treatmentThe entire car is corrosion-protected at the
factory in different stages by an electrolytic
immersion coating and a polyester-based
protective coating to protect against corro-
sion caused by stones flung up by the
wheels. A thin penetrating anti-rust oil is
also applied in cavities and body members.
In addition to conventional anti-corrosion
treatment like painting, underbody treat-
ment and cavity treatment, most of the body
panel surfaces are galvanized. These
include the hood, the doors and the under-
body.
The anti-corrosion treatment on the under-
side of the car and inside the wheel arches
is particularly exposed to constant wear and
possible damage, the degree of which will
obviously depend on driving conditions.
IB1334
Surface-treatment composition 1 Body panel
2 Zinc (certain panel sections only) 7.5 µm
3 Phosphate coating
4 Cathodic ED 28 µm
5 Intermediate coat 35 µm
6 Metallic base 15 µm
7 Clear enamel /solid enamel 40 µm
ProCarManuals.com

235 Car care and technical information
What causes rust?Steel body panels of automobiles are sub-
ject to rusting whenever air and moisture
manage to penetrate the protective finish,
and body panels may rust through if the pro-
cess is unchecked. Rusting can occur wher-
ever water is trapped or where the car’s
panels are continuously damp. Damage to
paint and undercoating by stones, gravel
and minor accidents immediately exposes
metal to air and moisture. Road salts used
for de-icing will collect on the bottom of the
car and promote rusting. Areas of the coun-
try with high humidity have great potential
for rust problems, especially where salt is
used on roads or there is moist sea air.
Industrial pollution (fallout) may also
damage paint and promote rusting.
Preventive maintenanceThe following procedures are necessary to
help protect against rusting. Refer also to
the terms and conditions of the Sheet Metal
Coverage described in the warranty book-
let.
1Wash the car frequently, and wax at
least twice a year. Under adverse con-
ditions, where there is a rapid buildup of
dirt, sand or road salt, wash your car at
least once a week. After extreme expo-
sure to salted snow or slush, evidenced
by a white film on the car, wash the car
immediately. Frequent washing will pre-
vent paint damage from acid rain and
other airborne contaminants such as
tree sap and bird droppings. If any of
these contaminants are noticed on the
car the finish should be washed immedi-
ately.
 Begin washing by rinsing the entire car
with water to loosen and flush off heavy
concentrations of dirt (include the
underbody).
 Sponge the car with a solution of either
a good quality car soap or mild general
purpose (dish washing) detergent and
water.
 Rinse car thoroughly with clean water.
 After washing, check and clear all
drains in doors and body panels.
 Wipe the car dry, preferably using a
chamois.2Clean the underside of the car during
the winter. Use high pressure water to
clean the car’s underside (floor panels,
wheel wells) at least at mid- winter and
in the spring.
3Inspect the car frequently for leaks or
damage, and arrange for needed
repairs promptly. After washing or after
heavy rain, check for leaks. When wash-
ing the car inspect body surfaces for
paint damage. While checking for leaks,
lift the floor mats and check beneath
them. Water can collect in these areas
and remain for prolonged periods. Dry
any wet areas including the floor mats.
Have leaks repaired as soon as possi-
ble.
Use touch-up paint to repair small
scratches or minor finish damage. Areas
where metal is exposed will rust quickly
and MUST be repaired immediately by
touch-up or professional repainting.
Rust must be removed, the bare metal
primed and painted. Major body
damage should be repaired immediately
and new panels or exposed areas
should be undercoated with anti- corro-
sion material.
Repairs of this type are the owner’s
responsibility and are not covered under
warranty.
ProCarManuals.com