3
Instrument panel
IB1080
Indicator and warning lights ______ 48
Speedometer _________________ 55
Odometer and trip meter ________ 54
Fuel gauge __________________ 55
Engine temperature gauge ______ 55
Parking lights ____________ 63
High/low beam __________ 63
Daytime running lights _____ 63
Rear fog light ____________ 64
Instrument illumination _____ 65
Changing bulbs _________ 205High/low beam control stalk 63
Turn signal and lane change
indicator _______________ 65
Cruise control __________ 166Front fog lights ___________ 66
Ashtrays ___________________ 130
Cigarette lighter ______________ 130
Tr i p c o m p u t e r
(Saab Information Display, SID) __ 57
Night panel __________________ 61
Clock _______________________ 62
Traction Control (TCS) Switch 53, 169
OnStar switch ________________ 108
Wipers and washers ______ 68
Rear wiper ______________ 69
Washer fluid ___________ 203
Replacing wiper blades __ 203Audio system ___________ 81
Steering-wheel controls____ 98Hazard warning lights _____ 66Climate control system:
automatic _____________ 70
Air conditioning: simple
fault diagnosis _________ 230
Seat heating controls __________ 123
Ventilated front seats ___________ 123Audio system steering-wheel
controls ________________ 98
ProCarManuals.com
6Engine compartment,
4-cyl engine
IB583
Engine: description ___________ 192
Engine oil level: checking ______ 193
Engine oil: changing __________ 194
Engine oil specification ________ 253
Brakes and braking ___________ 167
ABS brakes _________________ 167
Brake system ________________ 198
Brake fluid __________________ 257
Brake pads __________________ 257
Fuse panels ___________ 215
Changing a fuse ________ 215
Table of fuses __________ 217
Relays _______________ 218Temperature gauge ______ 55
Driving in hot weather ____ 173
Driving in winter_________ 172
Coolant:
checking/changing __ 196 / 197
Cooling-system capacity _ 252
Power steering __________ 199
Steering fluid: grade _____ 199
Wiper/washer control stalk _ 68
Washer fluid: topping-up __ 204
Washer jets ___________ 204
Jump starting ________________ 183
Battery _____________________ 199
Battery charge _______________ 199
Manual transmission __________ 158
Automatic transmission ________ 159
Manual transmission oil ________ 256
Automatic-transmission fluid ____ 256
Important considerations
for driving ___________________ 151
Turbo unit ___________________ 189
Engine: technical data __________ 252Ignition system _________ 148
Drive belts _____________ 202
Spark plugs ____________ 254
Catalytic converter ______ 152Warning labels ___________ 8
V.I.N. number __________ 259
Engine number _________ 259
Gearbox number ________ 259
Color code _____________ 259
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7
Engine compartment,
3.0t V6
IB585
Warning labels ___________ 8
V.I.N. number __________ 259
Engine number _________ 259
Gearbox number ________ 259
Color code _____________ 259Ignition system _________ 148
Drive belts _____________ 202
Spark plugs ____________ 254
Catalytic converter ______ 152Important considerations
for driving ___________________ 151
Turbo unit ___________________ 189
Engine: technical data __________ 252
Automatic transmission ________ 159
Automatic-transmission fluid ____ 256
Brakes and braking ___________ 167
ABS brakes _________________ 167
Brake system ________________ 198
Brake fluid __________________ 257
Brake pads __________________ 257Jump starting ________________ 183
Battery _____________________ 199
Battery charge _______________ 199
Fuse panels ___________ 215
Changing a fuse ________ 215
Table of fuses __________ 217
Relays _______________ 218Engine temperature gauge _ 55
Driving in hot weather ____ 173
Driving in cold climate ____ 172
Coolant:
checking/changing _ 196 / 197
Cooling-system capacity _ 252
Power steering _________ 199
Steering fluid: grade _____ 199
Wiper/washer control stalk _ 68
Washer fluid: topping-up __ 204
Washer jets ___________ 204
Engine: description ___________ 192
Engine oil level: checking ______ 193
Engine oil: changing __________ 194
Engine oil specification ________ 253
ProCarManuals.com
69 Instruments and controls
Rear-window wiper (9-5 Wagon)The rear-window wiper and washer are
operated with the same stalk switch as
used for washing and wiping the windshield
and headlights.
This stalk has two additional switches,
ON/OFF and .
The ON position provides intermittent wip-
ing.
The position provides washing and
wiping. After a few sweeps the wiper stops
or reverts to intermittent wiping, if this has
been chosen. About 15 seconds after com-
pletion of the washing/wiping of the rear
window, the wiper makes a single sweep to
wipe away any remaining washer fluid.
A spring-loaded position between the OFF
and ON positions allows for a single sweep
of the rear-window wiper.
Intermittent wiping of the rear window
occurs when reverse gear is engaged if the
windshield wipers are in position 1, 2 or 3,
see page 68.
2 1
IB1207
Rear-window wiper1 Intermittent wiping
2 Washers
ProCarManuals.com
187 Car care and technical information
Car care and
technical
information
Hood release handle ....... 188
Engine compartment,
4-cyl. engine ................... 189
Engine compartment,
6-cyl. (3.0t V6)................. 190
Emission control systems 191
Engine............................... 192
Engine oil ......................... 193
Transmission fluid........... 195
Coolant ............................. 196
Brake and clutch fluid ..... 198
Power steering fluid ........ 199
Battery .............................. 199 Drive belts ........................ 202
Wipers and washers ....... 203
Changing bulbs ............... 205
Fuses ................................ 215
Wheels .............................. 221
Compact spare wheel ..... 225
Flat spotting..................... 229
Air conditioning (ACC) ... 230
Safety belts ...................... 231
Upholstery and trim ........ 231
Textile carpeting.............. 232
Washing the car .............. 232
Waxing and polishing ..... 233 Engine compartment ....... 233
Touching up the paint ..... 233
Anticorrosion treatment .. 234
For long trips .................... 236
Recovery and/or recycling
of automotive materials. 236
Headlight aiming .............. 238
ProCarManuals.com
203 Car care and technical information
Wipers and washersCheck and clean all wiper blades regularly.
We recommend Saab washer fluid for
cleaning.
If poor wiper performance is experienced,
clean the windshield with Saab washer fluid.
This is particularly important if the car has
been through an automatic car wash, as
these sometimes leave a wax coating on the
windshield.
If wiper performance is still unsatisfactory,
fit new blades.
Changing the windshield wiper
bladesLift the wiper arm off the windshield
1 Depress the catch.
2 Pull the complete blade assembly down
to free it from the wiper arm, and then lift
it off the arm.
Changing headlight-wiper blades 1 Lift the wiper arm off the headlight.
2 Release the wiper blade by pulling it
straight down, at right angles to the
wiper arm.
To fit the new blade, slot the blade into the
retainer on the wiper arm, and press it firmly
home.
IB506
2
1
IB505
ProCarManuals.com
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.
ProCarManuals.com
243 Maintenance and owner assistance
Service record retentionService instruction coupons and record
stubs are provided in the Saab Warranties
and Service Record Booklet which accom-
panies this Owner’s Manual. The coupons
are arranged in the order that normal ser-
vice should be performed. The edge of each
coupon is shaded to correspond to the type
of service point:
Striped - "Check Up"
Blue - Oil change/inspection service
Black - Major service
Note that in Canada a combined service
and warranty book is used, but not service
coupons.
When scheduled services are performed,
your dealer will tear out the applicable
coupon and use it to check off the opera-
tions performed and enter it into the service
file at the dealership. The servicing dealer’s
stamp, along with the date and mileage at
which the service was done, should be
entered on the corresponding stub which
remains in your booklet. The booklet is your
permanent record of the services per-
formed. It also includes a log sheet for
unscheduled repairs.
It is advisable to retain receipts and, if pos-
sible, copies of shop work orders for all ser-
vice and repair work, wherever performed.
Service costsDealer pricing practices and labor for ser-
vice work vary. Saab’s recommended ser-
vice times for each service point do not
include the labor required to replace wear
items, such as wiper blades, brake pads or
tires. Nor is labor to perform other service or
repairs found to be necessary as a result of
the inspections included in these times.
Additional labor and parts will be charged
for such work when necessary, except as
covered under an applicable Saab warranty
or any optional extended service contract.
Transmission fluid changes or suspension
alignment, when necessary, are also addi-
tional.
Dealer charges for general shop material,
regulated hazardous waste removal, recy-
cling expenses or other operation costs may
also be applied to service and repair
invoices and are apt to vary by dealer and
locality.
Owner assistanceWarranties and service problem
assistanceFor complete information about all applica-
ble warranties, including the New Car War-
ranty, Perforation Warranty, Vehicle Emis-
sion Warranty and Emission Perforation
Warranty, consult the Warranties and Ser-
vice Record Booklet which accompanies
this Owner’s Manual. It also contains owner
assistance information including Saab
Roadside Assistance. If the booklet is lost or
misplaced, a new one may be ordered
through a Saab dealer or by contacting
Saab.
In the U.S. there is a national Customer
Assistance Center at Saab Cars USA, Inc.
The toll-free number to call from all 50 states
is 1-800-955-9007.
In Canada, please call the Saab Customer
Assistance Centre at 1-800-263-1999.
A list of authorized Saab sales and service
dealers is available for those planning to
travel in the United States and Canada.
Canadian or U.S. travelers may call the
Customer Assistance Center in the country
in which they are traveling.
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