28 SafetyAirbag (Supplemental
Restraint System
"SRS") The Supplementary Restraint System
(SRS) comprises an airbag in the steering
wheel, a front passenger airbag and side
airbags in the front seats.
The system supplements the protection
provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of occupants.
If a fault is detected in the SRS, the
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on (see pages 62 and
32). When the system is triggered by impact of a
frontal crash, the airbags in the steering
wheel and passenger side of the dash board
are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The entire process takes less than
0.1 second – literally, faster than the blink-
ing of an eye.
These airbags are triggered only by moder-
ate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes.
They will not be activated by minor front-end
impacts, rear-end or side impacts, or by the
car rolling over.
Side airbags, see page 30.
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to reach the steering wheel and
controls comfortably.
Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) should always
travel in the rear as the vehicle is
equipped with an airbag on the pas-
senger side.
IB827
Airbag in course of inflation (driver’s side)
IB1597
5
1
4
2
6
3
2
6
5
SRS (airbag) system with belt
pretensioners 1 Electronic control module and sensor
2 Belt pretensioners (for both front safety belts)
3 Steering wheel with integral airbag
4 Recess for airbag on passenger’s side
5 Sensor, side airbag
6 Side airbag
ProCarManuals.com
29 Safety
WARNING
Even if the car is equipped with an
SRS (airbag), safety belts must still
always be worn by all occupants.
Note that because an airbag inflates
and deflates extremely rapidly, it will
not provide protection against a
second impact occurring in the same
incident. Always use your safety belt.
Always sit with the whole of your back
in contact with the backrest of the seat,
and with your seat as far back as is
practical. This is to reduce the risk of
injury from contact with the backrest of
the seat when the airbag inflates and
also because the airbag needs space
in which to inflate.
Never attach anything to the steering
wheel or passenger side of the instru-
ment panel, as this could result in
injury if the airbag should inflate. The
same applies to anything you might
have in your mouth, such as a pipe, for
instance.
Some components of the airbag will
be hot for a short time. In some circum-
stances the airbag can cause burns or
abrasions to the body when the airbag
inflates/deflates.
Never rest your hands or forearms on
the steering-wheel center padding.
If the AIR BAG warning light remains
on after the car has been started or
comes on while you are driving, have
the car checked immediately by an
authorized Saab dealer. The warning
light could signify that the airbags may
not inflate in a crash, or they could
even inflate without a crash. See page
62.
Operation of the airbag in a front-end
crash.
Moment of impact.
Sensor detects
retardation and
sends a signal via
the control module to
a gas generator that
inflates the airbag.
The inflating airbag
cushions the driver.
Airbag now fully
inflated.
The airbag starts to
deflate. IB828
ProCarManuals.com
31 Safety
Side airbags are housed inside the back-
rests of the front seats and are designed to
protect the driver and front passenger in the
event of a side impact.
In a side impact, only the airbag on that side
will be activated, and only then if certain pre-
determined conditions are met such as the
force and angle of the impact, the speed of
the car on impact, and at which point on the
car’s side the impact occurs.
The sensors, which are fitted in the front
doors, sense the rise in pressure caused by
the door panel being pressed in during an
impact condition. The side airbag trigger will
be commanded based on the characteris-
tics of this pressure rise. The sensors for the side airbags are
fitted in the front doors.
We advise against doing any work on
the doors that could affect the mois-
ture barrier in the door or the airbag
sensors. It is essential that the mois-
ture barrier (thick plastic film) in the
front door is not damaged in any way.
Improvement of the anticorrosion
treatment of the doors should only be
carried out by an authorized Saab
dealer. Otherwise there is a risk that
the side impact sensor and the mois-
ture barrier in the door could be dam-
aged.
The side airbags will inflate only in the
event of a side impact; not in the event
of a front or rear-end crash or of the
car’s rolling over.
Wear and damage to the seat cover,
or the seat seam, in the area of the
side airbag must immediately be
repaired by an authorized Saab
dealer.
Do not modify the speaker installation
in the front doors or install speakers
other than those specifically approved
by Saab.
IB1707
Side airbag, components 1 Side airbags (SRS)
2 Sensor
3 Moisture barrier
4 Text on seat
IB1892
Accessories and other equipment must
not be fitted to the surfaces marked as
these are where the airbags may inflate in
the event of a crash.
ProCarManuals.com
41 Security
Car alarmThe car alarm (anti-theft system) is acti-
vated/deactivated when the car is
locked/unlocked by the key remote or by the
key in the driver´s door.
All of the doors plus the trunk lid and hood
are monitored by microswitches, and win-
dow-glass sensors will trigger the alarm if
any glass is broken.
Electronic starting interlock (immobilizer),
see page 42.
The car alarm is armed 10 seconds after the
car has been locked by the remote control.
During this ten-second delay period, the
doors, trunk lid and hood may still be
opened without the alarm being triggered.
The LED indicator on the dash will be on
continuously during this period, at the end of
which it will start to flash (once every third
second) when the alarm arms. If a door or the trunk lid or hood has been left
open when the car is locked, the LED on the
dash will flash (three times per second) for
ten seconds to indicate that something is
wrong.
Check to ensure that all the doors, plus
trunk lid and hood, are closed properly.
If the fault persists (LED flashing when
renewed attempt made to activate the car
alarm by remote locking), lock the car using
the key in the driver´s door instead. The car
alarm may not have been activated and you
should get in touch with an authorized Saab
dealer.
Be sure everyone using the car is familiar
with how both the car alarm and the locking
system work. This will avoid the alarm being
triggered inadvertently.
If the alarm is tripped (the direction indica-
tors are flashing and the siren is on) it can
be turned off by unlocking the car using the
button.
WARNING
Leaving children or pets unattended in a
locked car is dangerous. It is also danger-
ous to leave children in a vehicle with the
ignition key. A child or others could be
badly injured or even killed.
IB1524
3
2 1
Remote control 1 Activate/lock
2 Deactivate/unlock
3 Deactivate trunk, sensors/unlock trunk lid
To open trunk lid (9-3 Convertible)
ProCarManuals.com
42 SecurityActivating the car alarmThe car alarm cannot be activated if the
driver’s door is open or if the ignition switch
is in the ON position.
If, on the other hand, one of the other doors
or the trunk or hood is open or opened and
not closed again during the 10-second
delay period, it will be excluded from the
alarm function.
If it is then closed, a new delay period of ten
seconds will start, and the door (or trunk or
hood) will once again be secured by the
alarm system.
As usual, the LED will be on continuously
during the new delay period and will start to
flash every three seconds after the 10-sec-
ond period has elapsed.
Window glass sensorThe car-alarm (anti-theft system) incorpo-
rates a sensor that monitors the window
glass for the sound of breakage. The sensor
is fitted inside the rear dome light (on Con-
vertibles: in the front interior light).
To avoid false alarms, such as the alarm
being triggered by children or pets left inside
the car, the sensor can be temporarily dis-
abled.
To disable the sensor
To disable the sensor, first turn off the igni-
tion and remove the key from the switch.
Next, press and hold the NIGHT PANEL
button until ”DOOR ALARM ONLY” appears
on the SID and a chime sounds. The car
alarm must now be activated within three
minutes, or the glass sensor will become
active again.
The glass sensor will be enabled again
automatically the next time the car is
unlocked. The sensor can also be enabled
again by repeating the procedure for dis-
abling it. When the sensor has been
enabled, ”FULL THEFT ALARM” will
appear on the SID.
If a fault is detected in the glass sensor,
”SERVICE THEFT ALARM” will appear on
the SID.
9-3 Convertible: when the car is parked
with the soft top down, the glass sensor will
be automatically disabled.
Electronic starting interlock
(immobilizer)When the key is inserted in the ignition, a
signal is sent to the receiver. If the signal is
verified, the engine can be started.
Each time the key is removed from the igni-
tion, the electronic immobilizer is activated.
If a fault is detected (e.g. in the transmitter)
”KEY NOT ACCEPTED” will appear on the
SID.
In this case, you can still start the car if you
turn the ignition key to ON and press one of
the buttons on the key.
Take the car to an authorized Saab dealer to
have the system checked.
The LED on the top of the dash dou-
ble-flashes when the car is immobilized.
ProCarManuals.com
44 SecurityOverview of functions
Alarm signals may differ between model variants for different coun-
tries.
Some of the car alarm functions can be reprogrammed – con-
sult your Saab dealer for further details (see page 245). Locking/
activation Hazard warning lights flash once (0.5 seconds).
Horn chirps once.
The LED will come on for 10 seconds.
Unlocking/
deactivation Hazard warning lights flash twice.
Horn chirps twice.
The LED will come on for two seconds.
Unlocking/
deactivation of
trunk lid alarm Hazard warning lights flash three times.
Horn chirps three times.
The LED will flash three times per second for
10 seconds.
Alarm triggered Hazard warning lights flash for 5 min.
Siren wails for 30 seconds.
To switch off the alarm, deactivate the system in
the normal way (unlocking) by unlocking the
door with the key or the remote
Window-glass
sensor The sensor detects if any window is broken and
triggers the alarm.
To disable the sensor, see page 42.
Key The range of the key is normally 5-10 yds.
(5-10 metres), although it can be substantially
more than this in ideal conditions.
If the key is not working, it may be because the
code signal has not been synchronized with that
in the control module for the car alarm. To rectify
this, press the unlock button on the key at least
four times in quick succession. When it is recog-
nized, the door locks will cycle.
If a key is lost, the new one will have to be pro-
grammed (all keys must be present) to match the
car’s unique security code. Get in touch with an
authorized Saab dealer. Battery for key The battery for the key will normally have a life of
4 years. When the battery needs changing,
”REPLACE KEY BATTERY” will appear on the
SID.
Contact a Saab workshop to have the battery
changed.
Car-battery
voltage If the battery is disconnected while the alarm is
active (car is locked), for example during an
attempt to steal the car, the alarm will be trig-
gered.
ProCarManuals.com
45 Security
Overview of, LED signals and SID messagesSome signals may differ between model variants for different
countries.Status LED signal
Activation (during 10-second delay). Comes on for 10 seconds.
Alarm activated (after delay). Flashes once every third
second.
Deactivation. Comes on for 2 seconds.
Alarm not activated. Off.
Door, trunk lid or hood open or
opened during delay period.Flashes three times per sec-
ond for 10 seconds.
Unlocking the trunk lid. Flashes three times per sec-
ond for 10 seconds.
Closing of door, trunk lid or hood
after delay period.Comes on for 10 seconds.
Car immobilized but not locked.
Car alarm not activated.Flashes twice at three sec-
onds intervals.
Fault in a switch for doors, hood or
trunk lid.Flashing (instead of being
on continuously) during
delay period.
SID message Reason/action
SERVICE THEFT ALARM Probably a faulty sensor or siren.
Have the car checked by an author-
ized Saab dealer.
KEY NOT ACCEPTED Fault in key transmitter or in igni-
tion-switch receiver. Turn ignition
switch to ON and press one of the
buttons on the remote control. Start
the engine.
Have the car checked by an author-
ized Saab dealer.
REPLACE KEY BATTERY Fit a new battery in the key.
DOOR ALARM ONLY Window-glass sensor is disabled.
FULL THEFT ALARM Window-glass sensor is included in
circuit.
REMOTE KEY
TRANSPONDRTurn the ignition key to the ON posi-
tion and then press the button for
opening the trunk lid. SID displays
the number of keys (remote key) and
transmitters (transponders) coded to
the car.
ProCarManuals.com
66 Instruments and controlsInstruments TachometerThe tachometer indicates the engine speed
in thousands of revolutions per minute. The
needle may be allowed to enter the broken
red zone on the dial only for an instant.
A safety cut-out function (in the fuel system)
prevents the engine speed exceeding
approximately 6,200 rpm (2.0 Turbo) and
6,400 rpm (2.3 Turbo).
Odometer and trip meterThe odometer records the distance trav-
elled in miles on U.S. vehicles and on Cana-
dian vehicles the distance indicated is in
kilometres, and the trip meter in miles and
tenths (kilometres and tenths of kilometres
on Canadian vehicles). Reset button The button is located close to the right of the
odometer and trip meter in the main instru-
ment panel.
The reset button has two functions, deter-
mined by whether the ignition is ON or OFF.
When the ignition is ON, the button will
reset the trip meter.
When the ignition is OFF, the button will
bring up the display for 20 seconds to
allow the odometer and trip-meter read-
ings to be viewed. Press once more within
20 seconds to reset the trip meter.
Speedometer (U.S. speedometer
shown)The speedometer receives signals from a
wheel sensor in the ABS system.
If the NIGHT PANEL mode has been
selected, the scale will be illuminated up to
87 mph (140 km/h). The remainder of the
scale will be illuminated if the speed of the
car exceeds 84 mph (135 km/h).
IB340
IB341
IB1850
ProCarManuals.com