2IntroductionThis manual provides practical guidance on
driving and caring for your Saab.
The Saab 9-3 is available with a 2.0L
turbo-engine, 185 hp (Canada only) or 205
hp or a 2.3L turbo-engine, 230 hp.
Although the manual describes the most
important differences between model vari-
ants, it does not include precise specifica-
tions of the different variants. Some differ-
ences also occur to meet special legal
requirements in different countries.
Importation and distribution of Saab auto-
mobiles, spare parts and accessories are
handled exclusively by General Motors of
Canada Limited in Canada and by Saab
Cars USA, Inc. in the U.S.A.
We recommend that you read through the
manual before taking the car out for the first time and that you keep it in the car for future
reference.
To find a specific item, use the overviews
given on pages 3-6. A list of contents is
given at the beginning of each section of the
manual, and there is also a comprehensive
index at the back of the book.
Supplied with the car is a Warranties and
Service Record booklet and a tire warranty
folder which specifies the regular mainte-
nance to be carried out. The book also con-
tains important warranty conditions: Since the policy at Saab is one of continual
improvement, we retain the right to incorpo-
rate modifications and to alter specifications
during production without prior notice.
If you have any queries concerning your car,
its equipment, the warranty conditions or
the like, your Saab dealer will be pleased to
help.
Best wishes,
Saab Automobile AB
Saab Automobile AB does not accept liability for
any damage caused by the fitting of spare parts,
exchange parts or accessories that are not
approved by Saab Automobile AB.
The specifications, design particulars and illus-
trations included in the manual are not binding.
WARNING
WARNING texts warn against the danger
of injury if the specified instructions are
not followed.
NOTENOTE texts warn of potential damage to
the car if the recommendations are not
followed.
IB1884
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37 Security
To check the number of keys that are pro-
grammed for the car; see page 45.Electronic starting interlock
(immobilizer)Each time the key is removed from the igni-
tion, the electronic starting interlock is acti-
vated and the car is thus immobilized, see
also page 42. Reprogramming lock system
functionsCertain lock system functions can be repro-
grammed by your authorized Saab dealer;
see page 245.
Locking/unlocking the carWhen the car is locked and unlocked with
the key, the theft alarm is also affected.
Remote locking (1)
Press once on the control: all doors
lock.
The hazard warning lights will flash once to
confirm.
The trunk lid cannot be opened now from
inside using the switch on the driver’s door.
Remote unlocking (2)
Press once on the control: driver´s
door is unlocked. Press a second time to
unlock the rest of the doors.
The hazard warning lights will flash twice to
confirm.
If unable to unlock using the remote
control
Unlock the door manually. If the car has an
alarm, this will be tripped. To silence the
alarm, insert the key into the ignition switch
and turn it to the ON position.
The car can now be started. Contact your
local Saab workshop to have the system
checked and rectified.
NOTEThe key contains delicate electronics.
Do not expose it to water.
Avoid rough handling.
Do not place the key where it may be
subjected to high temperatures, e.g.
on the fascia.
The key may malfunction if it becomes
very cold. Warm it in your hands for a
couple of minutes.
Never open the key except to change
the battery. For changing the battery,
see page 39.
WARNING
The remote control also works from inside
the car. Therefore, hold the key in such a
way that the buttons are not unintention-
ally pressed when the key is turned, or
inserted or removed from the ignition
switch.
Otherwise, the doors may be unintention-
ally locked or the tailgate unlocked. On
Convertible models, the trunk may even
be opened.
IB1525
Locking / unlocking by remote control 1To lock
2 To unlock
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
69 Instruments and controls
Trip computer SID(Saab Information Display)The car is equipped with SID (Saab
Information Display). This instrument con-
tains a varying number of functions depend-
ing on the standard of equipment and the
model variant.
SID displays CHECK messages and has
eight trip-computer functions; see page 69.
SID (SCC)Selecting the function
Use the button to scroll through the
following functions:
Use the button to scroll through the
following functions:
Outside temperature
(Frost warning) Regardless of what function you have
selected, SID automatically switches to the
outside-temperature function when the tem-
perature is between 26° and 38°F (-3° and
+3°C), and also when temperature is
selected and it has been outside the range
from 21° to 43°F (-6°C to +6°C) and again
enters the range between 26° and 38°F
(-3°C and +3°C).
WARNING
It is strongly recommended that the SID
settings be changed only when the car is
stationary. The driver’s attention can oth-
erwise easily be distracted from the road.
DIST Distance to destination / Trip
meter.
ARRIV Estimated time of arrival.
ALARM Alarm function.
SPD W Speed warning (chime).
TEMP Outdoor temperature and Date.
D.T.E. Estimated range (distance to
empty fuel tank).
FUEL Ø Average fuel consumption
since function last reset.
SPD Ø Average speed since function
last reset.
WARNING
Remember that roads can be icy even at
temperatures of above 38°F (+3°C),
especially on bridges and stretches of
road that are sheltered from the sun.
IB744
SID 3 (SCC, Saab Car Computer)
ProCarManuals.com
71 Instruments and controls
Calculation of arrival time and
average speed The settings must be made before the jour-
ney is started.
Calculation of arrival time:
1 Select DIST using the button.
2 Hold SET until display starts flashing.
3 Set the destination distance using or
.
4 Press SET to store settings.
When ARRIV is selected during the journey,
the arrival time based on the average speed
over the past 20 minutes will be displayed.
The trip computer will include any stops in
the calculation of the estimated time of
arrival.
Press DIST and the distance remaining to
the destination will be displayed in the same
way.
After the distance to destination has
decreased to zero, the DIST will function as
a trip meter (see ”Using DIST as a trip
meter”). The starting value for the trip meter
will be the last distance set in the DIST
function.
Example: The DIST setting was 100 miles.
Once 100 miles (160 km) has been cov-
ered, the DIST will start to function as a trip
meter, the initial reading of which will be
100 miles (160 km).
Using DIST as a trip meter If no value has been set for the DIST func-
tion, DIST will now function as a trip meter
(indicated by an arrow on the far right of the
display).
Press CLR to reset the trip meter.
Under 1000 miles the distance will be
shown in increments of 0.1 miles,
there-after, the reading will change in incre-
ments of 1.0 miles.
Metric units: for just under a kilometer, the
distance will be shown in increments of
10 meters, there-after, the reading will
change in increments of 100 meters.
When DIST is functioning as a trip meter,
the ARRIV function will display the current
time. To calculate the arrival time if a specified
average speed is maintained
1 Select DIST using the button.
2 Hold the SET button for two seconds.
3 Set the distance to be covered using
or .
4 Press SET to store settings.
5 Press to select SPD Ø.
6 Hold the SET button for two seconds.
7 Set the average speed you intend to
drive at using or .
8 Press SET to display the estimated
arrival time.
At the beginning of a journey, the SPD Ø
and ARRIV functions will display current
values. If values are set during the journey,
the new values will be displayed after a
delay of about 10 seconds.
ProCarManuals.com
76 Instruments and controlsCourtesy Headlamp Feature A delay function allows the headlights to
remain on low beam for about 30 seconds
after the driver’s door has been closed.
To activate this function,
Switch off the ignition and remove the key
Open the driver’s door
Pull the high/low beam control stalk
towards the steering wheel like you are
flashing the high beam, see page 75. The
low beam headlights will now come on
immediately after the driver’s door has
been closed (within 30 seconds) and will
remain on for about 30 seconds.
Turn signal & lane change indicatorsTo switch on the indicators, move the stalk
up or down.
The stalk has fixed positions for indicating a
right or left turn, and the indicators are can-
celled automatically (stalk returns to off
position) after most turns.
The stalk also has an intermediate,
spring-loaded position that is useful for sig-
nalling when changing lanes or passing.
The respective indicator lights on the instru-
ment panel flash at the same frequency as
the indicators
Hazard warning lightsWhen this button is pressed, all the turn
signal & lane change indicators and a
symbol in the button flash simultaneously. If
the ignition is on, both indicator lights on the
instrument panel will also flash.
If the hazard warning lights are left on for
some time, the flasher frequency will be
reduced to save the battery.
Hazard warning lights should only be used
if, because of a crash or breakdown, the car
constitutes a hazard to other road users.
102
IB1595
Turn signal & lane change indicators 1 Right turn signal indicators
2 Left turn signal indicators
IB749
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98 Saab 9-3 Audio SystemRadio Press the RADIO button to switch to the
radio when another source is active. Preset station buttons (1) Press once (release within a second) to
select a preset station, e.g.
The small figure on the far right of the dis-
play is the number of the preset button
selected.
Presetting a station
Press the desired button and hold it down
for more than a second to store the currently
tuned station. During this time, the radio will
be mute. The sound will return as soon as
the station has been stored.
Seeking (2) Automatic seek tuning:
Press briefly to search for higher fre-
quencies or for lower frequencies.
Manual tuning:
To switch to the manual-tuning function,
press or and hold until a
chime sounds and the M indicator appears
on the display.
The function will revert to automatic seek
tuning two seconds after the last manual
frequency change has been made. Band selector (3) Touch the BAND button repeatedly to move
through the waveband selections: FM1,
FM2 and AM.
AS, Autostore (4) The autostore mode provides an additional
preset function that can be used to search
for and to store stations when you are in an
area where you are unfamiliar with the sta-
tions and their frequencies. This can be
done without changing your normal presets.
Touch the AS button to switch the Autostore
mode ON/OFF. When the Autostore mode
is ON, the AS indicator will show at the
bottom of the display.
Press and hold the AS button for more than
a second to initiate an automatic search for
the six strongest stations.
Each time the system finds and stores a sta-
tion, the number on the far right of the SID
display will change. If the system cannot
IB1836
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100 Saab 9-3 Audio SystemCD playerTo select the CD mode, load a CD into the
deck or, if one is already loaded, press the
CD/RDM button.
Insert the CD, label-side up, and allow the
mechanism to load it automatically. Play-
back of the first track will start and the follow-
ing message will appear on the display:
A tiny, amber-colored LED indicator to the
left of the disc tray is illuminated when a disc
is loaded.
When all the tracks have been played, the
CD player will restart playback from track 1.
To cancel playback, press the eject or
RADIO button.
Track search (1) Touch or repeatedly to move
to preceding or following tracks. Touching
once will restart playback from the
beginning of the current track. To change to
the preceding track, touch twice.
Rapid play (passage search) When or is pressed and
held, rapid play will be initiated, with the time
and track showing on the display, e.g.:
If the button is depressed for more than
5 seconds, the rapid play will be even faster.
Rapid play stops when the button is
released.
NOTEDo not use writable CDs in your audio
system, as in certain cases these types of
CD are only suitable for home use and
can therefore cause operational prob-
lems (overheating).
IB1837
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