2002 SAAB 9-3 fuel tank capacity

68 Instruments and controlsUnder certain barometric conditions the
needle may enter the first part of the red
zone without necessarily indicating that a
fault has arisen.
If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone
and the engine at the same time loses
power, because the monitoring system is
holding the charging pressure down, you
should contact an authorized Saab dealer.
If the speed exceeds 143 mph (230 km/h),
the increase in speed will be limited by the
lowering of the boost pressure. The pres-
sure gauge then moves towards the middle
of the orange zone, indicating reduced
engine output and thus reduces the speed
of the car as well.
Fuel gaugeThe fuel-tank capacity is 17.0 gal. (64 liters).
The fuel gauge shows the amount of fuel left
in the tank. When this is down to about
2.5 gal. (10 liters), a warning light on the
main instrument panel will come on (see
page 62).
Use the Saab Information display (SID) to
check the approximate distance that can be
travelled on the remaining fuel
(see page 69).
Refueling; see page 151.
Gear selector indication
(cars with automatic transmission)An indicator showing which gear is selected
is situated in the main instrument panel.
IB345
IB1280
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149 Starting and driving
2 Stopping the engine
 Do not rev the engine immediately
before switching it off - stop the engine
when it is idling.
3 Regulating the charging pressure
 The system is optimized for fuel with an
octane rating of AON 90. For cars with
205 hp engines and the Viggen, the
system is optimized for AON 93. One of
the advantages of the system is that it
enables the engine to be run safely on
lower-grade fuel, although not lower
than AON 87. However, engine perfor-
mance will fall off slightly, and heavy
loading should be avoided. For best
performance you should use the rec-
ommended grade of fuel, AON 90
(205 hp engine and Viggen AON 93).
 The maximum boost pressure is
adjusted automatically to the knocking
or pinging tendency of the engine.
Occasional, short-lived knocking when
the engine is under a heavy load is per-
fectly normal; the extent will depend on
the grade of fuel in the tank.
 Isolated instances of knocking are
more likely to occur with low-octane
fuel. This controlled form of knocking,
followed by a reduction in the boost
pressure, is a sign that the wastegate is
functioning and is perfectly safe for the
engine.Saab 9-3 Viggen: The Saab 9-3 Viggen has
a high-performance engine which means
that a certain amount of care should be
exercised, in particular when accelerating in
the lower gears. This is especially important
when the road surface is slippery to avoid
the driving wheels from losing their grip.
Limp-homeThe car’s engine management system has
a diagnostics function that, once the engine
has been switched off, checks a number of
internal functions. If a throttle valve fault is
detected, the engine management system
will initiate limp-home mode for the valve.
This means, for example, that idling speed
regulation will be impaired, the cruise con-
trol system will be inoperative, and the
capacity of the A/C compressor will be lim-
ited.
When starting the car in limp-home mode at
temperatures below 32°F (0°C), depress
the accelerator slightly.
If the diagnosis function detects any faults in
the engine management system, the
“Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)
“ indicator in the main instrument panel
will light up (see page 63). The car should
be checked as soon as possible at an
authorized Saab dealer.
NOTEIf constant knocking occurs every time a
load is put on the engine, this indicates a
malfunction in the system.
Have the car checked without delay by an
authorized Saab dealer. NOTEIf the engine is being run with the car on a
rolling road or dynamometer, longer than
for a standard state emission inspection,
to ensure adequate cooling, air must be
blown into the engine compartment and
under the car at a rate equivalent to the
ram-air effect that would be obtained at
the corresponding road speed.
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151 Starting and driving
 Never park the car on dry grass or other
combustible material. The catalytic con-
verter gets very hot and could therefore
start a fire.
 Never drive off if the engine is misfiring.
 If you jump start the car when the engine
is already up to normal temperature, the
engine must start to run on all cylinders.
Stop jump-starting if the engine fails to
start immediately.
 Failure to follow these directions could
result in the catalytic converter and asso-
ciated components being damaged, and
could represent a breach of the warranty
conditions.
RefuelingOnly fuel from well-known oil companies
should be used.
All Saab gasoline engines can be driven on
fuel of grade AON 87-93.
For optimum performance we recommend:
AO N 90 for 2.0 Turbo 185 hp.
AO N 93 for 2.0 Turbo 205 hp and
2.3 Turbo Viggen.
If fuel containing a mixture of alcohol is
used, the following restrictions apply:
Methanol: max. 5% by volume.
Ethanol: max. 10% by volume.
MTBE: max. 15% by volume.The fuel filler cap is located in the right rear
quarter panel.
Switch off engine.
Insert the fuel-pump nozzle beyond the
flange on the filler pipe. Do not withdraw the
nozzle while filling is in progress.
Cease refueling the first time the pump
stops.
Fuel-tank capacity: 17.0 US gal. (64 liters)
Screw on the filler cap and keep turning until
it has clicked at least three times to prevent
illumination of the CHECK ENGINE light
and a TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP mes-
sage to appear on SID.
Manually opening the fuel filler door, see
page 144, Convertible, page 58.
The most effective way to prevent conden-
sation forming in the tank (and thus avoid
possible running problems) is to keep the
tank full.
Before the onset of freezing temperatures in
winter, it may be advisable to add gasoline
anti-freeze to the fuel a few times to dispel
any condensation in the system.
NOTEIf the car runs out of fuel, it is possible for
air to get into the fuel system. If this
happens, the catalytic converter may
overheat and be damaged.
WARNING
 Never use fuel for any purpose other
than as engine fuel.
 Gasoline is highly flammable and can
cause severe burns. Never use an
exposed flame in the vicinity of gaso-
line. Never smoke when filling the
vehicle up with gasoline.
 Do not use the phone when refueling
with gasoline. Gasoline fuels are
highly explosive.
NOTEDo not overfill. Fuel should not come right
up the filler pipe as expansion room is
needed.
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152 Starting and driving
Recommended fuel:For optimum performance we recommend:
 AON 90 for 2.0 Turbo 185 hp engines.
 AON 93 for 2.0 Turbo 205 hp engines and
2.3 Viggen.
Octane rating is determined according to
the formula:
where MON is the Motor Octane Number,
and RON is the Research Octane Number.
The average of these two values is the
octane rating of the gasoline as it appears
on the pump at a retail gas station. This
value is sometimes referred to as the
"Anti-Knock Index" (AKI) or the "Average
Octane Number" (AON).To avoid deposit formation on the fuel injec-
tors which can cause poor driveability, use
only quality gasolines that contain deter-
gents and corrosion inhibitors. Because
gasolines sold at retail gas stations vary in
their composition and quality, you should
switch to a different brand if you begin expe-
riencing driveability and/or hard starting
problems shortly after refueling your car. In
recent years, a variety of fuel additives and
alcohols or oxygenates have been blended
with gasoline. These types of gasolines may
be found in all parts of the United States and
Canada, but particularly in geographic
areas and cities that have high carbon mon-
oxide levels. Saab approves the use of such
"reformulated" gasolines in its products,
which help in reducing pollution from all
motor vehicles, provided that the following
blending percentages are met by such
fuels:
 Up to 10% ethanol by volume, with corro-
sion inhibitors.
 Up to 15% MTBE by volume (methyl ter-
tiary butyl ether).
 Up to 5% methanol by volume, with an
equal amount of a suitable co-solvent and
added corrosion inhibitors.
NOTE Fill to maximum filling capacity
 Stop filling after the first time that the
nozzle trips to shut off the flow of fuel
 Filling capacity can differ between
different fuel stations and outside
temperature. Fuel tank volume when
nozzle trips to shut off, may vary by
0.5 gal. (2 liters).
 Do not fill fuel all the way up the filler
pipe. The gasoline must be allowed
room for expansion especially during
hot weather.
MON + RON
2
IB1891
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239 Technical data
Fuel Engine variantsFuel-tank capacity __________________ 17 U.S. gal. (64 l)
For optimum performance, we recommend
the following:
2.0 Turbo 185 bhp *) ________________ 90 AON, unleaded
gasoline,
minimum 87 AON
2.0 Turbo 205 bhp and Viggen ________ 93 AON**),
unleaded gasoline,
minimum 87 AON
*) Offered in Canada only
**) If the car is filled with 90 AON gasoline
and the outdoor temperature is above
77-86°F (25-30°C), a slight decrease in
engine performance may be noticeable.
2.0 Turbo 185 hp, manual transmission *)Rating, EEC at 5500 rpm ____________ 185 hp (136 kW)
Max. torque (man.), EEC at 2100 rpm _ 194.0 ft.lb (263 Nm)
Compression ratio _________________ 8.8:1 2.0 Turbo 185 hp, automatic transmissionRating, EEC at 5500 rpm ____________ 185 hp (136 kW)
Max. torque EEC at 1900 rpm ________ 184.4 ft.lb. (250 Nm)
Compression ratio _________________ 8.8:1 2.0 Turbo 205 hp, manual transmissionRating, EEC, at 5500 rpm ___________ 205 hp (151 kW)
Max. torque EEC at 2200 rpm ________ 206.5 ft.lb (280 Nm)
Compression ratio _________________ 8.8:12.0 Turbo 205 hp, automatic transmissionRating, EEC, at 5750 rpm ___________ 205 hp (151 kW)
Max. torque EEC at 1900 rpm ________ 184.4 ft.lb (250 Nm)
Compression ratio _________________ 8.8:12.3 Turbo 230 hp, manual transmissionRating, EEC, at 5500 rpm ___________ 230 hp (169 kW)
Max. torque EEC at 2500 rpm ________ 258.1 ft.lb (350 Nm)
Compression ratio _________________ 9.3:1
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248 IndexElectrically adjustable seats
_______ 127
Electrically heated front seats ______ 129
Electrically heated rear window _____ 83
Electronic starting interlock
_________ 37
Emergency opening, fuel filler door
_144
Emergency operation of the soft top,
Convertible
____________________ 52
Emergency operation of the sunroof
_132
Emission control systems
_________ 188
Engine bay
____________________ 187
Engine bay, cleaning
_____________ 220
Engine break-in period ______ 155
, 170
Engine number
_________________ 243
Engine oil, changing
_____________ 190
Engine oil, checking _____________ 190
Engine oil, grade
________________ 237
Engine oil, volume _______________ 238
Engine variants
_________________ 239
Engine, description ______________ 188
Engine, technical data ____________ 237
FFault codes, Audio System
________ 109
Flat spot
______________________ 218
Folding the soft top, Convertible
_____ 49
For long trips
___________________ 184
Front fog lights __________________ 77
Fuel filler door, emergency opening
_144
Fuel gauge
_____________________ 68
Fuel grade _____________________ 239Fueling
_______________________151
Fuel-tank capacity
_______________239
Fuse table
_____________________208
Fuses
________________________206
GGearbox number
________________243
Gearbox oil, checking
____________191
Gearbox oil, grade
_______________240
General particulars ______________234
General safety instructions, Convertible
48
Glove compartment
______________135
HHandbrake
_____________________168
Hazard warning lights
_____________76
Head restraint
___________________18
Headlight flasher _________________75
Hood
_________________________186
Horn signal
____________________131
IIf the car does not start
___________147
Ignition switch
__________________146
Immobilizer
_____________________37
Important considerations concerning
cars with catalytic converters
_____150Important considerations for driving

148
Indicator lights
__________________ 60
Instrument lighting
_______________ 78
Integrated booster seat
___________ 26
Interior equipment
______________ 123
Interior lighting
_________________ 133
Interior lighting, Convertible
________ 58
Interior rearview mirror
__________ 137
JJack
_________________________ 215
Jump starting
__________________ 181
KKey
__________________________ 36
Key, removing
_________________ 146
LLATCH (child safety)
_____________ 21
Labels and plates
______________ 243
Leather upholstery, care of
_______ 219
Load eyes
____________________ 142
Locks
_________________________ 36
Lowering rear seat
______________ 138
Luggage compartment
__________ 138
Luggage compartment, Convertible
_56
Luggage-compartment lighting
____ 142
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