48 ConvertibleConvertibleGeneral safety instructions• Never touch the hinges and struts of the
soft top nor the upper beam of the wind-
shield while operating the soft top.
After raising the soft top, always check
that it is properly secured to the top beam
of the windshield with the soft top locking
device before driving the car away.
After folding it down you should check that
the tonneau cover latches have engaged
properly. Otherwise it may come loose
while you are driving and cause injury.
Do not operate the soft top with passen-
gers in the rear seat or bystanders right
next to the car. There is a risk of head inju-
ries while the soft top is in motion.
Remove child seats and children before
operating the soft top.
Don’t operate the soft top in temperatures
below 23°F (-5°C). Note that certain automatic carwashes
can do damage to fabric soft tops. This
applies to carwashes that use mechanical
feelers bearing against the body. We
advise against washing a Saab 9-3 Con-
vertible in automatic carwashes.
Note that certain automatic car washes
can cause water to leak in places that nor-
mally would not leak. Do not direct high
pressure streams of water at the seals for
the conver tible top.
Roof racks and ski holders must not be
mounted on the soft top.
Under no circumstances should anything
be put into the storage space for the soft
top (under the tonneau cover) since this
could cause obstruction when the soft top
is being folded away.
See that no luggage is resting against the
soft top stowage space since this could
interfere with the rasing and folding of the
soft top. When the soft top is being operated, low-
ering or raising should be completed. Do
not leave the soft top partially raised or
lowered: after 20 seconds it will quickly
"settle down" when the hydraulic pres-
sure is automatically released.
It is important that the telescopic locking
handle is completely pushed in when the
soft top is closed.
Fold down any auxilliary mounted
antenna before raising the top to avoid
possible antenna or top damage (e.g.,
OnStar cellular antenna on windshield of
Conver tible).
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52 Convertible4 Raise the side windows by sliding the
ROOF button forward a second time.
Alternatively, use the central operating
switch for the side windows.
5 Check that there are no fault messages
on the SID; see page 54.Manual raising of the
soft topPoints 6 to 8 are only valid if the soft top is
operated manually when the soft top ton-
neau is locked.1 Tip the backrests of the front seats for-
ward.
2 Unlock the rear-seat backrest with the
ignition key just outboard of the left rear
headrest and tip it forward.
3 Remove the round rubber cover over the
hydraulic valve.
4 Open the valve about half a turn anti-
clockwise.
5 Open the trunk lid.
6 Take out the wheel lug wrench.
7 In the soft top tonneau mechanism and
inside the trunk lining on the right-hand
side, is a hole into which the straight part
of the tool is to be inserted; see the fig-
ure. 8 Unlock the tonneau cover by pulling the
tool backwards. The cover should lift
half an inch or so (a centimeter or so).
Remove the tool. Close the trunk lid.
WARNING
Manual operation of the soft top must be
resorted to only to raise it in an emer-
gency (e.g. in case of an electrical or
hydraulic fault).
After manual raising the soft top must on
no account be folded down manually,
since this could cause damage to the soft
top mechanism.
Valve for manual raising of the soft top
IB842
IB938
Tool fitted for manual unlocking (1) or
locking (2) of the tonneau cover
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56 ConvertibleTrunk, 9-3 ConvertibleHooking up top storage bagMore space in the trunk can be obtained by
lifting the top storage bag up by the straps
under it and hooking them in the eyelets at
the top of the bag.
The top storage bag can only be hooked up
in this way when the top is raised. If you
attempt to lower the top while the bag is
hooked up, the SID will display the message
"CHECK SOFT TOP STORAGE"; see page
54.
Trunk lid lockUnlocking the trunk lid by using the remote
trunk release button on the driver’s door is
possible only when the top is fully lowered
or raised (note that the ignition must be in
position ON when the top is lowered).
The trunk button on the driver’s door is inop-
erative when the car is locked.Rear seatThe rear seat is intended for two passen-
gers.
The two rear seat positions have three-point
safety belts with inertia reels.
Lowering the rear seatbackTo increase the load-carrying capacity of
the car, the rear seatback can be folded for-
ward. This will be easier if the front seats are
not too far back.
1 Pass the rear safety belts under the
black handles at both ends of the back-
rest. This prevents the safety belts from
becoming caught when the seatback is
raised again.
2 The seatback is fitted with a lock at the
top near the left rear head restraint. Use
the ignition key to unlock the entire back-
rest. Remove the key.
3 Lower the seatback. (If using child seat
top tether strap, detach from anchorage
in trunk prior to lowering the seatback.).Trunk Pass-Through in the rear NOTE
If the trunk lid is opened by unlocking it
with the key when the top is not fully raised
or lowered, damage to the trunk lid and/or
top system could result.
IB855
Suspending top bag
IB856
Lock for rear backrest cushion
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58 ConvertibleUse mild soap, lukewarm water and a
sponge for washing.
Rinse the top thoroughly with plain water to
get rid of all the soap. Flush the cleaning
agent off the bodywork as well, since it can
cause discoloration if it is left to dry on the
paintwork.
If further cleaning is needed after soap and
water have been used, a mild shampoo may
be employed. First rinse the soft top, then
use shampoo on the complete top and
scrub with a small soft hand brush.
Add water as needed until the cleaning
agent lathers. Use a rag or sponge to
remove dirt, so as to avoid working it into the
cloth. Thoroughly rinse the whole car with
plain water and make sure that cleaning
agents are not allowed to dry on the paint-
work.
Cleaning the rear windowThe rear window can be cleaned with a
window cleaner or a mild soap solution and
a soft, anti-static cloth.
Since the rear window is made of glass,
when necessary, you can use an ice
scraper on the outside. Never use a scraper
on the inside!Interior lightingThe front light is located on the front roof rail.
The rear lighting consists of two lights built
in to the side panels adjacent to the rear
seat. The switch is on the center console
between the front seats, see also page 133.
Certain variants have a mirror and lighting
built into the sun visors.
Manually opening the
fuel filler doorConvertible If the fuel filler door, controlled by the central
lock, does not unlock take the following
action:
Check fuse 25. If it is defective or blows
again after changing, the locking motor can
be detached from the flap by pulling a wire.
The wire, marked with a yellow arrow at the
end, is located in the trunk inside the open-
ing in the upholstery in front of the
right-hand rear light.
NOTEAfter washing, the soft top must be given
time to dry completely before being folded
down. A wet or damp top that is folded
down can be damaged by mold.
IB861
Wire for manual opening of fuel filler door
(Convertible)
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127 Interior equipment, trunk
Electrically adjustable front seats
(certain variants)Both seats can be operated from outside
when one of the front doors is opened, to
improve access to the car.
For safety reasons, if the door is closed, the
seat can only be adjusted when the ignition
is ON.
Note, that both front seats can be adjusted
up to 30 seconds after the door has been
closed.
Height Raise the seat by lifting the front switch bar
straight up.
Lower the seat by pushing the front switch
bar down.
The same switch bar can be used to adjust
the height of the front and rear edges of the
seat independently by moving half of the
switch in the direction desired.
Legroom adjustment For power seats, slide the switch bar for-
ward or rearward to the desired position.
WARNING
The seats are actuated by powerful
motors. Bear this in mind when adjusting
the seat, and make sure that nothing gets
caught and damaged.
Bear in mind that children can be injured
if they play with the electrically-operated
seats.
Always remove the ignition key when you
leave the car to prevent personal injury
caused by the electrically adjustable
seats, for example, due to children play-
ing.
IB807
IB806
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138 Interior equipment, trunkTrunk, Coupé and 5-doorTrunk lid lockUnlock the trunk lid by pressing on the key, by pressing the
remote release button on the driver’s door or by using the key. The
alarm horn sounds three times and the lights flash when the trunk is
released with the remote control.
Programming features, see page 245.
Lowering the entire rear seatTo lower the rear seat, the front seats must be moved forward if they
are in the most rearward position. The seat back must be almost ver-
tical.
1 Flip up the seat bottom by pulling the loops located between the
backrest cushions and seat cushions.
2 Rest the seat cushions on edge just behind the front seats.
3 Release the entire backrest cushion, including the belt beam, by
pressing in the latch in the handle on the left (driver’s) side. After
this has been done, the fact that the belt beam has been
released is indicated by the red "warning tabs" popping up on the
right and left sides of the beam. For increased load capacity with
the backrest cushion down, remove the rear seat head restraints
(5).
WARNING
When the back seat has been put back in place, make certain that
the belt beam is locked firmly on both sides (the red warning tabs
must go down). This is vital since the upper anchorages for the
safety belts are located in the belt beam. The belts will not
restrain a rear seat occupant if the belt beam is not properly
latched.
When the entire rear seat has been lowered, you must remove the
rear window shelf. Otherwise it could come loose and cause per-
sonal injury during a crash.
IB850
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146 Starting and drivingIgnition switchThe single lock used for both the ignition
and gear/selector lever is in the center con-
sole located between the front seats. Before
you can remove the key, the car must be in
reverse gear (manual gearbox cars) or the
Parking (P) position (cars with automatic
transmission).
The key for this lock also fits all other locks
in the car. The key number is on a small
plastic tag delivered together with the keys.
Be sure to save this plastic tab since it has
the key number on it.
IB862
LOCK position
Put the gear lever in reverse and turn the ignition key to the LOCK posi-
tion.
For cars with automatic transmission, select the Parking (P) position
and turn the ignition key to the LOCK position.
The gear lever is now locked. The key can only be removed when the
gear lever is in this position.
The parking lights, the hazard warning lights and the interior lighting can
still be illuminated.
OFF position
Gear lever is not locked (manual transmission).
Automatic transmission: gear lever is locked until brake pedal is
depressed.
ON position
The entire electrical system is operative. Do not leave the key in the
ON position while the engine is not running. Turn the key to the
LOCK position to disconnect the electrical system.
When you turn the key to the ON position, the warnings and indicators
in the main instrument light so that you can check to see that they are
functioning properly. They are extinguished after approx. 3 seconds.
Start position (ST)
The starter motor operates in this position. When you release the key,
it springs back to the ON position. Restarting the starter motor is pre-
vented. If starting is unsuccessful, you must turn the key back to a posi-
tion between OFF and LOCK before you can turn it to the start (ST)
position again.
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168 Starting and drivingParking brakeThe parking brake lever is located between
the front seats. The brake acts on the rear
wheels. When the parking brake is on, the
indicator lamp on the main instrument panel
will be lit.
To release the brake, lift the lever slightly,
press the pawl button, and let the lever
down.
Parking
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when
the car is parked.
Always apply the parking brake
before removing the ignition key.
Never use the parking brake while the
car is moving.
WARNING
Do not leave children or pets unat-
tended in the car. In warm, sunny
weather, the temperature inside the
car can reach 160–180°F (70–80°C).
Park where the vehicle will not create
an obstruction or a hazard to other
road users.
Do not park on dry grass or other com-
bustible material. The catalytic con-
verter gets very hot and could start a
fire.
Apply the parking brake.
Shift into Reverse for manual trans-
mission; for automatic transmission:
move selector lever to P (Park)), and
remove the ignition key. Lock the car.
NOTESaab 9-3 Viggen: The body design
together with the relatively low ground
clearance of the car means that great
care must be taken during parking to
avoid damage to the under part of the
bumper.
IB1269
IB982
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