4Exterior Sunroof _______________ 132
Convertible _____________ 48
Washing the car ________ 220
Waxing and polishing ____ 221
Touching-up of paintwork _ 221
Anticorrosion treatment ___ 222Taillights ______________ 202
Stop lights _____________ 202
Light switches ___________ 75
Changing bulbs _________ 200Towing ________________ 179
Towrope attachment eyes _ 179
Towing a trailer _________ 173Trunk lid lock ___________ 138
Lowering the rear seat ____ 138
Trunk _________________ 141
Spare wheel ___________ 143
Tools _________________ 143
Lighting _______________ 202
Driving with a roof rack load ____ 176
Mounting of roof rack __________ 176
Maximum loads ______________ 234
Hood release handle __________ 186
Engine compartment: washing __ 220
Central locking __________ 36
Interior locking buttons ____ 37
Trunk lock ______________ 40
Child safety lock catch ____ 39
Car alarm (Anti-theft system) 41Headlight switches _______ 75
High/low beam control stalk 75
Turn signal & lane change
indicators ______________ 76
Headlamp wipers _______ 198
Changing bulbs ________ 200Fuel filler door __________ 151
Refuelling _____________ 151
Fuel grade ____________ 239
Fuel gauge _____________ 68
Fuel economy __________ 170
Tires & Rims _____________ 211 / 242
Tire pressure ___________ back cover
Driving in cold weather ________ 171
Brakes and braking ___________ 164
Compact spare wheel _________ 214
Changing a wheel ____________ 215
ProCarManuals.com
34 SafetyAre the smoke and fumes given off when the
airbag operates at all harmful? Most people who have remained in a car
with little or no ventilation for several min-
utes complained only of minor irritation of
the throat and eyes. Avoid as much as pos-
sible getting dust on your skin as there is a
risk of skin irritation.
If this trouble persists, you should consult a
doctor.
If you suffer from asthma, the incident may
bring on an attack, in which case you should
follow the normal procedure advised by
your doctor. It is advisable to consult a
doctor afterwards.
What should I do if the AIR-BAG warning
light comes on? If the warning light is on, it means that a fault
has been detected in the system. The
airbag cannot be relied on to operate as
intended and it might even be activated
erroneously. You should therefore take the
car to an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
possible.
WARNING
When an airbag is inflated there is dust in
the air.
Because the dust/smoke can, in certain
cases, cause irritation to the skin, the fol-
lowing precautions should be taken:
As soon as possible, wash any
exposed skin using a mild soap and
water.
If there is irritation of the eyes, flush
them liberally with clean water for at
least 20 minutes.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of head injuries in the
event of a crash, the headliner and pillar
trims incorporate energy absorbing mate-
rial (Convertible: pillar trims and header
trims). These areas must not be modified
in any way. Work on these areas must
only be carried out at an authorized Saab
dealer.
ProCarManuals.com
108 Saab 9-3 Audio SystemAntennaThe antenna of the Audio System is motor-
ized.
Saab 9-3 Viggen Coupé and 5-door: The
antenna is located on the roof.
For the cleaning of the motorized antenna,
see the section headed "Washing", page
220.
The car has a factory-fitted roof antenna for
a car phone. Roof loads may negatively
affect telecommunication.
Multipath interference When the radio waves from an FM transmit-
ter collide with a large building, for example,
they will be reflected so that they reach the
car antenna slightly later than the direct
waves. This is referred to as multipath dis-
tortion. The effect is liable to be blamed
upon malfunctions in the radio.
NOTERemove the antenna if you wash the car
in a car wash, to avoid it being damaged.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of head injuries in the
event of a crash, the headliner and pillar
trims incorporate energy absorbing mate-
rial (Convertible: pillar trims and header
trims). These areas must not be modified
in any way. Work on these areas must
only be carried out at an authorized Saab
dealer.
IB977
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
212 Car careRotating the tires Because of front wheel drive, the front tires
tend to wear faster than the rear ones. New
tires should always be fitted in pairs, so that
tires on the same axle have the same
amount of tread.
The wheels should be marked, L (left) and
R (right), when changing between summer
and winter (snow) tires. This ensures that
the direction of rotation of the wheels is the
same when they are refitted. Fit the tires in
best condition to the rear wheels.
Store wheels lying flat or hanging – never
standing upright.
Tire markingsAn example of the meaning of the different
markings in a tire size is given below for a
tire size of 205/55 R16 91V:
Winter tiresWinter (snow) tires are recommended for
winter climates where the majority of your
driving will be done on snow and ice. Winter
tires should be fitted to all four wheels to
maintain a proper balance. Your Saab
dealer can advise you of to the correct size
tire for your car (if different from the original
size) and also supply Saab approved winter
tires pre-mounted on steel or alloy rims.Tire quality grading (cars sold in
U.S.)New tires must be graded and labeled in
accordance with new Federal regulations.
Standard tests are conducted to measure
performance in the areas of traction and
temperature resistance. Refer to the tire
sidewall for the specific quality grades of the
tires provided on your new Saab. Compact
spare tires are exempt.
DOT QUALITY GRADES
Treadwear.
Traction AA, A, B, C.
Temperature A, B, C.
All passenger car tires must conform to Fed-
eral safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
WARNING
When fitting just one new pair of tires,
these should be fitted to the rear wheels,
as these are more critical to the direc-
tional stability of the car (e.g. on braking
or in a skid). The existing rear tires should
therefore be moved to the front. Always
move left rear to left front and right rear to
right front, so that the direction of rotation
remains the same.
205 Tire section width, mm
55 Aspect ratio, i.e. the section height
is 60 % of the section width
R Radial ply
16 Wheel rim diameter 16 in. at bead
seats
91 Tire load code
V Speed marking
Speed ratingsS Tire approved for speeds up to
112 mph (180 km/h)
T Tire approved for speeds up to
118 mph (190 km/h)
H Tire approved for speeds up to
130 mph (210 km/h)
V Tire approved for speeds up to
150 mph (240 km/h)
W Tire approved for speeds up to
167 mph (270 km/h)
Y Tire approved for speeds up to
186 mph (300 km/h)
ProCarManuals.com
233 Technical data
Technical dataGeneral dimensions......... 234
Engine ............................... 237
Engine oil .......................... 237
Fuel.................................... 239
Engine variants ................ 239
Electrical system.............. 240
Drive belts......................... 240
Manual transmission ....... 240
Automatic transmission .. 240
Suspension....................... 241
Steering............................. 241
Brake system.................... 241
Rims and tires .................. 242
Plates and labels .............. 243
IB993
ProCarManuals.com
242 Technical dataRims and tires
Rim size:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible____________ 6.5 x 15 or 6.5 x 16
Viggen __________________________ 7.5 x 17
Viggen must use 6.5 x 16 or 7 x 17
Contact an authorized Saab dealer if you
wish to fit other wheels than those fitted
as standard.
Tire sizes (summer tires):
6.5 x 15 (not Viggen) _______________ 195/60 R15
6.5 x 16 __________________________ 205/55 R16
7.5 x 17 Viggen only ________________ 215/45 R17
Tire sizes (winter tires):
6 x 15 (not Viggen) _________________ 185/65 R15 M+S
195/60 R15 M+S
6.5 x 16 _________________________ 205/55 R16 M+S
Recommended rims for snow chains:
Coupé/5-door/Convertible____________ 6 x 15
Viggen __________________________ 6.5 x 16
Spare wheel:
Tire _____________________________ T115/70 R16
Rim _____________________________ 4.0 x 16
Maximum life _____________________ 2000 miles
(3500 km)
Maximum speed __________________ 50 mph (80 km/h)
NOTESnow chains
Snow chains must not be fitted to the rear wheels and must be
used on the following tire/wheel combinations:
Wheel Tire
6 x 15 _________ 185/65 R15 M+S (not Viggen),
195/60 R15 (not Viggen) or
195/60 R15 M+S (not Viggen)
6.5 x 15________ 195/60 R15 (not Viggen)
6.5 x 16________ 205/55 R16 or 205/55 R16 M+S
Max. speed is 30 mph (50 km/h).
Consult your authorized Saab dealer of approved snow chains.NOTECoupé/5-door/Convertible: Bigger rims than 17” must not be
used. The offset of the rims must not exceed 49 mm.
Viggen: Bigger rims than 17” must not be used.
The offset of the rims must not exceed 42 mm.
ProCarManuals.com