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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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
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9
Jack– The jack is designed only for changing a tire or mount-
ing tire snow chains.
– Car must be level and jack must be placed on firm and
level ground.
– Never crawl under car while it is jacked up.
JACKING INSTRUCTIONS
1 Set parking brake and shift transmission to park.
2 Fit top of jack into jacking point next to wheel that to
be changed (See illustration).
3 Crank jack until so that car begins to lift.
4 Remove center cap by inser ting a screw driver under
cap prying up.
5 Using socket wrench in tool kit, loosen wheels bolts
one-half turn.
6 Raise car so that tire clears ground. Loosen wheel
bolts completely and remove wheel.
7 Mount spare wheel and tighten bolts enough so
wheel is not loose.
8 Lower car. Tighten wheel bolts in crosswise order
(See illustration).
Observe max. speed limit for spare tire.
IB934
Soft top, Saab 9-3
Convertible Push the handle in before
driving away.
There would otherwise be
a risk of injury.
Soft top, Saab 9-3 ConvertibleDo not lean over top or sit in the rear seat
while activated.
Brake fluidClean filler cap before removing. Use only Dot
4 fluid from sealed container.
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145 Starting and driving
IB943
Starting and driving
Ignition switch ................. 146
Starting the engine .......... 147
Important considerations
for driving....................... 148
Refueling .......................... 151
Engine Break-in Period... 155
Manual transmission ...... 155
Automatic transmission . 156
Cruise Control ................. 163
Braking ............................. 164
Traction Control System 166
Parking ............................. 168
Economical motoring ..... 170 Driving in cold weather ... 171
Driving in hot weather ..... 173
Towing a trailer ................ 173
Driving with a roof rack
load .................................. 176
Driving with the trunk lid
open ................................ 179
Driving in deep water....... 179
Towing the car.................. 179
Jump starting ................... 181
Driving considerations
with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted............... 184
For long trips .................... 184
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184 Starting and drivingDriving considerations
with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted The following should be observed when the
compact spare wheel (T115/70 R16) is
installed:
The compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the wheel. Do not
drive farther than necessary with the com-
pact spare fitted – the maximum life of the
wheel is only just over 2000 miles
(3,500 km). Have the standard wheel
repaired and reinstalled as soon as possi-
ble.Points to bear in mind when driving with a
compact spare wheel:
The car’s ground clearance is reduced
with the compact spare fitted.
Only one compact spare wheel may be
used at any time.
Take care not to hit the curb.
Do not fit snow chains.
Leave the wheel cover off, so that the
warning text is readily visible.
For long tripsBefore starting off on a long journey, it is
advisable to have your car inspected by
your Saab dealer.
Obtain a few important items to take along
on your journey such as spare bulbs, wiper
blades, fuses, a Poly-V belt and the like.
You can check some points yourself before-
hand:
Make sure that the engine is in good con-
dition.
Check that no oil or fuel leaks out of the
engine or gearbox/transmission.
Check the coolant and power steering
fluid levels. Check also for leaks.
Inspect the Poly-V belt and replace it if it
shows any signs of wear.
Check the battery charge.
Check the tires for tread pattern and air
pressure, including the compact spare
wheel.
Take an extra car key/remote control and
keep it separate, see also page 36.
Check the brakes.
Check all bulbs.
Check for the presence of the tool kit and
the jack in the car.
WARNING
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) as the
tire can overheat and adversely affect the
handling of the car.
The tire should be inflated to 60 psi
(420 kPa).
NOTETo avoid damaging a punctured alloy
wheel this can be placed outside up in the
spare-wheel well but only while driving to
the closest dealer.
A general rule is that all heavy loads must
be well secured in the luggage compart-
ment, see page 142.
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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)
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214 Car careDate codeTires should be regarded as perishable
goods. As the tires age, the rubber becomes
progressively harder, and the roadholding
ability of the tires diminishes. This is partic-
ularly true on winter tires.
Tires now have a date-code marking for the
year of manufacture. The first two digits
denote the week number and the last two
digits the year. The ”<” symbol points to the
year.
Accordingly, a date code of 0200 signifies
that the tire was manufactured in week 02,
2000.
Wear indicatorsThe tires incorporate wear indicators in the
form of smooth, treadless strips across the
width, which become visible when only
2/32" (1.6 mm) of tread remains. As soon as
the indicators become visible, new tires
should be fitted without delay.
Make sure you are familiar with the legal
limit for minimum tread depth in your
country and also any regulations gov-
erning the use of winter (snow) tires.
Compact spare wheelThe compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the wheel. Its use is
only permitted when a standard tire has sus-
tained a puncture. The maximum life of the
tire is only 2000 miles (3,500 km).
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) with the
compact spare fitted.
The compact spare should be inflated to
60 psi (420 kPa). Carry the punctured tire in
the spare-wheel well under the trunk floor.
Have the standard tire repaired and refitted
as soon as possible
Driving considerations with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted, see page 184.
The spare wheel, the tools and the jack with
its crank are carried under a panel in the
trunk.
IB969
Date code
IB998
Wear indicators
IB921
Spare wheel (under the carpet in the
trunk)
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215 Car care
When changing a wheel, take the tool kit out
first, then the spare wheel.
Changing a wheel
NOTE
To avoid damaging an alloy wheel with a
flat tire, this can be placed outside up in
the spare-wheel well but only while driv-
ing to the closest workshop.
A general rule is that all heavy loads must
be well secured in the luggage compart-
ment, see page 142.
WARNING
The car jack is designed solely for use
in changing a wheel or fitting snow
chains. It must not be used to support
the car during repair work or servicing.
Never crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack.
Special care must be taken if the car is
on a slope – use wheel chocks!
Position chocks, one ahead and one
behind, the wheel that is diagonally
opposite to the one to be changed.
Switch on the hazard warning lights if
the car is on a road.
Apply the parking brake and leave the
car in gear (1st or reverse). Automatic
transmission: move selector to the
P position.
Ensure that everybody is out of the car
before jacking it up.
Never start the engine while the car is
jacked up.
The jack must stand on a firm, level
surface.
Stow the jack in the place provided for
it under the panel in the floor of the
trunk. Secure it properly to avoid injury
to passengers in the event of a crash.
Do not use the jack for any purpose
other than for jacking up the car.
If light-alloy wheels have been fitted to
the car for several years and a change
is made to steel wheels, the threads
for the wheel bolts in the brake discs
should be cleaned before the thinner
steel wheels are fitted. The innermost
threads in the holes may be clogged
with sand, salt and rust so that the cor-
rect tightening torque cannot be
achieved.
IB1261IB1262
Spare wheel (under the carpet in the
trunk), Saab 9-3 Viggen
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