1
Owner’s Manual
Saab 9-3 M2002
© Saab Automobile AB 2001 Service Readiness, Saab Automobile AB, Trollhättan, Sweden
Printed in Sweden
Safety 11
Security 35
Convertible 47
Instruments and controls 59
Saab 9-3 Audio System 93
OnStar - Telematics 111
Interior equipment, trunk 123
Starting and driving 145
Car care 185
Maintenance and owner assistance 229
Technical data 233
Index 247
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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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19 Safety
Child safety
Car safety tips Protect your children from getting
trapped in the trunk of a car
For Trunk Release Handle see page 39 and
143.
WARNING
NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in
the front.
Children must
always be suitably
restrained in the car.
All child restraints and
booster seats are
designed to be
secured in vehicle
seats by the lap belt of a lap-shoulder
belt or LATCH. If the child restraint is
not properly secured, a child can be
injured in a crash.
Children 12 and under can be killed by
the airbag.
According to crash statistics, the
BACK SEAT is SAFER for properly
restrainen children than the front seat.
Sit as far back as possible from the air
bag.
WARNING
Never leave your children unattended
in a car, even for a short time.
– Children can suffer heat stroke - per-
haps die - in a matter of minutes.
– Children can put the car into gear and
hurt themselves or others.
At gas stations, take the keys from the
car while filling the tank.
Never allow children to climb on top of -
or under motor vehicles.
Always look for children before backing
your motor vehicle out of a garage or
driveway.
To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning,
never let a car idle in the garage.
Supervise young children around buck-
ets of water while washing your car.
Small children can drown in seconds in
less than an inch of water.
WARNING
Teach your kids not to play in or around
cars.
Watch your children when loading or
unloading the car so they don´t get
locked in by mistake.
Always lock the doors and trunk of your
car, and keep the keys out of children´s
sight and reach.
Keep the rear fold-down seats closed
to help prevent kids from getting into
the trunk from inside the car.
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36 SecurityDoorsOpening handleOpen the door by lifting the opening handle
from below.
If the door is stuck (e.g. if frozen), hold the
handle from above to secure a better grip.
Central locking KeyThe key unit consists of a mechanical key
with integrated remote control.
The mechanical key is used for manual
locking and unlocking.
The remote control is used for remote lock-
ing and unlocking.
The key fits all the car’s locks
The key supplied with the car has a code
number on a black plastic tag that needs to
be quoted for ordering additional keys. You
should therefore make a careful note of the
number.
The key contains a unique electronic code
for your car. When the key is inserted in the
ignition, the code is checked. If it matches,
the car can be started. Two keys are supplied with the car. It is pos-
sible to have up to four at one time that are
coded for your car. If one is lost, contact
your authorized Saab dealer to obtain a
replacement. If an additional key is to be
added, all of the original keys must be
brought to the dealer so that the control
module can ‘’learn” to recognize the new
components.
NOTE: For this reason, we strongly advise
you to take two keys with you on long jour-
neys and to keep them separate. If all keys
are lost, it will be necessary to replace costly
electronic components as well as the keys
and remotes. This loss and replacement
cost is not covered by the new car warranty.
WARNING
Leaving children or pets unattended in a
locked car is dangerous. It is also danger-
ous to leave children in a vehicle with the
ignition key. A child or others could be
badly injured or even killed.
IB844
Door handle
IB1524
3
2 1
Remote control 1To lock
2 To unlock
3 To unlock trunk lid
To open trunk lid (9-3 Convertible)
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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
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38 SecurityLocking by key (1)
Turn the key clockwise: all doors and trunk
lid locked.
The trunk lid cannot be opened now from
inside using the switch on the driver’s door.
Unlocking by key (2)
Turn the key counterclockwise once: the
driver´s door unlocked.
Turn the key counterclockwise twice: all
doors, but not trunk lid, unlocked.The central locking can also be operated
from inside the car by means of the
switch on the center console (except on
Convertibles).
To lock all doors: press the symbol side of
the switch once.
To unlock the driver´s door: press the
switch once.
To unlock all doors: press the switch
twice.
This switch is inoperative when the car is
locked from the outside.The interior locking buttons on each door
affect only the respective door on sedan.
The driver´s door lock button will
lock/unlock both on the Convertible.
If the car is left with the doors open, the inte-
rior lighting will be switched off automati-
cally after 20 minutes, to prevent a dead
battery.
WARNING
Having the doors locked when you are
driving will reduce the likelihood of:
Children, in particular, opening doors
and falling out of the car.
Intruders entering the car when it is
moving slowly or at a standstill.
Injury resulting from a door bursting
open in the event of a crash.
However, you must also remember that
locked doors can hamper rescuers in the
event of a crash.
IB995
Switch for operation of central locking
IB1527
Central locking 1To lock
2 To unlock
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39 Security
Changing the key batteryWhen the battery voltage in the key falls
below a predetermined level the SID will
issue the following message: REPLACE
KEY BATTERY. Press the CLEAR button
on the SID to acknowledge this message.
You must then replace the battery without
delay to avoid malfunctions. The life of the
battery is normally 4 years.Contact a Saab
dealer to have the battery replaced.
Child safety locksThe rear doors have child safety locks that
are activated by a button next to the door
latch on the end of the rear doors.
Shift the button up or down according to the
label on the door in question.
When the child safety lock is in the locked
position, the door cannot be opened from
the inside, but can be opened from the out-
side.
Trunk Release HandleThere is a glow-in-the-dark trunk release
handle located inside the trunk on the latch.
This handle will glow following exposure to
light. Pull the release handle down to open
the trunk from the inside.
WARNING
If small children are carried in the rear
seat, the safety locks on rear doors
should be activated to prevent uninten-
tional opening from the inside.
NOTEThe trunk release handle was not
designed to be used to tie down the trunk
lid or as an anchor point when securing
items in the trunk. Improper use of the
trunk release could damage it.
IB1894
Child safety lock catch 1 Engaged
2 Disengaged
IB1932
Trunk Release Handle
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40 SecurityTrunk lockThe trunk does not unlock when the other
doors are unlocked. The trunk button on the
driver’s door is inoperative when the car is
locked or moving at a speed greater than
2.7 mph (4 km/h).
9-3 Convertible: When unlocked the bootlid
opens slightly.To unlock
The trunk is unlocked using:
The button on the key.
The trunk switch on the inside of the
driver’s door (if the car is unlocked and at
a standstill).
The key in the trunk lock.
The trunk is opened using the opening
handle above the license plate.
Remote unlocking is confirmed by the direc-
tion indicators blinking three times.
The unlocking button in the driver’s door is
inoperative when the car is locked.
If the car has an alarm, and it is armed (the
car is locked), the alarm will sound if the
trunk is unlocked with a key. However, if the
trunk is opened using remote unlocking, the
alarm will not be triggered.
To lock
The trunk is locked in the following ways:
When locking all the car’s doors with the
button on the key.
With the switch on the center con-
sole (except on Convertible models).
With the key in the driver’s door.
IB1533
Unlocking the trunk lid with the key
IB847
Trunk switch
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