4Exterior
IB1736
Roof-rack load _______________ 176
Mounting holes for roof rack ____ 176
Maximum loads ______________ 248
Rearview mirrors _____________ 123
Hood ______________________ 188
Engine compartment: washing __ 233
Central lock ____________ 38
Interior locking buttons ____ 40
Child safety lock catch ____ 41
Trunk/tailgate lid lock _____ 41
Car alarm (anti-theft alarm) 43Front lights _____________ 65
Headlight switch _________ 65
High/low beam
control stalk ____________ 65
Turn signal &
lane change indicators ___ 67
Headlight washers _______ 70
Changing bulbs ________ 204
Fuel gauge __________________ 57
Fuel filler flap ________________ 152
Refueling ___________________ 152
Fuel economy _______________ 170
Fuel grade __________________ 250
Economical motoring __________ 170
Tire pressure ___________ back cover
Wheel and tire specifications ____ 256
Brakes and braking ___________ 165
Winter driving ________________ 171
Wheels and tires _____________ 222
Wheel changing ______________ 227
Spare wheel _________________ 179
Luggage compartment _________ 132
Folding down the rear seat,
9-5 Sedan ___________________ 132
Folding down the rear seat,
9-5 Wagon __________________ 135
Trunk _______________________ 132
Tool kit ______________________ 142
Spare wheel _____________ 142, 179
Jack ________________________ 227Driving with a trailer ______ 173
Towing ________________ 180
Towrope attachment eye __ 180Light switches ___________ 65
Changing bulbs _________ 204
Taillights _____________ 209
Stop lights ___________ 209Sunroof _______________ 126
Washing the car ________ 233
Waxing and polishing ____ 233
Touching-up of paintwork _ 235
Anticorrosion treatment ___ 235
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51 Instruments and controls
Warning, charging
This light will come on together with if
the battery is discharging. If it comes on
while you are driving, stop the car as soon
as possible and switch off the engine.
Check the alternator drive belt (see page
201). If the belt has broken, the engine may
overheat (cooling system will not function
properly), the battery will not be charged,
the A/C compressor will not run and power
assistance for the steering will be lost.
Brake warning light
This light will come on together with if
there is insufficient brake fluid in the reser-
voir (see pages 197 / 197).
If the ABS warning light is on at the same
time, the ABS system may be inoperative
because of a fault (see ”Anti-lock brake
warning”, page 52).
Parking brake warning
light
This light will show when the parking brake
is on (see page 185).
If the car is driven with the parking brake still
on, will also come on and a chime will
sound.
The parking brake is mechanical and oper-
ates on the rear wheels.
WARNING
Never drive the car when these warning
lights are on. Danger of brake failure!
Have the brake system checked by an
authorized Saab dealer.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when
parking, see page 185.
Always apply the parking brake before
removing the ignition key.
Do not apply the parking brake while
the car is moving.
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52 Instruments and controls
Anti-lock brake warning
This light will come on if a fault has occurred
in the ABS system.
On certain variants and as well
as can light up to indicate a fault in the
electronic brake force distribution system
(distribution of the brake pressure between
the front and rear wheels).
Conventional braking without the ABS func-
tion will still be available.
For safety reasons, stop the car and check
the level of the brake fluid (see page 197).If the level is normal, depress the brake
pedal firmly two or three times. Now check
the level again. If the level is still normal, you
may drive the car, with considerable cau-
tion, to the nearest authorized Saab dealer
to have the brake system checked.
Airbag warning light
This light together with will come on if
a potentially serious fault has occurred in
the airbag system.
The light will come on for about three sec-
onds when the ignition switch is turned to
the Start or Drive position. It should go out
after the engine has started.
WARNING
If the ABS is inoperative, there is a
danger of the rear wheels locking up
on hard braking.
If the level of brake fluid in the reser-
voir is below the MIN mark, the car
should be towed to an authorized
Saab dealer.
WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the airbag system may not be working
properly. One or more of the following
conditions may occur:
- Non-deployment of the airbags in the
event of a crash.
- Deployment of the airbags without a
crash.
- Deployment of the airbags in
crashes less severe than intended.
To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle serviced
right away if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
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53 Instruments and controls
CHECK message indicator
This light indicates that there is a message
in the SID. A chime will also sound
(see page 63).
Central warning light
This light will come on and a chime will
sound if a fault has been detected in any
system that is critical to safety. Any of the
following can activate the central warning
light and alarm:
Airbag system.
Low oil pressure in engine.
Parking brake is on (when car is moving).
Brake fluid level low.
Fault detected in ABS system.
Electronic brake force distribution (distri-
bution of brake pressure between front
and rear wheels).
Engine overheating.
Alternator not charging properly.
Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)
This light indicates a malfunction in the
fuel-injection or ignition system. The car
may still be driven with care and with some-
what diminished performance (see page
149).
Indicator, fuel
This light comes on when there is less than
about 2.5 gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the
tank.
WARNING
An illuminated ”Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)” indicator light indi-
cates a serious engine-related problem.
While your car may be able to be driven
with the ”Engine malfunction (CHECK
ENGINE)” indicator light illuminated
(Limp-home mode), you are advised to
have your car serviced at an authorized
Saab dealer as soon as possible.
Continued driving without this problem
being corrected might cause serious
further damage to your car and create
unsafe driving conditions. The operator
should be prepared to take action if such
unsafe conditions arise (e.g., apply the
brakes, disengage transmission, turn off
the ignition etc.).
NOTEThe car should be checked immediately
at an authorized Saab dealer to prevent
more serious faults from arising.NOTEIf the car runs out of fuel, air can be drawn
in with the fuel, which, in turn, can cause
the catalytic converter to be damaged by
overheating.
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54 Instruments and controls
Indicator, cruise control
This light shows when the cruise-control
system is active (see page 164).
Indicator, high beam
This light shows when the headlights are on
high beam (see page 65).
Indicator, rear fog light
This light shows when the rear fog light is on
(see page 66).
The rear fog light is switched off automat-
ically when the engine is switched off. When
the fog light is next needed, it will have to be
switched on manually again.
The rear fog light consists of one light so it
should not be mistaken for brake lights.
Xenon headlight fault
indicator
(certain variants only)
This light indicates that there is a fault in the
xenon headlight system, which consists of
xenon headlights and an automatic levelling
system.
If a fault arises in the xenon headlight sys-
tem, the headlights will be angled down to
avoid dazzling drivers in oncoming traffic.
Adjust your speed accordingly as visibility
will be reduced.
Indicator, open door
If a door has not been closed properly, the
pictogram will indicate the door concerned
(or tailgate).
Indicator, SPORT-mode
automatic transmission
This light will come on in cars with automatic
transmission when the S (SPORT) button
on the selector lever has been pressed
(position D, 4, 3 or L) see page 163.
In this mode, the gear changes occur later,
at higher engine revs, giving the engine and
transmission a sportier feel.
To cancel the SPORT mode, press the S
button on the selector lever again. The
mode is also deselected automatically
when the selector lever is moved to P or R.
Indicator, WINTER-mode
automatic transmission
This light shows when the WINTER mode
has been selected in cars with automatic
transmission (see page 163).
In the WINTER mode, the car pulls away in
3rd gear, to help prevent wheelspin on an
icy road.
To cancel the WINTER mode, press the W
button.
NOTEIf the xenon headlight fault indicator lights
up, have your car checked as soon as
possible at an authorized Saab dealer.
If you do not rectify the problem, nighttime
visibility will be poor since the range of the
headlights is reduced.
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63 Instruments and controls
CHECK messages When the engine is started, CHECKING will
appear on the display for about four sec-
onds, while the SID checks are being per-
formed.
When a CHECK message is generated
while the car is being driven, a chime will
sound, INFO DISPL will illuminate on the
main instrument panel, and the message
will appear on the SID. The number of mes-
sages that can be displayed by the SID
varies with the specification of the car.
If more than one CHECK message has
been generated, the
+ symbol will appear to
the left of the text on the display. The mes-
sages appear in order of priority.
If a new fault occurs while another message
is being displayed, the message relating to
the new one will appear for 10 seconds,
after which the display will return to the ear-
lier one.
Press CLEAR once to acknowledge a mes-
sage, whereupon it will be cleared from the
display. It will not be displayed again before
the ignition has been switched off and then
on again. The following messages may be displayed:
1 This message will be displayed approxi-
mately 600 miles (1,000 km) before the next
scheduled service is due, or when 365 days
have elapsed since the last service. The
message should be cleared at the time of that
service (see the Saab Warranties & Service
Record Booklet).
This message can also be deleted by first
briefly pressing the CLEAR button, then
depressing it a second time for at least eight
seconds until ”SERVICE” appears on the dis-
play and a chime sounds. The message can
only be deleted when it is shown on the SID.
Night panelTo improve night-driving conditions inside
the car, the Night Panel mode can be
selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
mation displayed is reduced, and only the
most important instruments and displays
will be illuminated.
When the Night Panel button is pressed,
only the speedometer will be illuminated (up
to the 87-mph or 140-km/h graduation), all
the other instruments illumination being
extinguished and their needles moved to
zero. Both the SID and the ACC displays will
be extinguished and the backlighting for
switches and other controls will be dimmed.
Note: All indicator and warning lights,
together with the display of CHECK mes-
sages, will operate as normal, except ”Out-
door temperature (Frost warning)”, see
page 60. Message See
page
FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 205
REAR LIGHT FAILURE 209
FOG LIGHT FAILURE 209
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 209
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 203
FILL COOLANT FLUID 196
REPLACE KEY BATTERY 40
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 47
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 47
TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING 160
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 152
TIME FOR SERVICE
1)
244
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66 Instruments and controlsCourtesy Headlight FeatureA delay function allows the headlights to
remain on low beam for about 30 seconds
after the driver’s door has been closed.
To activate this function,
Switch off the ignition and remove the key
Open the driver’s door
Pull the high/low beam control stalk
towards the steering wheel like you are
flashing the high beam, see page 65. The
low beam headlights will now come on
immediately after the driver’s door has
been closed (within 30 seconds) and will
remain on for about 30 seconds.
The length of time for this function can be
adjusted by your authorized Saab dealer.
Rear fog lightPress the button to switch on the rear fog
light, which will only come on if the head-
lights are on.
The rear fog light will go off automatically
when the engine is switched off. When the
fog light is next needed, it will have to be
switched on manually again.
The rear fog light consists of one light so it
should not be mistaken for brake lights.
Make sure you are familiar with the appli-
cable provincial/state law regarding the
use of rear fog lights.
WARNING
In poor visibility, avoid following the tail
lights of the vehicle in front. If the vehicle
stops suddenly, you may be unable to
avoid a crash and therefore risk injury to
yourself and others.
IB351
Rear fog light
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133 Interior equipment and trunk
WARNING
Place heavy items closest to the backrest and stow smaller
and lighter items on top.
Secure heavy and bulky items using the four tie down points
provided in the trunk. This will avert the danger of luggage
flying around if the car should brake suddenly or be involved
in a crash (see page 134).
When the backrest is folded down or the trunk pass-through
hatch is open, even small items can be thrown around inside
the car. It is therefore advisable to secure these as well.
Do not exceed the load capacity of the car, as this will alter its
handling characteristics (see page 248).
Make sure that the seat cushions and backrests are properly
secured when folding them back to their normal position.
Check that the button (item 3 on page 132) is flush with the
surround before entering the back seat.
The tail pipe of the exhaust system can become very hot during
driving. Bear this in mind when loading and unloading the car so
that children, for example, do not burn themselves.
IB462
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