2003 SAAB 9-3 bulb

189 Car care
Bi-Xenon headlight, main and dipped beam (certain
variants only)Xenon headlights produce roughly three times as much light as
halogen bulbs and have a significantly longer service life.
The lamp units consist of a gas discharge lamp containing xenon.
When the lights are switched on a very high voltage activates the
xenon gas. The lamps soon reach full intensity.
Cars with Bi-Xenon headlights have automatic levelling. The level-
ling system comprises two sensors, one on the front suspension and
one on the rear suspension, and a control unit by the engine bay fuse
box. Headlight alignment is adjusted automatically to the car’s load
to prevent dazzling drivers in oncoming traffic.
If a fault is detected in the system, the following message will be dis-
played on the SID:
WARNING
Bi-Xenon headlights are high tension. All work on Bi-Xenon head-
lights, including changing bulbs, must be carried out by dealer
personnel.
Headlight levelling
malfunction.
Contact Saab dealer.
Contact a Saab dealer to have a Bi-Xenon
headlight changed
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190 Car careLow beam, halogenLeft-hand side
1 Lift aside the hose running along the side of the battery cover.
2 Release the two retainers (a quarter of a turn counterclockwise)
in the leading edge of the cover and remove the cover.
3 Pull up the washer fluid filler pipe.
4 Remove the air pipe from the front edge of the battery box.
Both sides
1 Remove the cover from the rear of the headlight.
2 Twist the bulb holder counterclockwise and withdraw the holder
from the reflector.
3 Change the bulb without touching the glass with your fingers.
Insert the bulb holder into the reflector and twist it clockwise until
it locks.
4 Refit the cover over the rear of the headlight.Left-hand side
5 Refit the air pipe to the front of the battery box.
6 Refit the washer fluid filler pipe.
7 Refit the battery cover.
NOTICEDo not fit bulbs with a higher rating than 55 W as this could
damage the headlight reflector. Furthermore, the car’s wiring is
not designed to cope with higher wattages.
Retainers on the battery cover Changing the low beam bulb
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191 Car care
High beam, halogenLeft-hand side
1 Lift aside the hose running along the side of the battery cover.
2 Release the two retainers (a quarter of a turn counterclockwise)
in the leading edge of the cover and remove the cover.
3 Pull up the washer fluid filler pipe.
4 Remove the air pipe from the front edge of the battery box.
Both sides
1 Remove the cover from the rear of the headlight.
2 Twist the bulb holder counterclockwise and withdraw the holder
from the reflector.
3 Change the bulb without touching the glass with your fingers.
Insert the bulb holder into the reflector and twist it clockwise until
it locks.
4 Refit the cover over the rear of the headlight.Left-hand side
5 Refit the air pipe to the front of the battery box.
6 Refit the washer fluid filler pipe.
7 Refit the battery cover.
NOTICEDo not fit bulbs with a higher rating than 55 W as this could
damage the headlight reflector. Furthermore, the car’s wiring is
not designed to cope with higher wattages.
Retainers on the battery cover Changing the high beam bulb
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192 Car careParking lightsThe parking light bulb is located in the same
reflector as the main beam bulb.
1 Lift aside the hose running along the
side of the battery cover.
2 Remove the battery cover.
3 Remove the cover from the rear of the
headlight.
4 Withdraw the bulb holder from the lamp
unit.
5 Fit the new bulb.
6 Refit the cover over the rear of the head-
light.
7 Refit the battery cover.
Front turn signal bulbsLeft-hand side:
1 Lift aside the hose running along the
side of the battery cover.
2 Release the two retainers on the battery
cover and remove the cover.
3 Pull up the washer fluid filler pipe.
4 Remove the air pipe from the front edge
of the battery box.Both sides:
1 The bulb holder has a bayonet fitting.
Turn the bulb holder counterclockwise
and withdraw it.
2 The bulb also has a bayonet fitting.
Press in the bulb and twist it counter-
clockwise.
3 Fit the new bulb.
4 To facilitate fitting, look in through the
headlight lens when fitting the bulb.
Check that the new bulb is firmly seated.
Left-hand side:
5 Refit the washer fluid filler pipe.
6 Refit the battery cover.
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193 Car care
Side-mounted turn signal bulbs1 Slide the lamp fitting forward so that its
rear end can be pulled out.
2 Turn the bulb holder counterclockwise
and withdraw it from the lamp fitting.
Change the bulb.
3 To fit, engage the two catches on the
rear edge of the lamp fitting with the
edge of the opening. Then press in the
front edge of the lamp fitting so that the
groove in the spring engages the plastic
edge.
Front fog lights
1 Undo one screw in the wheel housing.
Lower the air shield.
2 Remove the protective cover. Release
the two spring clips securing the bulb.
3 Unplug the connector.
4 Change the bulb. Try not to touch the
glass part of the bulb with your fingers.
The height of the beam can be adjusted
using a screwdriver inserted through the
hole in the lower grille adjacent to the lens.
WARNING
Never crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack.
 Always use axle stands. Refer to
the information on jacks on pages 214
and 215.
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194 Car careSide marker lights1 Slide the lens rearward so that its front
part can be pulled out.
2 Fit the new bulb.
3 When refitting, make sure that the
groove in the spring engages the plastic
edge of the bumper trim.
Stop lights, tail lights and turn signal
bulbs1 Lower the cover in the trim behind the
lights.
2 Lift the plastic lug on the lamp housing
that secures the bulb holder.
3 Carefully remove the entire bulb holder
unit from the lamp housing. Change the
bulb.
4 Refit the bulb holder. Press the bulb
holder home so that the plastic lug
snaps into place.
If a brake light bulb fails, the adjacent tail
light will act as a brake light to ensure traffic
safety. Change the broken bulb when pos-
sible.
Tail lights1 Turn signals
2 Tail lights/stop lights
3 Reversing lights
4 Rear fog light (left-hand side)
5 High-mounted stop light
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195 Car care
Reversing lights and rear fog lightRemoving the trunk lid trim
1 Remove the two screws securing the
grab handle to the inside of the trunk lid.
2 Unlock the plastic rivets by pressing in
the center of each rivet. Pull out the
rivets by taking hold of the rivet’s collar.
You can use the button on the handle of the
screwdriver supplied with the car to unlock
the rivets.Changing bulbs
1 Press down the plastic lug on the bulb
holder.
2 Carefully remove the entire bulb holder
unit from the lamp housing. Change the
bulb.
3 Refit the bulb holder. Press the lug so
that it snaps into place.
To refit the trunk lid trim
1 Withdraw the center of the rivets.
2 Fit the trim in place on the trunk lid.
3 Fit the rivets. Lock the rivets in place by
pressing the center buttons in until flush
with the collar.
Dome light, front1 Pull down the rear edge of the lens.
2 Fit the new bulb.
3 Insert the guide lugs on the front edge of
the lens and press the lens home.
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196 Car careDome light, rear1 Remove the entire overhead panel:
ease out the trailing end first, and then
both sides of the front edge.
2 Fit the new bulb.
License plate lighting1 Undo the two screws and remove the
lens.
2 Fit the new bulb.
3 Make sure the seal on the lens is
correctly seated.
4 Refit the lens and tighten the two
screws.
Glove compartment lighting1 Remove the lamp housing using a short
screwdriver.
2 Fit the new bulb.
3 Fit the lamp fitting first and then insert
the connector.
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