2003 SAAB 9-3 check oil

181 Car care
The foot brake and parking brake are self-
adjusting.
It is not possible to detect, through abnormal
pedal or parking brake lever travel, whether
the brake pads are worn and need replac-
ing. It is therefore essential that brake pads
be checked regularly, as specified in the
service program.
Brake pads should only be changed at a
Saab dealer. To ensure optimum brake
performance, use only Saab genuine
brake pads.
Power steeringCheck the level of the power steering fluid in
the reservoir regularly, in accordance with
the service program.
The wheels should point directly forwards
during this check.
Clean round the cap before unscrewing it.
Wipe the dipstick. To check the level, screw
down the cap completely and then remove
it again.
The oil level should lie between the MAX
and MIN marks when the oil temperature is
about 68°F (+20°C). If the oil is colder, the
level will be lower, and at a higher tempera-
tures the level will be higher, both of which
are acceptable.
Top up with "CHF 11S power steering fluid".
NOTICEAvoid spilling brake fluid onto paintwork,
since it can cause the paint to bubble and
lift. If any brake fluid is spilled, the area
should be flushed with large quantities of
water as quickly as possible.
WARNING
Power steering fluid on hot engine
components constitutes a fire risk.
Power steering fluid reservoir
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217 Car care
Flat spottingAll tires get hot, especially on long journeys
or when the car is driven hard. After the car
has been parked with hot tires and the tires
have cooled down, a flat spot can form in the
tire, where it is in contact with the ground.
The same can occur if the car has not been
moved for a long time.
Flat spots can cause vibration that can be
felt through the steering wheel, similar to
that experienced when the wheels need bal-
ancing.
Flat spots of this type disappear once the
tires get hot again, usually after 10–15 miles
(20–25 km) of driving at cruising speed.
Safety beltsCheck the function of the safety belts regu-
larly as follows:
 Hold the diagonal strap and pull it sharply.
The safety belt should lock and it should
not be possible to withdraw it further.
Check the anchorage points in the floor.
They must not have suffered rust damage.
If a belt is worn or has any fraying edges, it
should be replaced.
Safety belts must not come into contact with
substances such as polishes, oil or chemi-
cals. If the belts get dirty, wash them with
warm water and a detergent or have them
replaced.
Upholstery and trimTo remove fluff and hairs from the seats,
door armrests and headlining, use a
vacuum cleaner, a moist lint-free cloth, or a
clothes brush. Remove spots and dirt using
a cloth moistened with lukewarm soapy
water.
When using a stain remover, always work
from the outside towards the centre to avoid
leaving a ring. If a soiled ring or spot should
remain, it can usually be removed using
lukewarm soapy water or water alone.
Spots left by liquids, such as soft drinks or
thin oil, must be removed at once with an
absorbent material, such as kitchen towel-
ling. Then clean with a stain remover.
White spirit is recommended for removing
grease and oil stains. A medium stiff brush
may also be used.
WARNING
If the car is involved in a crash, the safety
belts, belt pretensioners and other asso-
ciated components must be inspected at
a Saab dealer.
Never make any alterations or repairs to
the safetybelts yourself but visit a Saab
dealer.
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221 Car care
Use a hose to clean the underside of the car
thoroughly. After it has dried, use a brush or
spray to apply a viscous anti-corrosion
agent to any worn or damaged areas, to
prevent the onset of corrosion.
Even after the anti-corrosion warranty has
expired, it makes good sense to continue to
maintain the rustproofing.
Seams in the body, especially those in the
doors and trunk lid, are particularly vulnera-
ble to corrosion from the outside, caused by
grit and salt thrown up from the road, and to
corrosion from the inside, largely as a result
of condensation. Keep the seams clean and
at the first sign of any rust, apply a thin, pen-
etrating, anti-corrosion oil. Your Saab
dealer will be pleased to give you further
advice.
What causes rust?Steel body panels of automobiles are sub-
ject to rusting whenever air and moisture
manage to penetrate the protective finish.
Body panels may rust through if the process
is unchecked. Rusting can occur wherever
water is trapped or where the car’s panels
are continuously damp.
Damage to paint and undercoating by
stones, gravel and minor crashes immedi-
ately exposes metal to air and moisture.
Road salts used for de-icing will collect on
the bottom of the car and promote rusting.
Areas of the country with high humidity have
a greater potential for rust problems, espe-
cially where salt is used on roads or there is
moist sea air. Industrial pollution (fallout)
may also damage paint and promote rust-
ing.
Preventive maintenanceThe following procedures are necessary to
help protect against rusting. Refer also to
the terms and conditions of the Performa-
tion Limited Warranty described in the war-
ranty booklet.
1Wash the car frequently, and wax at
least twice a year. Under adverse
conditions, where there is a rapid
buildup of dirt, sand or road salt, wash
your car at least once a week. After
extreme exposure to salted snow or
slush, evidenced by a white film on the
car, wash the car immediately. Frequent
washing will prevent paint damage from
acid rain and other airborne contami-
nants such as tree sap and bird drop-
pings. If any of these contaminants are
noticed on the car the finish should be
washed immediately.
 Begin washing by rinsing the entire car
with water to loosen and flush off heavy
concentrations of dirt (include the
underbody).
 Sponge the car with a solution of either
a good quality car soap or mild general
purpose (dish washing) detergent and
water.
 Rinse car thoroughly with clean water.
 After washing, check and clear all
drains in doors and body panels.
 Wipe the car dry, preferably using a
chamois.
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230 Maintenance and owner assistanceMaintenance scheduleThe Maintenance Schedule prescribes a
service program to the purchaser/operator
of a Saab that is reasonable and necessary
to ensure the proper emission control sys-
tems function, safety and reliability of the
Saab automobile in normal use. Additional
maintenance is recommended for specific
components when the car is operated under
certain severe conditions. Proper mainte-
nance is always a good practice!
Authorized Saab dealers are equipped and
trained to meet your Saab’s service needs.
They regularly receive up-to-date Saab ser-
vice manuals and parts and technical ser-
vice bulletins from Saab and are able,
through their franchise agreement, to attend
Saab service schools, obtain Saab special
tools and technical assistance and pur-
chase original equipment service and
replacement parts.
Today’s complex automobiles should only
be entrusted to the most knowledgeable
service professionals. A Saab dealer is your
best choice.
SERVICE INTERVALSThe maintenance schedule begins with an
Inspection Service at 30 days. A time for
service message will illuminate on the Saab
Instrument Display (SID) when the car is
due for regular maintenance. There are twi
different messages that will appear:
TIME FOR INTERMEDIATE SERVICE
indicates that an oil/filter change is required
along with several inspections. This mes-
sage is set by the engine management
system which calculates service intervals
based on several factors including driving
habits, ambient temperature, number of
cold starts, mileage driven and elapsed time
since the last service. Based on this algo-
rithm, this message may appear at mileage
as low a 8,000 or as high as 15,000 miles.
If mileage accumulation does not occur, the
message will be set, and maintenance
required at a maximum of 2 years.
TIME FOR MAJOR SERVICE will be set
when additional maintenance is necessary,
such as air filter or spark plug replacement.
This message will appear at 30,000 mile
intervals. When either message is dis-
played, contact your Saab Dealer for a ser-
vice appointment.
Failure to perform scheduled maintenance
in a timely manner may result in serious
damage to key components or systems.
.NOTICEThe Check-up will be done by your Saab
dealer at no charge and should be done
as close as possible to the scheduled 30
days.
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251 Index
Index
AA/C
__________________________ 82
ABS brakes
___________________ 142
ACC
_________________________ 84
Adjustment, steering wheel
________ 98
Air conditioning
_________________ 82
Air filter
______________________ 178
Air pressure, tyres
______________ 207
Airbag
________________________ 26
Anchorage eyes
_______________ 118
Anti-corrosion treatment
_________ 220
Antilock braking system _________ 142
Anti-spin
_____________________ 144
Ashtrays _____________________ 108
Autochecking of lights, warning and
indicator lights
_________________ 58
Autodimming
______________ 111
, 112
Automatic climate control (ACC)
____ 84
Automatic transmission
__________ 134
Automatic tyre pressure monitoring

207
BBattery
______________________ 182
Bedding-in of new brake pads
____ 132
Before towing a trailer
___________ 160
Bonnet
______________________ 172Bootlid, driving when open
_______ 163
Bootlid, opening
________________ 41
Brake fluid, grade ______________ 242
Brakes
_______________________ 141
Braking ______________________ 141
Bulb changing
_________________ 188
Bulb table
____________________ 198
CCabin lighting
_________________ 105
Car alarm
_____________________ 46
Car transport __________________ 166
Care of air conditioning
__________ 225
Change of address notification
____ 232
Changing bulbs
________________ 188
Changing engine oil
____________ 177
Changing the battery, remote control
44
Changing wheels
______________ 214
Changing wiper blades
__________ 186
Checking the number of
remote controls
________________ 43
Checks before towing a trailer
____ 160
Child safety
____________________ 21
Child safety locks, rear doors
______ 42
Child seats
____________________ 21
Cigarette lighter
________________ 108
Cleaning the engine bay
_________ 218
Cleaning upholstery
____________ 217
Climate control system, manual
____ 79
Compact spare
________________ 212Compass
_____________________ 115
Condensation water, A/C
_________ 82
Coolant
______________________ 179
Cruise control
_________________ 140
Cup holder
____________________ 107
DDate codes, tyres
______________ 212
Deep water, driving through
______ 163
Direction indicator stalk switch _____ 75
Direction indicators
______________ 75
Donor battery, boost starting
______ 168
Door handles
___________________ 38
Door mirrors __________________ 110
Drive belt
_____________________ 185
Drive belt, length
_______________ 240
Driver’s seat with memory
_________ 19
Driving at night
________________ 163
Driving in cold climates
__________ 155
Driving in deep water
____________ 163
Driving in hot climates ___________ 156
Driving techniques
______________ 153
Driving with a heavy load on
hilly roads
___________________ 136
Driving with a load
______________ 162
Driving with a roof load
__________ 161
Driving with the bootlid open
______ 163
Driving with the compact
spare wheel
__________________ 167
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252 IndexEESP, anti-skid system
___________ 146
Economical motoring ___________ 153
Electric engine heater ___________ 154
Electric heating, front seats
____ 83
, 92
Electric windows
________________ 99
Electrical system, technical data
___ 240
Electrically adjustable seats
_______ 18
Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
_146
Electronic steering wheel lock
____ 123
Emergency opening of the narrow
backrest
____________________ 119
Emergency operation of the sunroof
104
Engine bay, cleaning
___________ 218
Engine heater
_________________ 154
Engine immobilizer
______________ 45
Engine number
________________ 246
Engine oil, checking
____________ 176
Engine oil, grade
_______________ 238
Engine oil, volume _____________ 239
Engine temperature gauge
________ 60
Engine, description
_____________ 173
Engine, technical data __________ 238
Engines
______________________ 240
Extra electrical socket
___________ 108
FFactors affecting fuel consumption
_153
Filler cap
_____________________ 129Filling up
_____________________ 128
Flat spots, tyres
________________ 217
Folding down the rear seat
_______ 116
Front fog lights
_________________ 74
Front towing eye _______________ 164
Fuel filler flap, emergency opening
__ 52
Fuel gauge
____________________ 61
Fuel grade ____________________ 240
Functions, car alarm
_____________ 50
Fuse panel in luggage compartment
202
Fuse table
____________________ 201
Fuses
_______________________ 199
GGDO, garage door opener
_______ 112
Garage door opener
____________ 112
Gear selector indicator,
automatic transmission
__________ 62
Gearbox number
_______________ 246
Glove compartment _____________ 109
Glove compartment lighting
______ 196
HHandbrake
___________________ 148
Hazard warning lights
____________ 75
Head restraints
_________________ 20
Headlight flasher ________________ 72
Headlight levelling _______________ 73Headlights
_____________________ 72
Heated door mirrors
_____________ 83
Horn
__________________________ 98
Horn button
____________________ 98
IIgnition switch
_________________ 122
Immobilizer
____________________ 45
Important considerations for driving
125
Important information, petrol-engined
cars with catalytic converters
____ 126
Indicator lights
__________________ 54
Instrument illumination, adjusting
___ 73
Interior lighting
_________________ 105
Interior rearview mirror
__________ 111
Intermittent malfunctioning,
central locking
_________________ 40
JJack
_________________________ 214
Jump starting
__________________ 168
KKey
__________________________ 38
Kick-down
____________________ 136
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253 Index
LLATCH (child safety)
_____________ 22
Labels and plates, location
_______ 246
Lashing eyes
__________________ 118
Laying the car up
______________ 150
Leather upholstery, cleaning
______ 218
Limp-home
___________________ 126
Limp-home, automatic transmission
137
Load carriers, roof
______________ 161
Load indices, tyres _____________ 209
Load-through hatch _____________ 117
Locking a car with flat battery
______ 41
Locks
________________________ 38
Long-term parking
______________ 150
Luggage compartment
__________ 116
Luggage compartment lighting
106
, 119
Luggage compartment lighting,
changing
____________________ 197
MMAXI fuses
___________________ 200
Main instrument panel
___________ 54
Main/dipped beam
______________ 72
Maintenance schedule __________ 230
Manual climate control ___________ 79
Manual gear selection ___________ 139
Manual gearbox
_______________ 133
Manual tripping of car alarm
_______ 49
Materials used in the car, reclamation
222Memory, driver’s seat
____________ 19
Milometer
_____________________ 59
Movement sensor, car alarm
______ 48
Mug holder
___________________ 107
NNight driving
__________________ 163
Number plate lighting, changing
___ 196
OORVR
_______________________ 174
Oil capacity, engine
_____________ 239
Opening handles
________________ 38
Opening the fuel filler flap manually
_52
Owner assistance
______________ 232
PPanic function, car alarm
_________ 49
Park Brake Shift Lock
___________ 135
Park Brake Shift Lock,
temporary override
____________ 137
Parking
______________________ 148
Parking aid ___________________ 151
Parking brake _________________ 148
Parking on a hill _______________ 149
Pinch protection, electric windows
_100
Pinch protection, sunroof
________ 104Plates and labels, location
________ 246
Polishing and waxing
____________ 219
Poly-V-belt
____________________ 185
Position lights __________________ 72
Power steering fluid, checking
_____ 181
Power steering fluid, grade
_______ 242
Pressure gauge
_________________ 61
Profiles, customized settings
_______ 64
Puncture, changing wheels _______ 214
QQuick guide, remote control
_______ 39
RRain sensor
____________________ 77
Rear fog light ___________________ 74
Rear seats, folding down
_________ 116
Rear towing eye
_______________ 165
Rear window heating
_____________ 83
Rearview mirrors
_______________ 110
Recirculation
___________________ 82
Recommendations for automatic
transmission, towing a trailer
____ 158
Recommendations for manual
gearbox, towing a trailer
________ 159
Recommended fuel grades _______ 128
Recommended snow chains ______ 243
Refueling
_____________________ 128
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254 IndexRemote control
_________________ 38
Remote locking malfunction
_______ 40
Reporting safety defects
_________ 233
Rev counter
___________________ 59
Reversing lights ________________ 76
Roof lighting
__________________ 105
Roof lighting, changing
__________ 196
Running-in
___________________ 132
SSAHR, head restraint
____________ 20
SID
__________________________ 64
SPA _________________________ 151
Saab Information Display
_________ 64
Saab Parking Assistance ________ 151
Saab Trionic engine
management system
__________ 174
Safety belts
____________________ 11
Seatbelts
______________________ 11
Seatbelts, care
________________ 217
Seatbelts, checking
_____________ 217
Seats
_________________________ 16
Securing a load
________________ 118
Sentronic, manual gear selection
__ 139
Service costs
_________________ 232
Service information
_____________ 232
Service intervals
_______________ 230
Service record retention
_________ 231
Shifting the wheels
_____________ 209
Signalling, horn
_________________ 98Ski hatch
_____________________ 117
Spare wheel __________________ 212
Speed ratings, tyres
____________ 209
Speedometer
__________________ 60
Starting the engine
_____________ 123
Steering wheel adjustment
________ 98
Steering wheel lock
_____________ 123
Storage compartments __________ 109
Sun visor
_____________________ 106
Sunroof
______________________ 102
Switches ______________________ 72
TTCS
_________________________ 144
Technical data
_________________ 236
Textile carpeting, cleaning
_______ 218
Tightening torque, wheels ________ 216
Tools and spare wheel
__________ 212
Touching up paintwork __________ 219
Towbar
______________________ 157
Towbar load
__________________ 159
Towing
______________________ 164
Towing a trailer
________________ 157
Towing the car ________________ 165
Traction Control System (TCS)
____ 144
Transmission oil, checking
_______ 178
Transmission oil, grade
__________ 241
Transmission, automatic _________ 134
Transmission, manual
___________ 133
Transporting the car
____________ 166Trip computer
__________________ 65
Trip meter
_____________________ 59
Trolley jack ___________________ 215
Troubleshooting, A/C and ACC
____ 224
Turbo gauge
___________________ 61
Tyre date code ________________ 212
Tyre markings
_________________ 209
Tyre pressure _________________ 207
Tyre pressure monitoring, automatic
207
Tyre sizes
____________________ 243
Tyres
________________________ 206
UUpholstery care
________________ 217
Upholstery, cleaning
____________ 217
Useful tips on night driving
_______ 163
Useful tips on starting petrol engines
125
VVanity mirror
__________________ 106
Vehicle identification number
_____ 246
Vehicle recovery
_______________ 166
WWarning labels
___________________ 7
Warning lights __________________ 54
Warning triangle ________________ 76
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