2003 SAAB 9-3 light

32 Safety
Inflatable curtains
The inflatable curtains, which protect the
head, are concealed along the lengths of
the headlining (all the way from front to rear
roof pillars).
The inflatable curtains inflate at the same
time as the side airbags in the front seats in
case of a side-on impact.
The inflatable curtains reduce the risk of
head injuries to the occupants of the car’s
outer seats. The inflatable curtains deploys
into the window area between the front and
rear roof pillars.
If the airbag system registers forces equiv-
alent to a high-speed frontal crash (Stage II
for the steering wheel and passenger
airbags), the inflatable curtains will also be
deployed.
WARNING
 Do not sit with your head rested
against the side window. The inflat-
able curtain is designed to inflate
between the window and the head.
Resting the head against the window
could prevent the inflatable curtain
from providing the intended
protection.
 Hang only light clothes from the hooks
on the rear seat courtesy handles. The
items of clothing must not contain
heavy or sharp objects. Do not use
wire coat hangers.
 Do not position a sun visor or similar in
the area that would be filled by the
inflatable curtain.
 To reduce the risk of head injuries in
the event of a crash, the roof pillars
and headlining incorporate cushioning
material. Do not attach anything to the
car’s headlining, roof pillars or side
panels as this could prevent the side-
impact protection from providing the
intended protection.
 Do not stack loads so high that they
could encumber the inflatable curtain
in the event of a crash.
Inflated side airbag
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34 SafetyAirbag warning lamp Crash sensing
Crash sensing and diagnostic modules
have been used in automobiles since air-
bags were first produced. The technical
information gained from these modules can
be useful to understanding the circum-
stances that led to the airbag deployment. In
addition, information from many field events
can be used in the aggregate to help manu-
facturers and others better understand real
world crashes. This, in turn, can lead to
improved automotive safety.
Your vehicle is equipped with two electronic
frontal sensors, which helps the sensing
system distinguish between a moderate
frontal impact and a more severe frontal
impact. Your vehicle is also equipped with a
crash sensing and diagnostic module,
which records information about the frontal
airbag system. The module records infor-
mation about the readiness of the system,
when the system commands airbag inflation
and driver’s safety belt usage at deployment
or in a near-deployment crash. The module
also records speed, engine rpm, brake and
throttle data etc.
Servicing the airbag systemThe airbag system must be inspected as
part of the normal service program but oth-
erwise may be regarded as maintenance-
free.
WARNING
 If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the airbag system may not be working
properly. See page 57.
 The airbags in your vehicle may not
inflate in a crash, or they could even
inflate without a crash.
 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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36 SafetyWhen do the airbags in the steering wheel
and passenger side of the dash board
inflate? The airbag will only be inflated under certain
predetermined conditions in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal crash,
depending on such factors as the force and
angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
the impacting object.
The airbag can only be activated once in the
same incident.
Do not attempt to drive the car after an
airbag has been inflated, even if it is possi-
ble.What won’t trigger the airbag? The airbag will not be activated in all frontal
crashes. For instance, if the car has hit
something relatively soft and yielding (e.g. a
snow drift or a hedge) or a solid object at a
low impact speed, the airbag will not neces-
sarily be triggered.
How loud is the inflation? The noise of the inflation is certainly loud,
but it is of an very short duration and will not
damage your hearing. For a short time after-
wards you could experience a buzzing
noise in your ears.
Most people who have experienced it
cannot remember the noise of the inflation
at all – all they remember is the noise of the
crash. Can you still use a child seat in the front if a
passenger airbag is installed? Definitely not!
Children 12 and under or shorter
than55 inches (140 cn) can be killed by the
airbag.
The back seat is the safest place for chil-
dren.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in the
front.
Sit as far back as possible from the air bag.
Always use seat belts and child restraints.
What should I do if the AIR-BAG warning
light comes on? If the warning light is on, it means that a fault
has been detected in the system. The
airbag cannot be relied on to operate as
intended and it might even be activated
erroneously. You should therefore take the
car to an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
possible.Are the dust and fumes given off when the
airbag operates at all harmful? Most people who have remained in a car
with little or no ventilation for several min-
utes complained only of minor irritation of
the throat and eyes. Avoid as much as pos-
sible getting dust on your skin as there is a
risk of skin irritation.
If you suffer from asthma, the incident may
bring on an attack, in which case you should
follow the normal procedure advised by
your doctor. It is advisable to consult a
doctor afterwards.
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39 Security
Remote control functions
*) parking lights, side direction indicators,
tail lights and license plate lighting.
NOTICEThe remote control contains delicate
electronics.
 Do not expose it to water.
 Avoid rough handling.
 Do not place the remote control where
it may be subjected to high tempera-
tures, e.g. on the instrument panel.
 Warm the remote control in your
hands for a couple of minutes if it has
become very cold to prevent malfunc-
tion.
 For details on changing the battery,
refer to page 44.
Button Pressed once Pressed
twiceHold and
press the
button >2 s
Locks all doors,
fuel filler door and
trunk lid.Comfort
closing, see
page 100.
Unlocks driver´s
door and fuel filler
door.The other
doors are
unlocked
and the trunk
lid switch is
enabled.Comfort
opening, see
page 99.
Unlocks and
slightly opens
trunk lid.
Checks number
of remote con-
trols, see page
43.
Turns on exterior
and cabin lighting
*) (for 30 s) or
turns off lighting
and deactivates
panic alarm.Panic alarm
(activates
alarm manu-
ally), see
page 49.
Remote control1 Locks car
2 Unlocks car and turns on cabin lighting
3 Unlocks and opens trunk lid.
4 Turns on exterior and cabin lighting.
Activates panic function
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40 SecurityLocking/unlocking the carRemote locking and unlocking also control
the car alarm.
Remote locking
Press the button once: all doors and
the trunk lid locked.
The hazard warning lights will flash once to
confirm.
The car will be locked automatically
3 minutes after it is unlocked unless a door
or the trunk lid is opened.Remote unlocking
Pressing the button once: the driver´s
door and the fuel filler door is unlocked.
Press a second time to unlock the rest of the
doors and enable the trunk lid switch.
The hazard warning lights will flash twice to
confirm.
If a fault arises in the locking system, the
Saab Information Display (SID) will display:
Saab Information Display (SID), see page
64.
Intermittent malfunctioning
Equipment in the vicinity of the car that uses
the same frequency as the remote control
may cause interference to the remote con-
trol signal. In this case, retry from another
angle and aim at the receiver located by the
steering wheel.If remote unlocking should fail to work
1 Remove the traditional key from the
remote control by pressing the emblem
on the reverse of the remote control.
(This key only fits the front left-hand
door.)
2 Carefully remove the cover plate from
the keyhole in the door.
3 Unlock the door with the key.
The car alarm will be tripped. To silence the
alarm, insert the remote control into the igni-
tion switch.
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.
Never lock anyone in the car.
Lock system failure.
Contact Saab dealer.
Locking/unlocking the front left-hand door
with the traditional key1 Lock
2 Unlock
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41 Security
Locking a car with dead batteryThe steering wheel lock requires sufficient
battery voltage to lock and unlock. If the bat-
tery voltage drops below a certain level
while the remote control is in the ignition
switch, you will not be able to remove the
remote control.
If you must leave the car, proceed as
follows:
1 Lock the car by pressing down the lock
buttons on the doors.
2 Lock the front left door from outside with
the traditional key (see page 40). The
car is now locked but the car alarm will
remain inactive.
Trunk lidOpening
The trunk lid is unlock and slightly opened
when the button on the remote control
or driver’s door is pressed once.
The hazard warning lights will flash three
times to confirm.
The movement sensor in the cabin will be
disarmed.
Closing
The trunk lid is locked when closed.
If the doors are locked when the trunk lid is
closed it is armed and the movement sensor
in the cabin will be armed.
Opening button on driver’s door
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42 SecuritySwitches on front doorsThe central locking can also be operated
from inside the car using the button by each
front door handle.
 Locking the car with the remote control
renders these buttons inoperative.
 If you are sitting in the car and press the
button on the driver’s door, this will unlock
the driver’s door and fuel filler door. Press
the button a second time to unlock the
remaining doors and the trunk lid. The
button on the passenger door works in the
same way except that this first unlocks the
passenger door and fuel filler flap. In this
mode, the other doors cannot be opened
from outside the car.
If the car is left with one or more doors open,
the interior lighting will be switched off auto-matically after 20 minutes. This is to prevent
the battery from running flat. Also, if the car
has electrically adjustable seats, these will
cease to operate.
Child safety locksThe rear doors are equipped with child
safety locks that are activated by means of
a catch next to the door latch.
Insert a screwdriver or the traditional key
(enclosed in the remote control) and turn it
45° in the direction shown on the label on
the door.
When the child safety lock is in the locked
position, the door can only be opened from
outside the car.
WARNING
If small children are carried in the rear
seat, the safety locks on the rear doors
should be activated to prevent uninten-
tional opening from the inside.
Child safety locks
Central locking switch
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43 Security
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 inside.
Reprogramming lock system
functionsCertain lock system functions can be
reprogrammed at a Saab dealer (see page
248).Checking the number of remote
controlsTo check the number of remote controls that
are programmed for the car:
1 Insert the remote control into the ignition
switch and turn it to ON.
2 Press the button on the remote
control.
3 The Saab Information Display (SID) will
now display the number of remote
controls that are programmed for your
car, and which of these (1–5) is in the
ignition switch.
Example of SID message:
NOTICEThe 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
X: standard key
Y: valet key
Key No: Z
Trunk Release Handle
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