2003 SAAB 9-3 manual transmission

123 Starting and driving
Steering wheel lockThe steering wheel lock is electronic. The
lock engages when the remote control is
removed from the ignition and unlocks when
the remote control is inserted. A click can be
heard when the steering wheel lock locks
and unlocks.
If the car is parked with one front wheel
touching the curb, for example, you may
need to turn the steering wheel slightly
when you insert the remote control to allow
the steering wheel lock to unlock. If you do
not succeed on first attempt you must
remove the remote control before trying
again. Turn the steering wheel and insert
the remote control into the ignition switch.
If the steering wheel lock does not disen-
gage it will not be possible to turn the remote
control in the ignition switch.
The following message is shown on the SID:If a fault arises affecting the steering wheel
lock, the following message will be
displayed on the SID:
If the steering wheel lock malfunctions while
the remote control is in the ignition switch,
this may prevent the removal of the remote
control or prevent the car from being
restarted once the engine has been
switched off.
If you have to leave the car, lock the car by
pressing down the lock buttons on the
doors. Lock the front left door from outside
with the traditional key (see page 40). The
car is now locked but the alarm is inactive.
Starting the engine
Steering wheel locked.
Pull out key, turn steering
wheel. Try again.
Steering lock malfunc.
Make a safe stop.
Contact Saab dealer.
WARNING
 When starting the engine:
- Sit down in the driver’s seat.
- Depress the clutch pedal fully. If the
gear lever is not in the neutral position,
the clutch pedal must be fully
depressed or the car will jump
forwards or backwards, which may
cause a crash.
- Never start the car from outside the
vehicle, e.g. through a window that is
down. This could lead to serious
personal injury.
 Cars with automatic transmission:
select position P to remove the ignition
key. The key can only be removed in
this gear position.
 Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless,
odorless, poisonous gas. Be alert to
the danger of CO – always open the
garage doors before starting the
engine in the garage.
 Do not rest or sleep in the car when
parked with the engine running. There
is a risk of depressing the accelerator
which could lead to engine damage.
 There is also a danger of CO poison-
ing if the exhaust system is leaking.
ProCarManuals.com

124 Starting and drivingDo not run the starter motor for more than
25 seconds at a time. Wait 20–30 seconds
before running the starter again, to give the
battery time to recover.
Avoid racing the engine or putting a heavy
load on it before it has warmed up. Let the
engine idle for at least 10 seconds and then
drive away as long as the engine oil warning
light has gone out to enable the engine to
attain its normal temperature as quickly as
possible
It is possible for air to enter the lubricating
system in conjunction with an oil or oil-filter
change, or if the car has been stored for
some time. This air can cause the hydraulic
cam followers to emit a ticking noise, which
can persist for up to 15 minutes after start-
ing. Although this is quite normal and does
not indicate any malfunction, it is advisable
not to exceed 3,000 rpm before the noise
has disappeared.
Starting the engineAvoid racing the engine or loading it heavily
before it has warmed up. Do not drive away
before the warning and indicator lights have
gone out.
The engine has an automatic choke and
should be started as follows:
Cars with manual transmission
To start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.
1 Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2 Depress the clutch pedal but do not
touch the accelerator.
3 Start the engine. Let the remote control
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.Cars with automatic transmission
The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
1 The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
2 Keep your foot on the brake pedal.
Note! Once the engine has started, the
brake pedal will sink. This is perfectly
normal.
3 Start the engine. Let the remote control
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.
ProCarManuals.com

127 Starting and driving
 Have the car serviced regularly in accord-
ance with the service program.
 Always be alert to any misfiring of the
engine (not running on all cylinders) and
any loss of power or performance. At the
first sign of a malfunction, reduce speed
and take the car to a Saab dealer.
 If the engine fails to start (in severe cold
or if the battery is flat), the car can be
bump started (manual transmission only)
or started using jump leads to a donor
battery. However, as soon as you have
started the engine, it is important that it
runs on all cylinders. If it is misfiring, allow
it to idle for up to 5 minutes to give it time
to settle and run smoothly. If, after this
time, the engine still fails to run properly,
switch off the engine to avoid serious
damage to the catalytic converter.
Contact a Saab dealer for advice. Never park the car on dry grass or other
combustible material. The catalytic
converter gets very hot and could there-
fore start a fire.
 Never drive off if the engine is misfiring.
 If you bump start the car when the engine
is already at normal working temperature,
the engine must start to run on all cylin-
ders. Abort bump starting if the engine
fails to start immediately.
Failure to strictly follow these instructions
can result in damage to the catalytic con-
verter and associated components, and
could represent a breach of the warranty
conditions.
NOTICEIf the car runs out of gas, air may be drawn
in with the fuel, which, in turn, can cause
the catalytic converter to be damaged by
overheating.
WARNING
If the engine is being run with the car on a
rolling road or dynamometer, to ensure
adequate cooling, air must be blown into
the engine compartment and under the
car at a rate equivalent to the ram-air
effect that would obtain at the corre-
sponding road speed.
Engine management system with catalytic
converter1 Engine control module
2 Oxygen sensor
3 Catalytic converter
ProCarManuals.com

133 Starting and driving
Manual transmissionClutch interlockTo start the car, the clutch pedal must be
depressed.
When changing gear, fully depress the
clutch pedal and then release it smoothly. It
is inadvisable to drive with your hand resting
on the gear lever, as this can increase the
wear on the gearbox.
There are two manual gearbox versions:
a 5-speed gearbox and a 6-speed gearbox.
Reverse gear on the 6-speed gearbox is to
the left of 1st gear. Raise the ring under the
gear knob to engage reverse.
Before reverse (R) can be engaged, you
must lift the ring underneath the gear knob.
Cars equipped with a manual transmission
have a "Shift-up" light on the instrument
panel. The light begins to work after the
vehicle is warmed up and provides you with
a good indication when to shift to a higher
gear.It is not necessary or recommended to
follow the shift-up recommendations in all
driving conditions, for example, when driv-
ing in heavy urban traffic or steep downhill
grades.
However, shifting with the light should result
in improved fuel economy. Therefore, for
reduced fuel consumption and better
energy conservation, you should make a
habit of shifting before or when the shift-up
light comes on.NOTICEWhen reverse gear is to be engaged,
the car must be at a standstill with
the accelerator fully released.
Shift up indicator
(U.S. models only)
Gear positions, 5-speed Gear positions, 6-speed
ProCarManuals.com

134 Starting and drivingAutomatic transmissionThe automatic transmission has an elec-
tronic control module. The control module
receives information including accelerator
position and road speed. Using this and
other information, it controls the hydraulic
pressure of the transmission to ensure that
gear changing is as smooth as possible.The remote control can only be removed
when the selector lever is in the P position.The engine can only be started when the
selector lever is in the P or N position.
When the car is stationary, the engine must
be idling when you move the selector lever
from one position to another. If not, the
transmission could be damaged.
WARNING
 Depress the brake pedal when shifting
the selector lever from P or N.
 The car must be at a standstill before
P, R or N is selected. You have to have
your foot on the brake pedal to move
the lever out of P. If the car is still
moving when a drive position is subse-
quently selected, this could cause a
crash or damage the automatic trans-
mission.
 Never park the car with the selector
lever in a drive position, even if the
parking brake is on.
 If you want to leave the car with the
engine running, move the selector
lever to P or N and apply the parking
brake.
NOTICEAfter selecting a drive position, pause
briefly to allow the gear to engage (the car
starts to pull a little) before you acceler-
ate.
Selector lever1 Position for manual gear selection
Indication of gear position on main
instrument panel
ProCarManuals.com

135 Starting and driving
Park Brake Shift LockThe transmission has a security function
known as Park Brake Shift Lock. To move
the gear selector lever out of the P or N posi-
tion, the gear selector lever detent (catch)
must be pressed in at the same time as the
brake pedal is held depressed.
The detent button on the selector lever has
to be pressed in before the lever can be
moved between certain positions.
Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock, see page 137.
Adaptive gear change patternsThe adaptive gear change pattern function
adapts gear changing to the prevailing driv-
ing conditions. The transmission control
module senses the engine load, vehicle
speed and temperature of the transmission.
A suitable gear change pattern is then
selected automatically to avoid unneces-
sary gear changes and undesired increases
in transmission temperature.
Certain variants use a special change pat-
tern for the first few minutes after a cold start
so that the catalytic converter reaches its
working temperature more quickly.
Thermal transmission protectionThe transmission has built-in protection
against overheating. This protection is pro-
vided by the control module, which changes
gear change patterns.
1 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 257°F (125°C), the gear
change pattern is changed.
2 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 275°F (135°C), the gear
change pattern is again changed.
3 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 302°F (150°C), engine
torque will be limited to 147 ft.lbs.
(200 Nm).
The following message is shown on the SID:
If this message appears, stop the car as
soon as it is safe to do so and allow the
engine to idle until the message has gone
out. The selector lever should be in
position P.Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop.
Open hood to cool down.
Selector lever detent
ProCarManuals.com

136 Starting and drivingLock-upThe transmission’s torque converter has a
lock-up function. This can lock the torque
converter in 3rd, 4th and 5th gears, thus
reducing the engine speed and fuel con-
sumption.Kick-downWhen the accelerator is pressed down fully,
a down change is made to optimize acceler-
ation, e.g. for overtaking.
Following this, the next higher gear will be
selected at the optimum engine speed,
unless you ease off the accelerator before
reaching this. Kick-down works in manual
mode in 4th and 5th gears if the engine
speed is lower than 2,000 rpm.
Driving in hilly country with a heavy
loadThe transmission fluid can overheat when
the gearbox is strained, for example, when
driving with a trailer on hilly roads. To avoid
the transmission fluid overheating, always
drive with the selector lever in the D posi-
tion. The adaptive gear change patterns are
then active.
High air temperatures or a faulty oil cooler
can also cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Overheating reduces the service
life of the fluid.TowingTowing of cars with automatic transmission,
see page 164.
Descending hillsIf the speed of the car increases while
descending a steep hill, despite the acceler-
ator being released, the control module will
change down to 4th gear. If you desire more
powerful engine braking, manually select a
lower gear (see page 139).
WARNING
Remember to use the braking effect of the
engine (1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you
are descending long or steep hills to
spare the brakes.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
ProCarManuals.com

137 Starting and driving
Limp-homeIf the transmission malfunctions, the control
module will activate limp-home mode. In
this mode, only 2nd and 5th gears are avail-
able. Select 2nd gear when driving at low
speeds and 5th gear at higher speeds. 2nd
gear must be selected manually. Select 5th
gear manually or move the selector lever
to D (see page 139).
The following message is shown on the SID:Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock
1 Apply the parking brake.
2 Lift up the rubber mat in the storage
compartment ahead of the selector
lever.
3 Under the floor of the storage compart-
ment is a yellow plastic lever. Use a thin
tool, such as a screwdriver, to press and
hold the plastic lever while moving the
selector lever from P to N.
4 Remove the tool.
5 Release the parking brake if the car is to
be moved immediately, otherwise it
should remain on.
Check fuse 6 in the engine bay fuse box.
If the fuse is OK the battery may be dead.
Contact a Saab dealer to have the problem
checked and rectified. Gearbox malfunction.
Limited performance.
Contact Saab dealer.
NOTICEDue to electrical problems it may not be
possible to move the selector lever out of
the park position, even if the ignition is
ON. If for some reason the selector lever
has to be moved out of the park position
(i.e. to tow the car a short distance) do as
described below.
Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock
ProCarManuals.com