2003 SAAB 9-3 cooling

60 Instruments and controlsSpeedometer (U.S. speedometer
shown)The speedometer displays the speed of the
car in miles per hour (mph). It receives infor-
mation about vehicle speed from the ABS’s
wheel sensors.
Temperature gaugeThe temperature gauge shows the temper-
ature of the coolant. The needle should be
in the middle of the scale when the engine
is at normal operating temperature.
If the needle goes into the red zone (which
can occur at high outside air temperatures
or under heavy engine loads), choose the
highest possible gear ratio and the lowest
possible engine speed, and avoid shifting
down.If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone,
stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so and
check the coolant level (see page 179).
NOTICEIf the needle, despite the above action,
enters the red zone, stop the car in a suit-
able place and allow the engine to idle. If
the needle continues to rise, switch off the
engine.
WARNING
Never open the cap of the expansion tank
completely when the engine is hot, open
with care. The pressure in the cooling-
system can cause hot coolant and steam
to be released. Failure to heed this warn-
ing may result in personal injury.
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80 Instruments and controlsAir distributionThe air distribution control is used to direct the flow of air to the
defroster, panel and floor vents.
The control also permits settings in between the three main settings
defroster, panel and floor:
 defroster and floor
 panel and floor
 defroster, panel and floor (11 o’clock position)
To counter cold drafts from the front side windows when the control
has been set to defroster or floor, a small flow of air issues from
the outer vents on the fascia.
As the winter comfort setting, we recommend that the distribution
knob be turned to .
Recommended settings in severe coldOn starting with a cold engine, set the fan speed to 2 or 3 and select
maximum heat and defroster to heat the cabin and demist the wind-
shield as quickly as possible.
When the engine is warmer and the temperature gauge starts to
rise, fan setting 4 may be chosen. Once the windshield is clear, the
air distribution control should be turned to .
If the rear seat passengers desire more warmth to the feet, turn the
distribution knob one step clockwise.
How quickly the engine warms up will depend on how the car is
driven. It will take longer for the engine to warm up if the car is driven
in a high gear at low engine speeds, such as in town, than if it is
driven at high engine speeds on a motorway, for example.
Do not use fan speed 5. This is primarily intended for rapid cooling
during the summer.
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82 Instruments and controlsAir ventsThe air vents swivel universally, so that air
can be directed as desired. In winter, for
instance, the outer vents can be directed
onto the door windows for enhanced
demisting.
The amount of air can be individually con-
trolled by the regulator on each vent. If you
wish to reduce the airflow, start by half-
shutting the vent in question.The air conditioning is combined with the
conventional climate control system and
is switched on by pressing the but-
ton, provided that the fan control is in
position 1-5.
The incoming air is treated in three stages:
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu-
midified and cooled; and finally, if required,
it is heated.
The air conditioning can be used at outdoor
temperatures down to 32°F (0°C). It is not
necessary to disengage the air conditioning
manually as this is done automatically.
If the engine coolant gets too hot, the A/C
compressor will be turned off and the follow-
ing message will be shown on the Saab
Information Display (SID):
Condensation waterWhen the A/C compressor is on, the incom-
ing air is dehumidified. The resulting con-
densation water is drained away through an
outlet under the car.
It is therefore perfectly normal for water to
be seen dripping from this outlet when the
car is parked. The warmer the ambient air
and the higher the humidity, the more con-
densation will form.
When the button is pressed, the reg-
ular air intake will be closed. In this mode,
the air inside the cabin is recirculated.
Use recirculation when you wish for rapid
cooling at very high outside temperatures.
Switch the air conditioning (A/C) on first.
If necessary, recirculation can be switched
on manually to avoid unpleasant air from
entering the car.
Only use recirculation for a short period
of time at temperatures lower than 50°F
(+10°C), such as to avoid unpleasant air.
Mist or ice may otherwise form on the
windows.
Air conditioning (A/C)A/C off due to high engine
temperature.
Recirculation
Panel vent
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84 Instruments and controlsAutomatic climate-
control system (ACC)Fresh air for the cabin is drawn in through an
inlet at the bottom edge of the windshield. It
passes through an effective filter before
reaching the climate control system and
delivery into the cabin. The air is evacuated
via openings in the parcel shelf. It is then led
through outlets on either side of the car
behind the rear bumper.
The Automatic Climate-Control syatem
(ACC) automatically maintains the desired
cabin temperature, regardless of the
weather outside.
The system will achieve the desired temper-
ature in the quickest possible way.
Note that heating or cooling is not
speeded up by setting the temperature
higher or lower than the final tempera-
ture you desire.
To optimize the performance of the air con-
ditioning system, all windows and the sun-
roof should be shut. The air vents in the
fascia must be open.
The incoming air is treated in three stages:
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu-
midified and cooled; and finally, if required,
it is heated.To reduce potential misting on the insides of
the windows, the glass should be cleaned
with a quality glass cleaner. How often this
will need to be done depends on how clean
the air is - if there are smokers in the car, the
windows will need to be cleaned more
frequently.
ACC panel1 Temperature setting: left-hand side
2 Manual setting of air distribution
3 Recirculation
4 AUTO (automatic regulation)
5A/C
6 Defroster
7 Rear window heating
8 Temperature setting: right-hand side
9 Seat heating, front right seat10 Manual increase of fan speed
11 Hazard warning lights
12 Manual decrease of fan speed
13 Seat heating, front left seat
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85 Instruments and controls
Temperature controlThe cabin is divided into two temperature
zones:
1 Driver’s zone.
2 Passenger zone.
The temperature in the rear seat will be a
mixture of the two zones.
If you choose the single zone setting, the
entire cabin is treated as one zone. If you
choose the dual zone setting, settings can
be made separately for the driver’s zone
and passenger zone.
Select between single and dual zone set-
tings under Profiler (see page 93).
The cabin temperature can be set to
between 58–82°F (15–27°C). In addition, HI
(maximum heating and high fan speed) and
LO (maximum cooling and maximum fan
speed) can be selected. HI and LO can only
be selected for the passenger zone if the
driver has selected the same setting.The displayed temperature is not the actual
air temperature but corresponds to the
comfort level normally experienced at that
temperature after allowance has been
made for the airflow, relative humidity, solar
radiation, and so on, currently prevailing
inside the car.
 The most usual temperature setting is
between 66–74°F (19–23°C), depending
on personal preference and what clothing
is worn.
 Change the temperature setting in 2°F
(1°C) steps.
 Make sure the air vents are open when
cooling the cabin in warm weather.
Settings when HI is selected:
 Maximum heat
 Air distribution to windshield and floor
 High fan speed (6 bars on the fan display).
Settings when LO is selected:
 Maximum cooling
 Air distribution to air vents in fascia
 Maximum fan speed (8 bars on the fan
display).
 Recirculation ON (depending on outside
temperature).
Air ventsThe air vents swivel universally, so that air
can be directed as desired. In winter, for
instance, the outer vents can be directed
onto the door windows for enhanced
demisting.
The amount of air can be individually con-
trolled by the regulator on each vent. If you
wish to reduce the airflow, start by half-
shutting the vent in question.Panel vent
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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
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156 Starting and drivingDriving with tire chainsSnow chains must only be fitted to the wheel
and tire dimensions that Saab recommends
in "Technical data" on page 235.
Contact a Saab dealer regarding approved
tire chains.
Driving in hot climatesAlways check the coolant level before start-
ing a journey. When the engine is cold, the
coolant must not lie above the KALT/COLD
mark on the expansion tank (boundary
between the upper and lower sections of the
tank).
At the end of a journey, allow the engine to
idle for 2–3 minutes before switching it off.
If the needle on the temperature gauge
enters the red zone, the following message
will be shown on the SID:
1 Stop the car but do not switch off the
engine. Do not remove the cap on the
cooling system expansion tank, even if
the tank is empty. The engine tempera-
ture should decrease. If the temperature
continues to rise with the engine idling,
the engine must be switched off.2 If the engine is idling and the needle on
the temperature gauge falls, wait until a
normal temperature is shown (about in
the middle of the scale) before switching
off the engine. If the coolant needs to be
topped up, carefully unscrew the
expansion tank cap.
Fill as required with a mixture of 50 %
antifreeze and 50 % clean water. Use an
antifreeze approved by Saab.
3 Have the car’s cooling system checked
at a Saab dealer.
WARNING
 Do not drive at speeds above 30 mph
(50 km/h) when tire chains are fitted.
 Tire chains can reduce directional
stability.
 Do not fit tire chains to the car’s rear
wheels.NOTICE Check the links frequently for wear.
 Check that the chains do not foul the
wheel arch liner at full lock.
 Refer to the "Technical data" section
on page 235, for information on wheel
and tire dimensions approved for the
fitting of tire chains.
Hot engine.
Make a safe stop.
Run engine on idle.
WARNING
 Exercise care when opening the hood
if the engine is overheated. Never
remove the expansion tank cap
completely when the engine is hot.
 The cooling system is pressurized -
hot coolant and vapour can escape.
These can cause injury to your eyes
and burns. Open the cap slowly to
release the pressure before removing
it.
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158 Starting and driving
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmissionThe following driving time limits are based
on the capacity of the cooling system in hot
weather, i.e. approximately 86°F (+30°C).
The following driving time limits are based
on the capacity of the cooling system in hot
weather, i.e. approximately 104°F (+40°C).
When negotiating long hills, bear the follow-
ing important considerations in mind.
Rises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.The following steps are taken in order as the
temperature of the transmission increases:
 Gear change pattern is altered
 A/C compressor is switched off
 Max. engine torque is reduced
The following message will be displayed on
the SID if the transmission fluid becomes
too hot:
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.
When continuing your journey, manually
select a low gear in which the engine speed
is about 3,500 rpm until the incline eases
(see page 139). Gradient of
hill, %Max. trailer
weight, lbs.
(kg)Time limit,
minutes
6-8 3330 (1500) unlimited
9-11 3080 (1400) max. 15
12-14 2645 (1200) max. 15
max. 15 2200 (1000) max. 15
Gradient of
hill, %Max. trailer
weight, lbs.
(kg)Time limit,
minutes
6-8 2200 (1000) unlimited
9-11 1760 (800) max. 15
12-14 1100 (500) max. 15
max. 15 880 (400) max. 15
Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop.
Open hood to cool down.
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