2003 SAAB 9-3 fuel type

128 Starting and drivingRefuelingOnly use fuel from a well-known oil com-
pany.
All Saab gasoline engines can be driven on
gasoline with an octane rating between
AON 87–93.
The engine management system monitors
the combustion and automatically adapts to
the fuel used.
Always use the correct grade of fuel:
unleaded AON 87–93.For optimum performance Saab recom-
mends:
2.0t engine 175 hp – AON 90.
2.0 Turbo engine 210 hp - AON 93.
Sometimes, gasoline can contain a number
of additives containing oxygen. The most
common of these are alcohol or some type
of ether. The maximum oxygen level is
restricted by national regulations.
If fuel containing a mixture of alcohol is
used, the maximum levels approved by
Saab are: 5 % by volume of methanol; or
10 % by volume of ethanol. The most
common type of ether used is MTBE
(methyl tertiary butyl ether), of which fuel
may contain a maximum of 15 % by volume.
WARNING
Gasoline fumes are highly explosive.
Therefore:
never smoke while refueling
never use gasoline for any purpose
other than as engine fuel
 gasoline is extremely flammable and
can cause severe burns. No open or
exposed flames near gasoline
 do not use a mobile phone at the same
time as refueling
NOTICE Do not overfill. Fuel should not come
right up the filler pipe as room for
expansion is needed for when the
temperature rises.
 The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine
damage.
Filler cap removed for refueling
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130 Starting and drivingRecommended fuel:For optimum performance we recommend
90 AON for 175 hp engines and 93 AON for
210 hp engines.
Octane rating is determined according to
the formula:
where MON is the Motor Octane Number,
and RON is the Research Octane Number.
The average of these two values is the
octane rating of the gasoline as it appears
on the pump at a retail gas station. This
value is sometimes referred to as the "Anti-
Knock Index" (AKI) or the "Average Octane
Number" (AON).To avoid deposit formation on the fuel injec-
tors which can cause poor driveability, use
only quality gasolines that contain deter-
gents and corrosion inhibitors. Because
gasolines sold at retail gas stations vary in
their composition and quality, you should
switch to a different brand if you begin expe-
riencing driveability and/or hard starting
problems shortly after refueling your car. In
recent years, a variety of fuel additives and
alcohols or oxygenates have been blended
with gasoline. These types of gasolines may
be found in all parts of the United States and
Canada, but particularly in geographic
areas and cities that have high carbon
monoxide levels. Saab approves the use of
such "reformulated" gasolines in its prod-
ucts, which help in reducing pollution from
all motor vehicles, provided that the follow-
ing blending percentages are met by such
fuels:
 Up to 10 % ethanol by volume, with corro-
sion inhibitors.
 Up to 15 % MTBE by volume (methyl
tertiary butyl ether).
Up to 5 % methanol by volume, with an
equal amount of a suitable co-solvent and
added corrosion inhibitors.Other, less common, fuel additives used by
some gasoline dealers are also acceptable,
provided that the resultant gasoline is not
more than 2.7 % oxygen by weight. In many
cases, you may not be able to determine the
exact type or percentage by volume of fuel
additive in the gasoline you purchase for
your car.
Some Canadian and U.S. gasolines contain
an octane enhancing additive called meth-
lycyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT). If such fuel is used, your emission
control system performance may deterio-
rate and the malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this
occurs, return to your authorized Saab
dealer for service.
However, these blended gasolines are reg-
ulated and should never exceed these rec-
ommended blend percentages and service
station operators should know if their gaso-
lines contain detergents and oxygenates,
and have been reformulated to reduce vehi-
cle emissions. Nevertheless, if you begin to
notice a problem with the way your car starts
or runs shortly after it has been refueled, try
a different brand of gasoline. MON + RON
2
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132 Starting and drivingIf your vehicle is certified to meet California
Emission Standards (indicated on the
underhood emission control label), it is
designed to operate on fuels that meet Cal-
ifornia specifications. If such fuels are not
available in states adopting California emis-
sions standards, your vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal spec-
ifications, but emission control system per-
formance may be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on and/or your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. See "Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)" on page 55. If this
occurs, return to your authorized Saab
dealer for diagnosis to determine the cause
of failure. In the event it is determined that
the cause of the condition is the type of fuels
used, repairs may not be covered by your
warranty.Some gasolines that are not reformulated
for low emissions may contain an octane-
enhancing additive called methylcyclopen-
tadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT); ask
your service station operator whether or not
the fuel contains MMT. Saab does not
recommend the use of such gasolines. If
fuels containing MMT are used, spark plug
life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be
affected. The Engine malfunction (CHECK
ENGINE) light on your instrument panel
may turn on. If this occurs, return to your
authorized Saab dealer for service.
Engine Break-in PeriodPistons, cylinder bores and bearings need
time to obtain uniform, wear-resistant
surfaces.
If a new engine is driven too hard, this grad-
ual process of bedding-in will not be possi-
ble and the life of the engine will be short-
ened.
During the first 1,200 miles (2,000 km),
do not exceed 5,000 rpm.
In addition, refrain from driving the car at full
throttle, other than for brief instances,
during the first 1,800 miles (3,000 km).Wearing in new brake padsNew brake pads take time to bed in, about
90 miles (150 km) if the car is driven largely
under stop-and-go conditions or about
300 miles (500 km) of highway driving.
To extend the useful life of the pads, avoid
hard braking as much as possible.
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155 Starting and driving
Driving in cold weatherIn cold weather, special attention should be
paid to the following:
 Before driving off, make sure that the
wiper blades have not frozen to the wind-
shield.
 Remove any snow from the heating
system air intakes between the hood and
the windshield.
 If necessary, inject oil into the locks to
prevent them from freezing. Use molyb-
denum-sulphide oil (MoS
2). If the locks
freeze, exercise care when unlocking the
car (manual unlocking) to avoid breaking
the key. Warm up the key or use a de-icer.
 It is particularly important when the roads
are slippery that the brakes and tires are
in good condition.
 For how to check the level of antifreeze in
the engine coolant, see page 179. Add gasoline anti-freeze when refueling
several times before the onset of winter.
This will prevent condensation water in
the fuel tank from freezing and causing
interruptions in the fuel supply. The likeli-
hood of condensation is lowest when the
fuel tank is full.
If the car is parked outside and the
temperature is below zero, carburettor
spirit is of little use as it cannot remove
water that has already frozen. Park the
car in a warm place so that any ice that
may have built up melts, then add carbu-
rettor spirit when refueling.
Condensation is caused by temperature
fluctuations, either in the outside temper-
ature alone or when the car is alternately
parked outdoors and in a garage.
The car is equipped with tires designed to
provide optimum grip on both wet and dry
roads, although this has been achieved at
the expense of somewhat reduced grip on
snow and ice. For regular driving on snow
and ice, we therefore recommend that
winter (snow) tires be fitted.Winter tires, particularly studded tires,
generally make driving safer on snow and
ice.
Acquaint yourself with the legal provi-
sions governing the use of different
types of winter tires and snow chains.
Studded tires are not allowed in some
countries. If winter tires are fitted, the same
type must be fitted to all four wheels. Your
Saab dealer will be pleased to advise you on
the best tires for your car.
Remember that tires age: it may therefore
be necessary to change winter tires before
they reach the legal wear limit, as they grad-
ually lose their friction properties with age.
If you get into a front wheel skid and the car
has a manual transmission, the best
response is to freewheel, which means
declutching so that the wheels neither drive
nor brake, and to cautiously steer in the
desired direction.
If the car has automatic transmission, ease
off the accelerator slightly and steer cau-
tiously in the desired direction.
If you get into a rear wheel skid, steer in the
same direction as the movement of the rear
of the car.
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238 Technical dataEngine Engine oilType: Four cylinders,
double overhead
camshafts,
16 valves, two
balancer shafts,
dual-mass flywheel
Cylinder bore_______________________ 3.386'' (86 mm)
Stroke ____________________________ 3.386'' (86 mm)
Swept volume ______________________ 122 cu.in. (1.998 l)
Idling speed________________________ 670 rpm
Antifreeze _________________________ Saab-approved
antifreeze
Coolant capacity ____________________ 7.5 qts. (7.1 l)
Oil grade
:
We recommend the use of Saab or Mobile oils, available from
you Saab dealer, for regular oil changes.
These oils are specially developed from high-quality compo-
nents to meet the demands of extended service intervals (max.
18,000 miles (30,000 km) or 2 years). Saab and Mobil oils are
tested and approved in accordance with the GM standard for
long-life oils. Such gasoline engine oils are given the designa-
tion GM-LL-A 025. The requirements are the same for diesel
oils, though these are given the designation GM-LL-B 025.
To ensure optimum engine performance, with regard to lu-
brication, the ability to dissolve residues and the neutrali-
sation of combustion products in the oil, for a service
interval of 18,000 miles (30,000 km) or a maximum of
2 years, the engine oil used must fulfil GM-LL-A 025 (gaso-
line engines) or GM-LL-B 025 (diesel engines).
Only oil of the above grades may be used.
Oils of the above grades contain the additives required for
the engine to function well. We advise against the use of
further additives.
The gasoline engine oil is unique in that not only does it fulfil the
stringent requirements demanded by API and ACEA standards
but also meets ACEA requirements for fuel-saving properties.
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