2003 SAAB 9-3 recommended oil

178 Car careChanging filter
1 Unscrew the oil filter cap.
 Lift the cap slightly and carefully pry
apart the cap and the filter housing.
 Remove the filter cap.
2 Remove the filter. Have paper towelling
or a rag at hand to catch the oil that
escapes from the filter.
3 Fit a new filter.
4 Check the seal in the cap. Apply a small
amount of new engine oil to the O-ring.
5 Screw on the cap. The correct tightening
torque is 25 Nm (18 lbf ft).
Air filter
Transmission fluidManual transmissionCheck and top up the oil in accordance with
the service program.Automatic transmissionCheck and top up the oil in accordance with
the service program.
WARNING
To ensure reliable operation, only use
an air filter recommended by Saab
Automobile AB.
Oil filter
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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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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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231 Maintenance and owner assistance
Engine oil and filter changesChanging the engine oil and filter is required
at every service point. Use only a Saab
approved long-life oil filter and engine oils
meeting the SAE viscosity ratings and API
service classifications stated in the “Techni-
cal data” section of this Owner’s Manual.
The use of extra additives in the oil is not
necessary and is not recommended, and
may be harmful to turbochargers.
More frequent oil changes are recom-
mended if your vehicle is operated under
any of the following conditions:
 Most trips are less than 5–10 miles (8–
16 km). This is particularly important
when outside temperatures are below
freezing.
 Most trips include extensive idling
(frequent stop-and-go traffic).
 Most trips are through dusty areas (such
as construction zones).
 If the vehicle is used for delivery service,
police, taxi or other commercial applica-
tions.
If your driving habits match this description,
have the engine oil and filter changed in-
between normal services at 5,000 mile
(8,000 km) intervals. These conditions
cause the engine oil to break down faster.
The Warranties and Service Record Book-
let has provisions to record extra oil
changes.
Service record retentionIt is the owner’s responsibility to retain ser-
vice records. If possible, you should keep
copies of all shop work orders for all service
and repairs, whenever performed. As indi-
cated in the new car and emission control
system warranties, it is important to docu-
ment that all necessary maintenance has
been done.
HOW THE SERVICE RECORD IS ORGA-
NIZED
The service record is comprised of a main-
tenance log and a separate log sheet for list-
ing any additional service and repairs.
There are five coupons at the front of the
section, three of which are for documenting
extra engine oil and filter changes, one for
extra automatic transmission fluid services
necessary for severe service conditions,
one for brake fluid changes and one for
coolant flushes. These are followed by log
sheets for all normal scheduled mainte-
nance in the order it is to be performed,
beginning with the “First Service”.HOW TO USE THE SERVICE RECORD
COUPONS
When the car is brought to a Saab dealer for
scheduled maintenance, present the War-
ranties & Service Record Booklet to the ser-
vice manager. When the technician has
completed the service, the technician will
sign the maintenance record. The person
responsible for quality assurance at the
dealership will also sign and stamp the
record with the dealer identification stamp.
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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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