2003 SAAB 9-3 service interval

173 Car care
EngineThe engine is a transverse four-cylinder in-
line engine with twin overhead camshafts
and 16 valves.
The engine is equipped with two balance-
shafts that reduce engine vibrations to a
minimum.
The balance shafts are chain-driven and
rotate at twice the speed of the crankshaft.
They produce forces and torques that are
opposed to those generated by the pistons
and connecting rods. The effect occurs
twice in each revolution of the engine, coun-
teracting the vibration from its moving parts,
and at the same time reducing unwanted
engine noise.
The gearbox, located on the right (viewed
from the front), is integrated with the engine.
Engine familiesSaab cars imported into the United States
and Canada meet all applicable emission
control standards. The engine family and
appropriate tune-up specifications are iden-
tified on a label affixed to the left front inner
fender.
These engine families meet applicable EPA
Federal Standards, California State Stan-
dards and Canadian Federal Standards and
are equipped with the following systems:
• sequential multiport fuel injection system
 three way catalytic converter
 crankcase emissions control system
 evaporative emission system.
Emission control
systemsThe systems for controlling emissions to the
atmosphere require regular checking and
adjustment at the intervals specified in the
service program.
In addition to meeting the exhaust emission
regulations and thereby helping to keep the
environment clean, a correctly tuned engine
will also give maximum fuel economy.
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180 Car careNote:
If incorrect coolant is used or added, the life-
time properties will be affected. Even if the
coolant is flushed from the system and
replaced with life-time coolant, life-time
properties are no longer retained and the
coolant must then be drained and replaced
at regular intervals.
Brake/clutch fluid and
brake padsCheckingBrake fluid should be changed according to
the service program. Refer to the Warranty
and Service Book.
The brake and clutch fluid reservoir is trans-
parent to facilitate checking of the fluid level.
The fluid level should lie between the MAX
and MIN marks.
Top up as necessary with DOT 4 brake
fluid. Do not use DOT 5 fluid.
Use only new brake fluid from a sealed
container.
The brake fluid level will fall somewhat as
the brake pads wear. The MAX level in the
reservoir corresponds to the amount of
brake fluid required with new brake pads. If
the fall in fluid level is moderate, due to
normal brake pad wear, topping up is not
necessary.If the brake fluid should require chang-
ing, this must be carried out at a Saab
dealer.
NOTICEIf the cooling system needs topping up,
mix the antifreeze with the appropriate
quantity of drinking water or distilled
water before adding it to the system.
If undiluted antifreeze is added, the
engine could still freeze and be damaged.
This is because the antifreeze will not mix
properly with the coolant before the ther-
mostat has opened to allow full circula-
tion.
WARNING
Brake fluid deteriorates as it becomes
old. Because it is hygroscopic, it absorbs
water from the air and, in time, could allow
vapor to form in the brake system, thus
reducing its performance. It is therefore
important that brake fluid be changed
regularly, as specified in the service
program.
Brake fluid reservoir
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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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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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254 IndexRemote control
_________________ 38
Remote locking malfunction
_______ 40
Reporting safety defects
_________ 233
Rev counter
___________________ 59
Reversing lights ________________ 76
Roof lighting
__________________ 105
Roof lighting, changing
__________ 196
Running-in
___________________ 132
SSAHR, head restraint
____________ 20
SID
__________________________ 64
SPA _________________________ 151
Saab Information Display
_________ 64
Saab Parking Assistance ________ 151
Saab Trionic engine
management system
__________ 174
Safety belts
____________________ 11
Seatbelts
______________________ 11
Seatbelts, care
________________ 217
Seatbelts, checking
_____________ 217
Seats
_________________________ 16
Securing a load
________________ 118
Sentronic, manual gear selection
__ 139
Service costs
_________________ 232
Service information
_____________ 232
Service intervals
_______________ 230
Service record retention
_________ 231
Shifting the wheels
_____________ 209
Signalling, horn
_________________ 98Ski hatch
_____________________ 117
Spare wheel __________________ 212
Speed ratings, tyres
____________ 209
Speedometer
__________________ 60
Starting the engine
_____________ 123
Steering wheel adjustment
________ 98
Steering wheel lock
_____________ 123
Storage compartments __________ 109
Sun visor
_____________________ 106
Sunroof
______________________ 102
Switches ______________________ 72
TTCS
_________________________ 144
Technical data
_________________ 236
Textile carpeting, cleaning
_______ 218
Tightening torque, wheels ________ 216
Tools and spare wheel
__________ 212
Touching up paintwork __________ 219
Towbar
______________________ 157
Towbar load
__________________ 159
Towing
______________________ 164
Towing a trailer
________________ 157
Towing the car ________________ 165
Traction Control System (TCS)
____ 144
Transmission oil, checking
_______ 178
Transmission oil, grade
__________ 241
Transmission, automatic _________ 134
Transmission, manual
___________ 133
Transporting the car
____________ 166Trip computer
__________________ 65
Trip meter
_____________________ 59
Trolley jack ___________________ 215
Troubleshooting, A/C and ACC
____ 224
Turbo gauge
___________________ 61
Tyre date code ________________ 212
Tyre markings
_________________ 209
Tyre pressure _________________ 207
Tyre pressure monitoring, automatic
207
Tyre sizes
____________________ 243
Tyres
________________________ 206
UUpholstery care
________________ 217
Upholstery, cleaning
____________ 217
Useful tips on night driving
_______ 163
Useful tips on starting petrol engines
125
VVanity mirror
__________________ 106
Vehicle identification number
_____ 246
Vehicle recovery
_______________ 166
WWarning labels
___________________ 7
Warning lights __________________ 54
Warning triangle ________________ 76
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