2003 SAAB 9-3 width

209 Car care
Malfunction
The message shown above will be dis-
played on the SID if:
 a wheel without pressure sensor is fitted
(e.g. spare wheel)
 one, two or three pressure sensors are
broken or missing
 two or more detectors are missing or
broken
 the receiver malfunctions
 a fault arises in the system.
The message shown above is not displayed
if none of the wheels have sensors, such as
if winter wheels without sensors are fitted.
Shifting the wheelsBecause of front wheel drive, the front tires
tend to wear faster than the rear ones. New
tires should always be fitted in pairs, so that
tires on the same axle have the same
amount of tread.
The wheels should be marked, L (left) and
R (right), when changing between summer
and winter (snow) tires. This ensures that
the direction of rotation of the wheels is the
same when they are refitted. Fit the tires in
best condition to the rear wheels.
Store wheels lying flat or hanging – never
standing upright.
Tire markingsAn example of the meaning of the different
markings in a tire size is given below for a
tire size of 195/65 R15 91H: Tire pressure
system failure.
Contact Saab dealer.
WARNING
When fitting just one new pair of tires,
these should be fitted to the rear wheels,
as these are more critical to the direc-
tional stability of the car (e.g. on braking
or in a skid). The existing rear wheels
should therefore be moved to the front.
Always move rear left to front left and rear
right to front right, so that the direction of
rotation remains the same.
195 Tire section width, mm
65 Aspect ratio, i.e. the section height
as a percentage of the section
width
R Radial ply
15 Wheel rim diameter 15 in at bead
seats
91 Tire load index
H Speed rating
Tire load indices
91 Tire approved for max. 1355 lbs.
(615 kg)
93 Max. 1433 lbs. (650 kg)
94 Max. 1477 lbs. (670 kg)
Speed ratings
S Tire approved for speeds up to
110 mph (180 km/h)
T Max. 118 mph (190 km/h)
H Max. 130 mph (210 km/h)
V Max. 149 mph (240 km/h)
W Max. 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y Max. 186 mph (300 km/h)
ProCarManuals.com

210 Car careWinter tiresWinter (snow) tires are recommended for
winter climates where the majority of your
driving will be done on snow and ice. Winter
tires should be fitted to all four wheels to
maintain a proper balance. Your Saab
dealer can advise you of to the correct size
tire for your car (if different from the original
size) and also supply Saab approved winter
tires pre-mounted on steel or alloy rims.Tire quality grading (cars sold in
U.S.)New tires must be graded and labeled in
accordance with new Federal regulations.
Standard tests are conducted to measure
performance in the areas of traction and
temperature resistance. Refer to the tire
sidewall for the specific quality grades of the
tires provided on your new Saab. Compact
spare tires are exempt.
DOT QUALITY GRADES
 Treadwear.
 Traction AA, A, B, C.
 Temperature A, B, C.
All passenger car tires must conform to Fed-
eral safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading (US)Quality grades can be found where applica-
ble on the tire sidewall between tread shoul-
der and maximum section width. For exam-
ple:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature ATreadwearThe treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
TractionThe traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B and C. These grades represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to a tire is
based on straight-ahead braking, traction
test and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
ProCarManuals.com

211 Car care
TemperatureThe temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dis-
sipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life. Excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Wear indicatorsThe tires incorporate wear indicators in the
form of smooth, treadless strips across the
width, which become visible when only 2/
32" (1.6 mm) of tread remains. As soon as
the indicators become visible, new tires
should be fitted without delay.
Make sure you are familiar with the legal
limit for minimum tread depth in your
country and also any regulations gov-
erning the use of winter (snow) tires.
WARNING
The temperature grade for a tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire fail-
ure.
Wear indicator
ProCarManuals.com

227 Car care
If you find that the headlight needs adjust-
ment follow these steps:
1 Open the hood and locate the vertical
aiming devices there are two vertical
aiming devices which shall be turned
simultaneously and the same amount of
turns.
2 Locate the marker on the lens.
3 Measure the distance from the ground to
the aim marker No.1 on each lens.
Subtract 2 inches.4 At the wall or other flat surface, measure
from the ground to the recorded dis-
tance (see point 4) and draw a horizontal
line the width of the vehicle.1 Wall or garage door.
2 25 ft (7.6 m) between wall and headlight lens.
3 Measurement from the ground to the low beam aiming marker on the headlight lens.
4 Same measurement as (3) but substract 2 inches.
Vertical aiming device1 Aiming marker on headlight lens
ProCarManuals.com

236 Technical dataGeneral particularsOverall length, including bumpers: ______ 182.3'' (4630 mm)
Overall width, including door mirrors _____ 80.2'' (2038 mm)
Maximum height ____________________ 56.9'' (1445 mm)
Wheelbase ________________________ 105.3'' (2675 mm)
Tr a c k :
Front ____________________________ 59.8'' (1520 mm)
Rear ____________________________ 59.3'' (1506 mm)
Ground clearance at GVW ____________ approx. 120 mm
Number of seats (incl. driver) __________ 5
Turning circle:
Measured at vehicle extremities _______ 37.4 ft. (11.4 m)
Curb to curb ______________________ 35.4 ft. (10.8 m)
Permissible load (in addition to the driver) = GVW minus curb weight. The maximum
permissible axle load, front or rear, must not be exceeded.
The precise curb weight of the vehicle (weight ready for driving + driver á 154 lbs.
(70 kg) and load capacity are specified in the vehicle registration documents.V.I.N. plateTrunk length:
Rear seat raised ___________________ 40.8'' (1036 mm)
Rear seat lowered _________________ 69.8'' (1774 mm)
Trunk volume (SAE) _________________ 15.0 cu.ft. (425 l )
ProCarManuals.com