3
Instrument panel
IB1080
Indicator and warning lights ______ 56
Speedometer _________________ 63
Odometer and trip meter ________ 62
Fuel gauge___________________ 63
Temperature gauge ____________ 63
Parking lights____________ 71
High/low beam __________ 71
Daytime running lights_____ 71
Instrument illumination ____ 73
Changing bulbs __________ 214Turn signal and lane change
indicators ______________ 73
High beam flasher ________ 71
Cruise control ___________ 171Front fog lights___________ 74
Ashtrays (accessory) ___________ 135
Cigarette lighters (accessory) ____ 136
Saab Information Display (SID) ___ 65
Night panel___________________ 69
Clock _______________________ 70
Wipers and washers ______ 75
Rear-window wiper (9-5
Wagon) _______________ 76
Rain sensing wipers (option) 75
Washers _______________ 213
Wipers and washers ______ 212Saab 9-5 Audio System ___ 89
Steering-wheel controls ___ 106Hazard warning lights_____ 74Automatic climate control
(ACC) ________________ 77
Air conditioning (ACC) ____ 242
Electric heating, front seats ______ 15
Ventilated front seats ___________ 15Steering-wheel controls ___ 106
Sentronic, manual mode ___ 167
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60 Instruments and controls
Indicator, cruise control
This light shows when the cruise-control
system is active (see page 171).
Indicator, high beam
This light shows when the headlights are on
high beam (see page 71).
Indicator, rear fog light
This light shows when the rear fog light is on
(see page 72).
The rear fog light is switched off automat-
ically when the engine is switched off. When
the fog light is next needed, it will have to be
switched on manually again.
The rear fog light consists of one light so it
should not be mistaken for brake lights.
Bi-Xenon headlight fault
indicator
(certain variants only)
This light indicates that there is a fault in the
Bi-Xenon headlight system, which consists
of xenon headlights and an automatic level-
ling system.
If a fault arises in the Bi-Xenon headlight
system, the headlights will be angled down
to avoid dazzling drivers in oncoming traffic.
Adjust your speed accordingly as visibility
will be reduced.
Indicator, open door
If a door has not been closed properly, the
pictogram will indicate the door concerned
(or tailgate).
Indicator, SPORT-mode
automatic transmission
This light will come on in cars with automatic
transmission when the S (SPORT) button
on the selector lever has been pressed
(position N or D) see page 170.
In this mode, the gear changes occur later,
at higher engine revs, giving the engine and
transmission a sportier feel.
To cancel the SPORT mode, press the S
button on the selector lever again. The
mode is also deselected automatically
w h e n t h e s e l e c t o r l e v e r i s m o v e d t o P , R , M
or L.
Indicator, WINTER-mode
automatic transmission
This light shows when the WINTER mode
has been selected in cars with automatic
transmission (see page 170).
In the WINTER mode, the car pulls away in
3rd gear, to help prevent wheelspin on an
icy road.
To cancel the WINTER mode, press the W
button.
NOTICEIf the Bi-Xenon headlight fault indicator
lights up, have your car checked as soon
as possible at an authorized Saab dealer.
If you do not rectify the problem, nighttime
visibility will be poor since the range of the
headlights is reduced.
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151 Starting and driving
Starting and driving
B1754
Ignition switch ................. 152
Starting the engine .......... 153
Important considerations
for driving ....................... 155
Refueling .......................... 158
Engine Break-In Period ... 161
Gear changing ................. 162
Cruise control .................. 171
Braking ............................. 172
Traction Control System . 175
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) ............... 176 Economical motoring ..... 178
Driving in cold weather... 179
Driving in hot weather .... 181
Towing a trailer ................ 181
Driving with a roof rack
load ................................. 185
Driving at night ................ 186
Driving with a load .......... 187
Driving considerations
with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted .............. 188 Driving with the trunk
lid/tailgate open .............. 188
Driving in deep water....... 188
Towing the car.................. 189
Jump starting ................... 191
Saab Parking Assistance 193
Parking brake ................... 195
Parking .............................. 195
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155 Starting and driving
Limp-home modeThe car’s engine-management system
includes a diagnostic function that checks
numerous internal functions after the
engine has been shut off. If a fault is
detected in the throttle system, the
engine-management system puts the throt-
tle system into the limp-home mode. This
limits idling control, disables the cruise-con-
trol system and limits the capacity of the A/C
compressor.
If the limp-home mode is in operation
(”Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)”
light on, see below) and the outside temper-
ature is close to or below freezing, you may
need to use some throttle on starting (some
pressure on the accelerator).
If the diagnostic system has detected a fault
in the engine-management system, the
”Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)”
light on the main instrument panel will
come on (see page 59), indicating that you
should have the car checked as soon as
possible by an authorized Saab dealer.
Important
considerations for
drivingThe engine-management system in the
Saab 9-5 is called Saab Trionic T7. The
system manages the ignition, fuel injection
and turbo boost pressure.
The Trionic T7 system developed by Saab
is an intelligent engine-management
system designed to achieve optimum driv-
ability under differing driving conditions.
The system makes adjustments automati-
cally, for instance, if the car is being driven
at altitude (oxygen-deficient air), for differ-
ent grades of fuel (AON 87–93) and for dif-
ferent load conditions.
1 Starting and driving
Refrain from using full throttle before
the engine has warmed up (before
needle in mid-range on temperature
gauge).
A safety function prevents the engine
from revving faster than 6,000 rpm by
limiting the induction air.
2 Stopping the engine
Do not rev the engine immediately
before switching it off – stop the engine
when it is idling.
3 Regulating the boost pressure
The system is optimized for fuel with an
octane rating of AON 90. The 2.3 T
(Aero) and 3.0t V6 are optimized for
NOTICEIf the CHECK ENGINE warning light
starts to flash, ease off the accelerator
slightly. If the light does not cease to flash
within 5 seconds, stop the car in a suit-
able place as soon as possible and turn
off the engine. The car must be towed to
an authorized Saab dealer.
If the CHECK ENGINE warning light
flashes, it indicates that the engine is mis-
firing which can result in damage to the
catalytic converter.
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171 Starting and driving
Cruise controlFor safety reasons (brake system func-
tion) the brakes must be applied once,
when the engine has started, before the
cruise control system can be activated.
The system is operated by means of the
controls on the stalk switch:
ON/OFF (switch on/off).
RESUME/– (Resume preset speed).
SET/+ (to set the desired speed).
CANCEL (Cancel operation of system,
e.g. to reduce speed temporarily).
When the system is ON, the CRUISE indi-
cator light will appear on the main instru-
ment panel and will be extinguished when
the system is switched OFF. If CANCEL is
selected, CRUISE will flash once.
To set the desired speed Move the switch to ON. Accelerate to the
desired speed (minimum speed: 25 mph
(40 km/h))and press SET/+.
To increase the preset speed Accelerate to the desired speed and press
SET/+.
You can also increase the speed of the car
using the SET/+ button. Press it once to
increase the speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h) or
hold it in and release when the desired
speed is reached. Temporary increase in speed Press the accelerator to override the preset
speed, e.g. for overtaking.
When you release the accelerator, the
system will revert to the preset speed.
WARNING
Do not use the Cruise control system
on wet or icy roads, in dense traffic or
on winding roads.
Set the control to OFF when you do
not want to use the system, to prevent
the system being activated inadvert-
ently.
IB1593
Cruise-control switches
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172 Starting and drivingTo cancel temporarily Move the control stalk to CANCEL
(spring-loaded position before OFF posi-
tion). This will disengage the system but the
preset speed will be retained in the system
memory. (The memory is deleted when the
engine is switched off.) To re-engage the system To revert to the preset speed, slide the
switch to RESUME/–. This will only operate
when the car’s speed is above 25 mph
(40 km/h). To reduce the preset speedThe cruise control system will always disen-
gage automatically the moment that either
the brake pedal or the clutch pedal is
depressed.
It is also possible to reduce the speed by
means of the RESUME/– button.
Sliding the button to RESUME/– once will
reduce the speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Holding the button in the RESUME/– posi-
tion will effect a gradual reduction in speed
until the button is released.
Disengaging the system The system will be disengaged:
When the brake or clutch pedal is
depressed.
When the switch is moved to CANCEL.
When the switch is moved to OFF.
When the engine is switched off.
When the selector lever is moved to posi-
tion N (cars with automatic transmission).
When the TCS/ESP system is operative
for more than 1 minute.
BrakingTo avoid the brakes becoming overheated,
(e.g. when negotiating long descents with a
drop of several hundred feet), select a low
gear to use the braking effect of the engine.
If the car has automatic transmission, move
the selector lever to position D or L.
When driving fast, you can help to prolong
the life of the brakes by thinking ahead and
braking harder for short periods, rather than
braking more moderately over long
stretches. Brake pad wear indicatorsThe outboard brake pads on the front
wheels incorporate pad-wear indicators.
When the lining is down to 3 mm, the pad
will produce a screeching, squealing or
scraping noise when the brakes are applied.
New pads should be fitted without delay.
Brake pads should only be replaced by
an authorized Saab dealer.
To ensure optimum brake performance,
it is recommended that you use only
Saab original brake pads.
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176 Starting and drivingTurning the TCS off The TCS is switched on automatically when
the engine is started.
The system can be switched off manually by
the TCS button, whereupon on the
main instrument panel will come on. The
TCS system cannot be switched off if the car
is travelling faster than 35 mph (60 km/h).
It may be necessary to switch off the system
if the car has become bogged down, for
instance. Press TCS to switch it on again.
If a fault is detected in the ABS system, the
TCS will be switched off automatically.
The cruise-control system will automatically
be disengaged after one second if it is active
when the TCS starts to operate.
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP)(option/certain models only)The Electronic Stability Program employs
both the antilock braking system (ABS) and
the traction control system (TCS). It is a
safety system that helps the driver to stabi-
lize the car in unusual circumstances that
can otherwise be difficult to handle.How the ESP system worksThe Electronic Stability Program can help to
prevent the car from skidding by braking
one or several wheels independently of the
driver. The engine output is then also
reduced to prevent the driving wheels from
spinning. The car has sensors that measure
wheel speed, yaw acceleration, lateral
acceleration, steering wheel position and
braking pressure. The values provided by
these sensors are used to calculate the
actual direction of the car. If this direction
does not agree with that intended by the
driver, calculated from the steering wheel
position, the ESP is engaged.
ESP improves the driver’s chances of
retaining control over the car in critical situ-
ations.
To ensure that the system works as
designed, the dimensions of all four tires
must be the same.
ESP OFFThe light in the rev counter comes on
if:
A fault has been detected and the system
has therefore been switched off.
The system has been switched off manu-
ally.
When the ignition key is turned to the ON
position, the lamp is lit for about four sec-
onds while the system undergoes a
self-test.
IB478
IB1847
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228 Car care and technical informationFuse panel in instrument panel
# Amp Function
A 30 Trailer lights
B 10 Automatic transmission
C 7,5 Electric door mirrors; DICE: manual beam length
adjustment
115Brake lights
2 15 Reversing lights
3 10 Parking lights, left
4 10 Parking lights, right
5 7,5 DICE / TWICE
6 30 Electric windows, right; trailer charging
6B 5 Brake lights, trailer
7 10 Engine injectors
8 15 Trunk lighting; trunk lock; door lighting, circulation
pump; parking assistant; SID
9 15 Audio System; CD changer
10 15 Heating, rear seat; sunroof
11 30 Electrically adjusted passenger seat
12 7,5 Automatic transmission
13 20 Audio System, amplifier
14 30 Ignition system, engine
15 20 Fuel pump
16 20 DICE (direction indicators)
16B – –
17 20 Engine-management system; main instrument;
DICE/TWICE
18 40 Door-mirror heating; rear-window heating
19 10 OnStar; Telematics
20 15 ACC; interior lighting; rear fog light; high beam flasher
21 10 Audio System; rear-view mirror; load angle sensor
(cars with xenon); navigation (accessory); Cruise
Control
22 40 Interior fan
23 15 Central locking; navigation (accessory); door mirror
memory
24 40 Air pump (3.0t V6 only)
25 30 Electrically adjustable driver’s seat; fuel-filler flap
26 7,5 Driver seat memory; mirrors memory; sunroof; park-
ing assistant; seatbelt reminder
IB2439
BC123456 A
14
121110987
13
6B
1516
2324
222120191817
16B25262728293031
3635343332
393837
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