179 Starting and driving
Driving in a low gear results in higher fuel
consumption than in a high gear because
of the higher engine speed for a given
road speed. Always change up to a higher
gear as soon as traffic conditions allow
and use the highest gear as much as pos-
sible.
Check the air pressure in the tires once a
month. Incorrect pressures increase tire
wear. It is better to have slightly higher
pressure than lower.
Check fuel consumption regularly.
Increased consumption can indicate that
something is wrong and that the car
needs to be checked by an authorized
Saab dealer.
Practical trials on the roads have demon-
strated that substantial savings in fuel con-
sumption can be made if the above advice
is heeded.Road conditions Wet roads increase fuel consumption, as do
unpaved roads and driving in hilly country
(the amount of fuel saved driving downhill is
less than the additional amount required to
climb the hill).
Engine block heater (standard
equipment in Canada, accessory in
U.S.)The following are just some of the benefits
to the car and the environment of using an
engine block heater:
Lower fuel consumption.
Exhaust emissions substantially reduced
over short runs.
Reduced wear on the engine.
Inside of car warms up faster.
The engine heater is effective at outside
temperatures up to +15–20°C. The warmer
it is outside, the shorter the time the engine
heater needs to be connected. Longer than
1.5 hours is unnecessary.
If the car is equipped with a removable,
electrical cabin heater that is not in use, this
should be stored in the luggage compart-
ment.
Driving in cold weatherBefore starting a journey in cold weather
you should check the following:
That the wiper blades have not become
frozen to the windshield/glass.
Brush any snow away from the air intake
for the heater system (opening between
hood and windshield).
It may be advisable to lubricate the
door-lock cylinder (use molybdenum
disulphide, MoS
2) to prevent its freezing.
If the lock has frozen, take care not to
break the key (or use the remote control)
– heat it first or spray it with de-icer.
Periodically during the winter, add gaso-
line anti-freeze to the fuel to dispel any
condensation in the fuel tank which could
freeze and cause problems in the system.
Keep the tank well filled to reduce the risk
of condensation forming.
If the car is parked outside in freezing
weather, fuel additives (gasoline
anti-freeze) will not do any good as it
cannot remove water that has already fro-
zen. Park the car in a warm place so that
any ice that may have built up melts, then
add gasoline anti-freeze when filling up
the tank. Condensation is caused by
changes in the outdoor temperature or by
the car being parked alternately in a
garage and outside.
It is particularly important when the roads
are slippery that the brakes and tires be in
good condition.
WARNING
Never switch the engine off while driving
as the effect of the brakes and power
steering will be greatly reduced.
ProCarManuals.com
275 Index
Light switches
___________________ 71
Luggage-compartment lighting
_____ 134
MMain instrument panel
_____________ 56
Main/dipped beam
_______________ 71
Maintenance schedule ___________ 254
Manual gearbox, technical data
____ 264
Maxi fuses
_____________________ 227
Milometer ______________________ 62
Motoring abroad
________________ 248
NNight Panel
_____________________ 69
OOil capacity, engine
______________ 260
Oil change, engine ______________ 204
Oil specification
_________________ 260
OnStar
________________________ 111
Outdoor temperature
______________ 65
Owner assistance
_______________ 255
PPaintwork, touching-in
____________ 245
Parking Assistance
______________ 193
Parking lights
___________________ 71
Plates and labels ________________ 269
Poly-V-belt
____________________ 211
Power steering _________________ 208Power-steering fluid
_____________208
Pressure gauge
__________________64
Programming I, ACC
______________83
Programming II, ACC _____________84
Programming the ACC ____________83
QQuestions on function of airbag
_____39
Quick guide, Audio System
_________91
RRadiator fan
____________________211
Radio
__________________________94
Rain sensor
_____________________75
Rear fog light ____________________72
Rear seat, 9-5 Sedan, folding
______139
Rear seat, 9-5 Wagon, folding _____142
Rear-seat head restraints
__________16
Rear-view mirror, antidazzle _______129
Rearview mirrors
________________125
Reclamation
___________________248
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmission,
towing a caravan or trailer
________182
Refuelling
_____________________158
Relay panel ____________________229
Remote control __________________42
Remote-control battery, changing
____45
Remove the key
________________152
Reporting safety defects
__________256
Reprogramming of systems _______271Reservoir, power-steering fluid
____ 208
Rev counter
____________________ 62
Reversing lights
_________________ 74
Roof load
_____________________ 185
Running-in ____________________ 178
SSID
__________________________ 65
Saab 9-5 Audio System
___________ 89
Saab Information Display (SID)
_____ 65
Saab Parking Assistance
________ 193
Safety belts
____________________ 17
Safety belts, care of
_____________ 243
Safety-belt pretensioners
_________ 18
Safety-belt reminder
_____________ 17
Seats
_________________________ 12
Securing a load
_________________ 46
Selector lever indication,
automatic transmission
__________ 65
Sentronic, manual mode _________ 167
Service costs
__________________ 255
Service information
_____________ 256
Service intervals
_______________ 254
Service record retention
_________ 255
Settings, seats
__________________ 12
Side airbags
___________________ 36
Signalling, horn ________________ 124
Sliding floor, 9-5 Wagon
_________ 147
Snow chains
__________________ 179
Spare wheel __________________ 236
Spare wheel and tools
___________ 149
Spark plugs
___________________ 263
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