2003 SAAB 9-5 tires

187 Starting and driving
Driving with a loadThe driving characteristics of the car are
affected by the way it is loaded.
 Place heavy loads as far forward and as
low as possible in the trunk.
 Secure the load to the tie downs, see
page 141.
 The load should be such that the car´s
total weight or axle weight are not
exceeded, see page 258.
 Heavy loads mean that the car’s center of
gravity is further back. As a result, the car
will sway more during evasive steering.
 Never exceed the permissible load in the
roof box, even if there is room for more.
 Ensure that the tire pressure is correct –
slight overinflation is preferable to under-
inflation.
 The braking distance of a loaded car is
always greater. Keep your distance from
the vehicle in front.
 Roof loads can negatively affect tele-
communication.
Tire pressure, see page 269 and back
cover.
Tires The tire pressure should match the current
load and speed of the car; see page 268 or
the tire pressure label on
page 269.
The tire pressures given apply to cold tires,
that is tires that are the same temperature
as the outside air temperature.
The tire pressure increases as the tires
become warm (e.g. during highway driving)
with approximately 0.3 bar (4 psi). When
the temperature of the tires changes by 50°
(10°C), the tire pressure will change 0.1 bar
(2 psi).Never reduce the pressure of a hot tire. If the
tires are hot when you check them, only
increase the pressure, if necessary.
Underinflated tires wear more quickly than
slightly overinflated tires.
If a valve is leaking, simply unscrew it and fit
a new one.
Important! Remember to adjust the tire
pressures if you change the load in the car
or intend to drive at substantially lower or
higher speeds than normal.
WARNING
Check the tire pressure at least once a
month and before long journeys. Under-
inflation can result in:
 Punctures
 Separation of the tire and tread
 Damage to the sidewalls
 Damage to the rims on poor roads
 Poor handling characteristics
 Premature tire wear
 Increased fuel consumption.
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196 Starting and drivingParking on a hillWhen parking on a steep hill, turn the front
wheels so that they will be blocked by the
curb if the car should move. Long-term parkingIf the car is not going to be used for some
time, e.g. 3–4 months, the following steps
are recommended:
 Run the engine to normal temperature
before long-term parking.
 Drain the washer-fluid reservoir and
hoses.
 Wash and wax the car. Clean the rubber
seals on the hood, luggage compartment
lid and doors, and lubricate them with
glycerol (glycerin).
 After washing the car, dry the brake discs
by taking the car out on the road and
applying the brakes a few times.
 Fill the fuel tank with fuel to prevent con-
densation forming in it.
 Top up the coolant and check the anti-
freeze before the onset of winter.
 Park the car in a dry, covered and
well-ventilated building. Leave the park-
ing brake OFF!
 Disconnect the negative (–) battery lead.
If frost is likely to occur during the
long-term parking, remove the battery
and store it away from the frost.
 Ideally, the car should be put up on
blocks, with the wheels off the ground. If
this is not possible, inflate the tires to
about 43 psi (300 kPa).  Leave all the windows open a crack and
cover the car with a fabric tarpaulin – not
one made of plastic.
123
IB485
1Pointing downhill and
against the curb
– Turn the wheels into
the curb and edge the
car forward until the
wheels touch the curb.2Pointing uphill and
against the curb
– Turn the wheels away
from the curb and edge
the car back until the
wheels touch the curb.3Pointing uphill or
downhill – no curb
– Turn the wheels
towards the edge of the
road. If the car should
start rolling, it will not run
into the road.
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232 Car care and technical informationWheels Alternative wheels and tiresIf you wish to fit other tires or wheels than
those supplied with the car, consult your
Saab dealer first as to the possibilities avail-
able.
Wheels/tires combinations that are not
approved by Saab can negatively affect the
car´s directional stability, steering and brak-
ing in both wet and dry conditions.
Do not assume that a wheel/tire combina-
tion will function properly just because it will
bolt on.
The wheels and tires have been carefully
matched to the characteristics of the car and
play a key role in its outstanding roadhold-
ing and handling.
To ensure that the speedometer is as accu-
rate as possible it should be reprogrammed
if wheels of a different dimension are fitted.
Contact an authorized Saab workshop.
Tire pressureTires need to be inflated to suit the load car-
ried and the maximum speed the car will be
driven (see the recommended tire pres-
sures page 268). Note that all values apply
to cold tires. For tires with an aspect ratio
less than /60, increase the tire pressure by
3 psi (20 kPa) for rough roads with potholes
to minimize the risk of rim damage.
Never reduce the pressure of a hot tire. If the
tires are hot when you check them, only
increase the pressure, if necessary.
Soft tires will cause faster wear than
over-pressurized tires. They also increase
fuel consumption.
If a valve is leaking, simply unscrew it and fit
a new one.
NOTICEAlways consult your Saab dealer before
changing the wheels and tires on your
Saab.
Wide wheels and tyres with sidewalls that
are too low can:
 be damaged in potholes etc.
 cause springs, shock absorbers and
wheel bearings and body mountings
can be overloaded.
 cause that the wheels can come into
contact with chassis and body compo-
nents.
 can affect the function of the Elec-
tronic Stability Program (ESP).
The speed and load limits for the tires
must not be exceeded; see page 233.
Wheels larger than 17” must not be fitted.
The maximum permissible offset is
49 mm.
WARNING
Check the tire pressure at least once a
month and before long journeys. Under-
inflation can result in:
 Punctures
 Separation of the tire and tread
 Damage to the sidewalls
 Damage to the rims on poor roads
 Poor handling characteristics
 Premature tire wear
 Increased fuel consumption.
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233 Car care and technical information
Important! Remember to adjust the tire
pressures if you change the load in the car
or intend to cruise at a substantially higher
or lower speed than normal.Rotating tiresBecause the car has 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 tread should be at least 3 mm deep.
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:
205/65 R15 94 V
Winter 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 as to the correct size
tire for your car (if different from the original
size) and also supply Saab approved winter
tires.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.
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 left rear to left front and right
rear to right front, so that the direction of
rotation remains the same.
205 Tire section width, mm
65 Aspect ratio, i.e. the section height
is 65 % of the section width
R Radial ply
15 Wheel rim diameter 15 in at bead
seats
94 Tire load code
V Speed marking
Tyre load index91 max 1366 lbs (615 kg)
93 max 1433 lbs (650 kg)
94 max 1477 lbs (670 kg)
Speed ratings S up to 100 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 150 mph (240 km/h)
W up to 167 mph (270 km/h)
Y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
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234 Car care and technical informationUniform 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.
Traction The 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.
Wear indicatorsThe tires incorporate wear indicators in the
form of smooth, treadless strips across the
width, which become visible when only
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 tires.
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.
SG840
Wear indicators
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235 Car care and technical information
Temperature The 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, and excessive temper-
ature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance 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.
Date codeTires should be regarded as perishable
goods. As the tires age, the rubber becomes
progressively harder, and the roadholding
ability of the tires diminishes. This is partic-
ularly true on winter tires.
Tires now have a date-code marking for the
year of manufacture. The first two digits
denote the week number and the two last
digits the year. The ”<” symbol points to the
year.
Accordingly, a date code of 0200 signifies
that the tire was manufactured in week 02,
2000.
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.
IB1564
Date code
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241 Car care and technical information
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 appear 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 give rise to 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 cruis-
ing speed.
WARNING
Grit, salt and rust can clog the inner
threads if the car has been driven for sev-
eral years exclusively with alloy wheels.
If steel wheels are now fitted, the bolt hole
threads in the brake hubs should be
cleaned before the thinner steel wheels
are fitted. It may otherwise not be possi-
ble to achieve the required clamping force
despite tightening the bolts to the correct
torque.
IB539
Tightening sequence, wheel bolts
IB1800IB1800
Removing the wheel cover
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248 Car care and technical information4Inspect the undercoating and touch
up if necessary.
Pay particular atten-
tion to the fenders and wheel housings,
which are exposed to abrasion by flying
gravel, etc. If the composition has worn
or flaked off, the steel must be thor-
oughly cleaned and dried before a fresh
coat is applied. The cleaning is best
done with a scraper and a steel wire
brush, followed by washing with solvent.
Apply the new coating thinly, as other-
wise it may run off or fall off when dry.
For long tripsBefore setting off on a long journey, it is
advisable to have your car checked over by
your Saab dealer.
Obtain a few important items to take along
on your journey such as spare bulbs, wiper
blades, fuses, a Poly-V-belt and the like.
You can check some points yourself before-
hand:
 Make sure that the engine is in good con-
dition.
 Check that no oil or gasoline leaks out of
the engine or gearbox/transmission.
 Check the coolant and power steering
fluid levels. Check also for leaks.
 Inspect the Poly-V-belt and replace it if it
shows any signs of hard wear.
 Check the battery charge.
 Check the tires for tread pattern and air
pressure, including the compact spare
wheel.
 Check the brakes.
 Check all bulbs.
 Check for the presence of the tool kit and
the jack in the car.
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materialsA typical car consists of metals (65–75 %),
plastics (10–15 %), rubber (5 %) and small
quantities of glass, wood, paper and tex-
tiles. The recycling of metals has been com-
monplace for a long time now.
To facilitate sorting of other materials for
recycling, plastic parts, for instance, have
been marked to identify the precise nature
of the plastic.
The quantity of materials in the car that can
be recycled or recovered depends on the
scrapping facilities in different countries. EU
legislation that comes into force in 2006 will
require a minimum of 85 % of the total
weight of materials to be recycled. How-
ever, every major car salvage yard in each
market will receive details from Saab of how
the highest percentage of materials can be
reclaimed.
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