
70 Instruments and controlsThe following conditions will wake up the 
respective displays in the Night-Panel 
mode: 
 Setting of the Audio system, SID or ACC 
(display comes on for ten seconds). 
 CHECK message generated in the SID. 
 High engine revs cause the rev counter to 
be illuminated until the engine speed has 
fallen again. 
 If the quantity of fuel remaining falls below 
4 gallons (15 liters), the fuel gauge will be 
illuminated. 
 If the engine temperature rises above nor-
mal, the temperature gauge will be illumi-
nated. 
 If the speed of the car exceeds 84 mph 
(135 km/h), the entire speedometer will 
be illuminated. 
 In cars with automatic transmission, if the 
selector lever is moved from D to position 
M or L, the selector indication on the main 
instrument panel will be illuminated. 
To restore the displays and lighting to the 
normal mode, press the Night-Panel button. 
Units and language versionsThe SID has four sets of units: 
CHECK messages can be displayed in six 
language options: English, Swedish, 
German, French, Italian and Spanish. Selecting units and language 1 Press CLEAR and SET simultaneously 
for four seconds until a chime sounds. 
2 Press   or   to select the required 
units. 
3 Touch SET.
4 Press   or   to select the required 
language. 
5 Touch SET.
Clock Set the clock by means of the two buttons 
under the digital clock on the left of the dis-
play. 
When the ignition key is in the OFF position 
or removed, the clock can be illuminated 
(approx. 10 seconds) by pressing one of 
the SID buttons (not the NIGHT PANEL but-
ton). METRIC IMP. 1  IMP. 2  US 
km miles miles miles 
km/h mph  mph mph 
liters  UK gal  UK gal  US gal 
°C °F  °C °F 
24-hour 12-hour  12-hour 12-hour 
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79 Instruments and controls
Temperature control The cabin is divided into two temperature 
zones: 
 The driver’s zone
 The passenger zone (front and rear 
seats)
The desired temperature can be set 
between 58 and 82°F (15 and 27°C). In 
addition, there are also HI and LO settings 
(see below). The HI and LO settings for the 
passenger zone can only be selected if they 
are also selected for the driver’s zone. 
The displayed temperature is not the abso-
lute temperature but corresponds to the 
comfort level normally experienced at that 
temperature after allowance has been 
made for the air flow, relative humidity, solar 
radiation, etc., currently prevailing inside 
the car. 
 The most usual temperature setting is 
64–76°F (18–24°C), depending on per-
sonal preference and what clothing is 
worn.
 It is recommended that changes in the 
temperature setting be made in steps of 
2°F (1°C).
 Once the desired climate has been 
achieved, the rear center vents can be 
closed to prevent warm air being distrib-
uted at face height.Settings when HI selected: 
 Maximum heat
 Air distribution to windshield and floor
 Recirculation OFF (even if manually 
selected before)
 Fan: high speed
 Settings shown on ACC display
Settings when LO selected: 
 Maximum cooling (A/C compressor will 
run even if ECON manually selected 
before)
 Air distribution through panel vents
 Fan: maximum speed
 Recirculation ON
 Settings shown on ACC display
IB369
Air vent at rear side window 
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80 Instruments and controlsFunctionsPressing AUTO will cancel all manual settings.
If a manual function is selected, it will be locked in but other functions 
will be controlled automatically.
The selected temperature is always maintained automatically. 
Temperature, air distribution, fan speed and 
recirculation will all be controlled automatically.
In falling temperatures the A/C compressor is 
switched off at 32°F (0°C).
In rising temperatures the A/C compressor is 
switched on at 41°F (+5°C).
If at the start the outside air temperature is 32–41°F 
(0 – +5°C), the A/C compressor is switched off.
 Pressing AUTO once will cancel all previous 
manual selections.
 Pressing AUTO a second time will result in all the 
automatically selected settings being displayed. When the engine is started, the A/C system is in 
AUTO mode, apart from any currently set program, 
see page 83 and 84). 
IB370
A/C compressor OFF. 
No cooling of inlet air. Temperature, air distribution 
and fan speed still under automatic control. 
ACC system OFF. 
Fa n OF F. 
A/C compressor OFF. 
War m air OFF. 
Air-distribution selections locked in current settings. 
Recirculation can be selected manually. 
Pressing the AUTO button will put the system into 
automatic mode. 
Pressing the OFF button again will result in the sys-
tem reverting to any previous manual settings. 
IB371IB372
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81 Instruments and controls
The rear-window and door-mirror heating is 
controlled manually. Switch off the heating as soon as the rear window 
is clear, to avoid imposing a heavy load on the bat-
tery longer than necessary. Note, however, that the 
heating will go off automatically after 2–10 minutes 
(depending on the outdoor temperature) or sooner 
if the voltage in the electrical system falls below 
10 V
.
The ACC system can be programmed to switch on 
the heating automatically when the outdoor temper-
ature is below 41°F (+5°C) and the temperature 
inside the car is below 50°F (+10°C) (see ”Program-
ming I and II”, on pages 83 and 84). 
Recirculation is selected automatically for effective 
cooling, but it can also be switched on/off manually. 
Although recirculation does not substantially affect 
the air quality, it is useful to prevent unpleasant 
smells or fumes being drawn into the car from 
outside. 
IB373IB374
To increase the fan speed in steps. 
If, after being off, the ignition is switched on but the 
engine is not started, the fan will run at low speed 
until the engine is running. 
To decrease the fan speed in steps. 
If the fan is set to 0, the A/C compressor will cut out 
and ECON will appear on the display. 
If, after being off, the ignition is switched on but the 
engine is not started, the fan will run at low speed 
until the engine is running. 
IB375IB376
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83 Instruments and controls
Starting in cold weather
To start with, the system will automatically select the defroster set-
ting, maximum heat and low fan speed. 
As the engine warms up, air will also be distributed through the floor 
vents and the fan speed will be increased. 
As the temperature inside the car nears the selected value, both the 
fan speed and the heat will be decreased to a level determined by 
the system. 
Starting in hot weather
The system will automatically distribute air through the panel vents 
at high fan speed and will switch on the A/C compressor (unless the 
ECON switch has been pressed). 
If the outdoor temperature is above 86°F (30°C), the system might 
select recirculation after approximately 45 seconds if this is required 
in order to reach the desired temperature.
As the temperature inside the car nears the selected value, the fan 
speed will be decreased to a value determined by the system. 
Programming IManual selections can be programmed into the ACC system so that 
these will take effect when the car is started. Note that the ignition 
must be switched off for at least ten minutes after programming for 
the selections to be saved in the system’s memory. 
1 Make sure the ignition is ON. 
2 Select the desired settings. 
3 Press  and , simultaneously 
(the display will flash to confirm that the settings have been 
recorded). 
Example: If you want air distribution through the panel vents when 
you start the car, press 
 and then save the setting by pressing 
 and  . 
Cancelling the programmed settings (I) To cancel the programmed settings, press   and   
simultaneously (the display will flash to confirm that the settings 
have been cancelled).  Panel (and center rear vent) 
ACC69
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85 Instruments and controls
To program a function or to cancel a programmed function, press 
and hold in the relevant button until the corresponding symbol has 
flashed four times on the display and a chime has sounded. 
Make sure the ignition is ON. 
Example: To have the ACC system switch the heating for the rear 
window and door mirrors ON/OFF automatically, press and hold in 
 until the symbol has flashed four times on the display and a 
chime has sounded.
The display shows:
ACC: AUTO
RDEFR CTRL
Once a function has been recorded under ”Programming II”, it will 
remain in the system until you cancel the program. 
AUTO will still show on the display after a function has been saved 
in ”Programming II”. 
Calibration If the battery has been disconnected or has died, the system will 
need to be recalibrated. 
To start the calibration procedure:
1 Start the engine.
2 Press  and  simultaneously.
Calibration takes about 30 seconds. During this time and for about 
3 seconds after the operation has been completed, the number of 
fault codes (if any) stored in the system will appear in the tempera-
ture display on the left. The fault codes themselves will be shown in 
the temperature display on the right. Useful tips (Before driving the car to an authorized Saab dealer) 
 If AUTO is not shown on the display, see ”Cancelling the pro-
grammed settings (I)” on page 83.
 If you suspect that the ACC system is not functioning properly, 
cancel (delete) all programmed settings and then recalibrate the 
system.
See ”Cancelling the programmed settings (I) and (II)”, pages 83 
and  84, and ”Calibration” above.
Note that AUTO will show on the display even if you have com-
pleted Programming II, but that this does not apply to Program-
ming I.
 If the battery has been disconnected or has died, the ACC system 
will need to be recalibrated. See ”Calibration” above. Function Text displayed on SID 
during programming Text displayed on SID 
when cancelling 
program 
ACC: LO TEMP
A/C CTRLACC: NORMAL
A/C CTRL
ACC: RECIRC
ACC: SPEED CTRLACC: RECIRC
ACC: NORMAL CTRL
ACC: AUTO
RDEFR CTRLACC: MANUAL
RDEFR CTRL
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90 Saab 9-5 Audio SystemTo get the best out of your Saab 9-5 Audio 
System, we recommend that you read 
through this entire section.
The Saab 9-5 Audio System is available in 
two versions: Premium on the 9-5 Linear 
and Prestige on the 9-5 Arc and 9-5 Aero 
(Prestige system is also available as an 
option in the U.S. on the 9-5 Linear model.) 
Both models have been specially matched 
to the Saab 9-5 cabin.
The two systems are comprised of a radio, 
CD player and cassette player.
A six-disc CD changer for installation in the 
luggage compartment is available as a 
dealer-installed accessory/option.
The Premium system has seven speakers: 
three mounted in the fascia (the center 
speaker further enhances the overall sound 
image) and one in each door.
The Prestige system (harman kardon) has 
nine speakers (9-5 Sport Wagon has eight 
speakers): three mounted in the fascia (the 
center speaker further enhances the sound 
image), one in each door and two subwoof-
ers in the rear window shelf (9-5 Sport 
Wagon: one subwoofer in the luggage com-
partment). The subwoofers enhance repro-
duction of the lowest bass notes.The Audio System is connected to the Saab 
Information Display (SID), which is at the 
top of the main instrument panel. Mes-
sages, indicators and the like for the Audio 
System are shown on this display.
Indicator 
AS  Radio is in Autostore mode 
RDM  Random playback of CD 
tracks when CD player 
selected 
(DOLBY B/C) DOLBY B/C noise reduction 
on for cassette player 
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94 Saab 9-5 Audio SystemRadio Press the RADIO/BAND button to switch to 
the radio when another source is active. Preset station buttons (1) Press once (release within a second) to 
select a preset station, e.g. 
The small figure on the far right of the dis-
play is the number of the preset button 
selected. 
Presetting a station 
Press and hold in the desired button (for 
more than a second) to store the currently 
tuned station. During this time, the radio will 
be mute. The sound will return as soon as 
the station has been stored. 
Tuning (2) Automatic seek tuning: 
Press   briefly to search for higher fre-
quencies or   for lower frequencies. 
Manual tuning: 
To switch to the manual-tuning function, 
press   or   and release quickly 
(a chime will sound and the M indicator will 
appear on the display). 
The function will revert to automatic seek 
tuning two seconds after the last manual fre-
quency change has been made. 
Waveband selector (3) Press the RADIO/BAND button repeatedly 
to move through the waveband selections: 
FM1, FM2, and AM. AS, Autostore (4) The autostore mode provides an additional 
preset function that can be used to search 
for and to store stations when you are in an 
area where you are unfamiliar with the sta-
tions and their frequencies. 
Press the AS/SEARCH button to switch the 
Autostore mode ON/OFF. When the 
Autostore mode is ON, the AS indicator will 
show at the bottom of the display. 
IB1088
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