2003 SAAB 9-5 ECO mode

2Introduction This manual provides practical guidance on
driving and caring for your Saab.
The Saab 9-5 is available with the following
engine variants:
 2.3t Ecopower
 2.3 Turbo Ecopower
 3.0t V6 Ecopower
Although this manual describes the most
important differences between model vari-
ants, it does not include precise specifica-
tions of the different variants. Some differ-
ences also occur to meet special legal
requirements in different countries.
Importation and distribution of Saab auto-
mobiles, spare parts and accessories are
handled exclusively by General Motors of
Canada Limited in Canada and by Saab
Cars USA, Inc. in the U.S.A.We recommend that you read through the
manual before taking the car out for the first
time and that you keep it in the car for future
reference.
To find a specific item, use the overviews
given on pages 3–7. A list of contents is
given at the beginning of each section of the
manual, and there is also a comprehensive
index at the back of the book.
Supplied with the car is a Warranties and
Service Record booklet and a tire warranty
folder which specifies the regular mainte-
nance to be carried out. The book also
contains important warranty conditions. Since the policy at Saab is one of continual
improvement, we retain the right to incorpo-
rate modifications and to alter specifications
during production without prior notice.
If you have any questions concerning your
car, its equipment, the warranty conditions
or the like, your Saab dealer will be pleased
to help.
Best wishes,
Saab Automobile AB
Saab Automobile AB does not accept liability for
any damage caused by the fitting of spare parts,
exchange parts or accessories that are not
approved by Saab Automobile AB.
The specifications, design particulars and illus-
trations included in the manual are not binding.
WARNING
WARNING texts warn against the danger
of injury if the specified instructions are
not followed.
NOTICENOTICE texts warn of potential damage
to the car if the recommendations are not
followed.
IB1734
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12 SafetySeats Both front seats are electrically operated.
On certain models the driver´s seat is
equipped with a memory function.
To facilitate getting into the car, both seats
can be adjusted when either of the front
doors is open.
For safety reasons, if the door is closed, the
seat can only be adjusted when the ignition
is ON.
Note, however, that both seats can be
adjusted for 30 seconds after both doors
have been closed. The following seat adjustments can be
made to achieve a comfortable driving
position:
 height
 legroom
 backrest rake angle
 lumbar support
 head-restraint height
We recommend that adjustments to the
driver’s seat be performed in the following
order:
1height
2 legroom
3 seat tilt angle
4 backrest rake angle
Lastly, adjust the steering wheel (see page
124).
Side airbags (see page 36).Head restraint(see page 16).
Height To raise the seat, lift the lower control
straight up.
To lower the seat, press the lower control
down.
The same control can be used to adjust the
height of the front and rear edges of the seat
independently.
WARNING
The seats are actuated by powerful
motors. Bear this in mind when adjusting
the seat, and make sure that nothing gets
caught and damaged. Ensure that noth-
ing can be trapped when adjusting the
seat.
Bear in mind that children can be injured
if they play with the electrically-operated
seats.
Always remove the ignition key when you
leave the car to prevent personal injury
caused by the electrically adjustable
seats, for example, due to children play-
ing.
WARNING
Never adjust the driver’s seat except
when the car is stationary.
IB401
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33 Safety
Airbag The AIRBAG system comprises an airbag in
the steering wheel, a front passenger airbag
and side airbags in the front seats.
The system supplements the protection
provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of the occupants.
If a fault is detected in the AIRBAG, the
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on (see pages 58 and
38).
When the system is triggered by impact of a
frontal crash, the airbags in the steering
wheel and passenger side of the dash board are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The front airbags are inflated in two stages.
Stage 1: process is a less severe, softer
inflation of the airbag. This stage is used in
lower force crashes, or if the seat is posi-
tioned close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.
Stage 2: process is a more forceful and
quicker inflation of the airbag. This stage is
used in more severe crashes and/or when
the seat adjustment is back a significant
distance from the steering wheel or dash-
board.
Note:
The sensor reacts differently depending on
whether or not the front seatbelts on the
driver’s and passenger sides are used. Situ-
ations can therefore arise where only one of
the airbags inflates.
The entire process takes less than
0.1 second – literally, faster than the blink-
ing of an eye.
These airbags are triggered only by moder-
ate to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes.
They will not be activated by minor front-end
impacts, rear-end or side impacts, or by the
car rolling over.
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to reach the steering wheel and
controls comfortably.
 Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) should always
travel in the rear as the vehicle is
equipped with an airbag on the
passenger side.
WARNING
 Even if the car is equipped with
AIRBAG, safety belts must still
always be worn by all occupants.
 Note that because an airbag inflates
and deflates extremely rapidly, it will
not provide protection against a
second impact occurring in the same
incident. Always use your safety belt.
 Always sit with the whole of your back
in contact with the backrest of the seat,
and with your seat as far back as is
practical. Otherwise you will be thrown
back against the backrest when the
airbag inflates which could cause you
injury or death. The airbag needs
room in which to inflate.
 Never attach anything to the steering
wheel or passenger side of the instru-
ment panel, as this could result in
injury if the airbag should inflate. The
same applies to anything you might
have in your mouth, such as a pipe, for
instance.
 Some components of the airbag will
be warm for a short time. In some
circumstances the airbag can cause
minor burns or abrasions to the body
when the airbag inflates/deflates.
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38 Safety
Crash sensingCrash sensing and diagnostic modules
have been used in many automobiles since
air bags were first produced. The technical
information gained from these modules can
be useful to understanding the circum-
stances that led to the air bag deployment.
In addition, information from many field
events can be used in the aggregate to help
manufactures and others better understand
real world crashes. This, in turn, can lead to
improved automotive safety.
Your vehicle is equipped with two electronic
frontal sensors, which helps the sensing
system distinguish between a moderate
frontal impact and a more severe frontal
impact. Your vehicle is also equipped with a
crash sensing and diagnostic module,
which records information about the frontal
air bag system. The module records infor-
mation about the readiness of the system,
when the system commands air bag infla-
tion and driver´s safety belt usage at deploy-
ment or in a near-deployment crash. The
module also records speed, engine rpm,
brake and throttle data etc.
AIR BAG warning light
AIRBAG servicingThe AIRBAG must be inspected as part of
the normal service program but otherwise
may be regarded as maintenance-free.  The side airbags will inflate only in the
event of a side impact; not in the event
of a front or rear-end crash or of the
car’s rolling over.
 Damage or wear to the seat cover, or
the seat seam, in the area of the side
airbag must immediately be repaired
by an authorized Saab dealer.
 Do not modify the speaker installation
in the front doors or install speakers
other than those specifically approved
by Saab.
WARNING
 If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the air bag system may not be working
properly. See page. 58. The airbags
in your vehicle may not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate with-
out a crash.
 To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle serviced
right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
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39 Safety
Scrapping or working on airbags
and belt pretensioners Frequently asked questions on func-
tion of airbags
Do you still need to wear a
safety b
elt if
airbags are fitted?
Yes, always! The airbag merely supple-
ments the car’s normal safety system.
Moreover, the airbag will only be actuated in
a moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal
crash, which means, of course, that it
provides no protection in minor frontal
crashes, major rear-end or side-on crashes
or if the car rolls over.
The safety belts help reduce the chance of
the car occupants from being thrown around
and injured or killed inside the car.
But they also ensure that, if a crash occurs
in which the airbags are inflated, the airbag
will make the optimum contact with the
occupant, i.e. square on from the front. If the
occupant meets the airbag in an offset posi-
tion, the protection afforded will be reduced.
In addition, airbags provide no protection
against a secondary impact occurring in the
same incident. So there is no doubt about
the benefit of wearing safety belts at all
times.
Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs
room to inflate.
The airbag inflates very quickly and power-
fully in order to protect an adult person,
before they are thrown forward, in a serious
frontal crash.
How do I position the seat to leave room for
the airbag to inflate?Don’t have your seat too far forward.
Recline the seat back to increase the
distance between you and the airbag. For
short drivers, special accessory pedal
extensions are available through your Saab
dealer.
Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with
great force – to be fast enough to protect an
adult in the seat. When do the front airbags inflate? The airbag will only be inflated under certain
predetermined conditions in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal crash,
depending on such factors as the force and
angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
the impacting object.
The airbag can only be activated once in the
same incident.
Do not attempt to drive the car after an
airbag has been inflated, even if it is possi-
ble.
WARNING
 Under no circumstances should any
modifications be made that affect the
steering wheel or the airbag’s electri-
cal circuitry.
 Before starting any welding work on
the car, always disconnect the nega-
tive (–) battery lead and cover the
conductor.
 Airbags and belt pretensioners must
be deployed under controlled condi-
tions before the car is scrapped or any
of the system’s components are
removed. Airbags or belt pretension-
ers that have been deployed as a
result of a crash must be replaced by
new ones.
 Airbag-system components must
never be transferred for use in another
vehicle.
 All work involving the scrapping or
replacement of airbags or belt preten-
sioners must only be carried out by
knowledgeable personnel.
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51 Security
Overview of functions
Alarm signals may differ between model variants for different coun-
tries.
Some of the car-alarm functions can be reprogrammed – con-
sult your Saab dealer for further details (see page 271). Locking/
activation Hazard warning lights flash once and the horn
chirps once.
The LED will come on for 10 seconds.
Unlocking/
deactivation Hazard warning lights flash twice and the horn
chirps twice.
The LED will come on for two seconds.
Unlocking/
deactivation of
trunk lid/tailgate
alarm Hazard warning lights flash three times and the
horn chirps three times.
The LED will flash three times per second for 10
seconds.
Alarm triggered Hazard warning lights flash for 5 min.
Siren wails for 30 seconds.
To switch off the alarm, deactivate the system in
the normal way (unlocking).
Window-glass
sensor The sensor detects if any window is broken and
triggers the alarm.
To disable the sensor, see page 49.
Key The range of the key is normally 5–10 yds. (5–
10 metres), although it can be substantially more
than this in ideal conditions (range can vary
greatly depending on the position of the car and
its surroundings).
If the key is not working, it may be because the
code signal has not been synchronized with that
in the control module for the car alarm. To rectify
this, press the unlock button on the key at least
four times in quick succession. When it is recog-
nized, the door locks will cycle.
If a key is lost, the new one will have to be pro-
grammed (all keys must be present) to match the
car’s unique security code. Contact an author-
ized Saab dealer.Battery for key The battery for the key will normally have a life of
4 years. When the battery needs changing,
”REPLACE KEY BATTERY” will appear on the
Saab Information Display (SID).
Contact an authorized Saab dealer.
Car-battery
voltage If the battery is disconnected while the alarm is
active (car is locked), for example during an
attempt to steal the car, the alarm will be trig-
gered.
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52 SecurityOverview of LED signals and SID messagesSome signals may differ between model variants for different
countries. Status LED signal
Activation (during 10-second delay). Comes on for 10 seconds.
Alarm activated (after delay). Flashes once every other
second.
Deactivation. Comes on for 2 seconds.
Alarm not activated. Off.
Door, trunk lid/tailgate or hood open
or opened during delay period.Flashes three times per sec-
ond for 10 seconds.
Unlocking the trunk lid/tailgate. Flashes three times per sec-
ond for 10 seconds.
Closing of door, trunk lid/tailgate or
hood after delay period.Comes on for 10 seconds.
Car immobilized but not locked.
Car alarm not activated.Flashes twice at three sec-
onds intervals.
Fault in a switch serving doors, hood
or trunk lid.Flashing (instead of being
on continuously) during
delay period.
SID message Reason/action
SERVICE THEFT ALARM Probably a fault in one of the sensors
or the alarm siren.
Have the car checked by an autho-
rized Saab dealer.
KEY NOT ACCEPTED Fault in key transmitter or in igni-
tion-switch receiver.
Turn ignition switch to ON and press
the unlock button on the key. Start
the engine.
Have the car checked by an autho-
rized Saab dealer.
REPLACE KEY BATTERY Fit a new battery in the key, see page
45.
DOOR ALARM ONLY Window-glass sensor disabled.
FULL THEFT ALARM Window-glass sensor in circuit.
 REMOTE KEY
 TRANSPONDRTurn the ignition key to position ON
and then press the button for open-
ing the trunk lid. Saab Information
Display (SID) displays the number of
keys and transmitters (transpon-
ders) coded to the car.
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65 Instruments and controls
Selector lever indication
(Automatic transmission) The position of the selector lever is indi-
cated on the main instrument panel. If
manual mode is selected, the current gear
is also displayed.
Saab Information
Display (SID) The Saab Information Display (SID) shows
CHECK messages and incorporates eight
trip-computer functions.
The SID is also used by the Audio System.
Trip computerSelecting the function
Use the button to scroll through the
following functions: Use the button to scroll through the
following functions:
WARNING
It is strongly recommended that the SID
settings be changed only when the car is
stationary. The driver’s attention can
otherwise easily be distracted from the
road.
DIST Distance to destination / Trip
meter.
ARRIV Estimated time of arrival.
ALARM Alarm function.
SPD W Speed warning (chime).
TEMP Outdoor temperature and Date.
D.T.E. Estimated range (distance to
empty fuel tank).
FUEL∅ Average fuel consumption
since function last reset.
SPD∅ Average speed since function
last reset.
NIGHT PANEL
CLEAR
SET
IB346
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