2003 SAAB 9-5 hood release

4Exterior
IB1736
Driving with a roof rack load______ 185
Fitting the roof carriers (accessory) 185
Maximum roof load ____________ 258
Rearview mirror _______________ 126
Hood _______________________ 198
Engine compartment: washing ___ 245
Central locking __________ 42
Trunk lid lock, 9-5 Sedan __ 46
Tailgate, 9-5 Wagon ______ 47
Child safety locks ________ 45
Car alarm ______________ 48Headlights _____________ 71
High/low beam __________ 71
Turn signal and lane change
indicators______________ 73
Headlight washers _______ 75
Changing bulbs _________ 214
Fuel gauge___________________ 63
Fuel filler flap _________________ 157
Refueling ____________________ 158
Economical motoring ___________ 178
Fuel ________________________ 260
b Tires pressure ________________ 268
Wheels and tires ______________ 267
Braking______________________ 172
Driving in cold weather__________ 179
Compact spare wheel __________ 236
Changing a wheel _____________ 237
Trunk _______________________ 139
Folding the rear seat, 9-5 Sedan __ 139
Folding the rear seat, 9-5 Wagon _ 142
Trunk Release Handle __________ 148
Spare wheel and tools __________ 149
Compact spare wheel __________ 236Towing a trailer __________ 181
Towing the car ___________ 189
Rear towing eye _________ 190Headlights ______________ 71
Rear light cluster, 9-5 Sedan 219
Rear lights clusters, 9-5
Wagon ________________ 221
Changing bulbs __________ 214Sunroof ________________ 132
Washing the car _________ 244
Waxing and polishing _____ 245
Touching up the paint _____ 245
Anti-corrosion treatment ___ 246
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64 Instruments and controls Check fuse 1 (radiator fan) in the fuse panel
under the hood, see page 230.
If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone,
stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so and
check the coolant level by looking at the
level visible through the plastic tank – do not
remove the cap.
If the coolant level falls below the MIN mark,
the Saab Information Display (SID) will dis-
play the message ”FILL COOLANT FLUID”.
Pressure gaugeThe turbo gauge indicates the air volume for
combustion, which is equivalent to the
engine load.
At low loads, the needle will move within the
white zone. At higher loads and during
heavy acceleration, the needle will enter the
yellow area. At very high loads or under cer-
tain barometric conditions, the needle may
enter the first part of the red zone without
indicating that there is a fault.If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone
and the engine at the same time loses
power, because the monitoring system is
holding the charging pressure down, you
should contact an authorized Saab dealer.
If the speed exceeds 149 mph/240 km/h
(155 mph/250 km/h, 9-5 Aero) the increase
in speed will be limited by the lowering of the
boost pressure. The pressure gauge then
moves towards the middle of the orange
zone, indicating reduced engine output and
thus reduces the speed of the car as well.
NOTICEIf the needle, despite the above action,
enters the red zone, stop the car immedi-
ately, let the engine idle.
If the needle stays in the red zone, stop
the engine.
WARNING
Never open the cap of the expansion tank
completely when the engine is hot, open
with care. The pressure in the cool-
ing-system can cause hot coolant and
steam to be released. Failure to heed this
warning may result in personal injury.
IB344
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181 Starting and driving
Driving in hot weather Always check the coolant level before
starting a journey. The level should be just
below the MAX mark.
 At the end of a journey, if the engine has
worked hard, allow it to idle for two or
three minutes before switching it off.
If the needle on the temperature gauge
enters the red zone:
1 Bring the car to a standstill but leave the
engine running. Do not remove the cap
on the expansion tank even if the tank is
empty. If the needle on the temperature
gauge continues to rise while the engine
is idling, switch off the engine. 2 Wait until the needle has dropped back
to indicate normal temperature (roughly
midway, in the white zone) before stop-
ping the engine. If the coolant needs top-
ping up, unscrew the cap on expansion
tank carefully.
Top up, as necessary, ideally with a
50/50 mixture of Saab-approved coolant
and water. If only water is available, use
that, but remember to have the coolant
mixture checked as soon as possible.
3 As soon as possible, have the cooling
system checked by an authorized Saab
dealer.
Towing a trailerTrailer hitch attachmentTrailer hitch attachments are available as
accessories. These are designed for a max-
imum trailer weight of 3500 lbs. (1588 kg),
see also page 259.
Use only the electrical trailer hitch socket
provided in the trailer hitch kit.
Saab recommends:
 Use a Saab original hitch kit attachment
which is designed and tested by Saab.
 Consult your Saab dealer regarding the
appropriate hitch kit for your car.
WARNING
 Exercise care when opening the hood
if the engine is overheated. Never
remove the expansion tank cap com-
pletely when the engine is hot.
 The cooling system is pressurized -
hot coolant and vapor can escape.
These can cause injury to your eyes
and burns. Open the cap slowly to
release the pressure before
removing it.
NOTICEUse only a genuine Saab trailer hitch and
wiring, since other wiring methods can
cause expensive damage to the car’s
body and electrical system.
Consult an authorized Saab dealer for
guidance on how to connect the trailer
hitch electrical system.
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198 Car care and technical informationHood The hood release handle is located under-
neath the instrument panel. To open the
hood:
1 Pull the release handle.
2 The front of the hood will now spring up,
providing access to the secondary
safety catch.
3 Push the catch upwards, lifting the hood
at the same time. The hood can now be
lifted right up.
To close the hood, release it from a height
of about 8 in (20 cm). Do not press down on
it.
In cold weather, when the mechanism is
stiff, the hood might need to be released
from twice the height to lock properly.
Check that the hood is now closed securely.
WARNING
Never hold your fingers between the hood
and safety catch if lowering but not clos-
ing the hood.
IB487
IB486
Hood release handle Hood secondary safety catch
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206 Car care and technical informationCoolant The expansion tank is transparent to facili-
tate checking of the coolant level.
When the engine is cold, the coolant must
not lie over the KALT/COLD mark on the
expansion tank.
If the message ”FILL COOLANT FLUID” is
displayed on the SID, check the level of fluid
in the expansion tank.
Top up, as necessary, with equal parts of
clean water and Saab-approved coolant.
If the expansion tank is empty when coolant
is added, run the engine to normal temper-
ature and top up again, as necessary.
Coolant The cooling system is charged at the factory
with coolant containing a 50 % concentra-
tion of a combined antifreeze and corrosion
inhibitor. A weaker mixture will result in
reduced anticorrosion protection. For pro-
tection against freezing in very cold
weather, a stronger concentration will be
needed.
A 60 % concentration of antifreeze will pro-
vide protection at temperatures down to
-58 F (–50°C).
The coolant does not normally have to be
changed during the service life of the car.
The type of coolant used has a reddish color
and should not be mixed with other types of
coolant. Saab Original coolant should be
used all year round. Only use coolant
approved by Saab. Note:
If incorrect coolant is used or added, the
life-time properties will be affected. Even if
the coolant is flushed from the system and
replaced with life-time coolant, life-time
properties are no longer retained and the
coolant must then be drained and replaced
at regular intervals.

WARNING
 Proceed with caution if the radiator is
boiling when you open the hood.
Never remove the expansion-tank
filler cap when the radiator is boiling.
 The cooling system is pressurized –
hot coolant and vapor can escape
when the filler cap is released. These
can cause injury to your eyes and
burns. Loosen the cap carefully, and
let the engine cool before removing
the cap.
 Exercise care when adding coolant.
Coolant on hot surfaces constitutes a
fire risk.
NOTICEAlways mix the antifreeze with the
appropriate volume of water before
adding it to the cooling system.
If pure antifreeze is added, the engine
could still freeze and be damaged. This is
because the antifreeze will not mix
properly with the coolant before the
thermostat has opened to allow full
circulation.
IB1338
Coolant expansion tank
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