2004 SAAB 9-3 ECO mode

2IntroductionThis manual provides practical guidance on
driving and caring for your Saab.
The Saab 9-3 will be available with the fol-
lowing engine variants:
 2.0t 175 hp
 2.0 Turbo 210 hp
Although this manual describes the most
important differences between model vari-
ants, it does not specify the equipment or
features included on individual models.
Importation and distribution of Saab auto-
mobiles, spare parts and accessories are
handled exclusively by Saab Cars USA, Inc.
in the United States and by General Motors
of Canada Limited in Canada.We recommend that you read through the
manual before taking the car out for the first
time and keep it in the car for future refer-
ence.
To find a specific item, use the overviews
given on page 3–6. A list of content is given
at the beginning of each section of the man-
ual, and there is also a comprehensive
index at the back of the book.
Supplied with the car is a Warranties and
Service Record booklet which contains
important warranty information and speci-
fies the regular maintenance to be carried
out. Also included is a Quick Reference
Guide, an Infotainment System manual, tire
warranties and (U.S. customers), a dealer
directory with Roadside Assistance Pro-
gram information.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,
etc., your Saab dealer will be pleased to
help, or you may call the Saab Customer
Assistance Center in the U.S. at 1-800-955-
9007 or email them at saab-
[email protected]. In Canada, please
contact the Saab Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800-263-1999.
Enjoy the road ahead!
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.
WARNING
Failure to heed warnings may cause
personal injury.NOTICENOTICE texts warns of potential damage
to the car if the recommendations are not
followed.
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37 Safety
Frequently asked questions on
function of the airbagDo you still need to wear a safety belt if air-
bags are fitted?Yes, always! The airbag system compo-
nents merely supplement the car’s normal
safety system. Moreover, the front airbags
will only be actuated in a moderate to severe
frontal, or near-frontal crash, which means,
of course, that they provide no protection in
minor frontal crashes, major rear- or side-
crashes or if the car rolls over.
The safety belts help to reduce the sideway
movement of the body in a crash.
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, 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 dis-
tance 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 airbags in the steering wheel
and passenger side of the dash board
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.What won’t trigger the airbag? The airbag will not be activated in all frontal
crashes. For instance, if the car has hit
something relatively soft and yielding (e.g. a
snow drift or a hedge) or a solid object at a
low impact speed, the airbag will not neces-
sarily be triggered.
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84 Instruments and controlsThe number of systems that are displayed
on the SID depends on the car’s equipment
level. The list shown below includes the
systems that can be found in your car.
Trip computer function of the SIDSID contains the following functions:
Park Assistance, page 172.
SPA onSPA off
Clock / Alarm, page 88.
Set ClockSet Alarm 08:30
Rain Sensor, page 96.
HighMediumLow
Climate System, page 112.
Rear DefrosterHeated SeatsFan SettingsAir DistributionA/C ModeDual/Single ZoneDefault Settings
System Settings, page 89.
LanguageUnitSpeed Scale Illum.Service Info
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.
Te m pOutdoor temperature
D.T.E. Estimated range (distance to
empty fuel tank)
Fuel ØAverage fuel consumption
since function last reset
DateDate
DistDistance to destinations.
Function can also be used as
a trip meter
ArrivEstimated time of arrival
Speed Ø Average speed since func-
tion last reset
Speed WSpeed warning (chime)
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85 Instruments and controls
When the engine is started, the function that
was selected when the engine was
switched off is displayed, with the following
exceptions:
Te m p is displayed if the outside tempera-
ture is between 26 and 38°F (–3 and
+3°C).
D.T.E is displayed if less than or equal to
30 miles (50 km).
Outdoor temperature
The Temp function is always activated
(even in NIGHTPANEL mode) if the outdoor
temperature rises or falls to between 26 and
38°F (–3 and +3°C).Setting values
1 Select one of the functions using the
INFO dial.
Speed W (preset to 55 mph (90 km/h)
Dist (preset to 100 miles (100 km) if not
previously set)
Speed Ø
Arriv
Date
2 Press and hold the INFO dial until given
audible confirmation.
3 Turn the INFO dial to change the value.
(Press CLEAR to reset the value.)
4 Press the INFO dial to finish setup.
Using DIST as a trip meter
1 Select Dist using the INFO dial.
2 Press and hold the CLEAR button for
approx. 1 second.
An arrow will now appear on the right-hand
side of the display, indicating that the trip
meter is running.Resetting a single function
1 Select the function you wish to reset with
the INFO dial.
Fuel Ø
Speed Ø
Tr i p (Dist used as trip meter)
2 Press and hold the CLEAR button for
approx. 1 second.
The selected function will now be reset.
Resetting the trip computer
1 Select one of the functions using the
INFO dial.
Fuel Ø
Speed Ø
D.T.E.
Arriv
Tr i p (Dist used as trip meter)
2 Press and hold the CLEAR button
(approx. 3 seconds) until audible confir-
mation is given.
WARNING
Remember that roads can be icy even at
temperatures of above 38°F (+3°C),
especially on bridges and stretches of
road that are sheltered from the sun.
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87 Instruments and controls
Calculating the requisite average speed
(What average speed do I need to maintain
to get to my destination in time?)
This function should be used before starting
out a journey.
To calculate the requisite average speed,
the distance must first be given.
First, set the distance under Dist.
1 Then use the INFO dial to select the
Arriv function.
2 Press and hold the INFO dial until given
audible confirmation.
3 Turn the INFO dial to set the estimated
time of arrival.
4 Press the INFO dial to finish setup.
The average speed (Speed Ø) will be
shown for 10 seconds.
This average speed will be updated during
the journey.Setting the date
1 Select the Date function using the
INFO dial.
2 Press and hold the INFO dial until given
audible confirmation.
3 Turn the INFO dial to set the year.
4 Press the INFO dial.
5 Turn the INFO dial to set the month.
6 Press the INFO dial.
7 Turn the INFO dial to set the day.
8 Confirm the setting by pressing the
INFO dial.
NIGHTPANELTo improve night-driving conditions inside
the car, the Night Panel mode can be
selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
mation displayed is reduced, and only the
most important instruments and displays
will be illuminated.
When the NIGHTPANEL button is pressed,
only the speedometer will be illuminated.
All other instrument lighting will be switched
off and the needles drop to zero.
Note: All indicator and warning lights and
messages will operate normally if required.
Temp (when the outside temperature falls
or rises to between 26 and 38°F (–3 and
+3°C)) and D.T.E. (when the remaining fuel
is only sufficient for approx. 80 miles
(50 km) of driving) are even shown in Night
Panel model.
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95 Instruments and controls
Wipers and washersWindshield wipersPosition 1 is a spring-loaded position that
will produce a single sweep of the wipers.
In position 2 you can set the delay period for
intermittent wiping using the thumbwheel on
the stalk switch. There are 5 delay periods
from which to choose, ranging from 2 to
15 seconds.
The wipers always return to their home posi-
tion when the ignition is turned off.
To leave the wipers positioned vertically on
the windshield, proceed as follows:
1 Switch off the engine and remove the
remote control.
2 Activate the wipers within the next
16 seconds by pressing the stalk switch
down.
When the ignition is next switched on the
wipers will return to their home position.
WashersActivate the washers by pulling the stalk
switch towards the steering wheel.
When the washers are operated, the wipers
will make 3, 4 or 5 sweeps, depending on
how long the washers were kept on. If
the speed of the car is less than 12 mph
(20 km/h), the wipers will make an addi-
tional sweep after roughly 8 seconds.
When the washer fluid level drops below
1 quart (1 litre), the headlight washers are
deactivated. This is in order to prioritize the
windshield. The following message is dis-
played on the SID:
To prevent the smell of washer fluid from
entering the car, recirculation can be acti-
vated automatically while the windshield is
washed. The recirculation symbol will how-
ever not light up. This function is optional;
contact a Saab dealer. This automatic recir-
culation is the factory default setting as long
as the system is working in full "AUTO"
mode with no customized settings.
Headlight washers (certain variants
only)The headlights are washed at the same time
as the windshield if the headlights are on.
The headlights are washed every fifth time
the windshield washers are used or if two
(2) minutes have elapsed since the wind-
shield was last washed.
The headlight washers are not activated at
speeds in excess of 125 mph (200 km/h). Washer fluid level low.
Refill.Windshield wipers0OFF
1 Single sweep
2 Intermittent wiping
3 Low speed
4 High speed
5 Windshield and headlight washing (certain
variants only)
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101 Instruments and controls
Air ventsThe air vents swivel universally, so that air
can be directed as desired. In winter, for
instance, the outer vents can be directed
onto the door windows for enhanced
demisting.
The amount of air can be individually con-
trolled by the regulator on each vent. If you
wish to reduce the airflow, start by half-
shutting the vent in question.The air conditioning is combined with the
conventional climate control system and
is switched on by pressing the but-
ton, provided that the fan control is in
position 1-5.
The incoming air is treated in three stages:
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu-
midified and cooled; and finally, if required,
it is heated.
If the engine coolant gets too hot, the A/C
compressor will be turned off and the follow-
ing message will be shown on the Saab
Information Display (SID):
Convertible: When the soft top or all the
windows are open in a hot, humid climate, it
is recommended to switch off the air condi-
tioning to save fuel. Also, if the air condition-
ing is on, condensation may form on cold
surfaces such as the floor air ducts.
Condensation waterWhen the A/C compressor is on, the incom-
ing air is dehumidified. The resulting con-
densation water is drained away through an
outlet under the car.
It is therefore perfectly normal for water to
be seen dripping from this outlet when the
car is parked. The warmer the ambient air
and the higher the humidity, the more con-
densation will form.
When the button is pressed, the reg-
ular air intake will be closed. In this mode,
the air inside the cabin is recirculated.
Use recirculation when you wish for rapid
cooling at very high outside temperatures.
Switch the air conditioning (A/C) on first.
If necessary, recirculation can be switched
on manually to avoid unpleasant air from
entering the car.
Only use recirculation for a short period
of time at temperatures lower than 50°F
(+10°C), such as to avoid unpleasant air.
Mist or ice may otherwise form on the
windows.
Air conditioning (A/C)A/C off due to high engine
temperature.
Recirculation
Panel vent
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130 Interior equipmentInterior rearview mirror with garage
opener, autodimming function and
compass (certain variants only)
Retain your original garage door opener
(transmitter) for future programming proce-
dures (i.e., new vehicle purchase). It is also
suggested that upon the sale of the vehicle,
the programmed garage opener buttons be
erased for security purposes, see page 132.Preparations for first-time programming
Before programming the garage opener for
the first time, you must delete any factory
codes.
Press and hold the two outer buttons until
the indicator light begins to flash-after
20 seconds. Release both buttons. Do not
hold for longer that 30 seconds. The garage
opener is now in the train (or learning) mode
and can be programmed at any time begin-
ning with "Programming" - step 2.
Programming
The garage opener can record and store the
frequencies of three different remote con-
trols.
The battery in the remote control should be
fairly new for programming to work well.
Do not repeat "Programming" - step two
to train additional devices to a second or
third button. Begin with "Programming" -
step three.
1 Turn the ignition ON.
2 Press and hold the two outer buttons
(buttons one and three) - releasing only
when the indicator light begins to flash
(after 20 seconds). Do not hold the
buttons for longer than 30 seconds and
do not repeat step two to program a
second and/or third hand-held transmit-
ter to the remaining two buttons.
3 Position the end of your hand-held
transmitter 1-3 inches (5-14 cm) away
from the button you wish to program
while keeping the indicator light in view.
WARNING
Make sure that people and objects are out
of the way of moving door or gate to
prevent potential harm or damage.
When programming the garage opener,
you may be operating a garage door or
gate operator. Therefore it is advised to
park outside of the garage.
Do not use the garage opener with any
garage door opener that lacks the safety
stop and reverse feature as required by
federal safety standards. (This includes
any garage door opener model manufac-
tured before April 1, 1982.). A garage
door opener which cannot detect an
object, signaling the door to stop and
reverse, does not meet current federal
safety standards. Using a garage door
opener without these features increases
risk of serious injury or death.
Buttons for garage opener, autodimming
and compass1–3 Garage opener
4LED
5 Autodimming/compass ON/OFF
6 Compass bearing
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