2004 SAAB 9-3 fuel

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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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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139 Starting and driving
Ignition switch ________ 140
Steering wheel lock ____ 142
Starting the engine ____ 142
Important considerations
for driving __________ 144
Refueling ____________ 147
Engine Break-in Period _ 151
Manual transmission___ 152
Automatic transmission 153
Cruise control ________ 159
Braking ______________ 160
Traction Control System
(TCS) ______________ 163
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) ______ 165
Parking brake_________ 167
Parking ______________ 167
Saab Parking Assistance 170 Economical driving _____ 173
Driving in cold weather__ 175
Driving in hot climates __ 177
Towing a trailer ________ 178
Driving with a roof rack
load ________________ 182
Driving with a load _____ 183
Driving with the trunk lid
open________________ 183
Driving in deep water ___ 183
Driving at night ________ 184
Towing the car _________ 184
Driving with the compact
spare tire ____________ 187
Jump starting _________ 187
For long trips __________ 190
Starting and driving
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143 Starting and driving
Starting the engineAvoid racing the engine or loading it heavily
before it has warmed up. Do not drive away
before the warning and indicator lights have
gone out.
The engine has an automatic choke and
should be started as follows:
Cars with manual transmission
To start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.
1 Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2 Depress the clutch pedal but do not
touch the accelerator.
3 Start the engine. Let the remote control
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.Cars with automatic transmission
The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
1 The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
2 Keep your foot on the brake pedal.
Note! Once the engine has started, the
brake pedal will sink. This is perfectly
normal.
3 Start the engine. Let the remote control
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.
Useful tips on starting the engineIf the engine has failed to start after several
attempts in very cold weather, proceed as
follows:
1 Turn the ignition switch to ON (it is
essential that you turn the ignition to
ON before depressing the accelerator).
2 Press the accelerator to the floor and run
the starter motor for 5-10 seconds. This
will prevent the engine being flooded
(fully depressed accelerator cuts off the
fuel supply).
3 Now start the engine in the normal way
- do not touch the accelerator.
If the engine stalls immediately after starting
(e.g. if the clutch was released too quickly),
do not touch the accelerator when restarting
the engine.
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144 Starting and drivingImportant
considerations for
driving1 Starting and driving
 Do not use full throttle until the engine
is warm, so as to avoid unnecessary
wear. If the needle of the turbo gauge
repeatedly enters the red zone, the
engine may suddenly lose power, due
to the initiation of a monitoring system
that limits the boost pressure. Contact
a Saab dealer as soon as possible.
 Under certain barometric conditions
(high outside temperature and/or high
altitude) the needle may enter the first
part of the red zone without necessarily
indicating that a fault has arisen.
 A protective function (interruption of the
fuel supply) limits the engine speed.2 Stopping the engine
 Do not rev the engine immediately
before switching it off - stop the engine
when it is idling.
3 Regulating the charging pressure
 The system is optimized for AON 90.
One of the advantages of boost pres-
sure regulation is that the engine can
also be run safely on gasoline with a
lower octane rating, although not lower
than AON 87. Severe engine damage
will occur if gasoline lower than 87
octane is used. However, engine
performance will fall slightly and heavy
loading and laboring should be
avoided. For optimum performance,
use the recommended grade of fuel.
 The maximum boost pressure is regu-
lated according to the tendency of the
engine to knock. Short-lived knocking
is perfectly normal. This can occur
when the engine is running at about
3,000 rpm under a heavy load. The
extent of this knocking will depend on
the grade of fuel in the tank.
 Isolated instances of knocking can
occur with low-octane fuel. This
controlled form of knocking, followed
by a reduction in the boost pressure, is
a sign that the control system is work-
ing normally, and is perfectly safe for
the engine.
Limp-homeThe engine management system has a
diagnostic feature that checks a number of
internal functions. If a fault is detected in the
throttle valve, the engine management
system will set the throttle system to the
limp-home mode. This means:
 idling control will be poor (uneven idling
since regulated by ignition and fuel
supply)
 engine performance will be reduced
 the cruise control will not function
 the capacity of the A/C compressor will be
limited.NOTICE If the engine sounds strange there is a
malfunction. Contact a Saab dealer
immediately.
 The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine
damage.
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146 Starting and driving Never park the car on dry grass or other
combustible material. The catalytic
converter gets very hot and could there-
fore start a fire.
 Never drive off if the engine is misfiring.
 If you bump start the car when the engine
is already at normal working temperature,
the engine must start to run on all cylin-
ders. Abort bump starting if the engine
fails to start immediately.
Failure to strictly follow these instructions
can result in damage to the catalytic con-
verter and associated components, and
could represent a breach of the warranty
conditions.
NOTICEIf the car runs out of gas, air may be drawn
in with the fuel, which, in turn, can cause
the catalytic converter to be damaged by
overheating.
WARNING
If the engine is being run with the car on a
rolling road or dynamometer, to ensure
adequate cooling, air must be blown into
the engine compartment and under the
car at a rate equivalent to the ram-air
effect that would obtain at the corre-
sponding road speed.
Engine management system with catalytic
converter1 Engine control module
2 Oxygen sensor
3 Catalytic converter
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147 Starting and driving
Refueling
Only use fuel from a well-known oil
company.
All Saab gasoline engines can be driven on
gasoline with an octane rating between
AON 87–93.
The engine management system monitors
the combustion and automatically adapts to
the fuel used.
Always use the correct grade of fuel:
unleaded AON 87–93.For optimum performance Saab recom-
mends:
2.0t engine 175 hp – AON 90.
2.0 Turbo engine 210 hp - AON 90.
Sometimes, gasoline can contain a number
of additives containing oxygen. The most
common of these are alcohol or some type
of ether. The maximum oxygen level is
restricted by national regulations.
If fuel containing a mixture of alcohol is
used, the maximum levels approved by
Saab are: 5 % by volume of methanol; or
10 % by volume of ethanol. The most
common type of ether used is MTBE
(methyl tertiary butyl ether), of which fuel
may contain a maximum of 15 % by volume.
Refueling1 Switch off the engine.
2 Open the filler cap, located in the right-
hand rear fender.
3 Insert the fuel pump nozzle beyond the
flange on the filler pipe and let the first
mark (a ring, a pimple or the first spring-
coil) rest on the flange. Do not withdraw
the nozzle while filling is in progress.
4 Cease refueling the first time the pump
stops.
WARNING
Gasoline fumes are highly explosive.
Therefore:
never smoke while refueling
never use gasoline for any purpose
other than as engine fuel
 gasoline is extremely flammable and
can cause severe burns. No open or
exposed flames near gasoline
 do not use a mobile phone at the same
time as refueling
NOTICE Do not overfill. Fuel should not come
right up the filler pipe as room for
expansion is needed for when the
temperature rises.
 The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine
damage.
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