2004 SAAB 9-3 lights

129 Interior equipment
Interior rearview mirrorThe interior rearview mirror is of the antidaz-
zle type and can be deflected with the lever
on its underside. Certain variants have an
autodimming rearview mirror.
The lever should be in the normal position
when you adjust the mirror.
Interior rearview mirror with
autodimmingThe system is activated when the forward-
facing sensor detects that it is dark outside
and the rear-facing sensor detects, for
example, if the car following has not
dimmed its headlights. The rearview mirror
is then darkened to prevent the strong light
source from dazzling the driver. This dark-
ening is stepless.
The mirror returns to its normal state when
the strong light source diminishes.
The autodimming function can be turned
OFF with the switch on the lower edge of the
rear-view mirror.
NOTE!
Towing a trailer can cause the system to
malfunction, as the rear-facing sensor may
shaded by the trailer.
Mirror position lever1 Normal position
2 Antidazzle position
Mirror with autodimming1 Forward-facing sensor
2 Autodimming ON/OFF
3 Rear-facing sensor
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141 Starting and driving
To allow the various systems in the car time
to register that the remote control has been
inserted into the ignition switch, do not turn
the remote control for roughly half a second. LOCK position
The position lights, hazard warning lights and interior lighting can be
turned on.
Cars with automatic transmission: Move the gear lever to P.
The gear lever is locked in position. This is the only position in which the
remote control can be removed.
Cars with manual transmission: The remote control can be removed
regardless of the position of the gear lever.
OFF position
Parts of the electrical system are operative.
Do not leave the remote control in the OFF position with the engine
not running as this could cause the battery to run flat in a matter of
hours.
Cars with automatic transmission: The gear lever is not locked. See
also page 154.
ON position
The entire electrical system is operative.
Do not leave the remote control in the ON position when the engine
is not running.
Turn the remote control to the OFF position to disconnect the electrical
system.
When you turn the remote control to ON, some indicator and warning lights
will come on in the main instrument panel. These should go out after about
3 seconds.
ST - starter position
The starter motor operates (automatic transmission: selector lever must
be in P or N) when the remote control is turned to this position. When
released, the remote control will spring back to the ON position.
The car has an electronic restart lock. If the engine fails to start, the remote
control must first be turned back to a position between OFF and LOCK
before the starter motor can be operated again.
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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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157 Starting and drivingSelector lever positions
P
The selector lever is locked and the transmission
is mechanically blocked.
The engine can be started.
To move the selector lever out of the P position,
depress the brake pedal and press in the detent
(catch) on the selector lever.
Only select the park position (P) when the car is
stationary.
R
Only select the reverse position (R) when the car
stationary. The detent release button must be
pressed before the selector lever can be moved
to R.
Wait until reverse gear has engaged before
touching the accelerator.
N
You must press the brake pedal to move
the selector lever from the neutral position (N).
In neutral, the transmission is disengaged from the
engine. The engine can be started but make sure
the parking brake is on to prevent unexpected
movement.
To prevent the engine and transmission becoming
hotter than necessary, select N for long stops with
the engine running, e.g. when stuck in a traffic jam.
At traffic lights, leave the selector lever in the drive
position (D).
D
The drive position (D) is the normal one for forward
driving. The transmission shifts automatically
between all gears from 1st to 5th, the timing of
which depends on factors such as the current
accelerator position and the speed of the car.
Pause for a moment before applying the acce-
lerator, to allow the gears to engage.
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163 Starting and driving
Traction Control
System (TCS)Anti-spin system
How the system worksThe Traction Control System (TCS) is
designed to prevent wheelspin. This
enables the car to achieve the best possible
grip and, hence, maximum tractive effort,
together with greater stability.
The TCS uses information from the ABS
wheel sensors to detect when the front (driv-
ing) wheels are rotating faster then the rear
wheels. It then monitors whether one driving
wheel is rotating faster than the other. If so,
the faster wheel is retarded until both
wheels are rotating at the same speed.If the two front wheels are rotating at the
same speed but are turning faster than the
rear wheels, the torque from the engine is
reduced to eliminate the difference.
The process continues until all the wheels
are rotating at the same speed.
The advantages of the TCS become most
apparent when the cohesion between the
front wheels and the road surface is so low
that one or both of the wheels would lose
their grip were the car not equipped with the
TCS, e.g.:
 When the car is pulling away or accelerat-
ing with the front wheels on different
surfaces (e.g. one slippery and one dry),
the TCS functions like an electronic differ-
ential lock, making sure that both wheels
rotate at the same speed.
 When the car is pulling away or accelerat-
ing on a slippery surface, in which case
the system eliminates wheelspin. The
system also functions when the car is
reversing.
 When cornering, if the inside front wheel
rotates faster than the other wheels.
TCS OFF
lights up under the speedometer if:
 a fault has been detected and the system
has therefore been switched off
 there is a fault in the ABS system
 the system has been switched off
manually.
WARNING
When driving normally, the TCS system
helps to improve the car’s directional
stability. The TCS must not be regarded
as a system to enable the driver to main-
tain higher speeds. The same precau-
tions must be adopted as normal for safe
cornering and driving on slippery roads.
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166 Starting and drivingESP OFF
lights up under the speedometer if:
 a fault has been detected and the system
has therefore been switched off
 the system has been switched off
manually
ESP indicator lightWhen the remote control is turned to the ON
position, the lamp is lit for about 4 seconds
while the system performs self-diagnosis.
The light under the speedometer
comes on for a short period of time when the
ESP system is operative.
Operation of the ESP indicates reduced
cohesion between the tires and the road,
and that extra care should be taken by the
driver.Turning ESP system offThe system can be turned off manually with
the ESP button, whereupon the light
under the speedometer will come on. The
car must be travelling slower than 35 mph
(60 km/h). The TCS is also disengaged.
The ESP is always engaged during braking,
even if it has been switched off manually
with the ESP button.If a fault is detected in the system, the
following message will be displayed on
the SID:
The cruise control system (if active) will
automatically be disengaged if the ESP is
operative.
Stability control failure.
Contact Saab dealer.
NOTICEChanges to the chassis, such as a
change of wheels, shock absorbers or
springs, could affect the function of the
ESP system.
Always consult your Saab dealer before
changing any chassis components.
ESP button
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184 Starting and drivingDriving at nightBear in mind the following points, especially
when driving at night:
 Nighttime driving requires your full
concentration
 Do not rush. Count on your journey taking
slightly longer.
 The number of drivers under the influence
of drugs is likely to be greater at night than
during the day.
 Do not stare at the headlights of oncom-
ing vehicles.
 Avoid driving at night if you have poor
eyesight. Night vision deteriorates with
age.
 Keep your car’s headlights, windows and
mirrors clean. Also, if you wear glasses,
make sure they are clean.
 Make sure you are well rested before
starting a long journey. Take a break every
other hour.
 Only eat light meals. Heavy meals have a
tendency to induce tiredness.
 Wild animals prefer to move at dusk and
dawn.
 Check the headlight levelling setting (see
page 91).
Towing the car
Front towing eye
WARNING
 Remember that the brake servo does
not operate when the engine is off.
Much greater pressure than normal
will therefore be required to operate
the brake pedal.
 Nor does the steering servo operate
when the engine is off. The steering
will therefore be much heavier than
usual.
 The towing vehicle should always be
heavier than the vehicle on tow.
 Never allow passengers to ride in the
car when it is on tow.
 Always seek professional help if the
car needs to be recovered.
 The ignition switch must be in the ON
position if the car is moved with the
engine not running.
 The steering wheel lock must be
disengaged before towing the car.
 The steering wheel lock disengages
when the remote control is inserted
into the ignition switch, if the battery
has sufficient charge.
WARNING
 Make sure that the towing eye is
screwed in tightly. It has a left-hand
thread!
 The towing eye is only designed for
towing the car on roads. It must not
be used to pull the car out of a ditch,
for example.
 Make sure that all bystanders keep a
suitable distance, in case the towing
eye or tow rope should snap. The
towing eye or tow rope could catapult
off and cause seriously injury.
 Never drive with the towing eye fitted
to the front bumper. Return it to its
designated storage space.
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185 Starting and driving
The front towing eye is stowed by the spare
wheel. On the left-hand side of the bumper
is a cover concealing the attachment point
(tapped hole) for the towing eye.
1 Press the knob on the upper section of
this cover to open it.
2 Screw in the towing eye. The towing
eye has a left-hand thread!
3 Insert the wheel wrench into the eye to
tighten it properly.
Rear towing eyeThe car has a permanent towing eye at the
rear under the bumper.
If the car is equipped with a towbar, this can
be used instead of the towing eye.
Towing the carEngage neutral (automatic transmission:
move the selector lever to N). Turn on the
parking lights.
Engage neutral (automatic transmission:
move the selector lever to N). Turn on the
hazard warning lights.
Drive carefully and do not exceed the
speed limit for vehicles on tow.NOTICENever use the towing eyes to pull the car
unstuck.
Front towing eye fitted.
The towing eye has a left-hand thread!
Rear towing eye
Never use the towing eyes to pull the car
unstuck.
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