2004 SAAB 9-3 warning

54 9-3 ConvertibleAdvice on soft top
operation• Once you have raised the soft top and
before driving off, always check that the
soft top is properly engaged with the wind-
shield rail.
 Once you have folded the soft top and
before driving off, check that the soft top
cover is locked.
 Do not operate the soft top in tempera-
tures below 23°F (–5°C).
 Note that certain automatic car washes
can damage the soft top. This applies to
car washes that use mechanical feelers
bearing against the body. Saab advises
against washing the Convertible in an
automatic car wash.
 After rain or washing the car, allow the soft
top to dry completely before folding it.
Folding a wet or damp soft top can cause
water damage in the car and mildew to
form on the soft top. Roof racks and ski holders must not be
mounted on the soft top.
 On no account should anything be put into
the stowage space of the soft top (under
the soft top cover) since this could cause
an obstruction when the soft top is being
folded away.
 Do not place any objects on the covers
over the roll bars as this can hamper their
function.
 When operating the soft top, raise or fold
it fully until notified that operation is com-
plete by the SID. Do not leave the soft top
partially open/closed. If the soft top is left
in an intermediate position it will collapse
progressively after 20 seconds to prevent
overloading the drive system.
 Washing the soft top, see page 250.
WARNING
 Never touch the hinges and struts of
the soft top nor the upper rail of the
windshield while operating the soft
top.
 Do not operate the soft top while there
are bystanders close to the car.
ProCarManuals.com

55 9-3 Convertible
Operating the soft top
Read the "Advice on soft top operation"
section on page 54 before operating the soft
top.
The soft top is operated with the switch on
the instrument panel. Hold the switch in the
desired position until the soft top is fully
folded or raised.
The completion of folding or raising the soft
top is indicated by a chime.
Error messages that can appear on the SID
are shown on page 63.
WARNING
 Do not touch the hinges or struts of the
soft top during opening due to the
pinch hazard.
 Keep children out of reach.
 Do not operate the soft top while there
are bystanders close to the car.
 Make sure that the soft top cover has
locked properly after folding the soft
top.
 Check that the soft top engages prop-
erly with the upper edge of the wind-
shield after raising.NOTICEIf you drive off while raising or folding the
soft top, operation is halted when
the speed of the car exceeds 20 mph
(30 km/h). This speed can be pro-
grammed (0–25 mph/0–40 km/h) at a
Saab dealer. The movement of the car
and force of the wind can seriously
damage the components of the soft top
system.
Switch for operating the soft topaRaising
b Folding
ProCarManuals.com

60 9-3 ConvertibleRaising the soft top
manuallyIf the soft top has been folded mechanically
there will be a delay of 20 seconds before it
is possible to raise it manually (the pressure
must be released from the hydraulic sys-
tem).
If the car is without electrical power, the
trunk must be unlocked manually. Refer to
page 71.1 Find the lug wrench, Allen key and
screwdriver.
2 Remove the two covers from the side
trim in the trunk, one from either side.
If there are two of you, it is easiest if you
stand on either side of the car and perform
steps 3-6 and 9-10 together.
3 Unlock the soft top cover by pressing
forward the two wire catches, one on the
left and one on right-hand side.
WARNING
Only raise the soft top manually in an
emergency (e.g. due to an electrical
fault).
Do not touch the soft top button on the
instrument panel while closing the soft top
manually. This could cause personal
injury and damage the soft top mecha-
nism.
Do not fold the soft top having closed it
manually. This can damage the soft top
mechanism.
Tools under luggage compartment floor Wire catch for unlocking soft top cover
ProCarManuals.com

61 9-3 Convertible
4 Close the trunk lid fully as otherwise it
will obstruct the soft top cover.
5 Open the soft top cover, upward and
backward.
6 Tip forward the front seat backrests.7 Before raising the soft top, the two
catches in the leading edge of the soft
top must be opened. Stand in the rear
seat and pry off the cover with the screw-
driver. Using the tool, turn clockwise to
open the catches.
Stand in the rear seat and raise the soft
top. Pull it towards the windshield. This
operation requires 7.2 ft (2.2 m) of verti-
cal clearance.
WARNING
 Do not touch the hinges and struts of
the soft top during raising.
 Keep your hands clear of the front
windshield rail.
 Pinch hazard may cause personal
injury.
Soft top cover opened Manual closing started Soft top pulled towards windshield
ProCarManuals.com

63 9-3 Convertible
Cause Suitable action
Soft top front not locked.
Try again.Failure of the soft top to lock automatically to
the windshield. Move the car so that it is standing level if on
a steep slope.
 Press the soft top button to fold the soft top
slightly. Fold the soft top again.
Soft top power pack
overheated.
Allow to cool.
Remove cargo carrier
to operate soft top.
Open trunk.
Move goods away from
top storage area.Move the object hindering soft top operation.
Soft top may be
damaged if operated
at low temperature.Displayed if the soft top is folded at temperatures
below 23°F (–5°C).
Only manual
operation possible.
Contact Saab dealer.
Soft top cover not locked.
Try again.
SID warnings and messagesThe following messages associated with the soft top system and can be displayed on the SID together with a chime:
ProCarManuals.com

65 9-3 Convertible
"Easy entry"To facilitate getting in and out of the rear
seat, the front seats can be slid forward.
Manually adjusted passenger seats
1 Raise the handle by the head restraint
on the seat.
2 Tip the backrest and slide the seat
forward.
Repositioning:
1 Tip back the backrest.
2 Slide the seat back to the desired
position.
Make sure the backrest and seat are prop-
erly locked in position.Electrically adjustable front seats
1 Raise the handle by the head restraint
on the seat.
2 Tip the backrest forward.
3 The seat now moves to its foremost
position.
Repositioning:
1 Tip the backrest back to its normal
position.
2 Raise and hold the handle until the seat
has returned to its previous position.
WARNING
Always check that the backrest locks
properly when returned to normal
position.
 Check that the fore-and-aft position of
the seat is properly locked. The back-
rest and the entire belt-in seat must be
locked in position; otherwise the occu-
pant of the seat is at risk of injury
during braking or in the event of a
crash, especially if a rear-facing child
seat is fitted behind the backrest.
"Easy entry" function. Illustration shows an electrically adjustable seat (option)
ProCarManuals.com

66 9-3 ConvertibleHead restraintsThe front seats are equipped with Saab
Active Head Restraints (SAHRs). These
r e du ce t h e ri s k o f n ec k i n ju r y i f t h e c a r is h it
from behind.
The SAHR is a mechanical system, actu-
ated by body weight. The mechanism is built
into the top of the backrest, where it is con-
nected to the head restraint.
In the event of a rear-end crash, the body is
forced back against the backrest. This, in
turn, causes the mechanism to press the
head restraint forward and upward, thus lim-
iting the backward movement of the head.The front and rear head restraints can be
raised and lowered to a number of positions.
 Raising: grasp the head restraint on both
sides and pull it straight up.
 Lowering: Press the head restraint for-
ward and downward.
The rear head restraints can be lowered
fully to improve rearward vision when the
rear seats are unoccupied.
WARNING
 Adjust the head restraint so that the
head is optimally supported and the
center of the head restraint is at ear
height, thus reducing the likelihood of
neck injury in a crash.
 Raise the head restraints in the seats
that are occupied.
Rear head restraint
Front head restraint
ProCarManuals.com

67 9-3 Convertible
Safety belts, rear seat,
ConvertibleThe two rear seats have three-point safety
belts with inertia reels.
Fasten the belt by pulling the belt and insert-
ing the tongue in the buckle. Check that it is
securely fastened.
Position the lap part low across the hips.
Grasp the shoulder belt close to the buckle
and pull the belt towards the shoulder to
tighten the lap belt part.
The belt must be as far in on the shoulder as
possible.
Press the red button on the belt buckle to
release the belt.
Refer to page 248 for how to check the func-
tion of the safety belts, cleaning, etc.
For how to secure loads on the rear seat,
refer to page 15.
WARNING
 If a cargo has to be placed on a seat,
it must be properly secured with the
safety belt. This reduces the risk of the
cargo being thrown about during hard
braking or a crash, which could cause
personal injury.
 Check that the belt is not twisted or
lying against sharp edges.
 Make sure you use the correct seat-
belt buckle.Safety belts, rear seat, Convertible
ProCarManuals.com