2004 SAAB 9-3 engine overheat

78 Instruments and controlsThis light comes on when there is less than
about 2.5 gallons (10 litre) of fuel left in the
tank.
This light indicates that the headlights or
parking lights are on.
This light comes on when the system is
engaged.
Autochecking of lights, main
instrument panelThe warning and indicator lights shown
above should come on when the ignition
switch is turned to ON. They should go out
after about 4 seconds once the engine has
started or after the fault-free self-diagnosis
of each system or function.
InstrumentsTachometerThe tachometer displays the engine speed
in thousands of revolutions per minute.
A protective function (interruption of the fuel
supply) limits the engine speed within the
red zone.
Indicator, fuel
NOTICE
If the car runs out of fuel, air can be drawn
in with the fuel, which, in turn, can cause
the catalytic converter to be damaged by
overheating.
Headlight and parking
light indicator
Cruise control indicator
light
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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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154 Starting and drivingPark Brake Shift LockThe transmission has a security function
known as Park Brake Shift Lock. To move
the gear selector lever out of the P or N posi-
tion, the gear selector lever detent (catch)
must be pressed in at the same time as the
brake pedal is held depressed.
The detent button on the selector lever has
to be pressed in before the lever can be
moved between certain positions.
Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock, see page 156.
Adaptive gear change patternsThe adaptive gear change pattern function
adapts gear changing to the prevailing driv-
ing conditions. The transmission control
module senses the engine load, vehicle
speed and temperature of the transmission.
A suitable gear change pattern is then
selected automatically to avoid unneces-
sary gear changes and undesired increases
in transmission temperature.
Certain variants use a special change pat-
tern for the first few minutes after a cold start
so that the catalytic converter reaches its
working temperature more quickly.
Thermal transmission protectionThe transmission has built-in protection
against overheating. This protection is pro-
vided by the control module, which changes
gear change patterns.
1 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 257°F (125°C), the gear
change pattern is changed.
2 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 275°F (135°C), the gear
change pattern is again changed.
3 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 302°F (150°C), engine
torque will be limited to 147 ft.lbs.
(200 Nm).
The following message is shown on the SID:
If this message appears, stop the car as
soon as it is safe to do so and allow the
engine to idle until the message has gone
out. The selector lever should be in
position P.Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop.
Open hood to cool down.
Selector lever detent
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155 Starting and driving
Lock-upThe transmission’s torque converter has a
lock-up function. This can lock the torque
converter in 3rd, 4th and 5th gears, thus
reducing the engine speed and fuel con-
sumption.Kick-downWhen the accelerator is pressed down fully,
a down change is made to optimize acceler-
ation, e.g. for overtaking.
Following this, the next higher gear will be
selected at the optimum engine speed,
unless you ease off the accelerator before
reaching this. Kick-down works in manual
mode in 4th and 5th gears if the engine
speed is lower than 2,000 rpm.
Driving in hilly country with a heavy
loadThe transmission fluid can overheat when
the gearbox is strained, for example, when
driving with a trailer on hilly roads. To avoid
the transmission fluid overheating, always
drive with the selector lever in the D posi-
tion. The adaptive gear change patterns are
then active.
High air temperatures or a faulty oil cooler
can also cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Overheating reduces the service
life of the fluid.TowingTowing of cars with automatic transmission,
see page 184.
Descending hillsIf the speed of the car increases while
descending a steep hill, despite the acceler-
ator being released, the control module will
change down to 4th gear. If you desire more
powerful engine braking, manually select a
lower gear (see page 158).
WARNING
Remember to use the braking effect of the
engine (1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you
are descending long or steep hills to
spare the brakes.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
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160 Starting and drivingTo reduce the preset speedYou can reduce speed in any of the follow-
ing ways:
 Brake to the desired speed. Jog the
control to SET/+ or SET/–.
 Jog the control to SET/– to reduce the
speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
 Hold the control in the SET/– position until
the desired speed is reached.Temporary increase in speedAccelerate, without shifting down (manual
transmission), to exceed the set speed such
as for overtaking. When you release the
accelerator, the car will return to the set
speed.To disengage the system
temporarilySlide the switch to the left towards OFF, but
only as far as to disengage the cruise con-
trol. Allow the switch to spring back.
To re-engage the systemSlide the switch to RESUME. The car will
return to the previously set speed. Vehicle
speed must exceed 15 mph (25 km/h).To disengage the systemThe system will be disengaged:
 As soon as the brake or clutch pedal is
depressed (cars with manual transmis-
sion).
 When the switch is slid to To disengage
the system temporarily.
 When the switch is slid to OFF.
 When the TCS/ESP system is operative.
 When position N is selected (cars with
automatic transmission).
BrakingIt is good practice to try your brakes period-
ically while driving. This is particularly
important when driving in heavy rain, on
roads with a lot of surface water, in snow or
in salty slush. In such conditions a slight
delay in the braking effect may be noticed.
To minimize this delay, dry the brakes by
applying them lightly now and again. This
should also be done after the car has been
washed, and in extremely damp weather.
To avoid the brakes becoming overheated,
such as when negotiating long descents
with a drop of several hundred yards (hun-
dred metres), select a low gear to utilize the
braking effect of the engine. If the car has
automatic transmission, select 1st or 2nd
gear.
You can help to prolong the life of the brakes
by thinking ahead and braking harder over
short periods, rather than braking more
moderately over long stretches.
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161 Starting and driving
ABS brakesThe Antilock Braking System (ABS) modu-
lates the brake pressure to each wheel. The
pressure is automatically reduced just
before the wheel locks up and then
increases again to the point at which the
wheel is just about to lock. The wheel sen-
sors send information to the brake system’s
electronic control module for every 4 or so
inches (decimetre) that the car rolls. This
information is processed continuously to
ensure that the adjustment of the brake
pressure will be as exact as possible.
Adjustment takes place up to 12 times per
second.The brake system provides Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). This distri-
butes the brake pressure between the front
and rear wheels, in such a way as to achieve
optimum braking performance irrespective
of the car’s speed or load.
The ABS has a built-in diagnostics function
which will switch on the ABS warning light
if a fault is detected in the system (see
page 74).
The following message will appear on the
SID (and corresponding symbol on main
instrument unit) if a fault is detected:
WARNING
 It is prudent to try your brakes from
time to time, especially when driving in
heavy rain, through water collected on
the road, in snow, on a wet road
surface or in salty slush. In such condi-
tions, the brakes may take longer than
normal to take effect. To rectify this,
touch the brake pedal periodically to
dry the brakes out.
 The same applies after the car has
been washed or when the weather is
very humid.
 Avoid parking the car with wet brakes.
Before parking, and if the traffic condi-
tions allow, brake quite heavily so that
the brake discs and pads warm up and
dry.
 The brakes are power assisted and it
should be kept in mind that the servo
unit only provides the power assis-
tance when the engine is running.
 The brake pressure required when the
engine is off, (e.g. when the car is
being towed) is roughly four times the
normal pedal force required. The
pedal also feels hard and unrespon-
sive.
 Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
WARNING
 The additional safety afforded by the
ABS system is not designed to allow
drivers to drive faster but to make
normal driving safer.
 To stop as quickly as possible, without
loss of directional stability, whether
the road surface is dry, wet or slippery,
press the brake pedal down hard
without letting up (do not pump the
pedal), declutching simulta-
neously, and steer the car to safety.
Antilock brake malfunction.
Contact Saab dealer.
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177 Starting and driving
Driving in hot climatesAlways check the coolant level before start-
ing a journey. When the engine is cold, the
coolant must not lie above the KALT/COLD
mark on the expansion tank (boundary
between the upper and lower sections of the
tank).
At the end of a journey, allow the engine to
idle for 2–3 minutes before switching it off.
If the needle on the temperature gauge
enters the red zone, the following message
will be shown on the SID:
1 Stop the car but do not switch off the
engine. Do not remove the cap on the
cooling system expansion tank, even if
the tank is empty. The engine tempera-
ture should decrease. If the temperature
continues to rise with the engine idling,
the engine must be switched off.2 If the engine is idling and the needle on
the temperature gauge falls, wait until a
normal temperature is shown (about in
the middle of the scale) before switching
off the engine. If the coolant needs to be
topped up, carefully unscrew the
expansion tank cap.
Fill as required with a mixture of 50 %
antifreeze and 50 % clean water. Use an
antifreeze approved by Saab.
3 Have the car’s cooling system checked
at a Saab dealer. Hot engine.
Make a safe stop.
Run engine on idle.
WARNING
 Exercise care when opening the hood
if the engine is overheated. Never
remove the expansion tank cap
completely when the engine is hot.
 The cooling system is pressurized -
hot coolant and vapour can escape.
These can cause injury to your eyes
and burns. Open the cap slowly to
release the pressure before removing
it.
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179 Starting and driving
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmissionThe following driving time limits are based
on the capacity of the cooling system in hot
weather, i.e. approximately 86°F (+30°C).The following driving time limits are based
on the capacity of the cooling system in hot
weather, i.e. approximately 104°F (+40°C).
When negotiating long hills, bear the follow-
ing important considerations in mind.
Rises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
The following steps are taken in order as the
temperature of the transmission increases:
 Gear change pattern is altered
 A/C compressor is switched off
 Max. engine torque is reducedThe following message will be displayed on
the SID if the transmission fluid becomes
too hot:
If this message appears, stop the car as
soon as it is safe to do so and allow the
engine to idle until the message has gone
out. The selector lever should be in
position P.
When continuing your journey, manually
select a low gear in which the engine speed
is about 3,500 rpm until the incline eases
(see page 158).NOTICE Use only a genuine Saab trailer hitch,
since other models can damage the
car’s bodywork and electrical system.
 Consult a Saab dealer for guidance on
how to connect a trailer hitch.
 Exercise care when driving on uneven
roads or against the curb if the car is
heavily laden. This particularly applies
to cars with 17" wheels.
Gradient of
hill, %Max. trailer
weight, lbs.
(kg)Time limit,
minutes
6-8 3330 (1500) unlimited
9-11 3080 (1400) max. 15
12-14 2645 (1200) max. 15
max. 15 2200 (1000) max. 15
Gradient of
hill, %Max. trailer
weight, lbs.
(kg)Time limit,
minutes
6-8 2200 (1000) unlimited
9-11 1760 (800) max. 15
12-14 1100 (500) max. 15
max. 15 880 (400) max. 15
Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop.
Open hood to cool down.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position M1, M2, or M3) to spare the
brakes when you are driving on a long or
steep downhill slope.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
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