4ExteriorAnti-corrosion treatment ___ 253
Body __________________ 251
Service program _________ 262
Sunroof ________________ 120
Touching up paintwork ____ 251
Washing _______________ 250
Waxing and polishing _____ 251Brake lights _____________ 215
Changing bulbs __________ 208
Light switches ___________ 91
Taillights _______________ 215Towing _________________ 184
Towing hook eyes ________ 184
Towing a trailer __________ 178Folding down the rear seat _ 134
Lighting ________________ 215
Load-through hatch _______ 136
Spare wheel ____________ 138
Tools __________________ 138
Trunk __________________ 134
Maximum loads _______________ 268
Mounting holes for roof carriers ___ 182
Roof load ____________________ 182
Hood _______________________ 192
Washing the engine bay_________ 249
Central locking __________ 40
Child safety locks ________ 44
Lock buttons ____________ 40
Trunk lock ______________ 43Changing bulbs _________ 208
Dipswitch ______________ 91
Direction indicators_______ 93
Front lights _____________ 210
Headlight levelling (Bi-
Xenon) _______________ 91
Headlight switches _______ 91
Headlight washers _______ 206Economical motoring _____ 173
Fuel filler door __________ 147
Fuel gauge _____________ 81
Fuel grade _____________ 271
Refueling ______________ 147
Braking _____________________ 160
Changing wheels ______________ 245
Spare wheel _________________ 243
Tire pressure ________________ 277
Tire pressure monitor __________ 229
Tires _______________________ 231
Wheels _____________________ 275
Winter driving ________________ 175
ProCarManuals.com
8
Changing wheels:Use on level ground only. Use vehicle
support stands. Safe working load
1980 lbs. (900 kg).
Contact a Saab dealer if a
xenon headlight requires
replacement.
This label is only found on
cars with xenon headlights.
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur Children 12 and under can be killed by the air bag
The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for children
NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in the front
Sit as far back as possible from the air bag
ALWAYS use SEAT BELTS and CHILD RESTRAINTSUSA
CANADA
Jack Jack is designed only for changing a tire or mounting
tire snow chains.
Vehicle must be level and jack must be placed on firm
and level ground.
Never crawl underneath vehicle when it is jacked up.
JACKING INSTRUCTION
1 Set parking brake and shift transmission to park.
2 Fit top of jack into jacking point next to wheel to be
changed.
3 Crank jack so that vehicle begins to lift.
4 Using socket wrench in tool kit, loosen wheel bolts
one-half turn.
5 Raise vehicle so that tire clears ground. Loosen
wheel bolts completely and remove wheel.
6 Mount spare wheel and tighten bolts enough so
wheel is not loose.
7 Lower vehicle. Tighten wheel bolts in a crisscross
sequence.
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138 Interior equipmentTrunk lightingOn the underside of the parcel shelf is a light
that is switched on and off when the trunk is
opened and closed.
If the trunk lid is left open, the lighting will be
switched off automatically after 20 minutes
to prevent the battery from running flat.
Emergency opening of the narrow
backrestThe narrow section of the backrest can be
opened in an emergency if the car is without
electricity (not possible to open trunk lid)
and you need to access the trunk for a warn-
ing triangle, for example.
Remove the cover and depress the yellow
lever forward.Tools and spare wheel, see page
243.
Cover over emergency opening lever, on
parcel shelf
ProCarManuals.com
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
ProCarManuals.com
158 Starting and driving
Certain variants also have steering wheel controls for manual gear
selection. On these models, it is possible to change gear manually
using the selector lever and the steering wheel controls. The steer-
ing wheel controls are only active when the selector lever is in the M
position.
Select a higher gear by pressing the right-hand button and a lower
gear by pressing the left-hand button. Sentronic, manual gear selection
Move the selector lever to the manual position (M)
(to the left position D) to select gear manually.
Select a higher gear by pressing the selector lever
forward or a lower gear by pulling it back. The
selector lever will return to a position adjacent to
the letter M after each gear change.
An example of when you may wish to make
manual gear changes is when overtaking, to
enable you to remain in a low gear for an extended
period of time.
If the road surface is slippery, you may wish to start
off in 2nd or 3rd to reduce the risk of wheel spin.
When descending steep hills you should select a
low gear to increase the braking effect of the
engine and thus spare the brakes.
Manual gear selections are displayed on the main instrument
panel. The letter M and the current gear are displayed.
When the selector lever is in the M position, as opposed to the D
position, the engine is much more responsive to changes in accel-
erator position. The accelerator has a different feel.
Kick-down only operates for 4th and 5th gears (below 2,000 rpm).
When changing down, the desired gear can be selected but the
transmission will not change down until the engine speed is low
enough to avoid overrevving.Steering wheel controls for manual gear
selection (optional on certain variants)
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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!
ProCarManuals.com
180 Starting and drivingRecommendations for cars with
manual transmissionRises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
When the needle is just outside the red
zone, the A/C compressor will be switched
off and, on certain engine variants, the max-
imum engine torque will be limited.
When continuing your journey, select a low
gear in which the engine speed is about
3,500 rpm until the incline eases.
Trailer hitch loadThe weight distribution on the trailer makes
a lot of difference to the handling properties
of the car and trailer combination. With a
two-wheel trailer, concentrate the load over
the wheels and keep it as low as possible.
The trailer should be loaded so that the load
on the towball is 110–165 lbs. (50–75 kg).
Note that this load must be included in the
total load for the car. If this now exceeds the
specified load capacity, the load in the trunk
may have to be reduced by the correspond-
ing amount.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position 1, 2, or 3) to spare the brakes
when you are driving on a long or steep
downhill slope.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
Distribution of load in trailera Light
b Moderate
cHeavy
ProCarManuals.com
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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