4Exterior
IB1736
Driving with a roof rack load______ 183
Fitting the roof carriers (accessory) 183
Maximum roof load ____________ 270
Rearview mirror _______________ 122
Hood _______________________ 200
Engine compartment: washing ___ 255
Central locking __________ 40
Trunk lid lock, 9-5 Sedan __ 44
Tailgate, 9-5 SportWagon __ 45
Child safety locks ________ 43
Car alarm ______________ 46Headlights _____________ 69
High/low beam __________ 69
Turn signal and lane change
indicators______________ 71
Headlight washers (certain
models) _______________ 73
Changing bulbs _________ 215
Fuel gauge___________________ 61
Fuel filler flap _________________ 153
Refueling ____________________ 154
Economical motoring ___________ 174
Fuel ________________________ 272
b Tires pressure ________________ 279
Wheels and tires ______________ 278
Braking______________________ 168
Driving in cold weather__________ 176
Compact spare tire_____________ 246
Changing a wheel _____________ 247
Trunk _______________________ 135
Folding the rear seat, 9-5 Sedan __ 135
Folding the rear seat, 9-5 Wagon _ 138
Trunk Release Handle __________ 144
Spare wheel and tools __________ 145
Compact spare tire ____________ 246Towing a trailer __________ 178
Towing the car ___________ 188
Rear towing eye _________ 189Headlights ______________ 69
Rear light cluster, 9-5 Sedan 220
Rear lights clusters, 9-5
Wagon ________________ 222
Changing bulbs __________ 215Sunroof ________________ 128
Washing the car _________ 254
Waxing and polishing _____ 255
Touching up the paint _____ 255
Anti-corrosion treatment ___ 256
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9
No sparks,
flames or
smoking.Buckle up
Use protective
gogglesAirbag
Keep out of
reach of
children.Electric
windows
Battery acid
contains
sulfuric acid.Deactivating
of rear window
switches
Refer to the
Owner’s
Manual.Central
locking, lock
Risk of
explosive gas.Central
locking,
unlock
Tr u n k
lid/tailgate,
opening
Never place a
rear-facing
child seat in
this seat.
HeadlightsWindshield
wipers
Direction
indicatorsWindshield
washers
Parking lights Defroster
Hazard
warning lightsRear window
heating
Front fog
lightsVentilation fan
Rear fog
light
Coolant
temperatureRadiator fan
Battery
chargingFuel
Foot brake
Coolant level
Engine oil
pressure
ABS brakes
Examples of symbols that can be found in your car
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54 Instruments and controls
Indicator and warning
lights A number of indicator and warning lights will
come on when the ignition is switched on
prior to starting. Under normal conditions,
these should go out a few seconds after the
engine has started (see page 60).
Warning, oil pressure
(engine oil)
This light will come on together with if
the engine oil pressure is dangerously low.
If the light flashes or comes on while you are
driving, stop the car, switch off the engine
and check the engine oil level (see page
204). NOTICEUnder no circumstances must the car be
driven when this warning light is on. Low
oil pressure can result in serious engine
damage.
Main instrument panel 1 Tachometer
2 Indicator and warning lights
3 Speedometer
4 Indicator and warning lights
5 Pressure gauge6 Fuel gauge
7 Engine temperature gauge
8 Trip meter reset button
9 Odometer and trip meter
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57 Instruments and controls
CHECK message indicator
This light indicates that there is a message
in the Saab Information Display (SID). A
chime will also sound
(see page 67).
Central warning light
This light will come on and a chime will
sound if a fault has been detected in any
system that is critical to safety. Any of the
following can activate the central warning
light and alarm:
Airbag system.
Low oil pressure in engine.
Parking brake is on (when car is moving).
Brake fluid level low.
Fault detected in ABS system.
Electronic brake force distribution (distri-
bution of brake pressure between front
and rear wheels).
Engine overheating.
Alternator not charging properly.
Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)
This light indicates a malfunction in the
fuel-injection or ignition system. The car
may still be driven with care and with some-
what diminished performance (see page
151).
Indicator, fuel
This light comes on when there is less than
about 2.5 gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the
tank.
WARNING
An illuminated ”Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)” indicator light indi-
cates an engine-related problem. While
your car may be able to be driven with the
”Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)”
indicator light illuminated (Limp-home
mode), you are advised to have your car
serviced at an authorized Saab dealer as
soon as possible.
Continued driving without this problem
being corrected might cause serious
further damage to your car and create
unsafe driving conditions. The operator
should be prepared to take action if such
unsafe conditions arise (e.g.brake
smoothly, engage neutral, stop in a suita-
ble place, switch off the engine, etc.).
NOTICEThe car should be checked immediately
at an authorized Saab dealer to prevent
more serious faults from arising.NOTICEIf 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.
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60 Instruments and controlsAutochecking of lights,
main instrument panel The above warning and indicator lights
should come on when the ignition is
switched on prior to starting. They should go
out after about 3 seconds.
The following lights light up until the engine
is started, presuming that no fault exists:
Central warning light .
Oil pressure warning light .
Warning, charging .
InstrumentsTachometerThe tachometer indicates the engine speed
in thousands of revolutions per minute. The
needle may be allowed to enter the broken
red zone on the dial only for an instant.
A safety cut-out function (in the fuel system)
prevents the engine speed from exceeding
approximately 6,000 rpm.
Odometer and trip meter The odometer records the distance traveled
in miles on U.S. vehicles and on Canadian
vehicles the distance indicated is in kilome-
tres, and the trip meter in miles and tenths
(kilometres and tenths of kilometres on
Canadian vehicles). Reset button The reset button has two functions, deter-
mined by whether the ignition is ON or OFF.
When the ignition is ON, pressing the
button will reset the trip meter.
When the ignition is OFF, the display
lights up for 20 seconds enabling you to
read the odometer and trip meter. Press-
ing the button a second time within these
20 seconds will reset the trip meter.
IB1922
IB340
IB341
1 Cars with automatic transmission
ProCarManuals.com
151 Starting and driving
Limp-home modeThe engine management system has a
diagnostic feature that continually checks a
number of internal functions. If, for example,
a fault is detected in the throttle valve, the
engine management system will go into
Limp-home mode.This limits idling control,
disables the cruise-control system and
limits the capacity of the A/C compressor.
If the limp-home mode is in operation
(”Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)”
light on, see below) and the outside temper-
ature is close to or below freezing, you may
need to use some throttle on starting (some
pressure on the accelerator).
If the diagnostic system has detected a fault
in the engine-management system, the
”Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)”
light on the main instrument panel will
come on (see page 57), indicating that you
should have the car checked as soon as
possible by an authorized Saab dealer.
Important
considerations for
drivingThe engine-management system in the
Saab 9-5 is called Saab Trionic T7. The
system manages the ignition, fuel injection
and turbo boost pressure.
The Trionic T7 system developed by Saab
is an intelligent engine-management
system designed to achieve optimum driv-
ability under differing driving conditions.
The system makes adjustments automati-
cally, for instance, if the car is being driven
at altitude (oxygen-deficient air), for differ-
ent grades of fuel (AON 87–93) and for dif-
ferent load conditions.
1 Starting and driving
Refrain from using full throttle before
the engine has warmed up (before
needle in mid-range on temperature
gauge).
A safety function prevents the engine
from revving faster than 6,000 rpm by
limiting the induction air.
2 Stopping the engine
Do not rev the engine immediately
before switching it off – stop the engine
when it is idling.
3 Regulating the boost pressure
The system is optimized for fuel with an
octane rating of AON 90. The 2.3 Turbo
and 2.3 T are optimized for AON 93.
NOTICEIf the CHECK ENGINE warning light
starts to flash, ease off the accelerator
slightly. If the light does not cease to flash
within 5 seconds, stop the car in a suit-
able place as soon as possible and turn
off the engine. The car must be towed to
an authorized Saab dealer.
If the CHECK ENGINE warning light
flashes, it indicates that the engine is mis-
firing which can result in damage to the
catalytic converter.
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152 Starting and driving
One of the advantages of the system is
that it enables the engine to be run
safely on lower-grade fuel, although not
lower than AON 87.
The maximum boost pressure is
adjusted automatically to the knocking
or pinging tendency of the engine.
Occasional, short-lived knocking when
the engine is under a heavy load is per-
fectly normal; the extent will depend on
the grade of fuel in the tank.
Isolated instances of knocking are
more likely to occur with low-octane
fuel. This controlled form of knocking,
followed by a reduction in the boost
pressure, is a sign that the wastegate is
functioning and is perfectly safe for the
engine.
Important considerations with cata-
lytic convertersThe catalytic converter is an emission-con-
trol device incorporated in the car’s exhaust
system. It consists of a metal canister with a
honeycomb insert, the cells of which have
walls coated in a catalytic layer (mixture of
precious metals).
To ensure that the catalytic converter con-
tinues to function properly, and also to avoid
damage to the converter and its associated
components, the following points must be
observed:
Have the car serviced regularly in accor-
dance with the service program. The fuel
and ignition systems are particularly
important in this context.
Always be alert to any misfiring of the
engine (not running on all cylinders) and
any loss of power or performance. At the
first sign of a malfunction, reduce speed
and take the car to an authorized Saab
dealer as soon as possible.
If the engine fails to start (in very cold
weather or if the battery is flat), the car can
be push started (manual gearbox only) or
started using jumper cables to a donor
NOTICE If the engine sounds strange there is a
fault in the system. Have the car
checked without delay by an autho-
rized Saab dealer.
The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine dam-
age.
WARNING
If the engine is being run with the car on a
rolling road or dynamometer, longer than
for a standard state emission inspection,
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 be obtained at
the corresponding road speed.
NOTICEUse only unleaded gasoline. Leaded gas-
oline is detrimental to the catalyst and
oxygen sensor and will seriously impair
the function of the catalytic converter.
ProCarManuals.com
175 Starting and driving
a major impact on fuel consumption after
the engine has started from cold. Thus, if the
car is mainly used for short journeys of
3–5 miles (5–8 km), the fuel consumption
will be 60–80 % higher than normal.Driving technique To obtain the best running economy, not
only regarding fuel consumption but gen-
eral wear also, regular service is required.
High speed, unnecessary acceleration,
heavy braking and much low gear work all
gives rise to higher fuel consumption.
Frequent gear changing in traffic, starting
in cold weather, the use of studded tires
and roof racks, and towing a trailer all
increase fuel consumption.
Do not run the engine when the car is sta-
tionary.
If idling, it will take much longer before the
engine becomes hot. Engine wear is
greatest during this warming-up phase.
Therefore drive away as soon as possible
after the engine is started and avoid high
revving. Driving in a low gear results in higher fuel
consumption than in a high gear because
of the higher engine speed for a given
road speed. Always change up to a higher
gear as soon as traffic conditions allow
and use the highest gear as much as pos-
sible.
Check the air pressure in the tires once a
month. Incorrect pressures increase tire
wear. It is better to have slightly higher
pressure than lower.
Check fuel consumption regularly.
Increased consumption can indicate that
something is wrong and that the car
needs to be checked by an authorized
Saab dealer.
Practical trials on the roads have demon-
strated that substantial savings in fuel con-
sumption can be made if the above advice
is heeded.
Road conditions Wet roads increase fuel consumption, as do
unpaved roads and driving in hilly country
(the amount of fuel saved driving downhill is
less than the additional amount required to
climb the hill).
WARNING
Never switch the engine off while driving
as the effect of the brakes and power
steering will be greatly reduced.
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