252 Car care and technical informationAir conditioning
(ACC)
Fault diagnosis If a fault occurs in the A/C system, there are
a number of checks you can perform your-
self. If the fault persists, however, have the
system checked by an authorized Saab
dealer.Important!
When the A/C system is running, the intake
air is dehumidified, and the resultant con-
densation is drained off through two outlets
underneath the floor of the car in the vicinity
of the front doors. It is therefore perfectly
normal for water to be seen dripping from
these outlets when the car is parked. The
warmer the ambient air and the higher the
humidity, the greater will be the amount of
condensation formed.
Inadequate cooling: a Check that the condenser (forward of
the radiator) has not become clogged
with dirt and insects.
b Make sure that the drive belt for the com-
pressor is not slipping.
c Check the fuses for the ventilation fans
and compressor.
Maintenance • The drive belt for the compressor should
be inspected under the regular service
program.
Clean dirt and insects away from the con-
denser and radiator to prevent clogging.
When washing the car, use the hose to
spray the radiator and condenser (located
forward of the radiator) from both sides
(both from the front of the car and from
inside the engine bay). Do not use a pres-
sure washer.Caution: Do not use the hose when the
engine is hot.Other than in extremely cold weather, do not
screen the radiator, e.g. with netting, as this
will greatly diminish its cooling capacity.Note:
The A/C system will only operate
when the outdoor temperature is above the
freezing point (0°C, 32°F).
WARNING
All repairs and adjustments on the A/C
system must be carried out by a Saab
dealer authorized for this kind of work.
The A/C system is pressurized. Do not
break any connections or undo A/C
system components.
Escaping refrigerant gas can cause
visual impairment or other injury.NOTICE The A/C system is designed for use
with R134a refrigerant.
Refrigerant handling requires special
equipment and special procedures for
charging and draining the system.
Never mix R134a and R12 refriger-
ants.
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255 Car care and technical information
Waxing and polishingOther than in exceptional cases, do not use
abrasive polishes containing a cutting agent
on a new car. Always wash the car thor-
oughly before waxing or polishing.Engine compartmentClean the engine compartment using an
engine detergent and rinse with hot water.
Cover the headlights. Do not use high-pres-
sure washer. Avoid spraying the hood liner,
as this can become heavy and hang down
and touch the engine when the hood is
closed.
Do not use gasoline as a cleaning agent or
solvent when carrying out repairs or mainte-
nance. Saab recommends the use of envi-
ronmentally safe degreasing agents.
Touching up the paintDamaged paintwork should be treated as
soon as it is discovered: the longer it is left,
the greater the risk of corrosion. The
anti-perforation warranty does not cover
corrosion resulting from untreated defects.
Paintwork damage sustained in a crash is
usually extensive and can only be properly
restored by professionals.
However, you can repair small scratches
and stone-chip damage yourself. The nec-
essary tools and materials, such as primer,
touch-up paint and brushes, are available
from your Saab dealer.
In the case of minor flaws in the paintwork,
where the metal has not been exposed and
an undamaged layer of paint remains,
touch-up paint can usually be applied
directly, after any dirt has been scraped
away using a pointed knife.If corrosion has already set in, e.g. as a
result of stone-chip damage, use a pointed
knife to scrape off all surface rust. If possi-
ble, the damaged area should be taken
back to the bare metal. The metal should
then be primed with two thin coats of primer
applied by brush.
After the primer has dried, apply several thin
layers of topcoat enamel until the surface of
the repaired area is flush with the surround-
ing paintwork.
Stir both primer and touch-up enamel thor-
oughly before use and allow each coat to
dry before applying the next.
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258 Car care and technical information4Inspect the undercoating and touch
up if necessary.
Pay particular atten-
tion to the fenders and wheel housings,
which are exposed to abrasion by flying
gravel, etc. If the composition has worn
or flaked off, the steel must be thor-
oughly cleaned and dried before a fresh
coat is applied. The cleaning is best
done with a scraper and a steel wire
brush, followed by washing with solvent.
Apply the new coating thinly, as other-
wise it may run off or fall off when dry.
For long tripsBefore setting off on a long journey, it is
advisable to have your car checked over by
your Saab dealer.
Obtain a few important items to take along
on your journey such as spare bulbs, wiper
blades, fuses, a Poly-V-belt and the like.
You can check some points yourself before-
hand:
Make sure that the engine is in good con-
dition.
Check that no oil or gasoline leaks out of
the engine or gearbox/transmission.
Check the coolant and power steering
fluid levels. Check also for leaks.
Inspect the Poly-V-belt and replace it if it
shows any signs of hard wear.
Check the battery charge.
Check the tires for tread pattern and air
pressure, including the compact spare
wheel.
Check the brakes.
Check all bulbs.
Check for the presence of the tool kit and
the jack in the car.
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materialsA typical car consists of metals (65–75 %),
plastics (10–15 %), rubber (5 %) and small
quantities of glass, wood, paper and tex-
tiles. The recycling of metals has been com-
monplace for a long time now.
To facilitate sorting of other materials for
recycling, plastic parts, for instance, have
been marked to identify the precise nature
of the plastic.
The quantity of materials in the car that can
be recycled or recovered depends on the
scrapping facilities in different countries. EU
legislation that comes into force in 2006 will
require a minimum of 85 % of the total
weight of materials to be recycled. How-
ever, every major car salvage yard in each
market will receive details from Saab of how
the highest percentage of materials can be
reclaimed.
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259 Car care and technical information
Headlight aiming The vehicle has a visual optical headlight
aiming system equipped with vertical
aiming device. The aim has been preset at
the factory and should normally not need
further adjustments.
If your headlights are damaged in a crash,
the headlight aim may be affected. If you
believe your headlights need to be
re-aimed, we recommend that you take it to
your Saab dealer for service, however, it is
possible for you to re-aim your headlights as
described in the following procedure.To check the aim, the vehicle should be
properly prepared as follows:
The vehicle shall be placed so that the
headlights are 25 ft (7.6 m) from a light
colored wall or other flat surface. The
aiming area should be darkened, this will
improve your ability to see the beam of the
low beam headlight being aimed.
The vehicle must have all four wheels on
a perfectly level surface which is level all
the way to the wall or other flat surface.
The vehicle should be placed so it is per-
pendicular to the wall or other flat surface.
The vehicle should be unloaded and fuel
tank full, and one person or 160 lbs.
(75 kg) on the drivers seat. The vehicle should be fully assembled
and all other work stopped while headlight
aiming is being done.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice
or mud attached to it.
Tires should be inflated to the prescribed
pressure.
Close all doors.
Rock the vehicle to stabilize the suspen-
sion.
Headlight aiming is done with the vehicle
low beam lamps. The high beam lamps will
be correctly aimed if the low beam lamps
are aimed properly.
WARNING
Before checking/adjusting the headlight
aiming, switch off the engine to avoid
danger of fingers and hands being injured
by moving parts.
The radiator fan can start up even when
the engine is switched off.NOTICETo make sure that your headlights are
aimed properly read all instructions
before beginning. Failure to follow these
instructions could cause damage to
headlight parts or a not correctly aimed
headlight.
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264 Customer Assistance and InformationMaintenance scheduleThe Maintenance Schedule prescribes a
service program to the purchaser/operator
of a Saab that is reasonable and necessary
to ensure the proper emission control sys-
tems function, safety and reliability of the
Saab automobile in normal use. Additional
maintenance is recommended for specific
components when the car is operated under
certain severe conditions. Proper mainte-
nance is always good advice!
Authorized Saab dealers are equipped and
trained to meet your Saab’s service needs.
They regularly receive up-to-date Saab ser-
vice manuals and parts and technical ser-
vice bulletins from Saab and are able,
through their franchise agreement, to attend
Saab service schools, obtain Saab special
tools and technical assistance and pur-
chase original equipment service and
replacement parts.
Today’s complex automobiles should only
be entrusted to the most knowledgeable
service professionals. A Saab dealer is your
best choice.
Service intervalsThe maintenance schedule is comprised of
a Check -up 30 days after retail delivery, fol-
lowed by services at every 15,000 miles
(24,000 km) thereafter (15,000, 30,000,
45,000 miles/24,000, 48,000, 72,000 km
etc.).
Engine oil and filter changesChanging the engine oil and filter is required
at every service point. Use only a Saab
approved long-life oil filter and engine oils
stated in the Specification section of this
Owner’s Manual. The use of extra additives
in the oil is not necessary and is not recom-
mended, and may be harmful to turbocharg-
ers.
More frequent oil changes are recom-
mended if your vehicle is operated under
the following conditions:
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to
16 km). This is particularly important
when outside temperatures are below
freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such
as frequent stop-and-go driving).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier
on top of your vehicle.
If the vehicle is used for delivery service,
police, taxi or other commercial applica-
tions.
If your driving habits match this description,
have the engine oil and filter changed in-
between normal services at 7,500 mile
(12,000 km) intervals. The Warranties and
Service Record Booklet has provisions to
record extra oil changes.
NOTICEThe Check-up will be done by your Saab
dealer at no charge and should be done
as close as possible to the scheduled 30
days.
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267 Customer Assistance and Information
Vehicle Data Collection and Event
Data RecordersYour vehicle, like other modern motor vehi-
cles, has a number of sophisticated com-
puter systems that monitor and control sev-
eral aspects of the vehicle’s performance.
Your vehicle uses on-board vehicle comput-
ers to monitor emission control components
to optimize fuel economy, to monitor condi-
tions for airbag deployment, to provide
anti-lock braking and to help the driver con-
trol the vehicle in difficult driving situations.
Some information may be stored during reg-
ular operations to facilitate repair of
detected malfunctions; other information is
stored only in a crash or near crash event by
computer systems commonly called event
data recorders (EDR).
In a crash or near crash event, computer
systems, such as the Airbag Sensing and
Diagnostic Module (SDM) in your vehicle
may record information about the condition
of the vehicle and how it was operated, such
as engine speed, throttle position, vehicle
speed, seat belt usage, airbag readiness,
airbag performance data, and the severity
of a collision. These data have been used to
improve vehicle crash performance and
may be used to improve crash performance
of future vehicles and driving safety. These
on-board systems are somewhat like the
data recorders on many airplanes, but they
do not record sounds, such as conversation
of vehicle occupants.To read this information, special equipment
is needed and access to the vehicle or the
SDM is required. Saab will not access infor-
mation about a crash event or share it with
others other than
(a) with the consent of the vehicle owner or,
if the vehicle is leased, with the consent of
the lessee,
(b) in response to an official request of
police or similar government office,
(c) as part of Saab’s defense of litigation
through the discovery process, or
(d) as required by law.
In addition, once Saab collects or receives
data, Saab may
(a) use the data for GM research needs,
(b) make it available for research where
appropriate confidentiality is to be main-
tained and need is shown, or
(c) share summary data which is not tied to
a specific vehicle with non-Saab organiza-
tions for research purposes.
Others, such as law enforcement, may have
access to the special equipment that can
read the information if they have access to
the vehicle or SDM.Please check the OnStar subscription ser-
vice agreement or manual for information
on its operations and data collection.
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269 Specifications
Specifications General______________ 270
Engine ______________ 272
Fuel_________________ 272
Engine oil ____________ 273
Engine variants _______ 274
Electrical system______ 275
Drive belts ___________ 275
Manual gearbox_______ 276
Automatic transmission 276
Suspension __________ 277
Steering _____________ 277
Brake system_________ 277
Wheels and tires ______ 278
Plates and labels ______ 280
IB603
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270 SpecificationsGeneral Overall length, including bumpers:
9-5 Sedan _______________________ 190.0 in (4827 mm)
9-5 Wagon ______________________ 190.1 in (4828 mm)
Overall width, including door mirrors ____ 80.4 in (2042 mm)
Maximum height:
9-5 Sedan _______________________ 58.1 in (1475 mm)
9-5 Wagon ______________________ 59.1 in (1501 mm)
Wheelbase _______________________ 106.4 in (2703 mm)
Ground clearance __________________ approx. 6.6 in
(167 mm)
Tr a c k :
Front __________________________ 59.9 in (1522 mm) *)
Rear ___________________________ 59.9 in (1522 mm) *)
Turning circle (curb to curb) ___________ 37,1 ft (11.3 m)
Turning circle (measured at vehicle extrem-
ities) ___________________________ 39,0 ft (11.9 m)
Number of seats (incl. driver) _________ 5
*) Specified track applies to wheel sizes:
6 x 15 & 6.5 x 16
Gross vehicle weight
(GVW)
Maximum train
weight
(GVW + max. trailer
weight)
Maximum axle load,
front
Maximum axle load,
rear Permissible load (in addition to driver) = GVW minus curb weight
The maximum permissible axle load, front or rear, must not be exceeded.
The maximum permissible axle load, front or rear, must not be exceeded. Chassis number in engine bay Weight ready for driving (i.e. with full fuel
tank, washer-fluid reservoir, standard
tools and spare wheel) ______________ 3460–3780 lbs.
(1570–1715 kg)
Gross vehicle weight (GVW) ___________ 4390–4710 lbs.
(1990–2135 kg)
Maximum axle load:
Front ___________________________ 2590 lbs. (1175 kg)
Rear, 9-5 Sedan ___________________ 2310 lbs. (1050 kg)
Rear, 9-5 Wagon __________________ 2480 lbs. (1125 kg)
Weight distribution:
Curb weight, front/rear ______________ 60/40 %
GVW, front/rear ___________________ 50/50 %
Maximum roof load __________________ 220 lbs (100 kg)
IB1917
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