257 Car care and technical information
What causes rust?Steel body panels of automobiles are sub-
ject to rusting whenever air and moisture
manage to penetrate the protective finish,
and body panels may rust through if the pro-
cess is unchecked. Rusting can occur wher-
ever water is trapped or where the car’s
panels are continuously damp. Damage to
paint and undercoating by stones, gravel
and minor crashes immediately exposes
metal to air and moisture. Road salts used
for de-icing will collect on the bottom of the
car and promote rusting. Areas of the coun-
try with high humidity have great potential
for rust problems, especially where salt is
used on roads or there is moist sea air.
Industrial pollution (fallout) may also
damage paint and promote rusting.
Preventive maintenanceThe following procedures are necessary to
help protect against rusting. Refer also to
the terms and conditions of the Sheet Metal
Coverage described in the warranty book-
let.
1
Wash the car frequently, and wax at
least twice a year.
Under adverse con-
ditions, where there is a rapid buildup of
dirt, sand or road salt, wash your car at
least once a week. After extreme expo-
sure to salted snow or slush, evidenced
by a white film on the car, wash the car
immediately. Frequent washing will pre-
vent paint damage from acid rain and
other airborne contaminants such as
tree sap and bird droppings. If any of
these contaminants are noticed on the
car the finish should be washed immedi-
ately.
Begin washing by rinsing the entire car
with water to loosen and flush off heavy
concentrations of dirt (include the
underbody).
Sponge the car with a solution of either
a good quality car soap or mild general
purpose (dish washing) detergent and
water.
Rinse car thoroughly with clean water.
After washing, check and clear all
drains in doors and body panels.
Wipe the car dry, preferably using a
chamois.2
Clean the underside of the car during
the winter.
Use high pressure water to
clean the car’s underside (floor panels,
wheel wells) at least at mid- winter and
in the spring.
3
Inspect the car frequently for leaks or
damage, and arrange for needed
repairs promptly.
After washing or after
heavy rain, check for leaks. When wash-
ing the car inspect body surfaces for
paint damage. While checking for leaks,
lift the floor mats and check beneath
them. Water can collect in these areas
and remain for prolonged periods. Dry
any wet areas including the floor mats.
Have leaks repaired as soon as possi-
ble.
Use touch-up paint to repair small
scratches or minor finish damage. Areas
where metal is exposed will rust quickly
and MUST be repaired immediately by
touch-up or professional repainting.
Rust must be removed, the bare metal
primed and painted. Major body
damage should be repaired immediately
and new panels or exposed areas
should be undercoated with anti- corro-
sion material.
Repairs of this type are the owner’s
responsibility and are not covered under
warranty.
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265 Customer Assistance and Information
Service record retentionService instruction coupons and record
stubs are provided in the Saab Warranties
and Service Record Booklet which accom-
panies this Owner’s Manual. The coupons
are arranged in the order that normal ser-
vice should be performed. The edge of each
coupon is shaded to correspond to the type
of service point:
Striped – "Check Up"
Blue – Oil change/inspection service
Black – Major service
Note that in Canada a combined service
and warranty book is used, but not service
coupons.
When scheduled services are performed,
your dealer will tear out the applicable
coupon and use it to check off the opera-
tions performed and enter it into the service
file at the dealership. The servicing dealer’s
stamp, along with the date and mileage at
which the service was done, should be
entered on the corresponding stub which
remains in your booklet. The booklet is your
permanent record of the services per-
formed. It also includes a log sheet for
unscheduled repairs.
It is advisable to retain receipts and, if pos-
sible, copies of shop work orders for all ser-
vice and repair work, wherever performed.
Service costsDealer pricing practices and labor for ser-
vice work vary. Saab’s recommended ser-
vice times for each service point do not
include the labor required to replace wear
items, such as wiper blades, brake pads or
tires. Nor is labor to perform other service or
repairs found to be necessary as a result of
the inspections included in these times.
Additional labor and parts will be charged
for such work when necessary, except as
covered under an applicable Saab warranty
or any optional extended service contract.
Transmission fluid changes or suspension
alignment, when necessary, are also addi-
tional.
Dealer charges for general shop material,
regulated hazardous waste removal, recy-
cling expenses or other operation costs may
also be applied to service and repair
invoices and are apt to vary by dealer and
locality.
Owner assistanceWarranties and service problem
assistanceFor complete information about all applica-
ble warranties, including the New Car War-
ranty, Perforation Warranty, Vehicle Emis-
sion Warranty and Emission Perforation
Warranty, consult the Warranties and Ser-
vice Record Booklet which accompanies
this Owner’s Manual. It also contains owner
assistance information including Saab
Roadside Assistance. If the booklet is lost or
misplaced, a new one may be ordered
through a Saab dealer or by contacting
Saab.
In the U.S. there is a national Customer
Assistance Center at Saab Cars USA, Inc.
The toll-free number to call from all 50 states
is 1-800-955-9007.
In Canada, please call the Saab Customer
Assistance Centre at 1-800-263-1999.
A list of authorized Saab sales and service
dealers is available for those planning to
travel in the United States and Canada.
Canadian or U.S. travelers may call the
Customer Assistance Center in the country
in which they are traveling.
ProCarManuals.com
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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273 Specifications
Engine oil To meet demands in Saab's extended service intervals all
engines are filled with specially designed synthetic factory fill
oils. Long service intervals, fuel economy and environmental
issues are the base for our choice of oil. By using oils approved
by Saab you minimise the tendencies for oil sludge build, by that
protecting the engine from harmful, wear increasing, deposits.Approved oils:All gasoline engines - Fully Synthetic Engine Oil fulfilling
GM-LL-A-025 requirements.
To ensure being able to take advantage of the Saab specified
service intervals, be sure to select a fully synthetic engine oil ful-
filling GM-LL-A-025 requirements.Servicing/Oil changes:To be able to use recommended service intervals the need to
use only approved engine oils is vital. Use only engine oils
approved for your engine. Service should be done according
to the recommended service intervals to optimize your engine's
function through out its entire life. Saab Automobile AB will not
take responsibility for any damage that might occur due to
neglecting to meet above mentioned requirements.
At your Saab dealers you can find Saab Genuine or Mobil
engine oils. Among those there are oils specially designed to
meet your engines specific needs. We recommend that you,
with the help of our skilled service personnel, choose your oil
from that selection.
Other oil companies also have engine oils approved according
to GM specifications. Oils meeting these standards may be
identified as synthetic. However, not all synthetic oils will meet
your engines requirements. You should only use oil that meets
your engines specific requirements (GM-LL-A-025).
Recommended oil viscositiesViscosity is a measurement of the oils thickness. The thickness
influences, among other things, the fuel economy. For best func-
tion Saab recommends:
For gasoline engines, SAE 0W-30 engine oil.
Some oil companies have engine oils meeting our requirements
(GM-LL-A-025) but with other viscosities than what we recom-
mend as a first choice. Those engine oils are also accepted.Extra engine oil additivesDon't add anything to your oil. The recommended oils are all you
will need for good engine performance and protection.
ProCarManuals.com
279 Specifications
Lowest recommended tire pressure, cold tiresTire size Load/speed
mph (km/h)
1)
Fr o nt
kPa/psiRear
kPa/psi
205/65 R15 94 V 1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 230/33 210/30
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 230/33 210/30
1–5 pers./100– (160–) 280/41 260/38
215/55 R16 93 V 1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 220/32
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 220/32
1–5 pers./100– (160–) 290/42 270/39
225/45 R17 94 W
XL/RF1–3 pers./0–120 (0–190) 250/36 240/35
4–5 pers./0–120 (0–190) 250/36 240/35
1–5 pers./120– (190–) 300/43 290/42
205/65 R15 94 Q 1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 240/35
Winter tire
for 2.3t4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 260/38 260/38
205/55 R16 91 Q
Winter tire.
All variants.1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 240/35
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 260/38 260/38
215/55 R16 93 Q
Winter tire.
All variants.1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 240/35
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 260/38 260/38
225/45 R17 94 Q
XL/RF
Winter tire.
All variants.1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 250/36 250/36
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 270/39 270/39
T115/70 R16
Spare wheelMax 50 (80) 420/60 420/60
1) Do not exceed posted speed limits.
By cold tires is meant tires that are the same temperature as the surrounding
air temperature.
The values for tire pressure in the table above are for tires at 68°F (20°C).
The tire pressure will increase as the tires become warm (e.g. during motor-
way driving), and decrease as they cool.
When the temperature of the tires increase or decrease by 10 degrees the
tire pressure will correspondingly increase or decrease by 10 kPa/2 psi
(0.1 bar).
ProCarManuals.com
284 IndexDDICE/TWICE
___________________ 228
Dampers
______________________ 277
Date code, tires
_________________ 245
Definitions and terminology, tire
____ 242
Determining correct load, tires
_____ 244
Dim-dipped beam
________________ 69
Direction indicators _______________ 71
Door handles
___________________ 40
Door mirrors
___________________ 121
Doors, locks & luggage compartment
_39
Drive belt
______________________ 275
Drive belt, alternator
_____________ 212
Drive belts, length
_______________ 275
Driver’s seat, programmable
________ 14
Driving at night
_________________ 185
Driving in hot weather
____________ 177
Driving with a load
______________ 185
EEDR
_________________________ 267
ESP __________________________ 172
Electric heating seat
______________ 15
Electric heating, front seats
________ 15
Electric windows
________________ 127
Electrical system, technical data
____ 275
Electronic Stability Program, ESP __ 172
Electronic starting interlock
_________ 41
Emergency operation of sunroof
____ 129
Emission control systems
_________ 202Engine bay
____________________ 201
Engine bay, cleaning
_____________ 255
Engine number
_________________ 280
Engine oil, grade ________________ 273
Engine, description ______________ 203
Engine, technical data ____________ 272
Engine, temperature gauge
________ 61
Engine-oil level, checking
_________ 204
Event Data Recorder
____________ 267
Expansion tank, coolant __________ 207
FFault codes, Audio System
________ 106
Flat spots, tires
_________________ 234
Fluid level, automatic transmission
__ 206
Folding the rear seat, 9-5 Sedan
___ 135
Folding the rear seat, 9-5 Wagon ___ 138
Frequently asked questions on airbag
37
Front fog lights
__________________ 72
Frost warning
___________________ 64
Fuel
__________________________ 154
Fuel consumption
________________ 63
Fuel filler door
__________________ 146
Fuel gauge
_____________________ 61
Fuel grade _____________________ 272
Fuse box under hood
____________ 231
Fuse panel
____________________ 227
Fuses
________________________ 227
GGarage door opener
_____________ 122
Gearbox number
________________ 280
Gearbox oil, checking
____________ 206
Gearbox, technical data, __________ 276
Glove compartment
______________ 132
HHandbrake
_____________________ 196
Hazard warning lights
_____________ 72
Head restraint
___________________ 16
Headlight flasher _________________ 69
Headlights
______________________ 69
Hood
_________________________ 200
Horn __________________________ 120
IIf a tire goes flat
_________________ 239
Ignition switch
__________________ 148
Immobilizer
_____________________ 41
Indicator and warning lights
_________ 54
Indicator lights
___________________ 54
Instrument illumination
____________ 71
Instruments and controls ___________ 53
Interior equipment
_______________ 119
Interior lighting
__________________ 130
Interior rearview mirror
___________ 121
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