181 Starting and driving
Recommendations for cars with manual
gearbox
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 engine increases:
A/C compressor is switched off.
engine torque is reduced.
When continuing your journey, select a gear
in which the engine speed is about
3,000 rpm until the incline eases.
Driving considerations Always take extra care when towing a
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different
and its braking effect reduced. The trailer’s
braking system and suspension also have a
considerable effect on these characteris-
tics, see also ”Driving with a load” page 185.
If the car has automatic transmission, select
position D when ascending steep hills. This
ensures that the adaptive gear change pat-
terns are operational, see page 165. Use
position D or L for steep descents.
Checks before drivingMake sure that the car and caravan or trailer
are in good working order. This is essential
since towing a caravan increases the strain
on the car.
Check and if necessary adjust the tire
pressure of the car and caravan.
Make sure all wheel bolts are properly
tightened.
Make sure that the equipment joining the
car and caravan is properly secured and
adjusted.
Make sure the caravan’s electrical cable
is properly connected and is not so long
that it drags along the ground. Also, make
sure the cable is not too short and risks
breaking when turning a corner.
Check all bulbs.
Check the car and caravan brakes.
Make sure that all items on or in the cara-
van or trailer are properly secured.
Make sure that the caravan’s jockey
wheel is raised and locked.
Check the distribution of the load so that
the car and caravan are well balanced.
Check that the rearview mirrors provide
the best possible rearward vision.
Make sure the caravan’s safety cable is
correctly attached.
VARNING
Utilize the braking effect of the engine
(1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you are
descending long or steep hills to spare
the brakes.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
NOTICEIf the ”Automatic transmission, fault indi-
cator” indicator comes on, cease
towing until the problem has been recti-
fied.
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184 Starting and driving4 Close the doors on the left-hand side of
the car gently, to hold the carrier feet in
place.
5 Now go around to the other side of the
car and remove the plastic cover from
the carrier’s adjustable foot. Fold back
the rubber strip and insert the pins on
the foot into the fixing holes. Do the
same with the other carrier and close the
doors gently.
6 Tighten each carrier by turning the knob
clockwise (by hand). Tighten just
enough to bring the foot up against the
edges of the fixing holes.
Remove the carriers when not in use, as
they increase fuel consumption.
The instructions that accompany the carri-
ers also include advice on driving with a roof
load – we strongly recommend that you
read them carefully.
Fitting the roof carriers (accessory)
9-5 Wagon1 Clean the car’s roof rails.
2 Check the markings on the cross mem-
bers to see which is the front and which
is the rear roof carrier.
3 Place the cross members on the roof
rails, on their respective sides of the
center supports. The cross members
must not be placed beyond the front or
rear joint on the rail. Ensure that the dis-
tance between the cross members is at
least 28 inches (700 mm).
If a roof box is to be fitted, the cross
members must be positioned so that the
tailgate can be opened fully without hit-
ting the roof box.
4 Using your thumb, press the bracket so
that it lies snugly against the outside of
the roof rail. Make sure that the roof car-
riers are seated centrally on the rubber
spacers and that these sit correctly on
the roof rail. Pull the spacers down
slightly on the inside of the roof rail.
5 Center the roof carriers so that they pro-
trude equally on both sides.
6 Tighten the roof carriers by hand.
Ensure that the tightening knobs are
upright once the roof carriers have been
tightened.
7 Make sure the roof carriers are securely
in place.
IB1294
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196 Starting and drivingParking brake
The parking brake is situated between the
front seats and acts on the rear wheels.
When the parking brake is on, the indicator
light on the main instrument panel will
be on. To release the parking brake, lift the
lever slightly, press the release button and
release the lever by pushing down on it.
Parking
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when
you park the car.
Always apply the parking brake
before removing the ignition key.
Do not use the parking brake while
driving.
WARNING
Do not leave children or pets unat-
tended in the car. In warm, sunny
weather, the temperature inside the
car can reach 160–180°F (70–80°C).
Park where the vehicle will not create
an obstruction or a hazard to other
road users.
Do not park on dry grass or other com-
bustible material. The catalytic con-
verter gets very hot and could start a
fire.
Apply the parking brake.
Shift to Reverse for manual transmis-
sion (automatic transmission: move
selector lever to P (Park)), and remove
the ignition key. Lock the car.
IB360
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197 Starting and driving
Parking on a hillWhen parking on a steep hill, turn the front
wheels so that they will be blocked by the
curb if the car should move. Long-term parkingIf the car is not going to be used for some
time, e.g. 3–4 months, the following steps
are recommended:
Run the engine to normal temperature
before long-term parking.
Drain the washer-fluid reservoir and
hoses.
Wash and wax the car. Clean the rubber
seals on the hood, luggage compartment
lid and doors, and lubricate them with
glycerol (glycerin). After washing the car, dry the brake discs
by taking the car out on the road and
applying the brakes a few times.
Fill the fuel tank with fuel to prevent con-
densation forming in it.
Top up the coolant and check the anti-
freeze before the onset of winter.
Park the car in a dry, covered and
well-ventilated building. Leave the park-
ing brake OFF!
Disconnect the negative (–) battery lead.
If frost is likely to occur during the long-term parking, remove the battery
and store it away from the frost.
Ideally, the car should be put up on blocks,
with the wheels off the ground. If this is not
possible, inflate the tires to about 43 psi
(300 kPa).
Leave all the windows open a crack and
cover the car with a fabric tarpaulin – not
one made of plastic.NOTICEEmpty the car yourself and bear in mind:
Never leave a mobile phone, camera,
computer or similar object visible in
your car.
Clothing, packages and bags attract
thieves.
Do not leave small objects such as
CDs, sunglasses and coins visible.
If possible, park in a well-lit,
conspicuous parking space.
Thieves strike whenever and wher-
ever they are given the opportunity.
123
IB485
1Pointing downhill and
against the curb
– Turn the wheels into
the curb and edge the
car forward until the
wheels touch the curb.2Pointing uphill and
against the curb
– Turn the wheels away
from the curb and edge
the car back until the
wheels touch the curb.3Pointing uphill or
downhill – no curb
– Turn the wheels
towards the edge of the
road. If the car should
start rolling, it will not run
into the road.
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200 Car care and technical informationHood The hood release handle is located under-
neath the instrument panel. To open the
hood:
1 Pull the release handle.
2 The front of the hood will now spring up,
providing access to the secondary
safety catch.
3 Push the catch upwards, lifting the hood
at the same time. The hood can now be
lifted right up.
To close the hood, release it from a height
of about 8 in (20 cm). Do not press down on
it.
In cold weather, when the mechanism is
stiff, the hood might need to be released
from twice the height to lock properly.
Check that the hood is now closed securely.
WARNING
Never hold your fingers between the hood
and safety catch if lowering but not clos-
ing the hood.
IB487
IB486
Hood release handle Hood secondary safety catch
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216 Car care and technical informationHeadlight bulb for high beam (Halogen)On cars equipped with Xenon lamps the Halogen lamps are used
only for high beam flasher if the daytime running lights are deacti-
vated and the headlight switch is in the off position (otherwise Xenon
lamp is utilized):
1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the lamp unit. To improve
accessibility to the right-hand headlight, hold aside the induction
air hose. To improve accessibility to the left-hand headlight,
remove the battery cover. Release the two clips along the long
sides of the cover.
2 Unplug the connector.
3 To remove the spring clip, push it in and then move it to the right.
4 Remove the bulb.
5 Without touching the glass with your fingers, insert the new bulb.
6 Line up the bulb with the guide in the reflector and secure it with
the spring clip. Look through the headlight lens to help fit the bulb
correctly.
7 Plug in the connector.
8 Screw on the cover. Make sure that the guide on the cover is
aligned with the recess in the lamp housing.
IB1785
IB1883
Make sure the cover is correctly fitted before locking it in place
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217 Car care and technical information
Headlight bulb for low beam (Halogen)1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the lamp unit. To improve
accessibility to the right-hand headlight, hold aside the induction
air hose. To improve accessibility to the left-hand headlight,
remove the battery cover. Release the two clips along the long
sides of the cover.
2 Unplug the connector.
3 To remove the spring clip, push it in and then move it to the right.
4 Remove the bulb.
5 Without touching the glass with your fingers, insert the new bulb.
Look through the headlight lens to help fit the bulb correctly.
6 Line up the bulb with the guide in the reflector and secure it with
the spring clip.
7 Plug in the connector.
8 Screw on the cover. Make sure that the guide on the cover is
aligned with the recess in the lamp housing.
IB1786
IB1882
Make sure the cover is correctly fitted before locking it in place
IB1910
Contact an
authorized
Saab workshop
if a Xenon
headlight
requires
replacement
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218 Car care and technical informationParking-light bulb (cars with halo-
gen low beam)The parking-light bulb is adjacent to the bulb
for low beam.
1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the
lamp unit.
2 Withdraw the bulb holder.
3 Change the bulb.
Parking-light bulb (cars with Xenon
low beam)The parking light bulb is adjacent to the
Xenon lamp.
1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the
lamp unit.
2 Take hold of the lamp leads and pull out
the bulb holder. The lamp leads are rein-
forced to facilitate changing bulbs.
3 Change the bulb. Look through the
headlight lens to help fit the bulb cor-
rectly.
Front fog lights (certain variants)1 From under the front bumper, grip the
bulb holder and twist counterclockwise.
2 Unplug the connector.
3 Change the bulb.
Refit in the reverse order.
WARNING
Never crawl under a car that is sup-
ported only by a jack.
Always use axle stands. Refer to the
information on jacks on page 247.
IB1787
Parking-light bulb (cars with halogen low
beam)
IB1788
Front fog lights
IB1909
Parking-light bulb (cars with Bi-Xenon low
beam)
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