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.
ProCarManuals.com
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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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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277 Specifications
Suspension
Steering Brake system Spring type, front and rear ___________ Coil springs
Maximum deflection of springs:
Front __________________________ 7.09 in (180 mm)
Rear ___________________________ 7.87 in (200 mm)
Dampers, front and rear _____________ Gas-filled dampers
Steering _________________________ Power-assisted
steering of
rack-and-pinion
type; telescopic
steering-column
shaft with universal
joints
Number of turns, lock to lock __________ 2,9
Power-steering fluid ________________ Power-steering fluid
CHF 11S Footbrake (ABS) ____________________ Hydraulic, dual-cir-
cuit brake system.
Diagonally split cir-
cuit with vacuum
servo unit. Disc
brakes front and
rear. EBD, see page
168.
Handbrake ________________________ Acts on rear wheels
Brake fluid _________________________ DOT 4
Brake-fluid capacity _________________ 0.925 qts (900 ml)
Disc diameter:
Front, ventilated ___________________ 11.34 in (288 mm)
Front, ventilated, certain variants *) ____ 12.05 in (306 mm)
Rear, solid _______________________ 11.26 in (286 mm)
Rear, ventilated, certain variants *) ____ 11.81 in (300 mm)
*) 15” wheel must not be used on these
variants.
Total friction area of brake pads:
Front ___________________________ 36.3 in
2 (234 cm
2)
Rear ___________________________ 15.5 in
2 (100 cm
2)
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278 SpecificationsWheels and tires
(recommended dimensions)
2.3t 2.3 Turbo 2.3T
Summer tires205/65 R15 94 V X – –
215/55 R16 93 V X X X
225/45 R17 94 W XL/RF X X XWinter tires205/65 R15 94 Q X – –
205/55 R16 91 Q X X X
215/55 R16 93 Q X X X
225/45 R17 94 Q XL/RF X X XWheel sizes6 x 15” X – –
6,5 x 16” X X X
7 x 17” X X X15" wheels must not be fitted to the 2.3 Turbo and 2.3T since the size of
the brake discs prohibits this.
Speed ratings and load indices, see page 241.
Always contact an authorized Saab dealer if you wish to fit other wheels
or tires than those fitted as standard.
Compact spare:
Wheel ___________________________ 4 x 16
Tire _____________________________ T115/70 R16
Pressure_________________________ 60 psi (420 kPa)
Maximum life _____________________ 2,200 miles
(3500 km)
Maximum speed __________________ 50 mph (80 km/h)NOTICESnow chains:
Snow chains must not be fitted to the rear wheels, and may only
be used with the following wheel-tire combinations:
Wheels Tires
6 x 15*)_____ 205/65 R15
6.5 x 16_____205/55 R16 M+S or
215/55 R16
Snow chains must not be fitted to 17" wheels.
Max. permissible speed with snow chains fitted is 30 mph
(50 km/h).
Contact an authorized Saab dealer for advice on snow chains.NOTICEWheels larger than 17” must not be fitted.
Wheel offset must be 49 mm.
Vehicles with 12.05 in (306 mm) front brake discs must not use
15” rims.
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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).
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