2004 SAAB 9-5 check oil

6Engine compartment
IB1737
Engine ______________________ 203
Checking the oil level ___________ 204
Changing engine oil ____________ 204
Engine oil, specification _________ 273
Braking______________________ 168
ABS brakes __________________ 169
Brake and clutch fluid ___________ 208
Brake system _________________ 277
Brake pads ___________________ 277
Fuses _________________ 227
Changing a fuse _________ 229
Relays ________________ 230
Table of fuses ___________ 227Temperature gauge ______ 61
Driving in hot weather_____ 177
Driving in cold weather ____ 176
Coolant________________ 207
Coolant capacity_________ 272
Power steering fluid _______ 209
Steering, technical data ___ 277
Wipers and washers ______ 73
Washers _______________ 214
Washer jets ____________ 214
Jump starting _________________ 191
Battery ______________________ 210
Charging/replacing the battery____ 211
Manual transmission ___________ 158
Automatic transmission _________ 159
Automatic transmission,
technical data ________________ 276
Manual gearbox, technical data ___ 276
Important considerations for driving 151
Turbo unit ___________________ 201
Engine, technical data __________ 272Ignition switch ___________ 148
Drive belts ______________ 212
Spark plugs _____________ 275
Catalytic converter _______ 152Warning labels __________ 7
V.I.N. number ___________ 280
Engine number __________ 280
Gearbox number _________ 280
Color code______________ 280
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22 Safety Check that the belt is not twisted or
lying against sharp edges.
 Make sure you use the correct safety
belt buckle. The buckles for the center
and left-hand rear seats are close
together.
WARNING
Safety belts are designed to bear upon
the bony structure of the body, and should
be worn low across the front of the pelvis
or the pelvis, chest and shoulders, as
applicable; wearing the lap section of the
belt across the abdominal area must be
avoided.
Safety belts should be adjusted as firmly
as possible, consistent with comfort, to
provide the protection for which they have
been designed. A loose belt will greatly
reduce the protection afforded to the
wearer.
Care should be taken to avoid contamina-
tion of the webbing with polishes, oils and
chemicals, and particularly battery acid.
Cleaning may safely be carried out using
mild soap and water. The belt should be
replaced if webbing becomes frayed,
contaminated or damaged.
It is essential to replace the entire assem-
bly after it has been worn in a severe
impact even if damage to the assembly is
not obvious.
Belts should not be worn with straps
twisted.
Each belt assembly must only be used by
one occupant; it is dangerous to put a belt
around a child being carried on the occu-
pant´s lap.
No modifications or additions should be
made by the user which will either prevent
the safety belt adjusting device from oper-
ating to remove slack, or prevent the
safety belt assembly from being adjusted
to remove slack.
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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
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162 Starting and driving
Overheated transmission fluid If the automatic-transmission fluid should
overheat, the following message will appear
on the SID:
”Gearbox too hot. Make a safe stop.”. In this
event, stop the car in a suitable place,
switch off the engine and open the hood.
Wait for several minutes then turn on the
ignition to check that the message has gone
out. When driving subsequent to the trans-
mission fluid overheating, select a gear in
which the engine speed is about 3,000 rpm.
Overheating of the automatic-transmission
fluid can occur when the car is towing a
heavy load, such as a camping trailer in hilly
country. High ambient temperatures can
also increase the temperature of the trans-
mission fluid or the oil cooler may be faulty.
Contact an authorized Saab dealer (see
also page 178).
Driving on hilly roads with a heavy
loadThe transmission fluid can overheat when
the gearbox is strained, for example, when
driving with a trailer on hilly roads. To avoid
the transmission fluid overheating, always
drive in Normal mode. The adaptive gear
change patterns are then active.
High air temperatures or a faulty oil cooler
can also cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Overheating reduces the service
life of the fluid. Contact an authorized Saab
dealer (see also page 178). Towing Towing of cars with automatic transmission,
see page 188.
NOTICEIf the control module has actuated the
Limp-home function for the automatic
transmission, the car will remain in 5th
gear when D is selected, making it very
sluggish.
Select position L to prevent unnecessary
wear on the transmission. The transmis-
sion then starts in 2nd gear. Once the car
is moving you can select position D.
When the indicator light is on, the car
must not be driven with a caravan or
trailer attached.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position D or L) to spare the brakes
when you are driving on a long or steep
downhill slope.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
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192 Starting and driving
help save both batteries and it could
save your radio.
4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (–) termi-
nals on the battery.5 Check that the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock and also the
vehicles could be damaged.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some basic things you should know.
Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and
negative (–) will go to a major metal
engine part with a good ground. Do not
connect (+) to (–) or you will get a short
that could injure you or would damage
the battery and maybe other parts as
well.
6 Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
7 Do not let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8 Now connect the black negative (–)
cable to the good battery’s negative ter-
minal.NOTICEIf you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
WARNING
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
WARNING
Using a match or flame of any kind near a
battery can cause battery gas to explode.
You can suffer burns or be blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
The battery installed in your new Saab
has filler caps. Be sure the right amount
of water is there. Add distilled or boiled
water if the level is too low. If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Be sure the electrolyte in the battery is not
frozen. Discharged batteries will freeze.
When connecting jumper cables to a
frozen battery, gas from the chemical
reaction inside the battery can build up
under the ice and cause an explosion.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you acciden-
tally get it in your eyes or on your skin,
flush the area with water and get medical
help immediately.
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204 Car care and technical informationEngine oilChecking the oil level Check the engine-oil level regularly. This
should be done after the engine has been
run to normal temperature and then allowed
to cool for 2–5 minutes, with the car stand-
ing on level ground. Remove the dipstick
and wipe it clean before checking the level.
The oil level must not be allowed to drop
below the MIN mark on the dipstick, nor
should oil be filled beyond the MAX mark, as
this can lead to excessive oil consumption.
The distance between the MIN and MAX
marks on the dipstick corresponds to a
volume of approximately 1.05 qts (1 liter).
When necessary, add oil of the recom-
mended grade via the dipstick tube.
Changing engine oil
WARNING
 Prolonged and repeated exposure of
the skin to engine oil can cause seri-
ous skin disorders. Avoid prolonged
skin contact whenever possible.
 Used engine oil contains chemicals
that have caused cancer in laboratory
animals. Always protect your skin by
washing thoroughly with soap and
water.
 Keep oil out of reach of children.
 Do not touch the turbocharger or
exhaust manifold. These get very hot
when the engine has been running.
 Do not spill oil on hot parts of the
engine as this could cause a fire. Used
engine oil is particularly flammable.
 Protect the environment. Do not dis-
pose of oil in the ground or down a
drain. Dispose of all used oil and oil fil-
ters at an appropriate disposal facility.
IB491
Engine-oil filler cap and dipstick
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