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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7
Battery No sparks, flames or smoking.
Shield eyes, explosive gases can cause blindness or injury.
Sulphuric acid can cause blindness or severe burns.
Flush eyes immediately with water. Get medical help fast.
Do not tip battery. Do not open battery.
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN Brake fluid
CLEAN FILLER CAP BEFORE
REMOVING. USE ONLY DOT 4
FLUID FROM SEALED
CONTAINER. Radiator fan
Radiator fan may start at any
time.
IB336
A/C system
Refrigerant at high pressure.
Do not loosen or remove the A/C system fittings before
discharging the A/C system. Improper service methods
may cause personal injury. System to be serviced by
authorized personnel only. For instructions consult
workshop manual.
The A/C system complies with SAE J639.
Charge: 825 g of R134a.
Compressor oil: PAG oil SP-10 alt.
Saab oil 4759106
Oil amount: See workshop manual.
Warning labels
AVOID SPARKS AND OPEN FLAMES,
NO SMOKING
WEAR EYE PROTECTION
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
ACID
SEE OWNER’S MANUAL
FLAMMABLE GAS
Coolant:
Never open when engine hot!
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9
No sparks,
flames or
smoking.Buckle up
Use protective
gogglesAirbag
Keep out of
reach of
children.Electric
windows
Battery acid
contains
sulfuric acid.Deactivating
of rear window
switches
Refer to the
Owner’s
Manual.Central
locking, lock
Risk of
explosive gas.Central
locking,
unlock
Tr u n k
lid/tailgate,
opening
Never place a
rear-facing
child seat in
this seat.
HeadlightsWindshield
wipers
Direction
indicatorsWindshield
washers
Parking lights Defroster
Hazard
warning lightsRear window
heating
Front fog
lightsVentilation fan
Rear fog
light
Coolant
temperatureRadiator fan
Battery
chargingFuel
Foot brake
Coolant level
Engine oil
pressure
ABS brakes
Examples of symbols that can be found in your car
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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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150 Starting and drivingIt is possible for air to enter the lubricating
system in conjunction with an oil or oil-filter
change, or if the car has been stored for
some time. This air can cause the hydraulic
cam followers to emit a ticking noise, which
can persist for up to 15 minutes after start-
ing. Although this is quite normal and does
not indicate any malfunction, it is advisable
not to exceed 3,000 rpm before the noise
has disappeared.
The hydraulic cam lifters are completely
service free; the valve clearance is set up at
the factory and will not need any subse-
quent adjustment.
Starting the engineAvoid racing the engine or putting a heavy
load on it before it has warmed up. Drive
away as soon as the oil warning light has
been extinguished to enable the engine to
attain its normal temperature as quickly as
possible.
The engine has an automatic choke and
should be started as follows:
Cars with manual transmission
To start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.
1 Depress the clutch pedal fully but do not
touch the accelerator.
2 Start the engine. Let the ignition key
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly – at very
low temperatures, you may need to run
the starter for up to 25 seconds. Wait
20–30 seconds before running the
starter again, to give the battery time to
recover.
Note:
On cars with manual transmission, if the
starter fails to engage when the ignition key
is turned to the start position, make sure the
clutch pedal is full depressed. Misposi-
tioned floor mats or other obstructions
under the clutch pedal may affect starting.
Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do
not open the throttle wide for at least 2–
3 minutes after starting. Cars with automatic transmission
1 The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
2 Keep your foot on the brake pedal.
3 Start the engine. Let the ignition key
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly – at very
low temperatures, you may need to run
the starter for up to 25 seconds. Wait
20–30 seconds before running the
starter again, to give the battery time to
recover.
Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do
not open the throttle wide for at least
2–3 minutes after starting.
Useful tips on cold climate starting If the engine has failed to start after several
attempts in very cold weather, press and
hold the accelerator down to the floor and
run the starter for 5–10 seconds. This will
prevent the engine being flooded (exces-
sively rich fuel-air mixture).
Now start the engine in the normal way – do
not touch the accelerator.
If the engine stalls immediately after starting
(e.g. if the clutch was released too quickly),
do not touch the accelerator when restarting
the engine. The tail pipe of the exhaust system
can become very hot during driving.
Bear this in mind when loading and
unloading the car.
Do not rest or sleep in the car when
parked with the engine running. There
is a risk of depressing the accelerator
which could lead to engine damage.
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154 Starting and drivingRefueling
Only fuel from well-known oil companies
should be used.
All Saab gasoline engines can be driven on
fuel of grade AON 87–93.
For optimum performance we recommend:
AO N 90 for 2.3t
AO N 93 for 2.3Turbo and 2.3T, (see page
272).
If fuel containing a mixture of alcohol is
used, the following restrictions apply:
Methanol: max. 5 % by volume.
Ethanol: max. 10 % by volume.
MTBE: max. 15 % by volume.
The fuel filler cap is located in the right rear
quarter panel.
Refueling:
1 Switch off engine.
2 Open fuel door
3 Insert the fuel-pump nozzle beyond the
flange on the filler pipe. Do not withdraw
the nozzle while fueling is in progress.
4Stop refueling the first time the pump
turns off, indicating the tank is full.
Fuel-tank capacity: 18.5 US gal. (70 liters)
Screw on the filler cap and keep turning until
it has clicked at least three times.
The most effective way to prevent conden-
sation forming in the tank (and thus avoid
possible running problems) is to keep the
tank well filled.
Before the onset of freezing temperatures in
winter, it may be advisable to add gasoline
anti-freeze to the fuel a few times to dispel
any condensation in the system.
WARNING
Never use fuel for any purpose other
than as engine fuel.
Fuel is highly flammable and can
cause severe burns. Never use an
exposed flame in the vicinity of gaso-
line. Never smoke when filling the
vehicle up with fuel.
Do not use the phone when refueling.
Gasoline fuels are highly explosive.
NOTICE Do not overfill. Fuel should not come
right up the filler pipe as expansion
room is needed.
The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine dam-
age.
IB1755
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