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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155 Starting and driving
Opening the fuel filler door in an emergency,
see page 146.
Recommended fuel:The engine in your Saab 9-5 is designed to
operate on unleaded gasoline that has an
octane rating of 87 or higher. Octane rating
is determined according to the formula:
where MON is the Motor Octane Number,
and RON is the Research Octane Number.
The average of these two values is the
octane rating of the gasoline as it appears
on the pump at a retail gas station. This
value is sometimes referred to as the
"Anti-Knock Index" (AKI) or the "Average
Octane Number" (AON).
To avoid deposit formation on the fuel injec-
tors which can cause poor driveability, use
only quality gasolines that contain deter-
gents and corrosion inhibitors. Because
gasolines sold at retail gas stations vary in
their composition and quality, you should
switch to a different brand if you begin expe-
riencing driveability and/or hard starting
problems shortly after refueling your car. In
recent years, a variety of fuel additives and
alcohols or oxygenates have been blended
with gasoline. These types of gasolines may
be found in all parts of the United States and
Canada, but particularly in geographic
areas and cities that have high carbon mon-
oxide levels. Saab approves the use of such
"reformulated" gasolines in its products,
which help in reducing pollution from all
motor vehicles, provided that the following blending percentages are met by such
fuels:
Up to 10 % ethanol by volume, with corro-
sion inhibitors.
Up to 15 % MTBE by volume (methyl ter-
tiary butyl ether).
Up to 5 % methanol by volume, with an
equal amount of a suitable co-solvent and
added corrosion inhibitors.
Other, less common, fuel additives used by
some gasoline dealers are also acceptable,
provided that the resultant gasoline is not
more than 2.7 % oxygen by weight.
Some Canadian and U.S. gasolines contain
an octane enhancing additive called meth-
lycyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT). If such fuel is used, your emission
control system performance may deterio-
rate and the malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this
occurs, return to your authorized Saab
dealer for service.
However, these blended gasolines are reg-
ulated and should never exceed these rec-
ommended blend percentages and service
station operators should know if their gaso-
lines contain detergents and oxygenates,
and have been reformulated to reduce vehi-
cle emissions. Nevertheless, if you begin to
notice a problem with the way your car starts
or runs shortly after it has been refueled, try
a different brand of gasoline.
NOTICE Fill to maximum filling capacity
Stop filling after the first time that the
nozzle trips to shut off the flow of fuel.
Filling capacity can differ between
different fuel stations and outside
temperature. Fuel tank volume when
nozzle trips to shut off, may vary by
0.5 gal. (2 liters).
Do not fill fuel all the way up the filler
pipe. The gasoline must be allowed
room for expansion especially during
hot weather.
MON + RON
2
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156 Starting and driving
Fuel (Gasoline Engine)Use regular unleaded gasoline rated at 87
octane or higher. Use of gasoline with an
octane rating lower than 87 can result in
severe engine damage. Damage caused by
incorrect fuel being used is not covered
under the terms of the New Car Warranty
and will be the responsibility of the owner. It
is recommended that the gasoline meet
specifications which were developed by the
American Automobile Manufacturers Asso-
ciation (AAMA) and endorsed by the Cana-
dian Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Associa-
tion for better vehicle performance and
engine protection. Gasolines meeting the
AAMA specification could provide improved
driveability and emission control system
performance compared to other gasolines.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 87. If
the octane is less than 87, you may get a
heavy knocking noise when you drive. If it’s
bad enough, it can damage your engine. If
you’re using fuel rated at 87 octane or
higher and you hear heavy knocking, your
engine needs service. But don’t worry if you
hear a little pinging noise when you’re accel-
erating or driving up a hill. That’s normal,
and you don’t have to buy a higher octane
fuel to get rid of pinging. It’s the heavy, con-
stant knock that means you have a problem.
NOTICEHigher concentrations of methanol than
listed above, or the use of methanol-
blended gasoline without suitable
co-solvents and corrosion inhibitors,
can damage your car’s fuel system,
leading to the need for repairs which are
not covered by Saab’s product warranty.
NOTICEThe engine control module (ECM) mon-
itoring the engine parameters also
stores fault codes.
Under certain circumstances, this may
cause constant illumination of the
”Engine malfunction (CHECK
ENGINE)” lamp , thus indicating a
fault that must be checked by your Saab
dealer, see page 57.
NOTE: always observe the following two
measures:
Make sure that the fuel filler cap is
screwed on correctly before the
engine is started. Screw on the fuel
filler cap until you hear 3 distinct
clicks.
Avoid driving with the fuel low level
indicator illuminated. The symbol
illuminates when less than approxi-
mately 2 gallons (8 litres) of fuel
remains in the tank.
In Canada, look for the
”Auto Makers’ Choice” label
on the fuel pump.
ProCarManuals.com
229 Car care and technical information
Fuse panel in instrument panel
# Amp Function
A 30 Trailer lights
B 10 Automatic transmission
C 7.5 Electric door mirrors; DICE: manual beam length
adjustment
115Brake lights
2 15 Reversing lights
3 10 Parking lights, left
4 10 Parking lights, right
5 7.5 DICE / TWICE
6 30 Electric windows, right; trailer charging
6B 7.5 Brake lights, trailer
7 10 Engine injectors
8 15 Trunk lighting; trunk lock; door lighting, circulation
pump; parking assistant; SID
9 15 Audio System; CD changer
10 15 Heating, rear seat; sunroof, remote control receiver
11 30 Electrically adjusted passenger seat
12 7.5 Automatic transmission
13 20 Audio System, amplifier
14 30 Ignition system, engine
15 20 Fuel pump
16 20 DICE (direction indicators)
16B – –
17 20 Engine-management system; main instrument;
DICE/TWICE
18 40 Door-mirror heating; rear-window heating
19 10 OnStar; Telematics
20 15 ACC; interior lighting; rear fog light; high beam flasher
21 10 Audio System; rear-view mirror; load angle sensor
(cars with xenon); navigation (accessory); Cruise
Control
22 40 Interior fan
23 15 Central locking; navigation (accessory); door mirror
memory
24 40 Air pump (3.0t V6 only)
25 30 Electrically adjustable driver’s seat; fuel-filler flap
26 7,5 Driver seat memory; mirrors memory; sunroof; park-
ing assistant; seatbelt reminder
IB2439
BC123456 A
14
121110987
13
6B
1516
2324
222120191817
16B25262728293031
3635343332
393837
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230 Car care and technical informationRelay panel under instrument panel Relay panel under instrument panel (cont.)27 10 Engine-management system; SID; main instrument
28 7.5 Airbag
29 7.5 ABS/TCS/ESP
30 7.5 Starter motor
31 7.5 Cruise control; water valve; fog lights, front; rain sen-
sor
32 15 Ventilated front seats
33 7.5 Direction-indicator switch
34 30 Cigarette lighter (front/rear)
35 15 Daytime running light
36 30 Electric windows, left
37 30 Windshield wipers
38 30 Electric heating, front seats
39 20 Limp-home solenoid (automatic transmission);
OnStar; telematics
# Function
A –
B Electric heating of rear seat
C1 –
C2 –
D –
E Main relay (engine management system)
F Fuel filler flap
G Fuel pump
H Ignition switch
I Rear-window / door mirrors heating
J–
KStarter relay
L1 Limp-home function
L2 Bootlid
IB1796
A
BC1
C2
L2 L1 D
GE
F
H
I
K J
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