Page 3 of 288

3
Instrument panel
IB1080
Indicator and warning lights ______ 54
Speedometer _________________ 61
Odometer and trip meter ________ 60
Fuel gauge___________________ 61
Temperature gauge ____________ 61
Parking lights____________ 69
High/low beam __________ 69
Daytime running lights_____ 69
Instrument illumination ____ 71
Changing bulbs __________ 215Turn signal and lane change
indicators ______________ 71
High beam flasher ________ 69
Cruise control ___________ 167Front fog lights (certain mod-
els) ___________________ 72
Ashtrays (accessory) ___________ 131
Cigarette lighters (accessory) ____ 132
Saab Information Display (SID) ___ 63
Night panel___________________ 67
Clock _______________________ 68
Wipers and washers ______ 73
Rear-window wiper (9-5
Wagon) _______________ 74
Rain sensing wipers (option) 73
Washers _______________ 214
Wipers and washers ______ 213Saab 9-5 Audio System ___ 85
Steering-wheel controls ___ 102Hazard warning lights_____ 72Automatic climate control
(ACC) ________________ 75
Air conditioning (ACC) ____ 252
Electric heating, front seats ______ 15
Ventilated front seats ___________ 15Steering-wheel controls ___ 102
Sentronic, manual mode ___ 163
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Page 5 of 288

5
Interior
IB581
Rearview mirrors ______________ 121
Door mirrors __________________ 121
Sun visors ___________________ 131
Safety belts ____________ 17
Airbag _________________ 31
Child safety ____________ 23
Child safety locks ________ 43
Safety belts ____________ 253Glove compartment ______ 132Manual transmission _____ 158
Automatic transmission ___ 159
Electric windows ______________ 127
Ignition switch ________________ 148
Starting the engine ____________ 149
Engine Break-In Period _________ 157
Driving in hot weather __________ 177
Driving in cold weather _________ 176
Parking _____________________ 196
Steering wheel adjustment _ 120
Airbag _________________ 31
Power steering fluid _______ 209
Steering-wheel controls ___ 102
Sentronic, manual mode ___ 163Seats __________________ 12
Electric heating, front seats _ 15
Ventilated front seats______ 15
Safety belts _____________ 17
Child safety _____________ 23
Folding the rear seat, 9-5
Sedan ________________ 135
Folding the rear seat, 9-5
Wagon ________________ 138
Upholstery and trim _______ 253
Side airbags ____________ 35
Interior lighting ________________ 130
Sunroof _____________________ 128
Dome light, front ______________ 225
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Page 11 of 288
11 Safety
SafetySeats _________________ 12
Head restraint __________ 16
Safety belts ____________ 17
Child safety ____________ 23
Airbag_________________ 31
IB1740
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Page 12 of 288

12 SafetySeats Both front seats are electrically operated.
On certain models the driver´s seat is
equipped with a memory function.
To facilitate getting into the car, both seats
can be adjusted when either of the front
doors is open.
For safety reasons, if the door is closed, the
seat can only be adjusted when the ignition
is ON.
Note, however, that both seats can be
adjusted for 30 seconds after both doors
have been closed. The following seat adjustments can be
made to achieve a comfortable driving
position:
height
legroom
backrest rake angle
lumbar support
head-restraint height
We recommend that adjustments to the
driver’s seat be performed in the following
order:
1height
2 legroom
3 seat tilt angle
4 backrest rake angle
Lastly, adjust the steering wheel (see page
120).
Side airbags (see page 35).Head restraint(see page 16).
Height To raise the seat, lift the lower control
straight up.
To lower the seat, press the lower control
down.
The same control can be used to adjust the
height of the front and rear edges of the seat
independently.
WARNING
The seats are actuated by powerful
motors. Bear this in mind when adjusting
the seat, and make sure that nothing gets
caught and damaged. Ensure that noth-
ing can be trapped when adjusting the
seat.
Bear in mind that children can be injured
if they play with the electrically-operated
seats.
Always remove the ignition key when you
leave the car to prevent personal injury
caused by the electrically adjustable
seats, for example, due to children play-
ing.
WARNING
Never adjust the driver’s seat except
when the car is stationary.
IB401
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Page 15 of 288
15 Safety
Ventilated front seats(option)
Ventilated front seats, that enhance seating
comfort in hot weather, is an option on Arc
and Aero models (certain markets).
Ventilated seats are equipped with two fans
that extract the moist air from between the
seat and the body.
The fans have three speeds and are OFF
when the switch is set to 0.
Electric heating, front seatsBoth front seats have adjustable and ther-
mostat-controlled heating of the seat cush-
ion and backrest, available as an option.
Heating is adjustable in three stages. In
position 0 it is turned off.
IB405
IB406
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Page 16 of 288

16 SafetyHead restraintThe front seats in the Saab 9-5 are
equipped with Saab Active Head Restraints
(SAHRs). These reduce the risk of whiplash
injury if the car is hit from behind.
In the event of a rear-end crash, the body is
forced back against the backrest. This, in
turn, causes the mechanism to press the
head restraint forward and upward, thus
limiting the backward movement of the
head.
The SAHR is a mechanical system, actu-
ated by body weight. The mechanism is built
into the top of the backrest, where it is
connected to the head restraint.
Therefore, the SAHR does not need to be
replaced after a minor rear-end crash.The head restraint can be raised or lowered
and is adjustable in various positions.
Raising: grasp the head restraint on both
sides and pull it straight up.
Lowering: press the catch on the left-hand
side of the attaching point and press down
the head restraint.
Rear-seat head restraints9-5 Sedan: The rear head restraints have
three adjustment positions for passenger
comfort.
They can also be folded down to increase
the driver’s rearward vision when the seat is
unoccupied.
9-5 SportWagon: The height of the rear
head restraints can be adjusted by depress-
ing the catch on the left-hand collar in the
same way as the front head restraints.
WARNING
Adjust the head restraint so that your
head is optimally supported and the
center of the head restraint is at ear
height, thus reducing the likelihood of
neck injury in a crash.
Raise the head restraints in the seat
that are occupied.
IB460
IB400
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Page 17 of 288

17 Safety
Safety belts Three-point inertia-reel safety belts are
provided for all seats.
Research has established that it is just as
dangerous for rear seat passengers not to
wear their safety belts as it is for front seat
passengers.
Bear in mind that in certain states it is a legal
requirement for all occupants of the car to
wear a safety belt.
Safety-belt reminderWhen the ignition is switched on, the ”fasten
belts” reminder will light up until the driver
fastens the safety belt. In addition an audi-
ble signal sounds for 6 seconds, or until the
driver fastens his belt.
WARNING
Safety belts must be worn at all times by
all car occupants.
Child safety, see page 23.
Check that the locking tongue is properly
locked in the belt lock.
WARNING
In the event of a crash, the rear-seat
passengers not wearing a seatbelt will
thrown forward against the front-seat
backrests. The stresses imposed on the
front seat passengers and belts are multi-
plied and can result in needless injury or
even death for all car occupants.
WARNING
Adjustments of the safety belt should be
done when the car is stationary so that
attention to traffic is not reduced.
IB409
FASTEN BELTS
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Page 18 of 288

18 SafetySafety belt pretensionersThe belts of the front seats are fitted with
automatic pretensioners and force limiters.
These are activated in the event of a severe
frontal or rear-end crash and a side-on colli-
sion, provided that the safety belts are being
worn.
The pretensioners serve to reduce the
forward movement of the body by tension-
ing the belt. The force limiters reduce belt
loads on the body by "loosening" the safety
belt to absorb the body’s kinetic energy as
gradually as possible.
The safety belt pretensioners are not acti-
vated by vehicle rollover.
Correct position for safety belt The lap portion of the belt should be
pulled as tightly as comfortable and as
low as possible across the hips, so that it
is just touching the top of the thighs. The
shoulder belt should be well in on the
shoulder but not touching the neck.
Check to ensure that the belt is not twisted
or rubbing against any sharp edges.
There should not be any slack in the belt.
Pull the belt tight – particularly important
when thick outer clothing is worn.
Refrain from tilting the backrest more than
necessary, as the safety belt provides
better protection when the seat is in the
more upright position.
Only one person per safety belt!
For most of the time a safety belt is worn,
the retractor will allow the wearer freedom
of movement. The retractor locks up auto-
matically if the belt is jerked or withdrawn
sharply, the car tilts, the brakes are
applied hard or a crash occurs.
WARNING
If the car is involved in a crash, the safety
belts, belt pretensioners and other
components must be inspected by an
authorized Saab dealer and replaced as
necessary.
Never make any alterations or repairs to
the safety belt yourself. Visit an autho-
rized Saab dealer for any necessary
repairs.
WARNING
Proper positioning of the safety belt is
extremely important. An out of position
safety belt can result in the wearer sliding
underneath the belt in a crash (submarin-
ing) and injury can result from the lap
portion cutting into the abdomen.
WARNING
If two people share a belt, they risk injury
by being crushed together in the event of
a crash.
IB410
Correctly positioned safety belt
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