2004 SAAB 9-5 suspension

174 Starting and driving
Economical motoringFactors affecting fuel consumption Fuel consumption is greatly affected by the
general driving conditions, the way in which
the car is driven and at what speeds, the
weather, the state of the road, the condition
of the car, etc. Breaking-in Fuel consumption may be somewhat higher
during the break-in period (the first 3,000–
4,000 miles (5,000–7,000 km) than stated.Weather conditions Fuel consumption can be as much as 10 %
lower in summer than in winter. The higher
consumption in cold weather is explained by
the longer time it takes for the engine to
reach normal operating temperature, and
for the transmission and wheel bearings to
warm up. Fuel economy is also affected by
the distance driven: short journeys of 3–
5 miles (5–8 km) do not give the engine
enough time to reach normal temperature.
Strong winds can also affect fuel consump-
tion. How to read the graph above:
If fuel consumption with the engine at
normal temperature is 28 mpg
(10l/100 km), the actual fuel consumption 3
miles (5 km) after the engine has started
from cold will be:
– 23.5 mpg (12l/100 km) at outside temp. of
68°F (20°C) (increase of 20 %).
– 17.7 mpg (16l/100 km) at outside temp. of
32°F (0°C) (increase of 60 %).
– 14 mpg (20l/100 km)) at outside temp. of
–4°F (–20°C) (increase of 100 %).
As can be seen, both the distance travelled
by the car and the outside temperature have
NOTICESuspension modifications, such as
changing the type of wheels, dampers or
springs, can affect the function of the ESP
system.
Always consult a Saab dealer before
changing any suspension components.
IB311
Percentage increase in fuel consumption
of engine starting from cold compared to
engine at normal temperature.
ProCarManuals.com

181 Starting and driving
Recommendations for cars with manual
gearbox
Rises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
The following steps are taken in order as the
temperature of the engine increases:
 A/C compressor is switched off.
 engine torque is reduced.
When continuing your journey, select a gear
in which the engine speed is about
3,000 rpm until the incline eases.
Driving considerations Always take extra care when towing a
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different
and its braking effect reduced. The trailer’s
braking system and suspension also have a
considerable effect on these characteris-
tics, see also ”Driving with a load” page 185.
If the car has automatic transmission, select
position D when ascending steep hills. This
ensures that the adaptive gear change pat-
terns are operational, see page 165. Use
position D or L for steep descents.
Checks before drivingMake sure that the car and caravan or trailer
are in good working order. This is essential
since towing a caravan increases the strain
on the car.
 Check and if necessary adjust the tire
pressure of the car and caravan.
 Make sure all wheel bolts are properly
tightened.
 Make sure that the equipment joining the
car and caravan is properly secured and
adjusted.
 Make sure the caravan’s electrical cable
is properly connected and is not so long
that it drags along the ground. Also, make
sure the cable is not too short and risks
breaking when turning a corner.
 Check all bulbs.
 Check the car and caravan brakes.
 Make sure that all items on or in the cara-
van or trailer are properly secured.
 Make sure that the caravan’s jockey
wheel is raised and locked.
 Check the distribution of the load so that
the car and caravan are well balanced.
 Check that the rearview mirrors provide
the best possible rearward vision.
 Make sure the caravan’s safety cable is
correctly attached.
VARNING
Utilize the braking effect of the engine
(1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you are
descending long or steep hills to spare
the brakes.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
NOTICEIf the ”Automatic transmission, fault indi-
cator” indicator comes on, cease
towing until the problem has been recti-
fied.
ProCarManuals.com

239 Car care and technical information
Tire Chains
Notice:
If your vehicle does not have
P225/45R17 size tires, use tire chains
only where legal and only when you
must. Use only SAE Class ²S² type
chains that are the proper size for your
tires. Install them on the front tires and
tighten them as tightly as possible with
the ends securely fastened. Drive slowly
and follow the chain manufacturer’s
instructions. If you can hear the chains
contacting your vehicle, stop and
retighten them. If the contact continues,
slow down until it stops. Driving too fast
or spinning the wheels with chains on
will damage your vehicle.If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blowout” while
you’re driving, especially if you maintain
your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire,
it’s much more likely to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blowout”, here are
a few tips about what to expect and what to
do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a
drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side.
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and
grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to main-
tain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts
much like a skid and may require the same
correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear
blowout, remove your foot from the acceler-
ator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop – well off
the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to
use your jacking equipment to change a flat
tire safely.
WARNING
If your vehicle has P225/45 R17 size tires,
don’t use tire chains, there’s not enough
clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by
the tire chains could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and you or others
may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if
its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that manu-
facturer’s instructions. To help avoid
damage to your vehicle, drive slowly,
readjust or remove the device if it’s con-
tacting your vehicle, and don’t spin your
wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit,
install them on the front tires.
ProCarManuals.com

265 Customer Assistance and Information
Service record retentionService instruction coupons and record
stubs are provided in the Saab Warranties
and Service Record Booklet which accom-
panies this Owner’s Manual. The coupons
are arranged in the order that normal ser-
vice should be performed. The edge of each
coupon is shaded to correspond to the type
of service point:
 Striped – "Check Up"
 Blue – Oil change/inspection service
 Black – Major service
Note that in Canada a combined service
and warranty book is used, but not service
coupons.
When scheduled services are performed,
your dealer will tear out the applicable
coupon and use it to check off the opera-
tions performed and enter it into the service
file at the dealership. The servicing dealer’s
stamp, along with the date and mileage at
which the service was done, should be
entered on the corresponding stub which
remains in your booklet. The booklet is your
permanent record of the services per-
formed. It also includes a log sheet for
unscheduled repairs.
It is advisable to retain receipts and, if pos-
sible, copies of shop work orders for all ser-
vice and repair work, wherever performed.
Service costsDealer pricing practices and labor for ser-
vice work vary. Saab’s recommended ser-
vice times for each service point do not
include the labor required to replace wear
items, such as wiper blades, brake pads or
tires. Nor is labor to perform other service or
repairs found to be necessary as a result of
the inspections included in these times.
Additional labor and parts will be charged
for such work when necessary, except as
covered under an applicable Saab warranty
or any optional extended service contract.
Transmission fluid changes or suspension
alignment, when necessary, are also addi-
tional.
Dealer charges for general shop material,
regulated hazardous waste removal, recy-
cling expenses or other operation costs may
also be applied to service and repair
invoices and are apt to vary by dealer and
locality.
Owner assistanceWarranties and service problem
assistanceFor complete information about all applica-
ble warranties, including the New Car War-
ranty, Perforation Warranty, Vehicle Emis-
sion Warranty and Emission Perforation
Warranty, consult the Warranties and Ser-
vice Record Booklet which accompanies
this Owner’s Manual. It also contains owner
assistance information including Saab
Roadside Assistance. If the booklet is lost or
misplaced, a new one may be ordered
through a Saab dealer or by contacting
Saab.
In the U.S. there is a national Customer
Assistance Center at Saab Cars USA, Inc.
The toll-free number to call from all 50 states
is 1-800-955-9007.
In Canada, please call the Saab Customer
Assistance Centre at 1-800-263-1999.
A list of authorized Saab sales and service
dealers is available for those planning to
travel in the United States and Canada.
Canadian or U.S. travelers may call the
Customer Assistance Center in the country
in which they are traveling.
ProCarManuals.com

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
ProCarManuals.com

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)
ProCarManuals.com

286 IndexRoof load
_____________________ 183
Running-in ____________________ 174
SSDM
_________________________ 267
SID
___________________________ 63
Saab 9-5 Audio System
___________ 85
Saab Information Display (SID)
_____ 63
Saab Parking Assistance
_________ 194
Safety belts
_____________________ 17
Safety belts, care of
_____________ 253
Safety-belt pretensioners
__________ 18
Safety-belt reminder
______________ 17
Seats
__________________________ 12
Securing a load
__________________ 44
Selector lever indication, automatic
transmission
___________________ 63
Sentronic, manual mode
__________ 163
Service costs
__________________ 265
Service information
______________ 266
Service intervals
________________ 264
Service record retention
__________ 265
Settings, seats
__________________ 12
Side airbags
____________________ 35
Signalling, horn _________________ 120
Sliding floor, 9-5 Wagon
__________ 143
Snow chains
___________________ 176
Spare wheel ___________________ 246
Spare wheel and tools
___________ 145
Spark plugs
____________________ 275
Speedometer ________________ 60
, 61Starting in cold weather, ACC
_______ 81
Starting in hot weather, ACC _______ 81
Steering wheel adjustment
________ 120
Steering, technical data
__________ 277
Steps for determining correct load
limit
_________________________ 244
Stone-chip damage, repairing
______ 255
Storage compartments
___________ 132
Sun visors
_____________________ 131
Sunroof
_______________________ 128
Suspension ____________________ 277
Suspension, technical data
________ 277
Switches
_______________________ 69
Symboler ________________________ 9
Systems, adjustment
_____________ 282
TTCS OFF
_______________________ 59
Table of fuses
__________________ 229
Tachometer
_____________________ 60
Tailgate, opening
________________ 44
Tank gauge
_____________________ 61
Technical data __________________ 269
Telematics
_____________________ 107
Temperature control, ACC
_________ 77
Temperature gauge, engine ________ 61
Temperature zones, ACC
__________ 77
Textile carpeting
________________ 253
Through-load hatch ______________ 137
Tie Downs
_____________________ 137
Tightening torque, wheel studs
_____ 247Tip, driving at night
______________ 185
Tip, to avoid theft
________________ 197
Tire chains
_____________________ 239
Tire date code __________________ 245
Tire inspection and rotation
________ 234
Tire markings
___________________ 241
Tire pressure ___________________ 186
Tire sidewall labeling
_____________ 240
Tire terminology and definitions
____ 242
Tire, compact spare
______________ 246
Tires
_____________________ 233
, 278
Tires, winter
____________________ 278
Tools
_________________________ 145
Touching-in the paintwork
_________ 255
Towbar attachment
______________ 178
Towbar load
____________________ 182
Towing the car __________________ 188
Towing, automatics
______________ 188
Traction
_______________________ 171
Trailer weights
__________________ 271
Treadwear indicators
_____________ 235
Trionic
________________________ 202
Trip computer
___________________ 63
Trip meter
______________________ 60
Trunk
_________________________ 135
Trunk lid, opening
________________ 44
Turbo gauge
____________________ 62
Turbo, points to note
_____________ 151
ProCarManuals.com