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11 - 4Maintenance and service
26 December 2003
improperly used or handled, for example, bat-
tery acid.
!Your vehicle should only be serviced by per-
sons fully competent to do so. Serious person-
al injury may result to persons not experienced
in servicing vehicles.
!Always use the proper tools and make certain
that they are well maintained.
!Never get under the vehicle supported only
by a jack. Always use a safety stands to sup-
port the vehicle.
!Never keep the engine running in a poorly
ventilated area, such as a garage or other
closed areas.
!Do not smoke or allow open flames around
the fuel or battery. This will cause a fire.
!Because the fuel system is under pressure,
replacement of the fuel filter should be per-
formed only by your Saab dealer.
!Wear adequate eye protection to guard
against getting oil or fluids in your eyes. If
something does get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water.
!Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS air-
bag system or seatbelt pretensioner system, or
attempt to take its connectors apart, as that
may activate the system or it can render it inop-erative. The wiring and connectors of these
systems are yellow for easy identification. NEV-
ER use a circuit tester for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensioner
needs service, consult your nearest Saab deal-
er."Before checking or servicing in the en-
gine compartment!Always stop the engine and set the parking
brake firmly to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing.
!Always let the engine cool down. Engine
parts become very hot when the engine is run-
ning and remain hot for some time after the en-
gine is stopped.
!Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake
fluid or any other fluid on hot engine compo-
nents. This may cause a fire.
!Always remove the key from the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position, the cooling fan may operate suddenlyeven when the engine is stopped.
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Maintenance and service
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11
26 December 2003
"When you do checking or servicing in
the engine compartment while the en-
gine is runningA running engine can be dangerous. Keep your
fingers, hands, clothing, hair and tools away
from the cooling fan, belts and any other mov-
ing engine parts. Removing rings, watches andties is advisable.
Engine hood
0
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the windshield, re-
turn them to their original positions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the instrument
panel.
HSB014BA
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11 - 1 0Maintenance and service
26 December 2003
Engine oil"Checking the oil levelCheck the engine oil level at each fuel stop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the en-
gine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and insert it
again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly inserted until it
stops with the graphic symbol on its top appear-
ing as shown in the illustration.
1) Notch
2) Upper level
3) Lower level4. Pull out the dipstick again and check the oil level on
it. If it is below the lower level, add oil to bring the level
up to the upper level.!Use only engine oil with the recommended
grade and viscosity.
!Be careful not to spill engine oil when adding
it. If oil touches the exhaust pipe, it may causea bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire.
UG9032CA
1
2
3
UGB082BB
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11-11
Maintenance and service
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11
18 February 2004
If you check the oil level just after stopping the engine,
wait a few minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil
pan before checking the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is warm, the en-
gine oil level reading may be in a range between the
upper level and the notch mark. This is caused by ther-
mal expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not add any
additional oil above the upper level when the engine is
cold."Changing the oil and oil filterChange the oil and oil filter according to the mainte-
nance schedule in the “Saab Warranty and Service
Record Booklet”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed more fre-
quently than listed in the maintenance schedule when
driving on dusty roads, when short trips are frequently
made, or when driving in extremely cold whether.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the engine idle for
about 10 minutes to ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the en-
gine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
Do not touch the exhaust manifold or turbo-
charger. These get very hot when the enginehas been running.2.0-liter turbo models
UGB105BA
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Maintenance and service
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18 February 2004
Non-turbo models7. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter wrench.
8. Before installing a new oil filter, apply a thin coat of
engine oil to the seal.
9. Clean the rubber seal seating area of the bottom of
engine and install the oil filter by hand turning. Be
careful not to twist or damage the seal.
10.Tighten the oil filter by the amount indicated below
after the seal makes contact with the bottom of engine.
Please see your Saab dealer for correct oil filter infor-
mation for your vehicle.
Never over tighten the oil filter because that canresult in an oil leak.
11.Reinstall under cover (for Turbo).
12.Pour engine oil through the filler neck.Oil capacity (guideline):
4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
The oil quantity indicated above is only guideline.
The necessary quantity of oil depends on the quantity
of oil that has been drained. The quantity of drained oil
differs slightly depending on the temperature of the oil
and the time the oil is left flowing out. After refilling the
engine with oil, therefore, you must the dipstick to con-
firm that the level is correct.
13.Start the engine and make sure that no oil leaks ap-
pear around the filter’s rubber seal and drain plug.
14.Run the engine until it reaches the normal operat-
ing temperature. Then stop the engine and wait a few
minutes to allow the oil to drain back. Check the oil lev-
el again and if necessary, add more engine oil.
UGB057EA
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26 December 2003
ed parts. The alcohol contained in the enginecoolant may damage the paint surface."Cooling fan, hose and connectionsYour vehicle employs an electric cooling fan which is
thermostatically controlled to operate when the engine
coolant reaches a specific temperature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operate even when
the engine coolant temperature gauge exceeds the
normal operating range, the cooling fan circuit may be
defective. Check the fuse and replace it if necessary.
If the fuse is not blown, have the cooling system
checked by your Saab dealer.
If frequent addition of coolant is necessary, there may
be a leak in the engine cooling system. It is recom-
mended that the cooling system and connections be
checked for leaks, damage, or looseness.
"Engine coolant!Checking the coolant level1) “FULL” level mark
2) “LOW” level markCheck the coolant level at each fuel stop.
1. Check the coolant level on the outside of the reser-
voir while the engine is cool.
2. If the level is close to or lower than the “LOW” level
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL” level mark. If the
reserve tank is empty, remove the radiator cap and re-
fill as required.
FULL
LOW
UG9032DB
1
2
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11 - 1 8Maintenance and service
18 February 2004
1) Rubber gaskets3. After refilling the reserve tank and the radiator, re-
install the caps and check that the rubber gaskets in-
side the radiator cap are in the proper position.!Be careful not to spill engine coolant when
adding it. If coolant touches the exhaust pipe, it
may cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire.
!Do not splash the engine coolant over paint-
ed parts. The alcohol contained in the enginecoolant may damage the paint surface.!Changing the coolant
1) Drain plugAlways add genuine cooling system conditioner when-
ever the coolant is replaced.
Change the engine coolant and add genuine cooling
system conditioner using the following procedures ac-
cording to the maintenance schedule.
1. Remove the under cover.
2. Place a proper container under the drain plug and
loosen the drain plug.
3. Loosen the radiator cap to drain the coolant from
the radiator. Then drain the coolant from the reserve
tank. Tighten the drain plug securely.
1
HSB026BB
1
HSB027BB
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11 - 3 0Maintenance and service
26 December 2003
Automatic transmission fluid"Checking the fluid levelThe automatic transmission fluid expands largely as
its temperature rises; the fluid level differs according to
fluid temperature. Therefore, there are two different
scales for checking the level of hot fluid and cold fluid
on the dipstick.
Though the fluid level can be checked without warm-
ing up the fluid on the “COLD” range, we recommend
checking the fluid level when the fluid is at operating
temperature.
!Checking the fluid level when the fluid is hot
1. Drive the vehicle several miles to raise the temper-
ature of the transmission fluid up to normal operating
temperature; 158 to 176°F (70 to 80°C) is normal.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and set the park-
ing brake.
3. First shift the selector lever in each position. Then
shift it in the “P” position, and run the engine at idling
speed.
Non-turbo model
1) Yellow handle
UG9032FB
1
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