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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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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
– CONTINUED –
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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11 - 2 8Maintenance and service
18 February 2004
Manual transmission oil"Checking the oil levelNon-turbo model
1) Yellow handleTurbo model
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.
1
UG9032EB
UGB095BA
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11 - 3 2Maintenance and service
26 December 2003
el on the “COLD” range. If it is below that range, add
fluid up to the upper level. Be careful not to overfill."Recommended fluid“Dexron III” Type Automatic Transmission Fluid
Front differential gear oil (AT vehi-cles)"Checking the oil level1) Yellow handle1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the en-
gine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and insert it
again.
UG9032GB
1
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11 - 3 4Maintenance and service
26 December 2003
Rear differential gear oil"Checking the gear oil levelYour vehicle may be equipped with a rear differential
protector. The differential protector provides protec-
tion to the rear differential assembly during off-road
use. Removal of the rear differential protector is not re-
quired when checking the oil level.1) Filler plug
2) Drain plug1) Filler hole
2) Drain hole
3) Oil level
Remove the plug from the filler hole and check the oil
level. The oil level should be kept even with the bottom
of the filler hole. If the oil level is below the bottom
edge of the hole, add oil through the filler hole to raise
the level.If the vehicle requires frequent refilling, there
21
HSB042BB
3
1
2
HSB043BB
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11 -3 5
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
11
26 December 2003
may be an oil leak. If you suspect a problem,have the vehicle checked at your Saab dealer."Recommended grade and viscosityEach oil manufacturer has its own base oils and addi-
tives. Never use different brands together.Oil grade:
API classification GL-5
SAE viscosity no. and applicable temperature
Power steering fluid"Checking the fluid level1) Reservoir tankThe power steering fluid expands greatly as its tem-
perature rises; the fluid level differs according to fluid
temperature. Therefore, the reservoir tank has two dif-
ferent checking ranges for hot and cold fluids.
Check the power steering fluid level monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, and stop the en-
gine.
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20 0 6020
80W
75W/9080 100 40
85W90
HSB036BA
1
UGB097BB
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