4ExteriorAnti-corrosion treatment ___ 254
Body __________________ 253
Service program _________ 262
Sunroof ________________ 126
Touching up paintwork ____ 253
Washing _______________ 252
Waxing and polishing _____ 253Brake lights _____________ 220
Changing bulbs __________ 213
Light switches ___________ 96
Taillights _______________ 220Towing _________________ 190
Towing hook eyes ________ 190
Towing a trailer __________ 184Folding down the rear seat _ 140
Lighting ________________ 220
Load-through hatch _______ 142
Spare wheel ____________ 144
Tools __________________ 144
Trunk __________________ 140
Maximum loads _______________ 268
Mounting holes for roof carriers ___ 188
Roof load ____________________ 188
Hood _______________________ 198
Washing the engine bay_________ 252
Central locking __________ 42
Child safety locks ________ 46
Lock buttons ____________ 42
Trunk lock ______________ 45Changing bulbs _________ 213
Dipswitch ______________ 96
Direction indicators_______ 98
Front lights _____________ 215
Headlight levelling (xenon) _ 96
Headlight switches _______ 96
Headlight washers _______ 211Economical motoring _____ 179
Fuel filler door __________ 153
Fuel gauge _____________ 85
Fuel grade _____________ 271
Refueling ______________ 153
Braking _____________________ 166
Changing wheels ______________ 248
Spare wheel _________________ 246
Tire pressure ________________ 277
Tires _______________________ 234
Wheels _____________________ 275
Winter driving ________________ 181
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8
Changing wheels:Use only on specified vehicle. Safe working load
2425 lbs. (1100 kg). Use on level firm ground only. Do
not get under a vehicle that is supported only by a jack,
use vehicle support stands. No persons are to remain in
the vehicle.
Contact a Saab dealer if a
xenon headlight requires
replacement.
This label is only found on
cars with xenon headlights.
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur Children 12 and under can be killed by the airbag
The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for children
NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in the front
Sit as far back as possible from the airbag
ALWAYS use SEAT BELTS and CHILD RESTRAINTSUSA
CANADA
Jack Jack is designed only for changing a tire or mounting
tire snow chains.
Vehicle must be level and jack must be placed on firm
and level ground.
Never crawl underneath vehicle when it is jacked up.
JACKING INSTRUCTION
1 Set parking brake and shift transmission to park.
2 Fit top of jack into jacking point next to wheel to be
changed.
3 Crank jack so that vehicle begins to lift.
4 Using socket wrench in tool kit, loosen wheel bolts
one-half turn.
5 Raise vehicle so that tire clears ground. Loosen
wheel bolts completely and remove wheel.
6 Mount spare wheel and tighten bolts enough so
wheel is not loose.
7 Lower vehicle. Tighten wheel bolts in a crisscross
sequence.
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144 Interior equipmentTrunk lightingOn the underside of the parcel shelf is a light
that is switched on and off when the trunk is
opened and closed.
If the trunk lid is left open, the lighting will be
switched off automatically after 20 minutes
to prevent the battery from running flat.
Emergency opening of the
narrow backrestThe narrow section of the backrest can be
opened in an emergency if the car is without
electricity (not possible to open trunk lid)
and you need to access the trunk for a warn-
ing triangle, for example.
Remove the cover and depress the yellow
lever forward.
Tools and spare wheel, see page 246.
Cover over emergency opening lever, on
parcel shelf
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145 Starting and driving
Ignition switch ________ 146
Steering wheel lock ____ 148
Starting the engine ____ 148
Important considerations
for driving __________ 150
Refueling ____________ 153
Engine Break-in Period _ 157
Manual transmission___ 158
Automatic transmission 159
Cruise control ________ 165
Braking ______________ 166
Traction Control System
(TCS) ______________ 169
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) ______ 171
Parking brake_________ 173
Parking ______________ 173
Saab Parking Assistance 176 Economical driving _____ 179
Driving in cold weather__ 181
Driving in hot climates __ 183
Towing a trailer ________ 184
Driving with a roof rack
load ________________ 188
Driving with a load _____ 189
Driving with the trunk lid
open________________ 189
Driving in deep water ___ 189
Driving at night ________ 190
Towing the car _________ 190
Driving with the compact
spare tire ____________ 193
Jump starting _________ 193
For long trips __________ 196
Starting and driving
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164 Starting and driving
Certain variants also have steering wheel controls for manual gear
selection. On these models, it is possible to change gear manually
using the selector lever and the steering wheel controls. The steer-
ing wheel controls are only active when the selector lever is in the M
position.
Select a higher gear by pressing the right-hand button and a lower
gear by pressing the left-hand button. Sentronic, manual gear selection
Move the selector lever to the manual position (M)
(to the left position D) to select gear manually.
Select a higher gear by pressing the selector lever
forward or a lower gear by pulling it back. The
selector lever will return to a position adjacent to
the letter M after each gear change.
An example of when you may wish to make
manual gear changes is when overtaking, to
enable you to remain in a low gear for an extended
period of time.
If the road surface is slippery, you may wish to start
off in 2nd or 3rd to reduce the risk of wheel spin.
When descending steep hills you should select a
low gear to increase the braking effect of the
engine and thus spare the brakes.
Manual gear selections are displayed on the main instrument
panel. The letter M and the current gear are displayed.
When the selector lever is in the M position, as opposed to the D
position, the engine is much more responsive to changes in accel-
erator position. The accelerator has a different feel.
When changing down, the desired gear can be selected but the
transmission will not change down until the engine speed is low
enough to avoid overrevving.Steering wheel controls for manual gear
selection (optional on certain variants)
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185 Starting and driving
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmissionThe following driving time limits are based
on the capacity of the cooling system in hot
weather, i.e. approximately 86°F (+30°C).The following driving time limits are based
on the capacity of the cooling system in hot
weather, i.e. approximately 104°F (+40°C).
When negotiating long hills, bear the follow-
ing important considerations in mind.
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 transmission increases:
Gear change pattern is altered
A/C compressor is switched off
Max. engine torque is reducedThe following message will be displayed on
the SID if the transmission fluid becomes
too hot:
If this message appears, stop the car as
soon as it is safe to do so and allow the
engine to idle until the message has gone
out. The selector lever should be in
position P.
When continuing your journey, manually
select a low gear in which the engine speed
is about 3,500 rpm until the incline eases
(see page 164).NOTICE Use only a genuine Saab trailer hitch,
since other models can damage the
car’s bodywork and electrical system.
Consult a Saab dealer for guidance on
how to connect a trailer hitch.
Exercise care when driving on uneven
roads or against the curb if the car is
heavily laden. This particularly applies
to cars with 17" wheels.
Gradient of
hill, %Max. trailer
weight, lbs.
(kg)Time limit,
minutes
6-8 3330 (1500) unlimited
9-11 3080 (1400) max. 15
12-14 2645 (1200) max. 15
max. 15 2200 (1000) max. 15
Gradient of
hill, %Max. trailer
weight, lbs.
(kg)Time limit,
minutes
6-8 2200 (1000) unlimited
9-11 1760 (800) max. 15
12-14 1100 (500) max. 15
max. 15 880 (400) max. 15
Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop.
Open hood to cool down.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position M1, M2, or M3) to spare the
brakes when you are driving on a long or
steep downhill slope.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
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186 Starting and drivingRecommendations for cars with
manual transmissionRises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
When the needle is just outside the red
zone, the A/C compressor will be switched
off and, on certain engine variants, the max-
imum engine torque will be limited.
When continuing your journey, select a low
gear in which the engine speed is about
3,500 rpm until the incline eases.
Trailer hitch loadThe weight distribution on the trailer makes
a lot of difference to the handling properties
of the car and trailer combination. With a
two-wheel trailer, concentrate the load over
the wheels and keep it as low as possible.
The trailer should be loaded so that the load
on the towball is 110–165 lbs. (50–75 kg).
Note that this load must be included in the
total load for the car. If this now exceeds the
specified load capacity, the load in the trunk
may have to be reduced by the correspond-
ing amount.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position 1, 2, or 3) to spare the brakes
when you are driving on a long or steep
downhill slope.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
Distribution of load in trailera Light
b Moderate
cHeavy
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191 Starting and driving
The front towing eye is stowed by the spare
wheel. On the left-hand side of the bumper
is a cover concealing the attachment point
(tapped hole) for the towing eye.
1 Press the knob on the upper section of
this cover at the same time as pulling out
the lower edge.
2 Screw in the towing eye. The towing
eye has a left-hand thread!
3 Insert the wheel wrench into the eye to
tighten it properly.
To refit the cover: Start by inserting the top
edge of the cover. Then click in the lower
edge, one corner at a time.
Rear towing eyeThe car has a permanent towing eye at the
rear under the bumper.
If the car is equipped with a towbar, this can
be used instead of the towing eye.
Towing the carEngage neutral (automatic transmission:
move the selector lever to N). Turn on the
parking lights.
Drive carefully and do not exceed the
speed limit for vehicles on tow.NOTICENever use the towing eyes to pull the car
unstuck.
Front towing eye fitted.
The towing eye has a left-hand thread!
Rear towing eye
Never use the towing eyes to pull the car
unstuck.
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