2005 SAAB 9-3 page 74

187 Starting and driving
Checks before drivingMake sure that the car and trailer are in
good working order. This is essential since
towing a trailer increases the strain on the
car.
 Check and if necessary adjust the tire
pressure of the car and trailer.
 Make sure all wheel bolts are properly
tightened.
 Make sure that the equipment joining the
car and trailer is properly secured and
adjusted.
 Make sure the trailer’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 trailer brakes.
 Make sure that all items on or in the
camper or trailer are properly secured.
 Make sure that the trailer’s jockey wheel
is raised and locked.
 Check the distribution of the load so that
the car and trailer are well balanced.
 Check that the rearview mirrors provide
the best possible rearward vision.
 Make sure the trailer’s safety cable is
correctly attached.
Driving considerationsAlways take extra care when towing a
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different
and its braking performance reduced. The
trailer’s braking system and suspension
also have a considerable effect on these
characteristics. See also "Driving with a
load" on page 189.
Drive carefully:
 descending hills
 on uneven roads
 over railway crossings
 when meeting large vehicles
If the car has automatic transmission, select
gear M1 when ascending or descending
steep hills.
ReversingGet someone to help you keep an eye out
behind the trailer as the door mirrors do not
always provide sufficient rearward vision
when reversing.
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189 Starting and driving
Driving with a loadThe handling characteristics are affected by
how the car is loaded.
Driving with the trunk lid
openIf you must drive with the trunk lid open,
close all windows and the sunroof (if
equipped) and set the cabin fan to its high-
est speed setting.
Driving in deep water
NOTICE Place the heaviest load as far forward
and as low as possible in the trunk.
 Secure the load to the lashing eyes
(see page 143).
 Heavy loads mean that the car’s
center of gravity is further back. As a
result, the car will sway more during
evasive steering.
 Never exceed the permissible load of
the roof box, even if there is room for
more.
 Ensure that the tire pressure is correct
– slight overinflation is preferable to
underinflation.
 The braking distance of a loaded car is
always greater. Keep your distance
from the vehicle in front.
 Do not exceed the car’s permissible
gross vehicle weight or axle load (see
page 268).
 Roof loads can negatively affect tele-
communication.
For further information on tires see
page 234.
WARNING
Avoid driving with the trunk lid partly or
fully open, since exhaust fumes can be
drawn into the cabin.
NOTICEDo not drive in puddles or water deeper
than 7 in. (20 cm) and do not drive faster
than 3–4 mph. Water can otherwise be
sucked into the engine. The engine will be
seriously damaged if water enters the
intake system.
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190 Starting and drivingDriving at nightBear in mind the following points, especially
when driving at night:
 Nighttime driving requires your full
concentration
 Do not rush. Count on your journey taking
slightly longer.
 The number of drivers under the influence
of drugs is likely to be greater at night than
during the day.
 Do not stare at the headlights of oncom-
ing vehicles.
 Avoid driving at night if you have poor
eyesight. Night vision deteriorates with
age.
 Keep your car’s headlights, windows and
mirrors clean. Also, if you wear glasses,
make sure they are clean.
 Make sure you are well rested before
starting a long journey. Take a break
every other hour.
 Only eat light meals. Heavy meals have a
tendency to induce tiredness.
 Wild animals prefer to move at dusk and
dawn.
 Check the headlight levelling setting (see
page 96).
Towing the car
Front towing eye
WARNING
 Remember that the brake servo does
not operate when the engine is off.
Much greater pressure than normal
will therefore be required to operate
the brake pedal.
 Nor does the steering servo operate
when the engine is off. The steering
will therefore be much heavier than
usual.
 The towing vehicle should always be
heavier than the vehicle on tow.
 Never allow passengers to ride in the
car when it is on tow.
 Always seek professional help if the
car needs to be recovered.
 The ignition switch must be in the ON
position if the car is moved with the
engine not running.
 The steering wheel lock must be
disengaged before towing the car.
 The steering wheel lock disengages
when the remote control is inserted
into the ignition switch, if the battery
has sufficient charge.
WARNING
 Make sure that the towing eye is
screwed in tightly. It has a left-hand
thread!
 The towing eye is only designed for
towing the car on roads. It must not
be used to pull the car out of a ditch,
for example.
 Make sure that all bystanders keep a
suitable distance, in case the towing
eye or tow rope should snap. The
towing eye or tow rope could catapult
off and cause seriously injury.
 Never drive with the towing eye fitted
to the front bumper. Return it to its
designated storage space.
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192 Starting and drivingAlways try to keep the towrope taut by
gently applying the brake of the car on tow,
as necessary. This will avoid the towrope
being jerked violently.
Cars with automatic transmission:
Always observe the speed limit for vehicles
on tow. Whatever the speed limit, the car
must not be towed at speeds exceeding
30 mph (50 km/h) nor for a distance of more
than 30 miles (50 km). If the car needs to be
transported over a longer distance, a tow
truck or flatbed truck must be called out.
The engine cannot be started by towing or
pushing the car. In an emergency, the
engine can be started as described under
"Jump starting" on page 193.
Vehicle recoveryIf the car has to be transported on a flatbed
truck, or similar, it must be securely
strapped down. There are attachment
points for this purpose on the underside of
the car. The attachment points are oblong
hole that have been reinforced to cope with
the stresses that arise during this type of
transport.
Transporting the car
NOTICE The car must be towed front first.
 If the car is to be towed with the front
wheels off the ground, make sure the
parking brake is off, as this acts on the
rear wheels.
NOTICEIf a car with sports (lowered) chassis is
transported, for example on a flat bed
truck, take extra care not to damage the
spoiler and/or underbody.
Attachment points for anchorage straps
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193 Starting and driving
Driving with the
compact spare tireObserve the following when the compact
spare tire is fitted:
 The compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing a tire.
 Do not drive further than necessary with
the compact spare fitted - the maximum
life of the tire is only just over 2,000 miles
(approx. 3,500 km).
 Refit the standard tire as soon as possi-
ble.Important considerations when driving with
a compact spare tire:
 The car’s ground clearance is reduced.
 The car must not be driven with more than
one compact spare tire at a time.
 Avoid driving against the curb.
 Do not use snow chains.
 Do not fit the wheel cover - this would
conceal the warning text.
Jump starting
WARNING
 Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h). The
tire can overheat affecting the car’s
roadholding.
 Tire pressure: refer to page 275.
 The spare tire or punctured tire must
be stowed under the trunk floor, and
secured in place with the retaining nut.
NOTICETo avoid damaging a alloy wheel of a
punctured tire, this can be temporarily
placed outside up in the spare wheel well
but only while driving to the closest work-
shop.
As a general rule, all heavy loads must be
well secured in the trunk (see page 143).
WARNING
 When working on the battery, highly
explosive gas can build up. A spark
could ignite this gas that collects
around the battery. Therefore, always
avoid sparks and open flames in the
vicinity of the battery.
 The battery contains corrosive sulphu-
ric acid. Always wear a face mask or
goggles when working on the battery.
 If battery acid gets into the eyes or
splashes onto skin or clothing, wash
the affected area liberally with water. If
acid gets into the eyes or a large quan-
tity makes contact with the skin, seek
medical help.
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200 Car careSaab Trionic engine
management systemThe Saab Trionic engine management
system is a unique Saab development that
combines sequential multiport fuel injection,
electronic distributorless ignition and turbo-
charger boost pressure control into one sys-
tem.
The Trionic engine control module (ECM)
monitors many different engine parameters
such as:
 Intake manifold pressure.
 Intake air temperature.
 Crankshaft position.
 Engine coolant temperature.
 Throttle position.
 The oxygen content of the exhaust gases.
The ECM receives information regarding
engine knocking from a sophisticated feed-
back function in the ignition discharge unit.
By processing all of this information, the Tri-
onic system can control fuel injector open-
ing duration, ignition timing and turbo-
charger boost pressure to provide excellent
engine performance while maintaining low
emissions and fuel consumption.
ORVR (Onboard Refueling Vapor
Recovery)All hydrocarbons formed when refueling will
be recovered by the car and not released
into the atmosphere. The hydrocarbons are
absorbed in an evaporative emission canis-
ter. When the engine is subsequently
started, the evaporative emission canister is
gradually purged as air is sucked into it
through a shut-off valve. The hydrocar-
bon/air mixture passes through the evap
canister purge valve and into the engine
where it is burned. “Refueling”, see
page 153.
When refueling, make sure you screw the
filler cap on and keep turning until it has
clicked 3 times.
NOTICEThe Trionic engine management system
continuously monitors the operation of
these systems and has on-board diag-
nostic capabilities (OBD II). If the Engine
malfunction (CHECK ENGINE) light in
the main instrument illuminates, the
Trionic ECM has detected a problem. The
car will continue to operate, but perfor-
mance may be diminished. You should
have your car checked by a Saab dealer
as soon as possible.
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202 Car careEngine oilChecking the oil levelCheck the engine oil level regularly.
1 Park the car on a level ground.
2 Switch off the engine and wait for
2–5 minutes. The engine should be at
normal operating temperature.
3 Take the dipstick out and wipe it off with
a clean rag before carrying out the
check.
The level must not be below the MIN mark
on the dipstick, but nor should it be above
the MAX mark. Excess engine oil could
result in abnormal oil consumption.
The distance between the MIN and MAX
marks is equivalent to 1.0 qt (1.0 l).
Saab 9-3 Aero: The engine oil level is
checked each time the engine is started. If
the oil level is low, the following message
appears on the SID:Recommended oil grade, see page 270.
Make sure you screw on the oil filler cap
properly after topping up the oil to avoid run-
ning problems.
It is normal for an engine to consume a cer-
tain amount of oil. It is therefore often nec-
essary to top up the oil between services.
Check the engine oil level regularly.During the Break-in Period (approx.
3,000 miles or 5,000 km) and when driving
at high speeds or with a trailer, the oil
consumption may be higher than normal.NOTICEToo high oil level can damage the engine.
Low engine oil level.
Fill oil now.
NOTICEChange of engine oil and oil filter may be
required more frequently if the car is
being used under certain conditions, see
page 263.
Oil filler cap and dipstick
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203 Car care
Changing engine oil
Engine oil and oil filter should be changed
according to the service program.
For oil volumes and grades, refer to “Tech-
nical data”.
The oil should be drained when the engine
is warm. The car must stand on level
ground.
1 Unscrew the drain plug in the bottom of
the sump and leave the oil to drain into
a suitable receptacle for at least
10 minutes. Take care, as the oil may be
hot.
2 Refit the drain plug with a new washer.
3 Change the oil filter once the engine oil
has drained (see page 204).
4 Fill with new oil.
Run the engine to normal temperature and
check the oil level.
WARNING
 Prolonged and repeated exposure of
the skin to engine oil can cause seri-
ous skin disorders. Avoid prolonged
skin contact whenever possible.
 Used engine oil contains chemicals
that have caused cancer in laboratory
animals. Always protect your skin by
washing thoroughly with soap and
water.
 Keep oil out of reach of children.
 Do not touch the turbocharger or
exhaust manifold. These get very hot
when the engine has been running.
 Do not spill oil on hot parts of the
engine as this could cause a fire. Used
engine oil is particularly flammable.
 Protect the environment. Do not
dispose of oil into the ground or down
a drain. Dispose of all used oil and
oil filters at an appropriate disposal
facility.
Drain plug
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