2005 SAAB 9-3 climate control

108 Instruments and controlsAutomatic climate-
control system (ACC)Fresh air for the cabin is drawn in through an
inlet at the bottom edge of the windshield. It
passes through an effective filter before
reaching the climate control system and
delivery into the cabin. The air is evacuated
via openings in the parcel shelf. It is then led
through outlets on either side of the car
behind the rear bumper.
The Automatic Climate-Control system
(ACC) automatically maintains the desired
cabin temperature, regardless of the
weather outside.
The system will achieve the desired temper-
ature in the quickest possible way.
Note that heating or cooling is not
speeded up by setting the temperature
higher or lower than the final tempera-
ture you desire.
To optimize the performance of the air con-
ditioning system, all windows and the sun-
roof should be shut. The air vents in the
fascia must be open.
The incoming air is treated in three stages:
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu-
midified and cooled; and finally, if required,
it is heated.To reduce potential misting on the insides of
the windows, the glass should be cleaned
with a quality glass cleaner. How often this
will need to be done depends on how clean
the air is - if there are smokers in the car, the
windows will need to be cleaned more
frequently.
ACC panel1 Temperature setting: left-hand side
2 Manual setting of air distribution
3 Recirculation
4 AUTO (automatic regulation)
5A/C
6 Defroster
7 Rear window heating
8 Temperature setting: right-hand side
9 Seat heating, front right seat10 Manual increase of fan speed
11 Hazard warning lights
12 Manual decrease of fan speed
13 Seat heating, front left seat
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110 Instruments and controlsThe system uses four sensors:
 Outside air temperature sensor
 Cabin air temperature sensor
 Sun sensor
 Blended air temperature sensors (located
in the heater unit and the outer panel vent
duct).
The sun sensor is located centrally on the
top of the fascia.
Note:
If the sun sensor is covered, the ACC
system will not be able to regulate the cabin
climate as intended, especially in strong
sunshine.Condensation waterWhen the A/C compressor is on, the incom-
ing air is dehumidified. The resulting con-
densation water is drained away through an
outlet under the car.
It is therefore perfectly normal for water to
be seen dripping from this outlet when the
car is parked. The warmer the ambient air
and the higher the humidity, the more con-
densation will form.
Sun- and cabin sensor, Sport Sedan1 Sun sensor
2 Cabin temperature sensor
Sun- and cabin sensor, Convertible1 Sun sensor
2 Cabin temperature sensor
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117 Instruments and controls
ACC- ConvertibleWhen the soft top is folded, the ACC system
switches to manual temperature control.
There are eleven temperature settings: 0–
10.
The system adjusts itself as follows:
 AUTO goes out.
 Heating, air distribution and fan speed are
not affected.
 Recirculation and rear window heating
are cut out.
 The A/C compressor is switched off (man-
ual activation is possible by pressing the
AC button).
All manual selections are possible with the
exception of rear window heating.
When the soft top is raised, the system
reverts to the AUTO mode and the previous
set temperature.
Note: When the soft top or all the windows
are open in a hot, humid climate, turning the
air conditioning on manually can cause con-
densation to form on cold surfaces, such as
the air ducts.
ProfilerSome of the functions of the ACC system
can be customized.
1 Press the CUSTOMIZE button to go to
Profiler.
2 Select Climate System using the
INFO dial.
3 Press in the INFO dial.
4 Select Rear Defroster, Heated Seats,
Fan Settings, Air Distribution, A/C
Mode, Dual/Single Zone or Default
Settings by turning the dial.
5 Confirm this selection by pressing the
INFO dial.
Once you have adjusted the ACC system
settings under Profiler, CUSTOMIZE will
appear on the ACC display.
ACC display when soft top folded
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118 Instruments and controls
Explanation of how the ACC system can be
customized under Profiler.
Climate System
Rear Defroster
AutoManual
Heated Seats
AutoManual
Fan Settings
High speedMedium speedLow speed
Air Distribution
AutoManual
WindshieldPanelFloor
A/C Mode
AutoA/C off
Dual/Single Zone
Dual zoneSingle zone
Default Settings
Are you sure?Ye s N o
Rear Defroster
Auto:The rear window and door mirror
heating is controlled automatically.
This is one of the Default Settings.
Manual:
The rear window and door mirror
heating is switched on with
the button on ACC panel.
Convertible: The rear window heating
cannot be turned on when the soft top is
folded.
Heated Seats
Auto:
The front seat heating is controlled
automatically.
Select the level by repeatedly
pressing the appropriate button on
the ACC panel: 2 arrows on symbol
= standard; 3 arrows = high; 1 arrow
= low. The selected heating setting
is saved when the engine is
switched off. Note: The symbol on
the ACC panel goes out if the heat-
ing is turned off automatically by the
system.
Manual:
See Electric heating, front seats
(option) on page 116
.
This is one of the Default Settings.
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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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229 Car care
Fuse panel in end of fasciaNo. Amp. Function
1 15 Steering wheel lock
2 5 Steering column unit; ignition switch
3 10 Hands-free; CD-player/CD-changer in cabin; SID
4 10 Main instrument unit; manual climate control;
automatic climate control (ACC)
5 7.5 Control module in front doors; Park Brake Shift Lock
(automatic transmission)
6 7.5 Brake light switch
7 20 Dash fuse panel; fuel filler door
8 30 Control module in passenger front door
9 10 Dash fuse panel
10 30 Trailer socket; electrical socket in storage compart-
ment between seats
11 10 Data link connection (diagnostics)
12 15 Interior lighting incl. glove box
13 10 Accessories
14 20 Radio, sound system I; control panel,
Infotainment System
15 30 Control module in driver’s door
16 - -
17 - -
18 7.5 Manual climate control; fan
19 - -
20 7.5 Headlight levelling switch
21 7.5 Hands-free; brake light switch; manual climate
control; clutch pedal switch
22 30 Cigarette lighter
23 40 Cabin fan
24 7.5 Airbag control module
25 - -
26 5 Yaw sensor (cars with ESP)
27 - -
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238 Car careUniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where applica-
ble on the tire sidewall between tread shoul-
der and maximum section width. For exam-
ple:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature
A
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-
tion, which grades tires by treadwear, trac-
tion and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United
States.) The grades are molded on the side-
walls of most passenger car tires. The Uni-
form Tire Quality Grading system does not
apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12
inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-pro-
duction tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary
with respect to these grades, they must also
conform to federal safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire Perfor-
mance Criteria (TPC) standards.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and a half (1.5) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100. The rela-
tive performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service prac-
tices and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled condi-
tions on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance. Warn-
ing: The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.Temperature – A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dis-
sipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temper-
ature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive loading,
either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
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257 Car care
Air conditioning (A/C)
TroubleshootingIf a fault occurs in the A/C system, there are
a number of checks you can perform your-
self. If the fault persists, however, have the
system checked at a Saab dealer.
Note:
When the A/C system is running, the intake
air is dehumidified. The resultant condensa-
tion that forms on the evaporator is drained
off under the car. When the car is parked,
this may result in a small puddle forming on
the ground. The warmer the air and the
higher the relative humidity, the more con-
densation will be produced.Inadequate coolinga Check that the controls for temperature
and air distribution are correctly set; see
“Manual climate-control system” on
page 103.
b Check that the condenser (in front of the
radiator) has not become clogged with
dirt and insects.
c Make sure that the compressor drive
belt does not slip (see page 210).
d Check the fuses for the ventilation fans
and compressor (see page 229).
Maintenance The compressor drive belt should be
inspected under the regular service
program.
 Clean away dirt and insects from the
condenser and radiator to prevent clog-
ging. When washing the car, use the hose
to spray the radiator and condenser
(located in front of the radiator) from both
sides (both from the front of the car and
from inside the engine bay). Do not use a
pressure washer.
Caution: Do not hose down the radia-
tor and condenser while the engine is
hot.
Other than in extremely cold weather, do not
screen the radiator, e.g. with netting, as this
will greatly diminish its cooling capacity.
 Applicable to the manual climate control
system - During cold months the air condi-
tioning should be switched on once or
twice a month and run for 5–10 minutes
during highway driving once the engine is
warm.
This action saves the gaskets in the
compressor from being spoiled. The
compressor uses a lubricant that circu-
lates with the coolant.
WARNING
 All repairs and adjustments to the A/C
system must be carried out at a Saab
dealer authorized for this kind of work.
 The A/C system is pressurized. Do not
break any connections or undo A/C
system components.
 Escaping gas can cause eye injury or
other personal injury.NOTICE The A/C system is designed for use
with R134a refrigerant.
 Refrigerant handling requires special
equipment and special procedures for
charging and draining the system.
 Never mix R 134a with other refriger-
ants.
NOTICEDo not use a pressure washer when
cleaning the condenser or radiator due to
the risk of damage.
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