2005 SAAB 9-3 ECO mode

2IntroductionThis manual provides practical guidance on
driving and caring for your Saab.
The Saab 9-3 will be available with the fol-
lowing engine variants:
 2.0t 175 hp
 2.0 Turbo 210 hp
Although this manual describes the most
important differences between model vari-
ants, it does not specify the equipment or
features included on individual models.
Importation and distribution of Saab auto-
mobiles, spare parts and accessories are
handled exclusively by Saab Cars USA, Inc.
in the United States and by General Motors
of Canada Limited in Canada.We recommend that you read through the
manual before taking the car out for the first
time and keep it in the car for future refer-
ence.
To find a specific item, use the overviews
given on page 3–6. A list of content is given
at the beginning of each section of the man-
ual, and there is also a comprehensive
index at the back of the book.
Supplied with the car is a Warranty and Ser-
vice Record booklet which contains impor-
tant warranty information and specifies the
regular maintenance to be carried out. Also
included is a Quick Reference Guide, an
Infotainment System manual, tire warran-
ties and (U.S. customers), a dealer directory
with Roadside Assistance Program infor-
mation.Since the policy at Saab is one of continual
improvement, we retain the right to incorpo-
rate modifications and to alter specifications
during production without prior notice.
If you have any questions concerning your
car, its equipment, the warranty conditions,
etc., your Saab dealer will be pleased to
help, or you may call the Saab Customer
Assistance Center in the U.S. at 1-800-955-
9007 or email them at saab-
[email protected]. In Canada, please
contact the Saab Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800-263-1999.
Enjoy the road ahead!
Saab Automobile AB
Saab Automobile AB does not accept liability for
any damage caused by the fitting of spare parts,
exchange parts or accessories that are not
approved by Saab Automobile AB.
WARNING
Failure to heed warnings may cause
personal injury.NOTICENOTICE texts warns of potential damage
to the car if the recommendations are not
followed.
ProCarManuals.com

39 Safety
Frequently asked questions on
function of the airbagDo you still need to wear a safety belt if air-
bags are fitted?Yes, always! The airbag system compo-
nents merely supplement the car’s normal
safety system. Moreover, the front airbags
will only be actuated in a moderate to severe
frontal, or near-frontal crash, which means,
of course, that they provide no protection in
minor frontal crashes, major rear- or side-
crashes or if the car rolls over.
The safety belts help to reduce the sideway
movement of the body in a crash.
But they also ensure that, if a crash occurs
in which the airbags are inflated, the airbag
will make the optimum contact with the
occupant, i.e. square on from the front. If the
occupant meets the airbag in an offset posi-
tion, the protection afforded will be reduced.In addition, airbags provide no protection
against a secondary impact occurring in the
same incident. So there is no doubt about
the benefit of wearing safety belts at all
times.
Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs
room to inflate.
The airbag inflates very quickly and power-
fully in order to protect an adult, before they
are thrown forward, in a serious frontal
crash.
How do I position the seat to leave room for
the airbag to inflate?Don’t have your seat too far forward.
Recline the seat back to increase the dis-
tance between you and the airbag. For short
drivers, special accessory pedal extensions
are available through your Saab dealer.
Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with
great force – to be fast enough to protect an
adult in the seat.
When do the airbags in the steering wheel
and passenger side of the dash board
inflate? The airbag will only be inflated under certain
predetermined conditions in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal crash,
depending on such factors as the force and
angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
the impacting object.
The airbag can only be activated once in the
same incident.
Do not attempt to drive the car after an
airbag has been inflated, even if it is possi-
ble.What won’t trigger the airbag? The airbag will not be activated in all frontal
crashes. For instance, if the car has hit
something relatively soft and yielding (e.g. a
snow drift or a hedge) or a solid object at a
low impact speed, the airbag will not neces-
sarily be triggered.
ProCarManuals.com

75 9-3 Convertible
Spoiler on trunklid
Wind deflectorA wind deflector is available as an acces-
sory. Follow the fitting instructions supplied
with the wind deflector carefully.CargoWing(accessory)
WARNING
Some models have a spoiler on the trunk-
lid. Avoid getting fingers and hands
trapped between the spoiler and rear
fender when closing the trunklid.NOTICEIf play arises in any part of the
CargoWing, contact a Saab workshop
immediately to have this corrected. If
such play is not eliminated, the
CargoWing may come loose while driv-
ing.
Position of first golf bag Position of second golf bag
ProCarManuals.com

88 Instruments and controlsThe number of systems that are displayed
on the SID depends on the car’s equipment
level. The list shown below includes the
systems that can be found in your car.
Trip computer function of the SIDSID contains the following functions:
Park Assistance, page 178.
SPA onSPA off
Clock / Alarm, page 92.
Set ClockSet Alarm 08:30
Rain Sensor, page 101.
HighMediumLow
Climate System, page 117.
Rear DefrosterHeated SeatsFan SettingsAir DistributionA/C ModeDual/Single ZoneDefault Settings
System Settings, page 94.
LanguageUnitSpeed Scale Illum.Service Info
WARNING
It is strongly recommended that the SID
settings be changed only when the car is
stationary. The driver’s attention can
otherwise easily be distracted from the
road.
Te m pOutdoor temperature
D.T.E. Estimated range (distance to
empty fuel tank)
Fuel ØAverage fuel consumption
since function last reset
DateDate
DistDistance to destinations.
Function can also be used as
a trip meter
ArrivEstimated time of arrival
Speed Ø Average speed since func-
tion last reset
Speed WSpeed warning (chime)
ProCarManuals.com

89 Instruments and controls
When the engine is started, the function that
was selected when the engine was
switched off is displayed, with the following
exceptions:
Te m p is displayed if the outside tempera-
ture is between 26 and 38°F (–3 and
+3°C).
D.T.E is displayed if less than or equal to
30 miles (50 km).
Outdoor temperature
The Temp function is always activated
(even in NIGHTPANEL mode) if the outdoor
temperature rises or falls to between 26 and
38°F (–3 and +3°C).
If the temperature sensor, located under the
front bumper, is covered by snow or ice,
temperature readings will be unreliable.
For how to set the year, month and day,
refer to Clock on page 92.Setting values
1 Select one of the functions using the
INFO dial.
Speed W (preset to 55 mph (90 km/h)
Dist (preset to 100 miles (100 km) if not
previously set)
Speed Ø
Arriv
2 Press and hold the INFO dial until given
audible confirmation.
3 Turn the INFO dial to change the value.
(Press CLEAR to reset the value.)
4 Press the INFO dial to finish setup.
Using DIST as a trip meter
1 Select Dist using the INFO dial.
2 Press and hold the CLEAR button for
approx. 1 second.
An arrow will now appear on the right-hand
side of the display, indicating that the trip
meter is running.Resetting a single function
1 Select the function you wish to reset with
the INFO dial.
Fuel Ø
Speed Ø
Tr i p (Dist used as trip meter)
2 Press and hold the CLEAR button for
approx. 1 second.
The selected function will now be reset.
Resetting the trip computer
1 Select one of the functions using the
INFO dial.
Fuel Ø
Speed Ø
D.T.E.
Arriv
Tr i p (Dist used as trip meter)
2 Press and hold the CLEAR button
(approx. 3 seconds) until audible confir-
mation is given.
WARNING
Remember that roads can be icy even at
temperatures of above 38°F (+3°C),
especially on bridges and stretches of
road that are sheltered from the sun.
ProCarManuals.com

91 Instruments and controls
Calculating the requisite average speed
(What average speed do I need to maintain
to get to my destination in time?)
This function should be used before starting
out a journey.
To calculate the requisite average speed,
the distance must first be given.
First, set the distance under Dist.
1 Then use the INFO dial to select the
Arriv function.
2 Press and hold the INFO dial until given
audible confirmation.
3 Turn the INFO dial to set the estimated
time of arrival.
4 Press the INFO dial to finish setup.
The average speed (Speed Ø) will be
shown for 10 seconds.
This average speed will be updated during
the journey.Setting the date
1 Select the Date function using the
INFO dial.
2 Press and hold the INFO dial until given
audible confirmation.
3 Turn the INFO dial to set the year.
4 Press the INFO dial.
5 Turn the INFO dial to set the month.
6 Press the INFO dial.
7 Turn the INFO dial to set the day.
8 Confirm the setting by pressing the
INFO dial.
NIGHTPANELTo improve night-driving conditions inside
the car, the Night Panel mode can be
selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
mation displayed is reduced, and only the
most important instruments and displays
will be illuminated.
When the NIGHTPANEL button is pressed,
only the speedometer will be illuminated.
All other instrument lighting will be switched
off and the needles drop to zero.
Note: All indicator and warning lights and
messages will operate normally if required.
Temp (when the outside temperature falls
or rises to between 26 and 38°F (–3 and
+3°C)) and D.T.E. (when the remaining fuel
is only sufficient for approx. 80 miles
(50 km) of driving) are even shown in Night
Panel model.
ProCarManuals.com

92 Instruments and controlsUnder Profiler you can choose whether the
entire speedometer scale (0–160 mph) or
only part of the scale (0–90 mph) should be
illuminated in
NIGHTPANEL
mode.
1 Press the CUSTOMIZE button to go to
Profiler.
2 Select System Settings using the INFO
dial.
3 Press in the INFO dial.
4 Select Speed Scale Illum.
Select 0–160 mph or 0–90 mph.
ClockSettings can be made from Profiler.
1 Press the CUSTOMIZE button to go to
Profiler.
2 Select Clock / Alarm using the INFO dial.
3 Press in the INFO dial.
4 Select Set Clock.
5 Select Manual.
Select Manual to set the time, year, month
and day.
Manual setting:
1 Turn the INFO dial to change the value.
2 Press the INFO dial once after each
setting (time, year, month and day) to
confirm the value.
Once you have selected the day, press the
INFO dial to finish setting and update the
clock.
Press the CLEAR button once to go back a
step when setting the time, year, month and
day manually.
Press the CUSTOMIZE button to cancel
setting.
RDS setting: The time, year, month and
day can also be set from the RDS signal
(from RDS Adjust) provided that the RDS
signal from the current station contains this
information. This may vary between differ-
ent radio stations and different countries.When the remote control is not in the ignition
switch, you can illuminate the clock for
5 seconds by pressing the INFO dial.
System Settings
Speed Scale Illum.
0–160 mph0–90 mph
Clock / Alarm
Set Clock
RDS AdjustManual
Clock
11:30Year
2003Month
DecDay
1 Mon
ProCarManuals.com

106 Instruments and controlsAir ventsThe air vents swivel universally, so that air
can be directed as desired. In winter, for
instance, the outer vents can be directed
onto the door windows for enhanced
demisting.
The amount of air can be individually con-
trolled by the regulator on each vent. If you
wish to reduce the airflow, start by half-
shutting the vent in question.The air conditioning is combined with the
conventional climate control system and
is switched on by pressing the but-
ton, provided that the fan control is in
position 1-5.
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.
If the engine coolant gets too hot, the A/C
compressor will be turned off.
Convertible: When the soft top or all the
windows are open in a hot, humid climate, it
is recommended to switch off the air condi-
tioning to save fuel. Also, if the air condition-
ing is on, condensation may form on cold
surfaces such as the floor air ducts.
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.
When the button is pressed, the reg-
ular air intake will be closed. In this mode,
the air inside the cabin is recirculated.
Use recirculation when you wish for rapid
cooling at very high outside temperatures.
Switch the air conditioning (A/C) on first.
If necessary, recirculation can be switched
on manually to avoid unpleasant air from
entering the car.
Only use recirculation for a short period
of time at temperatures lower than 50°F
(+10°C), such as to avoid unpleasant air.
Mist or ice may otherwise form on the
windows.
Air conditioning (A/C)
Recirculation
Panel vent
ProCarManuals.com