2005 SAAB 9-5 warning

143 Starting and driving
Towing Towing of cars with manual transmission,
see page 171.
Automatic transmission
The electronic control module for the auto-
matic transmission receives information on
engine torque and road speed, and also
controls the hydraulic pressure in the trans-
mission to ensure that gear changing is as
smooth as possible.
The position of the selector lever is shown
by the symbols adjacent to the lever and
also by an indicator on the main instrument
panel. If manual mode (M) is selected, the
current gear is also displayed on the main
instrument panel.
The ignition key can only be removed when
the selector lever is in the P position.
NOTICEWhen the reverse gear is to be engaged
the car must be at a standstill with the
accelerator fully released. Lift the reverse
lock-out collar and push the gear lever
firmly to the right in neutral before easing
it into reverse.
WARNING
 Make it a habit to keep your foot on the
brake when selecting a drive position,
to prevent the car from creeping for-
ward (or backward if reverse is selec-
ted).
 The car must be at a standstill before
P, R or N is selected. You have to have
your foot on the brake pedal to move
the lever out of P. If the car is still
moving when a drive position is subse-
quently selected, this could cause a
crash or damage the automatic trans-
mission.
 Never park the car with the selector
lever in a drive position, even if the
parking brake is on.
 If you want to leave the car with the
engine running, move the selector
lever to P or N and apply the parking
brake.
Selector lever
IB471
13
25
R
4
ProCarManuals.com

147 Starting and driving
Driving on hilly roads with a
heavy loadThe transmission fluid can overheat when
the gearbox is strained, for example, when
driving with a trailer on hilly roads. To avoid
the transmission fluid overheating, always
drive in Normal mode. The adaptive gear
change patterns are then active.
High air temperatures or a faulty oil cooler
can also cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Overheating reduces the service
life of the fluid. Contact an authorized Saab
dealer (see also page 161).
Towing Towing of cars with automatic transmission,
see page 171.
Descending hillsIf the speed of the car increases while
descending a steep hill, despite the acceler-
ator being released, the control module will
change down a gear when you brake. If you
desire more powerful engine braking, man-
ually select a lower gear.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position D or L) to spare the brakes
when you are driving on a long or steep
downhill slope.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
ProCarManuals.com

151 Starting and driving
Cruise controlFor safety reasons (brake system func-
tion) the brakes must be applied once,
when the engine has started, before the
cruise control system can be activated
.
The system is operated by means of the
controls on the stalk switch:
 ON/OFF (switch on/off).
 RESUME/– (Resume preset speed).
 SET/+ (to set the desired speed).
 CANCEL (Cancel operation of system,
e.g. to reduce speed temporarily).
When the system is ON, the CRUISE indi-
cator light will appear on the main instru-
ment panel and will be extinguished when
the system is switched OFF. If CANCEL is
selected, CRUISE will flash once.
To set the desired speed Move the switch to ON. Accelerate to the
desired speed (minimum speed: 25 mph
(40 km/h))and press SET/+. To increase the preset speed Accelerate to the desired speed and press
SET/+.
You can also increase the speed of the car
using the SET/+ button. Press it once to
increase the speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h) or
hold it in and release when the desired
speed is reached. Temporary increase in speed Press the accelerator to override the preset
speed, e.g. for overtaking. When you release the accelerator, the
system will revert to the preset speed.
To cancel temporarily Move the control stalk to CANCEL (spring-
loaded position before OFF position). This
will disengage the system but the preset
speed will be retained in the system mem-
ory. (The memory is deleted when the
engine is switched off.) To re-engage the system To revert to the preset speed, slide the
switch to RESUME/–. This will only operate
when the car’s speed is above 25 mph
(40 km/h).
WARNING
 Do not use the Cruise control system
on wet or icy roads, in dense traffic or
on winding roads.
 Set the control to OFF when you do
not want to use the system, to prevent
the system being activated inadver-
tently.
IB1593
Cruise-control switches
ProCarManuals.com

153 Starting and driving

ABS brakes
ABS (antilock braking system) modulates
the brake pressure to the respective
wheels. Wheel sensors detect if a wheel is
about to lock, and the control module redu-
ces the pressure to that wheel and then
increases it once more until the tendency is
detected again.
The brake system is equipped with an Elec-
tronic Brake-force Distribution device
(EBD), which distributes the brake pressure
between the front and rear wheels, in such
a way as to achieve optimum braking perfor-
mance irrespective of the car’s speed and
load.
WARNING
 It is prudent to try your brakes from
time to time, especially when driving in
heavy rain, through water collected on
the road, in snow, on a wet road sur-
face or in salty slush. In such condi-
tions, the brakes may take longer than
normal to take effect. To rectify this,
touch the brake pedal periodically to
dry the brakes out.
 The same applies after the car has
been washed or when the weather is
very humid.
 Avoid parking the car with wet brakes.
Before parking, and if the traffic condi-
tions allow, brake quite heavily so that
the brake discs and pads warm up and
dry.
 The brakes are power assisted and it
should be kept in mind that the servo
unit only provides the power assis-
tance when the engine is running.
 The brake pressure required when the
engine is off,(e.g. when the car is
being towed) is roughly four times the
normal pedal force required. The
pedal also feels hard and unre-
sponsive.
WARNING
 The additional safety afforded by the
ABS system is not designed to allow
drivers to drive faster but to make
normal driving safer.
 To stop as quickly as possible, without
loss of directional stability, whether
the road surface is dry, wet or slippery, press the brake pedal down hard-
without letting up (do not pump the
pedal),
declutching simultan-
eously, and steer the car to safety.
ProCarManuals.com

154 Starting and drivingThe ABS system has a built-in diagnostic
function which will switch on the Anti-lock
brake warning light if a fault is detected in
the system (see page 54).
The ABS system will not reduce the braking
distance on loose gravel or on snow or ice
but, because the wheels cannot lock up,
some steering control is retained.
When the ABS system is working, i.e. mod-
ulation of the brake pressure is in progress,
the brake pedal will pulsate and a ticking
noise will be heard. All this is perfectly nor-
mal.
Press the pedal
down hard
(you cannot
press too hard) and steer the car to safety.
Do not release the brake pedal before the
car has come to a halt or the danger has
passed! If the road is slippery, the ABS system will
operate even when only light pressure is
applied to the pedal. This means that you
can brake gently to test the condition of the
road and adapt your driving accordingly.
It is well worth practicing the use of ABS
brakes on a skid pad or other suitable
facility.
IB476
Braking with ABS brakes.
When the system is operating, the brake
pedal will pulsate gently and the system
will make a ticking noise.
IB477
Braking with ABS – evasive steering
ProCarManuals.com

155 Starting and driving
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP)The Electronic Stability Program employs
both the antilock braking system (ABS) and
the traction control system (TCS). It is a
system that helps the driver to stabilize the
car in unusual circumstances that can oth-
erwise be difficult to handle.
How the ESP system worksThe Electronic Stability Program can help to
prevent the car from skidding by braking
one or several wheels independently of the
driver. The engine output is then also
reduced to prevent the driving wheels from
spinning. The car has sensors that measure
wheel speed, yaw acceleration, lateral
acceleration, steering wheel position and
braking pressure. The values provided by
these sensors are used to calculate the
actual direction of the car. If this direction
does not agree with that intended by the
driver, calculated from the steering wheel
position, the ESP is engaged.
ESP improves the driver’s chances of
retaining control over the car in critical situ-
ations.
To ensure that the system works as
designed, the dimensions of all four tires
must be the same.
WARNING
When driving normally, ESP will help to
improve the stability of the car. This does
not mean that car can be driven faster.
The same care and prudence as normally
applied should be displayed on cornering
and when driving on slippery roads.
IB1841
Increased stability with ESP.
The system applies the brakes to the
wheels as shown to help prevent the car
from skidding
ProCarManuals.com

158 Starting and drivingDriving technique To obtain the best running economy, not
only regarding fuel consumption but
general wear also, regular service is
required.
 High speed, unnecessary acceleration,
heavy braking and much low gear work all
gives rise to higher fuel consumption.
 Frequent gear changing in traffic, starting
in cold weather, the use of studded tires
and roof racks, and towing a trailer all
increase fuel consumption.
 Do not run the engine when the car is sta-
tionary.
If idling, it will take much longer before the
engine becomes hot. Engine wear is gre-
atest during this warming-up phase. The-
refore drive away as soon as possible
after the engine is started and avoid high
revving. Driving in a low gear results in higher fuel
consumption than in a high gear because
of the higher engine speed for a given
road speed. Always change up to a higher
gear as soon as traffic conditions allow
and use the highest gear as much as pos-
sible.
 Check the air pressure in the tires once a
month. Incorrect pressures increase tire
wear. It is better to have slightly higher
pressure than lower.
 Check fuel consumption regularly.
Increased consumption can indicate that
something is wrong and that the car
needs to be checked by an authorized
Saab dealer.
Practical trials on the roads have demon-
strated that substantial savings in fuel con-
sumption can be made if the above advice
is heeded.
Road conditionsWet roads increase fuel consumption, as do
unpaved roads and driving in hilly country
(the amount of fuel saved driving downhill is
less than the additional amount required to
climb the hill).
WARNING
Never switch the engine off while driving
as the effect of the brakes and power ste-
ering will be greatly reduced.
ProCarManuals.com

160 Starting and drivingIf winter tires are fitted, the same type must
be fitted on all wheels. Your Saab dealer will
be pleased to advise you on the best tires for
your car.
Remember that tires age. It may therefore
be necessary to change them before they
reach the legal wear limit, as they gradually
lose their friction properties.
The best response if the car gets into a front-
wheel skid is to freewheel (manual gearbox
only), i.e. disengage the clutch (so that the
wheels are neither driven or retarded by the
engine.
If the car has automatic transmission, ease
up on the accelerator and steer carefully in
the desired direction.
In a rear-wheel skid, steer in the same direc-
tion that the rear of the car is moving.
Tire chainsIf you want to fit tire chains (where legally
permitted) they should only be fitted to the
tires recommended under ”Specifications”
(see page 260).
Consult your Saab dealer for details of
approved tire chains.
Driving in hot weather Always check the coolant level before
starting a journey. The level should be just
below the MAX mark.
 At the end of a journey, if the engine has
worked hard, allow it to idle for two or
three minutes before switching it off.
If the needle on the temperature gauge
enters the red zone:
1 Bring the car to a standstill but leave the
engine running. Do
not
remove the cap
on the expansion tank even if the tank is
empty. If the needle on the temperature
gauge continues to rise while the engine
is idling, switch off the engine.
WARNING
 Do not exceed 30 mph (50 km/h)
when tire chains are fitted.
 Tire chains can reduce the directional
stability of the car.
 Tire chains must not be used on the
rear wheels. NOTICE Check the links frequently for wear.
 Check that the chains do not contact
the wheel-arch liner at full lock.
 See section ”Specifications”,
page 260, for information on allowable
wheel dimensions for the fitting of tire
chains.
ProCarManuals.com