2005 SAAB 9-5 brake light

68 Instruments and controlsCourtesy Headlight FeatureA delay function allows the headlights to
remain on low beam for about 30 seconds
after the driver’s door has been closed.
To activate this function,
 Switch off the ignition and remove the key
 Open the driver’s door
 Pull the high/low beam control stalk
towards the steering wheel like you are
flashing the high beam, see page 67. The
low beam headlights will now come on
immediately after the driver’s door has
been closed (within 30 seconds) and will
remain on for about 30 seconds.
The length of time for this function can be
adjusted by your authorized Saab dealer.
Rear fog lightPress the button to switch on the rear fog
light, which will only come on if the head-
lights are on.
The rear fog light will go off automatically
when the engine is switched off. When the
fog light is next needed, it will have to be
switched on manually again.
The rear fog light consists of one light so it
is not be mistaken for brake lights.
Make sure you are familiar with the app-
licable provincial/state law regarding the
use of rear fog lights.

WARNING
In poor visibility, avoid following the tail
lights of the vehicle in front of you. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you may be
unable to avoid a crash and therefore risk
injury to yourself and others.
IB351
Rear fog light
ProCarManuals.com

122 Interior equipment and trunk
WARNING
 Place heavy items closest to the backrest and stow smaller
and lighter items on top.
Never
overload the cargo net (accessory). If the elastic
breaks this may cause personal injury. Do not use a cargo net
that shows signs of wear.
 Secure heavy and bulky items using the tie down points
provided in the trunk. This will avert the danger of luggage
flying around if the car should brake suddenly or be involved
in a crash (see page 123).
 Secure small items if the backrest is folded down or the
load-through hatch is open. Small items can also be thrown
around inside the car and cause personal injury.
 Do not exceed the load capacity of the car, as this will alter its
handling characteristics (see page 252).
 Make sure that the seat cushions and backrests are properly
secured when folding them back to their normal position.
Check that the button (item 3 on page 121) is flush with the
surround before entering the back seat.
The tail pipe of the exhaust system can become very hot during
driving. Bear this in mind when loading and unloading the car so
that children, for example, do not burn themselves.
IB462
ProCarManuals.com

134 Starting and drivingIt is possible for air to enter the lubricating
system in conjunction with an oil or oil-filter
change, or if the car has been stored for
some time. This air can cause the hydraulic
cam followers to emit a ticking noise, which
can persist for up to 15 minutes after start-
ing. Although this is quite normal and does
not indicate any malfunction, it is advisable
not to exceed 3,000 rpm before the noise
has disappeared.
The hydraulic cam lifters are completely
service free; the valve clearance is set up at
the factory and will not need any subse-
quent adjustment.
Starting the engineAvoid racing the engine or putting a heavy
load on it before it has warmed up. Drive
away as soon as the oil warning light has
been extinguished to enable the engine to
attain its normal temperature as quickly as
possible.
The engine has an automatic choke and
should be started as follows:Cars with manual transmission
To start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.1 Depress the clutch pedal fully but do not
touch the accelerator.
2 Start the engine. Let the ignition key
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly – at very
low temperatures, you may need to run
the starter for up to 25 seconds. Wait
20–30 seconds before running the star-
ter again, to give the battery time to reco-
ver.
Note:
On cars with manual transmission, if the
starter fails to engage when the ignition key
is turned to the start position, make sure the
clutch pedal is full depressed. Misposi-
tioned floor mats or other obstructions
under the clutch pedal may affect starting.
Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do
not open the throttle wide for at least 2–
3 minutes after starting.
Cars with automatic transmission 1 The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
2 Keep your foot on the brake pedal.
3 Start the engine. Let the ignition key
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly – at very
low temperatures, you may need to run
the starter for up to 25 seconds. Wait
20–30 seconds before running the star-
ter again, to give the battery time to reco-
ver.
Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do
not open the throttle wide for at least
2–3 minutes after starting.  The tail pipe of the exhaust system
can become very hot during driving.
Bear this in mind when loading and
unloading the car.
 Do not rest or sleep in the car when
parked with the engine running. There
is a risk of depressing the accelerator
which could lead to engine damage.
ProCarManuals.com

148 Starting and drivingSentronic, manual modeMove the selector lever to the M position.
Select a higher gear by flicking the right-
hand paddle towards you. Select a
lower gear by flicking the left-hand paddle
towards you.
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.
Changes from 3rd to 4th and from 4th to 5th
can be made when the engine speed is
above roughly 2,000 rpm.
If you select a gear that is judged too high by
the system, the selected gear position will
be shown briefly on the main instrument
panel and then the gear that is actually
engaged.If the road surface is slippery, you may wish
to pull off in 2nd or 3rd to reduce the risk of
wheel spin.
When descending hills you should select a
low gear to increase the braking effect of the
engine and thus spare the brakes.
Manual gear selections are shown on the
main instrument panel. The selector posi-
tion and the current gear are displayed.When the selector lever is in the M position,
as opposed to the D position, engines are
much more responsive to changes in acce-
lerator position. The accelerator has a diffe-
rent feel.
When in manual mode, kick-down operates
for 4th and 5th gears (below 2,000 rpm).
Kick-down cannot be activated in 1st, 2nd or
3rd gears.
For optimum performance, gear changes
should be made before reaching 6,000 rpm.
To avoid damaging the engine and trans-
mission, the transmission will shift up a gear
if the engine is in danger of overrevving. You
may feel a slight jolt before this gear change
is effected.
Paddles on the steering wheel for
changing gear manually
ProCarManuals.com

149 Starting and driving
Selector positions
P
To shift out of the P position you must
depress the brake pedal and the ignition
must be ON. The parking position (P) must only be selected
when the car is at a complete standstill. The
selector lever is locked and the transmission is
mechanically immobilized. Always apply the
parking brake after parking the car.
The engine can be started. The key can be
removed.R The reverse (R) position must only be selected
when the car is at a complete standstill. The
detent-release button must be pressed before
the selector lever can be moved to R. Wait until
reverse gear has engaged (car starts to creep)
before touching the accelerator. N In the Neutral position (N), the transmission is
disengaged from the engine. The engine can be
started, but first ensure that the parking brake is
on, to prevent the car from moving off unexpec-
tedly.
To prevent the engine and transmission from
becoming hotter than necessary, select N for
stops other than brief ones, e.g. if stuck in a traf-
fic jam.
The normal drive position (D) is recommended
for waiting at traffic lights.
D The Drive position (D) is the position for normal
motoring. Gear changes between 1st and 5th
will take place automatically, the timing of which
is determined by the throttle (accelerator) posi-
tion and the speed of the car.
After moving the selector lever to D, pause to
give the gear time to engage (car starts to pull). MMove the selector lever from position D to M to
allow you to change gear manually. Refer to
page 148.LSelect position L if you wish to drive in 1st gear.
No upchanges will be made if you pull off in posi-
tion L. If you move the selector lever from posi-
tion D or M to L at a high vehicle speed, the
transmission will automatically shift down
through 4th, 3rd and 2nd gears to 1st gear,
depending on the car’s speed. Use this position
for descending steep hills if the car is heavily loa-
ded to spare the 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

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

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