220 Car care and technical informationThe wheels and tires have been carefully
matched to the characteristics of the car and
play a key role in its outstanding roadhol-
ding and handling.
Do not take it for granted that a wheel/tire
combination will work in the best possible
way, just because it can be fitted to the car.
To ensure that the speedometer is as accu-
rate as possible it should be reprogrammed
if wheels of a different dimension are fitted.
Contact a Saab dealer.
Because of front wheel drive, the front tires
tend to wear faster than the rear ones. New
tires should always be fitted in pairs, so that
tires on the same axle have the same
amount of tread.
Store wheels lying flat or hanging –
never
standing upright.
NOTICEAlways
consult your Saab dealer before
changing the wheels and tires on your
Saab.
Wide wheels and tires with sidewalls that
are too low can:
be damaged in potholes etc.
cause springs, shock absorbers and
wheel bearings and body mountings
can be overloaded.
cause the wheels to come into contact
with chassis and body components.
can affect the function of the Elec-
tronic Stability Program (ESP).
The speed and load limits for the tires
must not be exceeded; see page 225.
Wheels larger than 17” must not be fitted.
The maximum permissible offset is
49 mm.
WARNING
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes or types (radial and bias-
belted tires), the vehicle may not handle
properly, and you could have a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also
cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to
use the same size and type tires on all
wheels. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, it was devel-
oped for use on your vehicle. See
“Compact spare tire” on page 230.
WARNING
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim flanges could develop
cracks after many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the
wheels on your vehicle.
ProCarManuals.com
221 Car care and technical information
Uniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where applica-
ble on the tire sidewall between tread shoul-
der and maximum section width. For
example:Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature AThe 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.
TreadwearThe 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, CThe 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. War-
ning: 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, CThe 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 tempera-
ture 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 infla-
ted and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire failure.
ProCarManuals.com
230 Car care and technical informationCompact spare tireThe compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the tire. Its use is
only permitted when a standard tire has sus-
tained a puncture. The maximum life of the
tire is only 2000 miles (3,500 km).Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) with the
compact spare fitted.The compact spare should be inflated to
60 psi (420 kPa). Carry the punctured tire in
the spare-wheel well under the luggage-
compartment floor.
Have the standard tire repaired and refitted
as soon as possible (see also page 170).The spare tire, together with the jack, front
towrope attachment eye and toolkit, is
stowed away underneath the luggage-
compartment floor.
NOTICETo avoid damaging a punctured alloy
wheel it can be placed outside up in the
spare-wheel well but
only
while driving to
the closest dealer.
A general rule is that all heavy loads must
be well secured in the luggage compart-
ment, see page 123 and 126.
IB3234
Hanging up the cover, 9-5 SportWagon
IB3233
Spare wheel (under panel in luggage
compartment)
ProCarManuals.com
231 Car care and technical information
Changing a wheel
WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
flat tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed if
the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the jack
provided with your vehicle only for chang-
ing a flat tire.
Changing a tire can be dangerous. The
vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over
or fall on you or other people. You and
they could be badly injured or even killed.
Find a level place to change your tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1 Set the parking brake firmly.
2 If you have an automatic transmis-
sion, put the shift lever in PARK (P).
For a manual transmission, leave the
car in gear (1st or REVERSE (R)).
3 Turn off the engine and do not restart
while the vehicle is raised.
4 Do not allow passengers to remain in
the vehicle.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't
move, you should put blocks at the front
and rear of the tire farthest away from the
one being changed. That would be the
tire, on the other side, at the opposite end
of the vehicle.
The car jack is designed solely for use
in changing a wheel or fitting snow
chains.
It must not be used to
support the car during repair work
or servicing.
Never
crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack.
Raising your vehicle too high or with
the jack improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle and even make
the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to
fit the jack lift head into the proper
location before raising the vehicle, and
raise the vehicle only far enough off
the ground so there is enough room for
the spare tire to fit (no more than 25
mm or 1 inch clearance between the
ground and the bottom of the tire).
Switch on the hazard warning lights if
the car is on a road.
The jack should be stored correctly
under the carpeting in the trunk. If it
lies loose in the car, it could thrown
forward and cause personal injury in
the event of a crash or if the car rolls
over.
Grit, salt and rust can clog the inner
threads of the wheel bolts if the car has
been driven for several years exclu-
sively with alloy wheels.
If steel wheels are being installed, the
bolt hole threads in the brake hubs
should be cleaned before the thinner
steel wheels are fitted. It may other-
wise not be possible to achieve the
correct clamping force, despite tight-
ening the wheel bolts to the correct
torque.
ProCarManuals.com
241 Car care and technical information
2Clean the underside of the car during
the winter.
Use high pressure water to
clean the car’s underside (floor panels,
wheel wells) at least at mid- winter and
in the spring.
3
Inspect the car frequently for leaks or
damage, and arrange for needed
repairs promptly.
After washing or after
heavy rain, check for leaks. When wash-
ing the car inspect body surfaces for
paint damage. While checking for leaks,
lift the floor mats and check beneath
them. Water can collect in these areas
and remain for prolonged periods. Dry
any wet areas including the floor mats.
Have leaks repaired as soon as pos-
sible.
Use touch-up paint to repair small scrat-
ches or minor finish damage. Areas
where metal is exposed will rust quickly
and MUST be repaired immediately by
touch-up or professional repainting.
Rust must be removed, the bare metal
primed and painted. Major body
damage should be repaired immediately
and new panels or exposed areas
should be undercoated with anti- corro-
sion material.
Repairs of this type are the owner’s
responsibility and are not covered under
warranty.4
Inspect the undercoating and touch
up if necessary.
Pay particular atten-
tion to the fenders and wheel housings,
which are exposed to abrasion by flying
gravel, etc. If the composition has worn
or flaked off, the steel must be tho-
roughly cleaned and dried before a fresh
coat is applied. The cleaning is best
done with a scraper and a steel wire
brush, followed by washing with solvent.
Apply the new coating thinly, as other-
wise it may run off or fall off when dry.
For long tripsBefore setting off on a long journey, it is
advisable to have your car checked over by
your Saab dealer.
Obtain a few important items to take along
on your journey such as spare bulbs, wiper
blades, fuses, a Poly-V-belt and the like.
You can check some points yourself befor-
ehand:
Make sure that the engine is in good con-
dition.
Check that no oil or gasoline leaks out of
the engine or gearbox/transmission.
Check the coolant and power steering
fluid levels. Check also for leaks.
Inspect the Poly-V-belt and replace it if it
shows any signs of hard wear.
Check the battery charge.
Check the tires for tread pattern and air
pressure, including the compact spare
wheel.
Check the brakes.
Check all bulbs.
Check for the presence of the tool kit and
the jack in the car.
ProCarManuals.com
260 SpecificationsWheels and tires(recommended dimensions)
2.3t 2.3T 2.3 Turbo
All season tires215/55 R16 93 H X X X
225/45 R17 94 V XL/RF X X XSummer tires225/45 R17 94 W XL/RF X X XWinter tires205/65 R15 94 Q X X –
215/55 R16 93 Q X X X
225/45 R17 94 Q XL/RF X X XWheel sizes6 x 15” X X –
6,5 x 16” X X X
7 x 17” X X X15" wheels must not be fitted to the 2.3 Turbo since the size of the brake
discs prohibits this.
Speed ratings and load indexes, see page 225.Always
contact an authorized Saab dealer if you wish to fit other wheels
or tires than those fitted as standard.
Compact spare:Wheel ___________________________ 4 x 16”
Tire _____________________________ T115/70 R16
Pressure_________________________ 60 psi (420 kPa)
Maximum life _____________________ 2,200 miles
(3500 km)
Maximum speed __________________ 50 mph (80 km/h)NOTICESnow chains:Snow chains must
not
be fitted to the rear wheels, and may only
be used with the following wheel-tire combinations:
Wheels Tires6 x 15” ________ 205/65 R15 or
205/65 R15 M+S
6.5 x 16”_______ 215/55 R16 or
215/55 R16 M+S
Snow chains must not be fitted to 17" wheels.
Max. permissible speed with snow chains fitted is 30 mph
(50 km/h).
Contact an authorized Saab dealer for advice on snow chains.NOTICEWheels larger than 17” must not be fitted.
Wheel offset must be 49 mm.
Vehicles with 12.05” in (306 mm) front brake discs must not use
15” rims.
ProCarManuals.com
261 Specifications
Lowest recommended tire pressure, cold tiresTire size Load/speed
mph (km/h)
1)
Fr o nt
kPa/psiRear
kPa/psi
All season tires215/55 R16 93 H 1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 220/32
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 220/32
1–5 pers./100– (160–) 290/42 270/39
225/45 R17 94 V
XL/RF1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 250/36 240/35
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 250/36 240/35
1–5 pers./100– (160–) 300/43 290/42Summer tire225/45 R17 94 W
XL/RF1–3 pers./0–120 (0–190) 250/36 240/35
4–5 pers./0–120 (0–190) 250/36 240/35
1–5 pers./120– (190–) 300/43 290/42
Tire size Load/speed
mph (km/h)
1)
Front
kPa/psiRear
kPa/psi
Winter tires205/65 R15 94 Q
Winter tire
for 2.3t1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 240/35
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 260/38 260/38
215/55 R16 93 Q
Winter tire.
All variants.1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 240/35 240/35
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 260/38 260/38
225/45 R17 94 Q
XL/RF
Winter tire.
All variants.1–3 pers./0–100 (0–160) 250/36 250/36
4–5 pers./0–100 (0–160) 270/39 270/39Compact spareT115/70 R16
Spare wheelMax 50 (80) 420/60 420/601) Do not exceed posted speed limits.
By cold tires is meant tires that are the same temperature as the surrounding
air temperature.
The values for tire pressure in the table above are for tires at 68°F (20°C).
The tire pressure will increase as the tires become warm (e.g. during motor-
way driving), and decrease as they cool.
When the temperature of the tires increase or decrease by 10 degrees the
tire pressure will correspondingly increase or decrease by 10 kPa/2 psi
(0.1 bar).
ProCarManuals.com
265 Index
IndexAA/C system, fault diagnosis
_______ 235
A/C system, maintenance
_________ 234
ABS brakes
____________________ 152
ACC
__________________________ 73
ACC functions
___________________ 76
ACC, automatic climate control
_____ 73
ACC, calibration
_________________ 81
ACC, condensation _______________ 82
ACC, programming _______________ 79
ACC, useful tips
_________________ 81
Adjusting the steering wheel
_______ 106
Adjustment, seats
________________ 12
Air conditioning (A/C), fault diagnosis
and maintenance ______________ 234
Air distribution, ACC ______________ 78
Airbag
_________________________ 28
Alarm _________________________ 44
Alarm functions
__________________ 47
Alarm signals
________________ 44
, 47
Alternator
_____________________ 194
Alternator drive belt
__________ 194
, 257
Alternator rating
________________ 257
Anticorrosion treatment
___________ 240
Antidazzle rear-view mirror
________ 111
Ashtrays
______________________ 117
Audio System
___________________ 83Audio System, quick guide
_________ 85
Autochecking of lights on starting
____ 58
Auto-dimming rear-view mirror with
garage door opener
____________ 108
Automatic climate control (ACC)
_____ 73
Automatic transmission, technical
data
_________________________ 258
Aviod theft, tip
__________________ 179
BBattery
________________________ 192
Battery charging/replacing
________ 193
Battery, boost starting
____________ 174
Before a long journey ____________ 241
Before towing a camper or trailer
___ 164
Belt guide
______________________ 16
Boost starting using jump leads
____ 174
Brake and clutch fluid
____________ 189
Brake-fluid reservoir
_____________ 189
Brakes, technical data ____________ 259
Bulbs, changing
________________ 197
Bulbs, table of
__________________ 210
Buying new tires ________________ 219
CCD changer
_____________________ 95
CD player
______________________ 93CHECK messages
_______________ 64
CHECKING
_____________________ 64
Calibration, ACC
_________________ 81
Cancelling the programmed settings
__ 79
Car alarm
_______________________ 44
Car care _______________________ 181
Cargo net, 9-5 SportWagon
_______ 128
Carpeting, care of
_______________ 236
Cassette player
__________________ 90
Catalytic converter, important
considerations _________________ 137
Central locking ___________________ 38
Change language in SID
___________ 66
Change of address notification
_____ 248
Changing a wheel
_______________ 231
Changing bulbs
_________________ 197
Changing wiper blades
___________ 195
Charger/Jump starting ____________ 176
Charging the battery/Jump starting
__ 176
Chassis number
________________ 262
Chassis number, key to
___________ 263
Checks before towing a camper or
trailer
________________________ 164
Child safety
_____________________ 21
Child safety locks, rear doors
_______ 41
Cleaning, engine bay
_____________ 238
Clock
_______________________ 65
, 66
Color code, body
________________ 262
Color code, trim _________________ 262
Compact spare wheel
____________ 230
Compass
______________________ 112
Condensation, ACC
_______________ 82
ProCarManuals.com