2005 SAAB 9-5 brake

131 Starting and driving
IB1754
Starting and driving
Ignition switch ________ 132
Starting the engine ____ 133
Important considerations
for driving___________ 136
Refueling ____________ 138
Engine Break-In Period_ 142
Gear changing ________ 142
Cruise control ________ 151
Braking ______________ 152
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) _______ 155
Economical motoring __ 157
Driving in cold weather_ 159
Driving in hot weather _ 160
Towing a trailer _______ 161 Driving with a roof rack
load_________________ 166
Driving at night ________ 168
Driving with a load _____ 168
Driving considerations
with compact spare
wheel/tire fitted _______ 170
Spare wheel and tools __ 170
Driving with the trunk
lid/tailgate open _______ 171
Driving in deep water ___ 171
Towing the car_________ 171
Jump starting _________ 174
Saab Parking Assistance 177
Parking brake _________ 179
Parking _______________ 179
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133 Starting and driving

If the car does not startIf the text
”Key not accepted.
Contact service.”
is shown on the SID, after a failed start
attempt, the cause could be a fault in the
transmitter in the key, or in the receiver in
the ignition lock. The following should be
done:
 Turn the key back to the LOCK position.
 Turn the key to ON.
 Press one of the buttons on the remote
control (the LED stops blinking).
 Start the engine.
Try another key. If this works, then the fault
is in the first key.
Contact an authorized Saab dealer for
checking and rectification.
Note:
Certain electronic items, such as cellular
phones, may affect the starting produce-
dure. Be sure that all devices are clear of the
key/ignition switch area.
Starting the engine
NOTICETake care not to spill drinks or to drop
crumbs over the ignition switch. If dirt or
liquid gets into it, the switch may not
operate properly.
WARNING
 Always remove the key before leaving
the car.
 Always apply the parking brake before
removing the ignition key.
WARNING
 When starting the engine:
– Sit down in the driver’s seat.
– Depress the clutch pedal fully. If the
gear lever is not in the neutral position,
the clutch pedal must be fully depres-
sed or the car will jump forwards or
backwards, which may cause a crash.
– Never start the car from outside the
vehicle, e.g. through a wound down
window. This could lead to serious
personal injury.
 Engage reverse (R) (position P for
automatic transmission) to remove the
ignition key. The key can only be
removed in this gear position.
 Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless,
odorless, poisonous gas. Be alert to
the danger of CO – always open the
garage doors before starting the
engine in the garage.
 There is also a danger of CO poiso-
ning if the exhaust system is leaking.
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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.
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142 Starting and drivingEngine Break-In PeriodPistons, bores and bearings need time to
obtain uniform, wear-resistant surfaces.
If a new engine is driven too hard, this grad-
ual process of bedding-in will not be possi-
ble and the life of the engine will be short-
ened.
During the first 1,200 miles (2,000 km), do
not exceed 5,000 rpm.
In addition, refrain from driving the car at full
throttle, other than for brief instances,
during the first 1,800 miles (3,000 km).
Wearing in new brake padsNew brake pads take time to bed in, about
90 miles (150 km) if the car is driven largely
under stop-and-go conditions or about
300 miles (500 km) of highway driving.
To extend the useful life of the pads, avoid
hard braking as much as possible during
this period.
Gear changingManual transmissionTo start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.The gear positions are marked on the gear
lever. Before reverse (R) can be engaged,
you must lift the ring underneath the gear-
lever knob.
To change gear, fully depress the clutch
pedal and then release it smoothly. It is
inadvisable to drive with your hand resting
on the gear lever, as this can increase the
wear on the transmission.
When changing down from 5th to 4th gear,
ease the gear lever straight back, without
applying any lateral pressure. This will pre-
vent 2nd gear being engaged by mistake,
which can result in overreving and possible
damage to the engine.
Before engaging reverse, wait till the car is
at a standstill, release the accelerator and
fully depress the clutch. From neutral, press
the gear lever firmly to the right before
easing it back into reverse.
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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
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144 Starting and drivingWhen the car is stationary, the engine must
be at idling speed when the selector lever is
moved. You must have your foot on the brake
pedal to move the lever out of park.

If the accelerator is depressed while the
lever is moved, this will result in abnormal
wear in the transmission.

The detent button on the selector lever has
to be pressed before the selector can be
moved between certain positions.
Three modes for the automatic transmis-
sion can be selected: Normal, Manual and
Sport. Normal modeThe Normal mode, which provides the best
fuel economy, is the default setting when
the engine is started. Manual mode (Sentronic): see page 148.Sport mode
When the Sport mode is selected, the throt-
tle angle is altered to provide more power at
the same throttle setting. The transmission
also changes up later than in Normal mode
to provide higher performance. In this
mode, the SPORT indicator will appear on
the main instrument panel (see page 150). Adaptive gear-change patternAdaptive gear-change pattern is a transmis-
sion function in the Normal and Sport
modes which matches gear changing to
current driving conditions. The transmission
control module senses the load on the
engine and temperature of the transmis-
sion. A suitable gear change pattern is then
selected automatically to avoid unneces-
sary gear changes and undesired tempera-
ture increases in the transmission.
NOTICEAfter selecting a drive position, pause
briefly to allow the gear to engage (the car
starts to pull a little) before you accel-
erate.
Detent positions for selector movement
Selector-lever indicator on main instru-
ment panel
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145 Starting and driving
Lock-up function The automatic transmission has a lock-up
function, which can render the torque con-
verter inoperative in 3rd, 4th and 5th gears,
thus reducing the engine speed and fuel
consumption.
When the lock-up function comes into oper-
ation, it may give the impression of an over-
drive being engaged.Kick-downWhen the accelerator is pressed down hard,
a change-down to the next gear will be
effected to provide maximum acceleration,
e.g. for overtaking.
Following this, the next higher gear will be
selected at the optimum engine speed for
acceleration or, if you ease off the acceler-
ator, before reaching this.
Park Brake Shift LockThe transmission has a security function
known as Park Brake Shift Lock. To move
the gear selector out of the P position, the
brake pedal must be depressed at the same
time as the gear selector catch (detent) is
pressed in.Shift Lock overrideCheck fuse No. 1 (see page 213). If the
problem was cured by changing the fuse or
battery, you do not have to contact a Saab
dealer.
If the fuse blows again as soon as the Shift
Lock feature is activated you should contact
your Saab dealer.
If the fuse is OK, check the battery regarding
the voltage.
1 Apply the parking brake
2 Make sure the key is in position ON
3 Use a small tool such as a screwdriver
and push the lever (see picture) down-
wards so that the detent button can be
pressed approx. 10 mm4 Move the selector out of position P to N
5 Remove the tool
6 Release the parking brake if the car is to
be moved immediately; otherwise keep
it applied.NOTICEDue to electrical problems it may not be
possible to move the selector out of the
park position, even if the ignition is ON. If
for some reason the selector has to be
moved out of the park position (i.e. to tow
the car a short distance) do as described
below.
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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!
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