2005 SAAB 9-5 transmission

146 Starting and drivingIf ”Automatic transmission, fault indicator”
light appears on the main instrument panel,
the system has detected a fault in the auto-
matic transmission or its control module
(see page 57).
This also means that the Limp-home mode
has been selected, to guard against further
damage being done to the transmission. In
this mode, the automatic transmission
starts in 5th gear, and gear changes (if nec-
essary) will have to be made manually.
Stop the car in a safe place. Switch off then
restart the engine. If the fault is intermittent,
the transmission will operate as normal
despite the fault indicator being on. Have
the car checked at an authorized Saab
dealer.
It is not possible to select the SPORT or
Sentronic mode when the Limp-home mode
is active.
Gear changes must be made manually.
The following gears will be engaged in the
respective selector positions when the auto-
matic transmission is in Limp-home mode:
Overheated transmission fluid If the automatic-transmission fluid should
overheat, the following message will appear
on the SID:
”Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop.”
In this event, stop the car in a suitable place,
switch off the engine and open the hood.
Wait for several minutes then turn on the
ignition to check that the message has gone
out. When driving subsequent to the trans-
mission fluid overheating, select a gear in
which the engine speed is about 3,000 rpm.
Overheating of the automatic-transmission
fluid can occur when the car is towing a
heavy load, such as a camping trailer in hilly
country. High ambient temperatures can
also increase the temperature of the trans-
mission fluid or the oil cooler may be faulty.
Contact an authorized Saab dealer (see
also page 161).
Automatic transmission,
fault indicator
Position R D M L
Gear Reverse 5th 5th 2nd
NOTICEIf the control module has actuated the
Limp-home function for the automatic
transmission, the car will remain in 5th
gear when D is selected, making it very
sluggish.
Select position L to prevent unnecessary
wear on the transmission. The transmis-
sion then starts in 2nd gear. Once the car
is moving you can select position D.
When the indicator light is on, the car
must not be driven with a caravan or trai-
ler attached.
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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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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
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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.
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150 Starting and drivingIf you move the selector lever from D to L, down shifts will follow a
set pattern to avoid damaging the engine or transmission.
Manual gear-changing is not recommended on slippery roads.
If one of the drive wheels spins excessively, the engine torque will
be reduced to avoid damaging the transmission.Adaptive gear-change patternsAdaptive gear-change patterns are selected automatically depend-
ing on the engine load and the present temperature of the transmis-
sion. The function is available in Normal and Sport modes.
The changes occur at a higher engine speed and the car remains in
the same gear for longer, if the transmission control module senses
that the load has not decreased. These gear-change patterns pre-
vent unnecessary changing up and down, when for example driving
up or down long slopes with a trailer or caravan, and to prevent over-
heating the transmission oil. The adaptive gear-change function is
also selected automatically when the transmission oil becomes too
hot, to protect the transmission itself from damage and to lower the
oil temperature.
The adaptive gear-change pattern function is deselected when:
 The engine is switched off.
 The load is reduced so much that the function is no longer requi-
red.
 ”Automatic transmission, fault indicator” appears on main
instrument panel, see page 146.
SPORT modes
To select Sport mode, press the ”S” button on
the selector lever when the selector lever is in
position N or D.
In this mode, gear changes will take place at hig-
her engine speeds than in Normal mode, in
other words, the transmission will change up
later and change down earlier for the same
throttle (accelerator) position.
The Sport mode will be deselected if:
 The S button is pressed.
 The selector lever is moved to position P,R, M
or L.
 The engine is switched off.
 ”Automatic transmission, fault indicator”
appears on main instrument panel, see
page 146.
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152 Starting and drivingTo reduce the preset speedThe cruise control system will always disen-
gage automatically the moment that either
the brake pedal or the clutch pedal is
depressed.
It is also possible to reduce the speed by
means of the RESUME/– button.
Sliding the button to RESUME/– once will
reduce the speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Holding the button in the RESUME/– posi-
tion will effect a gradual reduction in speed
until the button is released.
Disengaging the system The system will be disengaged:
 When the brake or clutch pedal is depres-
sed.
 When the switch is moved to CANCEL.
 When the switch is moved to OFF.
 When the engine is switched off.
 When the selector lever is moved to posi-
tion N (cars with automatic transmission).
 When the ESP system is operative for
more than 1 second.
BrakingTo avoid the brakes becoming overheated,
(e.g. when negotiating long descents with a
drop of several hundred feet), select a low
gear to use the braking effect of the engine.
If the car has automatic transmission, move
the selector lever to position D or L.
When driving fast, you can help to prolong
the life of the brakes by thinking ahead and
braking harder for short periods, rather than
braking more moderately over long
stretches. Brake pad wear indicatorsThe outboard brake pads on the front
wheels incorporate pad-wear indicators.
When the lining is down to 3 mm, the pad
will produce a screeching, squealing or
scraping noise when the brakes are applied.
New pads should be fitted without delay. Brake pads should only be replaced by
an authorized Saab dealer.
To ensure optimum brake performance,
it is recommended that you use only
Saab original brake pads.
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157 Starting and driving
Economical motoringFactors affecting fuel
consumptionFuel consumption is greatly affected by the
general driving conditions, the way in which
the car is driven and at what speeds, the
weather, the state of the road, the condition
of the car, etc. Breaking-inFuel consumption may be somewhat higher
during the break-in period (the first 3,000–
4,000 miles (5,000–7,000 km) than stated.Weather conditionsFuel consumption can be as much as 10 %
lower in summer than in winter. The higher
consumption in cold weather is explained by
the longer time it takes for the engine to
reach normal operating temperature, and
for the transmission and wheel bearings to
warm up. Fuel economy is also affected by
the distance driven: short journeys of
3–5 miles (5–8 km) do not give the engine
enough time to reach normal temperature.
Strong winds can also affect fuel con-
sumption. How to read the graph above:
If fuel consumption with the engine at
normal temperature is 28 mpg
(10l/100 km), the actual fuel consumption 3
miles (5 km) after the engine has started
from cold will be:
– 23.5 mpg (12l/100 km) at outside temp. of
68°F (20°C) (increase of 20 %).
– 17.7 mpg (16l/100 km) at outside temp. of
32°F (0°C) (increase of 60 %).
– 14 mpg (20l/100 km)) at outside temp. of
–4°F (–20°C) (increase of 100 %).
As can be seen, both the distance travelled
by the car and the outside temperature have
a major impact on fuel consumption after
the engine has started from cold. Thus, if the
car is mainly used for short journeys of
3–5 miles (5–8 km), the fuel consumption
will be 60–80 % higher than normal.
IB311
Percentage increase in fuel consumption
of engine starting from cold compared to
engine at normal temperature.
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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.
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