3
Instrument panel
IB1080
Indicator and warning lights ______ 52
Speedometer _________________ 59
Odometer and trip meter ________ 58
Fuel gauge___________________ 59
Temperature gauge ____________ 59
Parking lights____________ 67
High/low beam __________ 67
Daytime running lights_____ 67
Instrument illumination ____ 69
Changing bulbs __________ 197
Rear fog light ____________ 68Turn signal and lane change
indicators ______________ 69
High beam flasher ________ 67
Cruise control ___________ 151Front fog lights___________ 70
Ashtrays (accessory) ___________ 117
Cigarette lighters (accessory) ____ 118
Saab Information Display (SID) ___ 61
Night panel___________________ 65
Clock _______________________ 66
Wipers and washers ______ 71
Rear-window wiper_______ 72
Rain sensing wipers ______ 71
Washers _______________ 196
Wipers and washers ______ 195Saab 9-5 Audio System ___ 83
Steering-wheel controls ___ 100Hazard warning lights_____ 70Automatic climate control
(ACC) ________________ 73
Air conditioning (ACC) ____ 234
Electric heating, front seats (if equip-
ped) _______________________ 15
Ventilated front seats ___________ 14Steering-wheel controls ___ 100
Sentronic, manual mode ___ 148
ProCarManuals.com
5
Interior
IB3150
Rearview mirrors ______________ 107
Door mirrors __________________ 107
Sun visors ___________________ 117
Safety belts ____________ 16
Airbag_________________ 28
Child safety ____________ 21
Child safety locks ________ 41
Safety belts, maintenance _ 235Glove compartment ______ 118Manual transmission _____ 142
Automatic transmission ___ 143
Electric windows ______________ 113
Ignition switch ________________ 132
Starting the engine ____________ 133
Engine Break-In Period _________ 142
Driving in hot weather __________ 160
Driving in cold weather _________ 159
Parking _____________________ 179
Steering wheel adjustment _ 106
Airbag _________________ 28
Power steering fluid _______ 191
Steering-wheel controls ___ 100
Sentronic, manual mode ___ 148Seats __________________ 12
Electric heating, front seats (if
equipped) ______________ 15
Ventilated front seats______ 14
Safety belts _____________ 16
Child safety _____________ 21
Folding the rear seat,
9-5 Sedan _____________ 121
Folding the rear seat,
9-5 SportWagon_________ 124
Upholstery and trim _______ 236
Side airbags ____________ 32
Interior lighting ________________ 116
Sunroof _____________________ 114
Dome light, front ______________ 209
ProCarManuals.com
9
No sparks, fla-
mes or smo-
king.Buckle up
Use protective
gogglesAirbag
Keep out of
reach of
children.Never place a
rear-facing
child seat in
this seat.
Battery acid
contains
sulfuric acid.Electric
windows
Refer to the
Owner’s
Manual.Deactivating
of rear window
switches
Risk of
explosive gas.Central
locking, lock
.Central
locking,
unlock
Tr u n k
lid/tailgate,
opening
HeadlightsWindshield
wipers
Direction
indicatorsWindshield
washers
Parking lights Defroster
Hazard
warning lightsRear window
heating
Front fog
lightsVentilation fan
Rear fog
light
Coolant
temperatureRadiator fan
Battery
chargingFuel
Foot brake
Coolant level
Engine oil
pressure
ABS brakes
Examples of symbols that can be found in your car
ProCarManuals.com
15 Safety
Electric heating, front seats(if equipped)
Both front seats have adjustable and ther-
mostat-controlled heating of the seat
cushion and backrest, available as an
option.
Heating is adjustable in three stages. In
position 0 it is turned off.
Head restraintThe front seats in the Saab 9-5 are equip-
ped with Saab Active Head Restraints
(SAHRs). These reduce the risk of whiplash
injury if the car is hit from behind.
In the event of a rear-end crash, the body is
forced back against the backrest. This, in
turn, causes the mechanism to press the
head restraint forward and upward, thus
limiting the backward movement of the
head.
The SAHR is a mechanical system, actua-
ted by body weight. The mechanism is built
into the top of the backrest, where it is con-
nected to the head restraint.
Therefore, the SAHR does not need to be
replaced after a minor rear-end crash.The head restraint can be raised or lowered
and is adjustable in various positions.
Raising: grasp the head restraint on both
sides and pull it straight up.
Lowering: press the catch on the left-hand
side of the attaching point and press down
the head restraint.
WARNING
Adjust the head restraint so that your
head is optimally supported and the
center of the head restraint is at ear
height, thus reducing the likelihood of
neck injury in a crash.
Raise the head restraints in the seat
that are occupied.
IB406
IB400
ProCarManuals.com
52 Instruments and controls
Indicator and warning
lights A number of indicator and warning lights will
come on when the ignition is switched on
prior to starting. Under normal conditions,
these should go out a few seconds after the
engine has started (see page 58).
This light will come on and a chime will
sound if a fault has been detected in any
system that is critical to safety. Any of the
following can activate the central warning
light and alarm:
Airbag system.
Low oil pressure in engine.
Parking brake is on (when car is moving).
Brake fluid level low.
Fault detected in ABS system.
Electronic brake force distribution (distri-
bution of brake pressure between front
and rear wheels).
Engine overheating.
Alternator not charging properly.
Central warning light
Main instrument panel 1 Tachometer
2 Indicator and warning lights
3 Speedometer
4 Indicator and warning lights
5 Pressure gauge6 Fuel gauge
7 Engine temperature gauge
8 Trip meter reset button
9 Odometer and trip meter
U.S. shown, Canada similar
ProCarManuals.com
55 Instruments and controls
This light together with will come on if
a potentially serious fault has occurred in
the airbag system. The light will come on for about three
seconds when the ignition switch is turned
to the Start or Drive position. It should go out
after the engine has started.This light indicates a malfunction in the
fuel-injection or ignition system. The car
may still be driven with care and with
somewhat diminished performance (see
page 136).This light comes on when there is less than
about 2.5 gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the
tank.
This light indicates that there is a message
in the Saab Information Display (SID). A
chime will also sound (see page 64).
Airbag warning light
WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the airbag system may not be working
properly. One or more of the following
conditions may occur:
– Non-deployment of the airbags in the
event of a crash.
– Deployment of the airbags without a
crash.
– Deployment of the airbags in crashes
less severe than intended.
To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle serviced
right away if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)
WARNING
An illuminated ”Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)” indicator light indica-
tes an engine-related problem. While
your car may be able to be driven with the
”Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)”
indicator light illuminated (Limp-home
mode), you are advised to have your car
serviced at an authorized Saab dealer as
soon as possible.
Continued driving without this problem
being corrected might cause serious
further damage to your car and create
unsafe driving conditions. The driver
should be prepared to take action if such
unsafe conditions arise (e.g.brake
smoothly, engage neutral, stop in a suita-
ble place, switch off the engine, etc.).
NOTICEThe car should be checked immediately
at an authorized Saab dealer to prevent
more serious faults from arising.
Indicator, fuel
NOTICE
If the car runs out of fuel, air can be drawn
in with the fuel, which, in turn, can cause
the catalytic converter to be damaged by
overheating.
CHECK message indicator
ProCarManuals.com
73 Instruments and controls
Automatic climate
control (ACC) The ACC system automatically works to
maintain the desired temperature inside the
car.
The system will achieve the desired tempe-
rature in the quickest possible way. Note
that selecting a higher or lower temperature
than that desired will not speed up the pro-
cess.
For the ACC system to be most effective, all
windows (and sunroof, if fitted) should be
closed.
Fresh air for the cabin is drawn in through an
inlet grille adjacent to the bottom edge of the
windshield. The air flows through a filter
upstream of the ACC system before deli-
very to the cabin. Cabin air is evacuated via
openings in the rear parcel shelf and then
through outlets on either side of the car
behind the rear bumper.
The incoming air is treated in three stages:
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu-
midified and cooled and, finally, if required,
heated.
The filter is a combined particle and char-
coal filter. It is so efficient that levels of nox-
ious substances such as benzene and tolu-
ene are also reduced.To reduce the likelihood of misting on the
insides of the windows, the glass should be
cleaned with a quality window cleaner. How
often this will need to be done depends on
how clean the air is – if there are smokers in
the car, cleaning will need to be done more
frequently.
AUTO
ECON OFF
AUTO
ECON OFF
IB367
9
1
5
4
23
68
7
ACC panel 1 Temperature setting: LH side
2 AUTO: All settings selected automatically
3 Manual setting of fan speed
4 Manual setting of air distribution
5 Rear-window heating: ON/OFF 6 Recirculation: ON/OFF
7 A/C compressor: ON/OFF
8 ACC system: ON/OFF
9 Temperature setting: RH side
ProCarManuals.com
77 Instruments and controls
The rear-window and door-mirror heating is
controlled manually. Switch off the heating as soon as the rear window
is clear, to avoid imposing a heavy load on the bat-
tery longer than necessary. Note, however, that the
heating will go off automatically after 2–10 minutes
(depending on the outdoor temperature) or sooner
if the voltage in the electrical system falls below
10 V
.
The ACC system can be programmed to switch on
the heating automatically when the outdoor temper-
ature is below 41°F (+5
°C) and the temperature
inside the car is below 50°F (+10
°C) (see ”Program-
ming I and II”, on pages 79 and 80).
Recirculation is selected automatically for effective
cooling, but it can also be switched on/off manually.
Although recirculation does not substantially affect
the air quality, it is useful to prevent unpleasant
smells or fumes being drawn into the car from
outside.
IB373IB374
To increase the fan speed in steps.
If, after being off, the ignition is switched on but the
engine is not started, the fan will run at low speed
until the engine is running.
To decrease the fan speed in steps.
If the fan is set to 0, the A/C compressor will cut out
and ECON will appear on the display.
If, after being off, the ignition is switched on but the
engine is not started, the fan will run at low speed
until the engine is running.
IB375IB376
ProCarManuals.com