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
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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
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6Engine compartment
IB3636
Engine ______________________ 186
Checking the oil level ___________ 186
Changing engine oil ____________ 187
Engine oil, specification _________ 255
Braking______________________ 152
ABS brakes __________________ 153
Brake and clutch fluid ___________ 189
Brake system _________________ 259
Brake pads ___________________ 259
Fuses _________________ 211
Changing a fuse _________ 213
Relays ________________ 215
Table of fuses ___________ 211Temperature gauge ______ 59
Driving in hot weather_____ 160
Driving in cold weather ____ 159
Coolant________________ 188
Coolant capacity_________ 254
Power steering fluid _______ 191
Steering, technical data ___ 259
Wipers and washers ______ 71
Washers _______________ 196
Washer jets ____________ 196
Jump starting _________________ 174
Battery ______________________ 192
Charging/replacing the battery____ 193
Manual transmission ___________ 142
Automatic transmission _________ 143
Automatic transmission,
technical data ________________ 258
Manual gearbox, technical data ___ 258
Important considerations for driving 136
Turbo unit ___________________ 183
Engine, technical data __________ 254Ignition switch ___________ 132
Drive belts ______________ 194
Spark plugs _____________ 257
Catalytic converter _______ 137Warning labels __________ 7
V.I.N. number ___________ 262
Engine number __________ 262
Gearbox number _________ 262
Color code______________ 262
Tire and Loading Information
Label _________________ 226
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12 SafetySeats Both front seats are electrically operated.
On certain models the driver´s seat is equip-
ped with a memory function.
To facilitate getting into the car, both seats
can be adjusted when either of the front
doors is open.
For safety reasons, if the door is closed, the
seat can only be adjusted when the ignition
is ON.
Note, however, that both seats can be
adjusted for 30 seconds after both doors
have been closed. The following seat adjustments can be
made to achieve a comfortable driving
position:
height
legroom
backrest rake angle
lumbar support (driver´s seat)
head-restraint height
We recommend that adjustments to the
driver’s seat be performed in the following
order:
1height
2 legroom
3 seat tilt angle
4 backrest rake angle
Lastly, adjust the steering wheel (see
page 106).
Side airbags(see page 32).Head restraint(see page 15).
HeightTo raise the seat, lift the lower control
straight up.
To lower the seat, press the lower control
down.
The same control can be used to adjust the
height of the front and rear edges of the seat
independently.
WARNING
The seats are actuated by powerful
motors. Bear this in mind when adjusting
the seat, and make sure that nothing gets
caught and damaged. Ensure that not-
hing can be trapped when adjusting the
seat.
Bear in mind that children can be injured
if they play with the electrically-operated
seats.
Always remove the ignition key when you
leave the car. This prevents personal
injury caused by the electrically adjusta-
ble seats, for example, due to children
playing.
WARNING
Never adjust the driver’s seat except
when the car is stationary.
IB3225
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28 SafetyAirbag The AIRBAG system comprises an airbag in
the steering wheel, a front passenger airbag
and side airbags in the front seats.
The system supplements the protection
provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of the occupants.
If a fault is detected in the AIRBAG, the
AIR BAG warning light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on (see pages 55
and 33). When the system is triggered by impact of a
frontal crash, the airbags in the steering
wheel and passenger side of the dash board
are inflated, after which they deflate through
vents in the back of the bags.
The driver and passenger airbags are refer-
red ta as ‘smart’ airbags. This means that
the system compensates for factors such as
the force of the collision.Note:
The sensor reacts differently depending on
whether or not the front seatbelts on the dri-
ver’s and passenger sides are used. Situa-
tions can therefore arise where only one of
the airbags inflates.
It is also possible for only the seatbelt pre-
tensioners to be activated and for the air-
bags to remain uninflated.
The entire process takes less than
0.1 second – literally, faster than the blin-
king of an eye.
These airbags are triggered only by mode-
rate to severe frontal or near-frontal cras-
hes. They will not be activated by minor
front-end impacts, rear-end or side impacts,
or by the car rolling over.
WARNING
To reduce risk of injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to operate the pedals and reach
the steering wheel and controls com-
fortably.
Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) should always
travel in the rear seat as the car is fitted
with a passenger airbag.
Never fit a child seat in front of the pas-
senger airbag.
IB419
Inflated airbag (driver side) Inflation and deflation together take less than
0.1 second.
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29 Safety
WARNING
Even if the car is equipped with AIR-
BAG, safety belts must still always be
worn by all occupants.
Note that because an airbag inflates
and deflates extremely rapidly, it will
not provide protection against a
second impact occurring in the same
incident. Always use your safety belt.
Always sit with the whole of your back
in contact with the backrest of the seat,
and with your seat as far back as is
practical. Otherwise you will be thrown
back against the backrest when the
airbag inflates which could cause you
injury or death. The airbag needs
room in which to inflate.
Never attach anything to the steering
wheel or passenger side of the instru-
ment panel, as this could result in
injury if the airbag should inflate. The
same applies to anything you might
have in your mouth, such as a pipe, for
instance.
Some components of the airbag will
be warm for a short time. In some cir-
cumstances the airbag can cause
minor burns or abrasions to the body
when the airbag inflates/deflates.
To reduce the risk of head injuries in
the event of a crash, the headliner and
pillar trims incorporate energy absor-
bing material. These areas must not
be modified in any way. Work on these
areas must only be carried out by an
authorized Saab dealer.
Fumes are generated by the chemical
reaction that inflates the airbag.
Because the dust/fumes can, in cer-
tain cases, cause irritation to the skin,
the following measures should be
taken:
Skin surfaces that show signs of irrita-
tion should be washed with clean
water and a mild soap as soon as pos-
sible.
In the event of eye irritation, flush the
eyes thoroughly with clean water for at
least 20 minutes.
In case of persistent irritation, consult
a doctor.
Never rest your hands or forearms on
the steering-wheel center padding.
If the AIR BAG warning light does not
extinguish after the car has been
started, or comes on or flashes while
driving, have the car checked immedi-
ately by an authorized Saab dealer.
The warning light could signify that the
airbags may not inflate in a crash, or
they could even inflate without a
crash. See page 55.
IB420
Passenger airbag and driver’s airbag both
inflated
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30 Safety
IB1742
5
1
4
2
6
3
2
6
7
7
5
AIRBAG system with belt pretensioners1 Central sensor
2 Belt pretensioners (for both front safety belts)
3 Steering wheel with integral airbag
4 Passenger airbag
5 Side-airbag sensor
6 Side airbag
7 Front sensors
IB1743
Accessories and other equipment must
not be fitted to the surfaces marked as
these are where the airbags inflate in the
event of a crash.
IB417Moment of impact.
The sensors detect
deceleration and send
a signal via the cen-
tral sensor to the gas
generator that infla-
tes the airbag.
The inflating airbag
cushions the driver.
Airbag now fully infla-
ted.
The airbag starts to
deflate.
ProCarManuals.com
34 SafetyWhat Will You See After an
Airbag Inflates?After an airbag inflates, it quickly deflates,
so quickly that some people may not even
realize the airbag inflated. Some compo-
nents of the airbag module - the steering
wheel hub for the driver's frontal airbag, the
instrument panel for the right front passen-
ger's frontal airbag or the ceiling of your
vehicle near the side windows - will be hot
for a short time. The parts of the bag that
come into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There will be some
smoke and dust coming from the vents in
the deflated airbags. airbag inflation does
not prevent the driver from seeing or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle.In many crashes severe enough to inflate an
airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle
deformation. Additional windshield break-
age may also occur from the right front pas-
senger airbag.
Airbags are designed to inflate only once.
After an airbag inflates, you will need
some new parts for your airbag system. If
you do not get them, the airbag system
will not be there to help protect you in
another crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other parts.
The service manual for your vehicle
covers the need to replace other par ts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sen-
sing and diagnostic module which
records information after a crash. See
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders on page 249. Let only qualified technicians work on
your airbag system. Improper service can
mean that your airbag system will not
work properly. See your dealer for ser-
vice.
WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there is dust in
the air. This dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble. To
avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should
get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have breathing problems but cannot get
out of the vehicle after an airbag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
a door. If you experience breathing prob-
lems following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
WARNING
If you damage the covering for the driver's
or the right front passenger's airbag, or
the side impact airbag covering on the
ceiling near the side windows, the bag
may not work properly. You may have to
replace the airbag module in the steering
wheel, both the airbag module and the
instrument panel for the right front pas-
senger's airbag, or side impact airbag
module and ceiling covering for the
roof-mounted side impact airbag. Do not
open or break the airbag coverings.
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