3-6
Instruments and controls
Hazard warning flasherThe hazard warning flasher is used to
warn other drivers when you have to park
your vehicle under emergency conditions.
The hazard warning flasher works with the
ignition switch in any position.
To turn on the hazard warning flasher,
push the hazard warning button on the in-
strument panel. To turn off the flasher,
push the button again.NOTEWhen the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
Meters and gaugesNOTELiquid-crystal displays are used in
some of the meters and gauges in the
combination meter. You will find their
indications hard to see if you wear po-
larized glasses.SpeedometerThe speedometer shows the vehicle
speed.Odometer/Trip meter1) Trip meter
2) OdometerThis meter displays the odometer and twotrip meters when the ignition switch is in
the “LOCK”, “ACC” or “ON” position.
Odometer
The odometer shows the total distance
that the vehicle has been driven.
Double trip meter
The trip meter shows the distance that the
vehicle has been driven since you last set
it to zero.
To change the mode indication, briefly
push the knob.
Each press of the knob changes the func-
tion alternately.
To set the trip meter to zero, select the A
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1
2
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300660
A trip meter B trip meter
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Instruments and controls
Always make sure this light is out before
you start to drive.All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (AWD AT vehi-
cles)The All-Wheel Drive warning light comes
on when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position and goes out after the en-
gine has started.
This light comes on when All-Wheel Drive
is disengaged and the drive mechanism is
switched to Front Wheel Drive for mainte-
nance or similar purposes (Non-turbo ve-
hicles).
It flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires
of differing diameters fitted on the wheels
or with an excessively low air pressure in
any of the tires.
Selector lever position indi-
cator (AT vehicles)This indicator shows the position of the
selector lever.Turn signal indicator
lightsThese lights show the operation of the
turn signal or lane change signal.
If the indicator lights do not blink or blink
rapidly, the turn signal bulb may be
burned out. Replace the bulb as soon as
possible. Refer to the “Replacing bulbs”
section in chapter 11.
High beam indicator
lightThis light shows that the headlights are in
the high beam mode.
This indicator light also comes on when
the headlight flasher is operated.Cruise control indica-
tor lightThe cruise control indicator light comes on
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position and goes out after approxi-
mately three seconds.
This light comes on when the “CRUISE”
main switch is pressed.
If it flashes during driving, deactivate the
cruise control system and contact your
Saab dealer for an inspection. Refer to
“Cruise control” in chapter 7 for the deac-
tivation procedure of the cruise control
system.NOTEIf you move the cruise control lever or
press the main switch button while
turning the ignition switch “ON”, the
cruise control function is deactivated
and the “CRUISE” indicator light flash-
es. To reactivate the cruise control
function, turn the ignition switch back Continuing to drive with the AWD
warning light flashing can damage
the powertrain. If the AWD warning
light starts to flash, promptly park in
a safe place and check whether the
tires have differing diameters and
whether any of the tires has an ex-
cessively low inflation pressure.
P
R
2
1 D N
3
300630
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Instruments and controls
3-15
3
– CONTINUED –
to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position, and
then turn it again to the “ON” position.Cruise control set indi-
cator lightThe cruise control set indicator light
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after approximately
three seconds.
This light comes on when vehicle speed
has been set.
ClockTo set the hour, press the “H” button. To
set the minutes, press the “M” button. To
reset the minutes to “00” with a radio time
signal, push the “SET” button.
Light control switchThe light switch operates only when the
ignition switch is in the “ON” position.
To ensure safety, do not attempt to
set the time while driving, as an ac-
cident from inadequate attention to
the road could result.
H M SET
300626
To prevent battery discharge result-
ing from accidentally leaving your
lights on when your vehicle is
parked, the light switch operates
only when the ignition switch is in
the “ON” position. In any other posi-
tion, the vehicle’s lights will be out.
If you stop or park your vehicle on
the shoulder of the road at night,
use the hazard warning flasher to
alert the other drivers.
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Instruments and controls
HeadlightsTo turn on the headlights, turn the knob on
the end of the turn signal lever.
first position
Parking lights, instrument panel illumina-
tion, tail lights, front side marker lights and
license plate light are on.
second position
Headlights, parking lights, instrument pan-
el illumination, tail lights, and license plate
light are on.
High/low beam change (dim-
mer)To change from low beam to high beam,
push the turn signal lever forward. When
the headlights are on high beam, the high
beam indicator light “
” on the instru-
ment panel is also on.
To switch back to low beam, pull the lever
back to the detent position.
Headlight flasherTo flash the headlights, pull the lever to-
ward you and then release it. The high
beam will stay on for as long as you hold
the lever. The headlight flasher works
even though the lighting switch is in the
“OFF” position.
When the headlights are on high beam,
the high beam indicator light “ ” on
the instrument panel also comes on.
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300128
Do not hold the lever in the flashing
position for more than just a few
seconds.
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3
– CONTINUED –
Daytime running light systemCars with HID headlights
The low beam headlights, tail lights, park-
ing lights, and licence plate lights will au-
tomatically come on when the engine has
started, under the following conditions:
The parking brake is fully released.
The light switch is in the “OFF” or
“ ” position.
The automatic transmission selector le-
ver is set at other than the “P” position.
Except cars with HID headlights
The low beam headlights will automatical-
ly come on at reduced brightness when
the engine has started, under the follow-
ing conditions:
The parking brake is fully released.
The light switch is in the “OFF” or
“ ” position.
The automatic transmission selector le-
ver is set at other than the “P” position.
Turn signal lever1) Right turn
2) Left turn
3) Lane change for right
4) Lane change for leftTo activate the right turn signal, push the
turn signal lever up. To activate the left
turn signal, push the turn signal lever
down. When the turn is finished, the lever
will return automatically. If the lever does
not return after cornering, return the lever
to the neutral position by hand.
To signal a lane change, push the turn sig-
nal lever up or down slightly and hold it
during the lane change. The turn signal in-
dicator lights will flash in the direction of
the turn or lane change. The lever will re- The side marker lights are not
turned on by the daytime running
light system. The light switch must
always be turned to the “ ” po-
sition when it is dark outside.
The tail lights, parking lights, and
side marker lights are not turned on
by the daytime running light system.
The light switch must always be
turned to the “ ” position when
it is dark outside.
1
23
4
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8-18
Driving tips
count; however, be careful not to let them
drag on the ground.
For more information about the safety
chain connection, refer to the instructions
for your hitch and trailer.Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors pro-vide a good rearward field of view without
significant blind spots. If significant blind
spots occur with the vehicle’s standard
side mirrors, use towing mirrors that con-
form with Federal, state/province and/or
other applicable regulations.
Trailer lights
Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-
cle’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle’s lighting circuit to in-
crease its capacity and accommodate wir-
ing changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your Saab dealer. Check for proper oper-
ation of the turn signals, the brake lights
and parking lights each time you hitch up.
Tires
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated to the pressure spec-
ified on the tire label located on the left
center pillar of your vehicle.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating andproper inflation pressure should be in ac-
cordance with the trailer manufacturer’s
specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured.
Trailer towing tips
Always use safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. Towing
a trailer without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due
to coupling damage or hitch ball
damage.
800026
Direct splicing or other improper
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle’s lighting system.
Never tow a trailer when the tempo-
rary spare tire is used. The tempo-
rary spare tire is not designed to
sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tire
and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly coun-
try on hot days.
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Driving tips
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– CONTINUED –
Before starting out on a trip
Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer.
Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is
tipped sharply up at the front and down at
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable.
Check that the tire pressures are cor-
rect.
Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
– the trailer tongue is connected prop-
erly to the hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is connect-
ed properly and trailer’s brake lights illu-
minate when the vehicle’s brake pedal
is pressed, and that the trailer’s turn sig-nal lights flash when the vehicle’s turn
signal lever is operated.
– the safety chains are connected prop-
erly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safe-
ty in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good rear-
ward field of view without a significant
blind spot.
Sufficient time should be taken to learn
the “feel” of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up.
Driving with a trailer
You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may re-
sult in skidding or jackknifing and loss of
control.
Avoid abrupt starts and sudden acceler-
ations. If your vehicle has a manual trans-
mission, always start out in first gear and
release the clutch at moderate engine rev-
olution.
Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.
Slow down before turning. Make a long-
er than normal turning radius because the
trailer wheels will be closer than the vehi-
cle wheels to the inside of the turn. In atight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle.
Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to
weather conditions or the passing of large
trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down im-
mediately but gradually.
When passing other vehicles, consider-
able distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by at-
taching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turnBacking up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the When towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be dif-
ferent from normal operation. For
safety’s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing a trail-
er and you should never speed.
You should also keep the follow-
ing tips in mind:1
2
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In case of emergency
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in case of an emergencyThe hazard warning flasher should be
used in day or night to warn other drivers
when you have to park your vehicle under
emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to
safely pull off the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be acti-
vated regardless of the ignition switch po-
sition.
Turn on the hazard warning by pushing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pushing the switch again.
NOTEWhen the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
Temporary spare tireThe temporary spare tire is smaller and
lighter than a conventional tire and is de-
signed for emergency use only. Remove
the temporary spare tire and re-install the
conventional tire as soon as possible be-
cause the spare tire is designed only for
temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the tempo-
rary spare tire periodically to keep the tire
ready for use. The correct pressure is 60
psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2).
When using the temporary spare tire, note
the following.
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
Do not put a tire chain on the temporary
spare tire. Because of the smaller tire
size, a tire chain will not fit properly.
Do not use two or more temporary
spare tires at the same time.
Do not drive over obstacles. This tire
has a smaller diameter, so road clearance
is reduced.
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