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Maintenance and service
11 - 1 9
11
– CONTINUED –
in (mm)
Manual transmission oilChecking the oil levelNon-turbo model
1) Yellow handleTurbo model
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
Deflection
New belt Used belt
A0.28 – 0.35
(7.0 – 9.0)0.35 – 0.43
(9.0 – 11.0)
B0.30 – 0.33
(7.5 – 8.5)0.35 – 0.40
(9.0 – 10.0)
1
B00465
B00469
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11 - 2 0
Maintenance and service
1) Upper level
2) Lower level3. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil through the dipstick hole to
bring the level up to the upper level.
Recommended grade and
viscosityEach oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together.Oil grade:
API classification GL-5
SAE viscosity no. and applicable tem-
perature
Automatic transmission fluidChecking the fluid levelThe automatic transmission fluid expands
largely as its temperature rises; the fluid
level differs according to fluid tempera-
ture. Therefore, there are two different
scales for checking the level of hot fluid
and cold fluid on the dipstick.
Though the fluid level can be checked
without warming up the fluid on the
“COLD” range, we recommend checking
the fluid level when the fluid is at operating
temperature.Checking the fluid level when the
fluid is hot
1. Drive the vehicle several miles to raise
the temperature of the transmission fluid Be careful not to spill manual trans-
mission oil when adding it. If oil
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a
fire. If oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
L
F
F L
1
21
2
B00368
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20 0 6020
80W
75W/9080 100 40
85W90
B00032
Be careful not to spill automatic
transmission fluid when adding it. If
automatic transmission fluid touch-
es the exhaust pipe, it may cause a
bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If au-
tomatic transmission fluid gets on
the exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe it
off.
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Maintenance and service
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– CONTINUED –
up to normal operating temperature; 158
to 176F (70 to 80C) is normal.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
set the parking brake.
3. First shift the selector lever in each po-
sition. Then shift it in the “P” position, and
run the engine at idling speed.1) Yellow handle1) HOT range
2) COLD range
3) Upper level
4) Lower level
4. Pull out the dipstick and check the fluid
level on the gauge. If it is below the lower
level on the “HOT” range, add the recom-
mended automatic transmission fluid up to
the upper level.
Checking the fluid level when the
fluid is cold
When the fluid level has to be checked
without time to warm up the automatic
transmission, check to see that the fluid
level is between the lower level and upper
level on the “COLD” range. If it is below
that range, add fluid up to the upper level.
Be careful not to overfill.
Recommended fluidUse one of the following types of automat-
ic transmission fluid.
IDEMITSU ATF HP
Castrol Transmax J
Pennzoil ATF-J*
* Available only in the USA (except
Alaska and Hawaii)
NOTEUsing any non-specified type of auto-
matic transmission fluid could result in
damage inside the transmission. When
replacing the automatic transmission
fluid, be sure to use a fluid of the types
specified above.
1
B00471
3
4 3
4
21
B00370
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11 - 2 2
Maintenance and service
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles)Checking the oil level1) Yellow handle1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
1) Upper level
2) Lower level3. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil to bring the level up to the up-
per level.
Recommended grade and
viscosityEach oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together.Oil grade:
API classification GL-5
SAE viscosity no. and applicable tem-
perature
1
B00472
Be careful not to spill front differen-
tial gear oil when adding it. If oil
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a
fire. If oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
1
2B00372
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20 0 6020
80W
75W/9080 100 40
85W90
B00032
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– CONTINUED –
Rear differential gear oilChecking the gear oil levelYour vehicle may be equipped with a rear
differential protector. The differential pro-
tector provides protection to the rear dif-
ferential assembly during off-road use.
Removal of the rear differential protector
is not required when checking the oil level.1) Filler plug
2) Drain plug1) Filler hole
2) Drain hole
3) Oil level
Remove the plug from the filler hole and
check the oil level. The oil level should be
kept even with the bottom of the filler hole.
If the oil level is below the bottom edge of
the hole, add oil through the filler hole to
raise the level.
Recommended grade and
viscosityEach oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together.Oil grade:
API classification GL-5
21
B00373
3
1
2
B00434
Be careful not to spill rear differ-
ential gear oil when adding it. If
rear differential gear oil touches
the exhaust pipe, it may cause a
bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
rear differential gear oil gets on
the exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe
it off.
If the vehicle requires frequent re-
filling, there may be an oil leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your Saab
dealer.
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Maintenance and service
SAE viscosity no. and applicable tem-
perature
Power steering fluidChecking the fluid level1) Reservoir tankThe power steering fluid expands greatly
as its temperature rises; the fluid level dif-
fers according to fluid temperature. There-
fore, the reservoir tank has two different
checking ranges for hot and cold fluids.
Check the power steering fluid level
monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, and
stop the engine.
1) Specified range2. Check the fluid level of the reservoir
tank.
When the fluid is hot after the vehicle has
been run: Check that the oil level is be-
tween “HOT MIN” and “HOT MAX” on the
surface of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is cool before the vehicle is
run: Check that the oil level is between
“COLD MIN” and “COLD MAX” on the sur-
face of the reservoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than the appli-
cable “MIN” line, add the recommended
fluid as necessary to bring the level be-
tween the “MIN” and “MAX” line.
If the fluid level is extreme low, it may indi-
cate possible leakage. Consult your Saab
dealer for an inspection.
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20 0 6020
80W
75W/9080 100 40
85W90
B00032
1
B00375
1
1
B00376
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Maintenance and service
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Recommended fluid“Dexron III” Type Automatic Transmis-sion Fluid
Brake fluidChecking the fluid level1) “MAX” level mark
2) “MIN” level markCheck the fluid level monthly.
Check the fluid level on the outside of the
reservoir. If the level is below “MIN”, add
the recommended brake fluid to “MAX”.
Use only brake fluid from a sealed con-
tainer.
Be careful not to burn yourself be-
cause the fluid may be hot.
When power steering fluid is be-
ing added, use only clean fluid,
and be careful not to allow any dirt
into the tank. And never use dif-
ferent brands together.
Avoid spilling fluid when adding it
in the tank.
Be careful not to spill power steer-
ing fluid when adding it. If power
steering fluid touches the exhaust
pipe, it may cause a bad smell,
smoke, and/or a fire. If power
steering fluid gets on the exhaust
pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
MAXMINMIN
1
2
B00473
Never let brake fluid contact your
eyes because brake fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If brake fluid
gets in your eyes, immediately
flush them thoroughly with clean
water. For safety, when perform-
ing this work, wearing eye protec-
tion is advisable.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from
the air. Any absorbed moisture
can cause a dangerous loss of
braking performance.
If the vehicle requires frequent re-
filling, there may be a leak. If you
suspect a problem, have the vehi-
cle checked at your Saab dealer.
Never use different brands of
brake fluid together. Also, avoid
mixing DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake flu-
ids even if they are of the same
brand.
When adding brake fluid, be care-
ful not to allow any dirt into the
reservoir.
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Maintenance and service
Recommended brake fluidFMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 or DOT 4brake fluid
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles)Checking the fluid levelCheck the fluid level on the outside of the
reservoir. If the level is below “MIN” level
mark, add the recommended clutch fluid
to “MAX” level mark.
Use only clutch fluid from a sealed con-
tainer.
Never splash the brake fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.
Alcohol contained in the brake flu-
id may damage them.
Be careful not to spill brake fluid
when adding it. If brake fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If brake fluid gets on the ex-
haust pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
B00126
Never let clutch fluid contact your
eyes because clutch fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If clutch fluid
gets in your eyes, immediately flush
them thoroughly with clean water.
For safety, when performing this
work, wearing eye protection is ad-
visable.
Clutch fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed mois-
ture can cause improper clutch
operation.
If the vehicle requires frequent re-
filling, there may be a leak. If you
suspect a problem, have the vehi-
cle checked at your Saab dealer.
Never use different brands of
clutch fluid together.
When clutch fluid is added, be
careful not to allow any dirt into
the tank.
Never splash the clutch fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.
Alcohol contained in the clutch
fluid may damage them.
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