2006 SAAB 9-2X Owners Manual

Maintenance and service
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Recommended clutch fluidFMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 or 4 brake flu-id
Brake boosterIf the brake booster does not operate as
described in the following, have it checked
by your Saab dealer.
1. With the engine off, depress the brake
pedal several times, applying the same
pedal force each time. The distance the
pedal travels should not vary.
2. With the brake pedal depressed, start
the engine. The pedal should move slight-
ly down to the floor.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop
the engine and keep the pedal depressed
for 30 seconds. The pedal height should
not change.
4. Start the engine again and run for ap-
proximately one minute then turn it off.
Depress the brake pedal several times to
check the brake booster. The brake boost-
er operates properly if the pedal stroke de-
creases with each depression.
Brake pedalCheck the brake pedal free play and re-
serve distance according to the mainte-
nance schedule in the “Saab Warranty
and Service Record Booklet”.
Checking the brake pedal free
play1) 0.04 – 0.12 in (1.0 – 3.0 mm)Stop the engine and firmly depress the
brake pedal several times. Lightly press
the brake pedal down with one finger to
check the free play with a force of less
than 2 lbs (10 N, 1 kg).
If the free play is not within proper specifi-
cation, contact your Saab dealer.
Be careful not to spill clutch fluid
when adding it. If clutch fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If clutch fluid gets on the ex-
haust pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
Avoid mixing DOT 3 and DOT 4
brake fluids even if they are of the
same brand.
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Maintenance and service

Checking the brake pedal re-
serve distance1) More than 2.56 in (65 mm)Depress the pedal with a force of approxi-
mately 66 lbs (294 N, 30 kg) and measure
the distance between the upper surface of
the pedal pad and the floor.
When the measurement is smaller than
the specification, or when the pedal does
not operate smoothly, contact with your
Saab dealer.
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles)Check the clutch pedal free play and re-
serve distance according to the mainte-
nance schedule in the “Saab Warranty
and Service Record Booklet”.
Checking the clutch functionCheck the clutch engagement and disen-
gagement.
1. With the engine idling, check that there
are no abnormal noises when the clutch
pedal is depressed, and that shifting into
1st or reverse feels smooth.
2. Start the vehicle by releasing the pedal
slowly to check that the engine and trans-
mission smoothly couple without any sign
of slippage.

Checking the clutch pedal
free play1) 0.16 – 0.51 in (4.0 –13.0 mm)Lightly press the clutch pedal down with
your finger until you feel resistance, and
check the free play.
If the free play is not within proper specifi-
cation, contact your Saab dealer.
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Maintenance and service
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Replacement of brake pad and liningThe right front disc brake and the right rear
disc brake have audible wear indicators
on the brake pads. If the brake pads wear
close to their service limit, the wear indica-
tor makes a very audible scraping noise
when the brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time
you apply the brake pedal, have the brake
pads serviced by your Saab dealer as
soon as possible.

Breaking-in of new brake
pads and liningsWhen replacing the brake pad or lining,
use only genuine Saab parts. After re-
placement, the new parts must be broken
in as follows:

Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40 mph
(50 to 65 km/h), step on the brake pedal
lightly. Repeat this five or more times.

Parking brake lining
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed of approx-
imately 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button
pushed in, pull the parking brake lever
SLOWLY and GENTLY. (Pulling with a
force of approximately 33 lbs [147 N, 15
kg].)
3. Drive the vehicle for approximately
220
yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parkingbrake to cool down. Repeat this proce-
dure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the
parking brake stroke is out of the specified
range, adjust it by turning the adjusting nut
located on the parking brake lever.
Parking brake stroke:
7 – 8 notches / 44 lbs (196 N, 20 kg)
700040
If you continue to drive despite the
scraping noise from the audible
brake pad wear indicator, it will re-
sult in the need for costly brake ro-
tor repair or replacement.
A safe location and situation should
be selected for break-in driving.
Pulling the parking brake lever too
forcefully may cause the rear
wheels to lock. To avoid this, be cer-
tain to pull the lever up slowly and
gently.
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Maintenance and service
Parking brake strokeCheck the parking brake stroke according
to the maintenance schedule in the “Saab
Warranty and Service Record Booklet”.
When the parking brake is properly adjust-
ed, braking power is fully applied by pull-
ing the lever up seven to eight notches
gently but firmly (approximately 44 lbs
[196 N, 20 kg]). If the parking brake lever
stroke is not within the specified range,
have the brake system checked and ad-
justed at your Saab dealer.
Tires and wheels
Types of tiresYou should be familiar with type of tires
present on your vehicle.
The factory-fitted tires are all-season tires
except for the 17-inch tires that are option-
al on the Aero (those are summer tires).

All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
an adequate measure of traction, handling
and braking performance in year-round
driving including snowy and icy road con-
ditions. However all season tires do not of-
fer as much traction performance as win-
ter (snow) tires in heavy or loose snow or
on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by “ALL
SEASON” and/or “M+S” (Mud & Snow) on
the tire sidewall.

Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
tires best suited for highway driving under
dry conditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for driving
on slippery roads such as on snow-cov-
ered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered
or icy roads, we strongly recommend the
use of winter (snow) tires.When installing winter tires, be sure to re-
place all four tires.

Winter (snow) tires
Winter tires are best suited for driving on
snow-covered and icy roads. However
winter tires do not perform as well as sum-
mer tires and all season tires on roads oth-
er than snow-covered and icy roads.

Tire inspectionCheck on a daily basis that the tires are
free from serious damage, nails, and
stones. At the same time, check the tires
for abnormal wear.
Contact your Saab dealer immediately if
you find any problem.NOTE
When the wheels and tires strike
curbs or are subjected to harsh treat-
ment as when the vehicle is driven on a
rough surface, they can suffer damage
that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
This type of damage does not become
evident until time has passed. Try not
to drive over curbs, potholes or on oth-
er rough surfaces. If doing so is un-
avoidable, keep the vehicle’s speed
down to a walking pace or less, and ap-
proach the curbs as squarely as possi-
ble. Also, make sure the tires are not
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Maintenance and service
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pressed against the curb when you
park the vehicle.

If you feel unusual vibration while
driving or find it difficult to steer the ve-
hicle in a straight line, one of the tires
and/or wheels may be damaged. Drive
slowly to the nearest authorized Saab
dealer and have the vehicle inspected.
Tire pressures and wearMaintaining the correct tire pressures
helps to maximize the tires’ service lives
and is essential for good running perfor-
mance. Check and, if necessary, adjust
the pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month (for example,
during a fuel stop) and before any long
journey.Check the tire pressures when the tires
are cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust
the tire pressures to the values shown on
the tire label. The tire label is located on
the door pillar on the driver’s side.
Driving even a short distance warms up
the tires and increases the tire pressures.
Also, the tire pressures are affected by the
outside temperature. It is best to check tire
pressure outdoors before driving the vehi-
cle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air inside
it expands, causing the tire pressure to in-
crease. Be careful not to mistakenly re-
lease air from a warm tire to reduce its
pressure.
NOTE
The air pressure in a tire increases
by approximately 4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3
kgf/cm
2) when the tire becomes warm.

The tires are considered cold when
the vehicle has been parked for at least
three hours or has been driven less
than one mile (1.6 km).
Incorrect tire pressures detract from con-
trollability and ride comfort, and they
cause the tires to wear abnormally.

Correct tire pressure (tread worn
evenly)
Roadholding is good, and steering is re-
sponsive. Rolling resistance is low, so fuel
consumption is also lower.
D00120
Do not let air out of warm tires to ad-
just pressure. Doing so will result in
low tire pressure.
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Maintenance and service

Abnormally low tire pressure (tread
worn at shoulders)
Rolling resistance is high, so fuel con-
sumption is also higher.
Abnormally high tire pressure (tread
worn in center)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magni-
fies the effects of road-surface bumps and
dips, possibly resulting in vehicle damage.
If the label shows tire pressures for the ve-
hicle when fully loaded and for the vehicle
when towing a trailer, adjust the tire pres-
sures to the values that match current
loading conditions.

Wheel balanceEach wheel was correctly balanced when
your vehicle was new, but the wheels will
become unbalanced as the tires become
worn during use. Wheel imbalance caus-
es the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at
certain vehicle speeds and detracts from
the vehicle’s straight-line stability. It can
also cause steering and suspension sys-
tem problems and abnormal tire wear. If
you suspect that the wheels are not cor-
rectly balanced, have them checked and
adjusted by your Saab dealer. Also have
them adjusted after tire repairs and after
tire rotation.NOTELoss of correct wheel alignment* caus-
es the tires to wear on one side and re-
duces the vehicle’s running stability.
B00051
B00052
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of vehi-
cle control could lead to an acci-
dent.
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Maintenance and service
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Contact your Saab dealer if you notice
abnormal tire wear.*: The suspension system is designed to hold
each wheel at a certain alignment (relative to
the other wheels and to the road) for optimum
straight-line stability and cornering perfor-
mance.
Wear indicators1) New tread
2) Worn tread
3) Tread wear indicatorEach tire incorporates a tread wear indica-
tor, which becomes visible when the depth
of the tread grooves decreases to 0.063 in
(1.6 mm). A tire must be replaced when
the tread wear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
NOTEFor safety, inspect tire tread regularly
and replace the tires before their tread
wear indicators become visible.
Tire rotation
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. To
maximize the life of each tire and ensure
that the tires wear uniformly, it is best to
rotate the tires every 7,500 miles (12,500
km). Rotating the tires involves switching
the front and rear tires on the right-hand
side of the vehicle and similarly switching
the front and rear tires on the left-hand
side of the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn
tire at the time of rotation. After tire rota-
tion, adjust the tire pressures and make
sure the wheel nuts are correctly tight-
ened.
After driving approximately 600 miles
(1,000 km), check the wheel nuts again
and retighten any nut that has become
loose.
Tire replacementThe wheels and tires are important and in-
tegral parts of your vehicle’s design; they
cannot be changed arbitrarily. The tires fit-
ted as standard equipment are optimally
matched to the characteristics of the vehi-
cle and were selected to give the best pos-
sible combination of running performance,
ride comfort, and service life. It is essential
for every tire to have a size and construc-
tion matching those shown on the tire la-
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When a tire’s tread wear indicator
becomes visible, the tire is worn be-
yond the acceptable limit and must
be replaced immediately. With a tire
in this condition, driving at high
speeds in wet weather can cause
the vehicle to hydroplane. The re-
sulting loss of vehicle control can
lead to an accident.
B00054
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Maintenance and service
bel and to have a speed symbol and load
index matching those shown on the tire la-
bel.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts
from controllability, ride comfort, braking
performance, speedometer accuracy and
odometer accuracy. It also creates incor-
rect body-to-tire clearances and inappro-
priately changes the vehicle’s ground
clearance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of
manufacturer, brand (tread pattern), con-
struction, and size. You are advised to re-
place the tires with new ones that are
identical to those fitted as standard equip-
ment.
For safe vehicle operation, Saab recom-
mends replacing all four tires at the same
time.
NOTEUnidirectional tires: Some tires have a
specified direction of rotation. A tire of
this type has an arrow or other mark on
its side wall to indicate the direction of
rotation. Install it so that the direction
of rotation is correct when the vehicle
is driven forward.

Wheel replacementWhen replacing wheels due, for example,
to damage, make sure the replacement
wheels match the specifications of the
wheels that are fitted as standard equip-
ment. Replacement wheels are available
from Saab dealers.
B00480

All four tires must be the same in
terms of manufacturer, brand
(tread pattern), construction, de-
gree of wear, speed symbol, load
index and size. Mixing tires of dif-
ferent types, sizes or degrees of
wear can result in damage to vehi-
cle’s power train. Use of different
types or sizes of tires can also
dangerously reduce controllabili-
ty and braking performance and
can lead to an accident.

Use only radial tires. Do not use
radial tires together with belted
bias tires and/or bias-ply tires. Do-
ing so can dangerously reduce
controllability, resulting in an ac-
cident.
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