2006 SAAB 9-2X transmission fluid

3-12
Instruments and controls

AT OIL TEMPerature
warning light (AT vehi-
cles)The AT oil temperature warning light
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after approximately two seconds.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving, it is un-
necessary to stop the vehicle, but avoid
driving up steep grades or in stop and go
traffic.

Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts,
it may indicate that the automatic trans-
mission control system is not working
properly. Contact your nearest Saab deal-
er for service immediately.

ABS warning light The ABS warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion and goes out after approximately two
seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system
is working properly.
With a vehicle equipped with an Electronic
Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system,
the ABS warning light comes on together
with the brake system warning light if the
EBD system becomes faulty. For further
details of the EBD system fault warning,
refer to “Brake system warning light”.NOTEIf the warning light behavior is as de-
scribed in the following, the ABS sys-
tem may be considered normal.

The warning light comes on right af-
ter the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.

The warning light remains on after
the engine has been started, but it goes
out when the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 8 mph (12 km/h).

The warning light comes on during
driving, but it goes out immediately
and remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jump
started, the ABS warning light may come
on. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction. Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.
When the warning light is on, the
ABS function shuts down; however,
the conentional brake system con-
tinues to operate normally.
If the warning light behaves as fol-
lows, the ABS system may not work
properly.

The warning light does not come
on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position.

The warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, but it does not go
out even when the vehicle speed
exceeds approximately 8 mph (12
km/h).

The warning light comes on dur-
ing driving.
(U.S.)
(Canada)
If any of these conditions occur,
have the ABS system repaired at the
first available opportunity by your
Saab dealer.
A1910BE-A-GSAAB.book Page 12 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

7-6
Starting and operating

A vehicle fails
the OBD inspection if the
“CHECK ENGINE” warning light/MIL is
not properly operating or there is one or
more diagnostic trouble codes stored in
vehicle’s computer with the “CHECK EN-
GINE” warning light/MIL illuminated.

A state emission inspection may reject
(not pass or fail) a vehicle if the number of
OBD system readiness monitors “Not
Ready” is greater than one. Under this
condition, the vehicle operator should be
instructed to drive his/her vehicle for a few
days to set the monitors and return for an
emission re-inspection.

Owners of rejected or failing vehicles
should contact their Saab Dealer for ser-
vice.
Preparing to driveYou should perform the following checks
and adjustments every day before you
start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and
lights are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition of
the tires. Also check tires for proper infla-
tion.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of
leaks.
4. Check that the hood, trunk and rear lift-
gate are fully closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and
outside mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your
passengers have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning and
indicator lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warn-
ing lights after starting the engine.NOTEEngine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid,
washer fluid and other fluid levels
should be checked daily, weekly or at
fuel stops.
Starting the engine
Manual transmission vehicle1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3. Press the clutch pedal to the floor and
shift the shift lever into neutral. Hold the
clutch pedal to the floor while starting the
engine.
The starter motor will only operate when
the clutch pedal is pressed fully to the
floor.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” po-
sition and check the operation of the warn-
ing and indicator lights. Refer to the
“Warning and indicator lights” section
(chapter 3).
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START”
position without depressing the accelera-
tor pedal. Release the key immediately af-
ter the engine has started.Do not operate the starter motor
continuously for more than ten sec-
onds. If the engine fails to start after
operating the starter for five to ten
seconds, wait for ten seconds or
more before trying again.
A1910BE-A-GSAAB.book Page 6 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

7-10
Starting and operating
grade. Either of those actions may cause
clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle
speed due to slow traffic, turning corners,
or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to la-
bor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as
necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking
effect. Remember, if you “ride” (over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock
when the vehicle rapidly accelerates or
rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This
phenomenon is not an indication of a
problem in your vehicle.
Automatic transmissionThe automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 4 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed.NOTE
When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up.

Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected
and stored in memory to allow the
transmission to shift at the most ap-
propriate times for the current condi-
tion of your vehicle. Optimized shifting
will be restored as the vehicle contin-
ues to be driven for a while.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” po-
sition into the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or
“R” position while depressing the
accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or back-
ward.

Shift into the “P” or “R” position
only after the vehicle is complete-
ly stopped. Shifting while the ve-
hicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.

Do not race the engine for more
than five seconds in any position
except the “N” or “P” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.

Avoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the
“R” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
A1910BE-A-GSAAB.book Page 10 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

7-12
Starting and operating
NOTEIf you stop the engine with the selector
lever in the “N” position, move the se-
lector lever to the “P” position immedi-
ately. Otherwise, you may find that the
selector lever soon cannot be moved
to the “P” position. If you find that the
selector lever cannot be moved from
the “N” position to the “P” position,
turn the ignition switch to the “ON” po-
sition and try again.
D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 4th according to
the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the accelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift
to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you releasethe pedal, the transmission will return to
the original gear position.
While climbing a grade
When driving up hill, undesired upshift to
4th gear is prevented from taking place
when the accelerator pedal is released.
This minimizes the chances of subse-
quent downshifting to a lower gear when
accelerating again. This prevents repeat-
ed upshifting and downshifting resulting in
a smoother operation of the vehicle.
NOTEThe transmission may downshift to
2nd or 1st gear, depending on the way
the accelerator pedal is pressed to ac-
celerate the vehicle again.
While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing
the brake pedal will cause the transmis-
sion to downshift to 3rd gear, thus apply-
ing engine braking. Reacceleration for a
short time will cause the transmission to
upshift normally.NOTEIn some cases, depressing the brake
pedal on a downhill grade does not re-
sult in an automatic downshift to 3rd
gear. This can happen when the auto-
matic transmission fluid temperature isvery low, for example, during driving
shortly after the vehicle has been
parked for an extended period of time.
When the ATF temperature has risen to
a certain level, automatic downshift
normally takes place. In the meantime,
downshift manually for engine braking
as required.

3 (Third)
This position is for using engine braking
when going down a hill or for climbing a
grade.
The transmission automatically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 3rd according
to the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the accelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift
to 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the
pedal, the transmission will return to the
original gear position.

2 (Second)
This position is for using engine braking
when going down a hill or for climbing a
steep grade.
In this position, the transmission holds in
the 2nd gear.
Use this position when starting off from a Do not drive the vehicle with the se-
lector lever in the “N” (neutral) posi-
tion. Engine braking has no effect in
this condition and the risk of an ac-
cident is consequently increased.
A1910BE-A-GSAAB.book Page 12 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

Driving tips
8-7
8
– CONTINUED –
Keep the door locks from freezing by
squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage
or separate the rubber weather strips
around the door. If the door is frozen, use
hot water to melt the ice, and afterwards
thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that con-
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes be-
cause they may damage the paint of the
vehicle.

Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that
could make the pedals slippery and dan-
gerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driv-
ing, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operate
smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has accu-
mulated under the fenders to avoid mak-
ing steering difficult. During severe winter
driving, stop when and where it is safe to
do so and check under the fenders period-
ically.
Parking in cold weather
Do not use the parking brake when park-
ing for long periods in cold weather since
it could freeze in that position. Instead, ob-
serve the following.
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for
manual transmission vehicles, and in “P”
for automatic transmission vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent
the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked af-
ter use on roads heavily covered with
snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-
ness.

Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weath-
er.
Use only additives that are specifically de-
signed for this purpose. When an anti-
freeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your Saab is not going to be used for an
extended period, it is best to have the fuel
tank filled to capacity.
Driving on snowy and icy
roadsTo prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance betweenSnow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the engine
running.
A1910BE-A-G08SAAB.fm Page 7 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:55 AM
ProCarManuals.com

8-20
Driving tips
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn.

If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed im-
mediately by the nearest Saab dealer.

Driving on grades

Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.

When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.

When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge
pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP
warning light (for AT vehicles) since the
engine and transmission are relatively
prone to overheating under these condi-
tions. If the water temperature gauge
pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone
or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates, immediately switch off the air con-
ditioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest
safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheat-
ing” section in chapter 9, and “Warning
and indicator lights” section in chapter 3.
If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, avoid using the accelerator pedal
to stay stationary on an uphill slope in-
stead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission
fluid to overheat.

If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, place the selector lever as fol-
lows:
Uphill slopes: “D” position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear posi-
tion to use engine braking

Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehi-
cle and trailer when parking. Apply the
parking brake firmly. You should not park
on a hill or slope. But if parking on a hill or
slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, re-
lease the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then ap-
ply the parking brake; slowly release the
regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manualtransmission) or “P” (automatic transmis-
sion) and shut off the engine.A1910BE-A-GSAAB.book Page 20 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

111
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule ....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions .................................. 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine
compartment ........................................................ 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine
compartment while the engine is running ......... 11-4
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview ......................... 11-6
Non-turbo models ................................................... 11-6
Turbo models .......................................................... 11-7
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-8
Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-8
Changing the oil and oil filter ................................ 11-8
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-11
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe
driving conditions ................................................ 11-11
Synthetic oil ............................................................ 11-12
Cooling system .................................................. 11-12
Cooling fan, hose and connections ...................... 11-12
Engine coolant ........................................................ 11-13
Air cleaner element ............................................ 11-15
Replacing the air cleaner element ......................... 11-16
Spark plugs ......................................................... 11-18
Recommended spark plugs ................................... 11-18
Drive belts ........................................................... 11-18
Manual transmission oil .................................... 11-19
Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-19
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-20
Automatic transmission fluid ............................ 11-20
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-20
Recommended fluid ............................................... 11-21
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ............ 11-22
Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-22
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-22
Rear differential gear oil .................................... 11-23
Checking the gear oil level .................................... 11-23
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-23
Power steering fluid ........................................... 11-24
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-24
Recommended fluid ............................................... 11-25
Brake fluid ........................................................... 11-25
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-25
Recommended brake fluid ..................................... 11-26
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) .................................. 11-26
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-26
Recommended clutch fluid .................................... 11-27
Brake booster ..................................................... 11-27
Brake pedal ......................................................... 11-27
Checking the brake pedal free play ...................... 11-27
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ......... 11-28
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) ................................ 11-28
Checking the clutch function ................................ 11-28
Checking the clutch pedal free play ..................... 11-28
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............... 11-29
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings .......... 11-29
Parking brake stroke .......................................... 11-30
A1910BE-A-GSAAB.book Page 1 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

11 - 6
Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview
Non-turbo models
12 3456
7 8 9 10 11
1312
B00464
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-19) or Differential gear
oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-22)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level
gauge (page 11-20)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-40)
7) Battery (page 11-39)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-35)
9) Engine coolant reservoir
(page 11-13)
10) Engine coolant reservoir
oil level gauge (page 11-8)
11) Engine oil level gauge filler cap
(page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-13)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
A1910BE-A-GSAAB.book Page 6 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com