2006 SAAB 9-3 Owners Manual

113 Instruments and controls
Air ventsThe air vents swivel universally, so that air
can be directed as desired. In winter, for
instance, the outer vents can be directed
onto the door windows for enhanced
demisting.
The amount of air can be individually con-
trolled by the regulator on each vent. If you
wish to reduce the airflow, start by half-
shutting the vent in question.The air conditioning is combined with the
conventional climate control system and
is switched on by pressing the but-
ton, provided that the fan control is in
position 1-5.
The incoming air is treated in three stages:
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu-
midified and cooled; and finally, if required,
it is heated.
If the engine coolant gets too hot, the A/C
compressor will be turned off.
Convertible: When the soft top or all the
windows are open in a hot, humid climate, it
is recommended to switch off the air condi-
tioning to save fuel. Also, if the air condition-
ing is on, condensation may form on cold
surfaces such as the floor air ducts.
Condensation waterWhen the A/C compressor is on, the incom-
ing air is dehumidified. The resulting con-
densation water is drained away through an
outlet under the car.
It is therefore perfectly normal for water to
be seen dripping from this outlet when the
car is parked. The warmer the ambient air
and the higher the humidity, the more con-
densation will form.
When the button is pressed, the reg-
ular air intake will be closed. In this mode,
the air inside the cabin is recirculated.
Use recirculation when you wish for rapid
cooling at very high outside temperatures.
Switch the air conditioning (A/C) on first.
If necessary, recirculation can be switched
on manually to avoid unpleasant air from
entering the car.
Only use recirculation for a short period
of time at temperatures lower than 50°F
(+10°C), such as to avoid unpleasant air.
Mist or ice may otherwise form on the
windows.
Air conditioning (A/C)
Recirculation
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114 Instruments and controlsThis button is located under the fan speed
control.
Always switch off the heating as soon as the
rear window is free from ice and mist. It will
be turned off automatically after 12 minutes.
Refrain from placing sharp objects on the
parcel shelf, to avoid damaging the heating
element.
Convertible: The rear window heating is
not turned on if the soft top is folded down.The seat cushions and backrests of the front
seats are heated.
The heating is thermostatically controlled
and set at approx. 104°F (40°C).
Switch off the seat heating once the seat is
warm.
Electrically heated rear
window/external mirrors
Electric heating, front
seats3
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115 Instruments and controls
Automatic climate-
control system (ACC)Fresh air for the cabin is drawn in through an
inlet at the bottom edge of the windshield. It
passes through an effective filter before
reaching the climate control system and
delivery into the cabin. The air is evacuated
via openings in the parcel shelf. It is then led
through outlets on either side of the car
behind the rear bumper.
The Automatic Climate-Control system
(ACC) automatically maintains the desired
cabin temperature, regardless of the
weather outside.
The system will achieve the desired temper-
ature in the quickest possible way.
Note that heating or cooling is not
speeded up by setting the temperature
higher or lower than the final tempera-
ture you desire.
To optimize the performance of the air con-
ditioning system, all windows and the sun-
roof should be shut. The air vents in the
fascia must be open.
The incoming air is treated in three stages:
first it passes through a filter; it is then dehu-
midified and cooled; and finally, if required,
it is heated.To reduce potential misting on the insides of
the windows, the glass should be cleaned
with a quality glass cleaner. How often this
will need to be done depends on how clean
the air is - if there are smokers in the car, the
windows will need to be cleaned more
frequently.
ACC panel1 Temperature setting: left-hand side
2 Manual setting of air distribution
3 Recirculation
4 AUTO (automatic regulation)
5A/C
6 Defroster
7 Rear window heating
8 Temperature setting: right-hand side
9 Seat heating, front right seat10 Manual increase of fan speed
11 Hazard warning lights
12 Manual decrease of fan speed
13 Seat heating, front left seat
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116 Instruments and controlsTemperature controlThe cabin is divided into two temperature
zones:
1 Driver’s zone.
2 Passenger zone.
The temperature in the rear seat will be a
mixture of the two zones.
If you choose the single zone setting, the
entire cabin is treated as one zone. If you
choose the dual zone setting, settings can
be made separately for the driver’s zone
and passenger zone.
Select between single and dual zone set-
tings under Profiler (see page 124).
The cabin temperature can be set to
between 58–82°F (15–27°C). In addition, HI
(maximum heating and high fan speed) and
LO (maximum cooling and maximum fan
speed) can be selected. HI and LO can only
be selected for the passenger zone if the
driver has selected the same setting.The displayed temperature is not the actual
air temperature but corresponds to the
comfort level normally experienced at that
temperature after allowance has been
made for the airflow, relative humidity, solar
radiation, and so on, currently prevailing
inside the car.
 The most usual temperature setting is
between 66–74°F (19–23°C), depending
on personal preference and what clothing
is worn.
 Change the temperature setting in 2°F
(1°C) steps.
 Make sure the air vents are open when
cooling the cabin in warm weather.
Settings when HI is selected:
 Maximum heat
 Air distribution to windshield and floor
 High fan speed (6 bars on the fan display).
Settings when LO is selected:
 Maximum cooling
 Air distribution to air vents in fascia
 Maximum fan speed (8 bars on the fan
display).
 Recirculation ON (depending on outside
temperature).
Air ventsThe air vents swivel universally, so that air
can be directed as desired. In winter, for
instance, the outer vents can be directed
onto the door windows for enhanced
demisting.
The amount of air can be individually con-
trolled by the regulator on each vent. If you
wish to reduce the airflow, start by half-
shutting the vent in question.
Certain variants have an air vent on the rear
of the floor console.Panel vent
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117 Instruments and controls
The system uses four sensors:
 Outside air temperature sensor
 Cabin air temperature sensor
 Sun sensor
 Blended air temperature sensors (located
in the heater unit and the outer panel vent
duct).
The sun sensor is located centrally on the
top of the fascia.
Note:
If the sun sensor is covered, the ACC
system will not be able to regulate the cabin
climate as intended, especially in strong
sunshine.Condensation waterWhen the A/C compressor is on, the incom-
ing air is dehumidified. The resulting con-
densation water is drained away through an
outlet under the car.
It is therefore perfectly normal for water to
be seen dripping from this outlet when the
car is parked. The warmer the ambient air
and the higher the humidity, the more con-
densation will form.
Sun- and cabin sensor, Sport Sedan1 Sun sensor
2 Cabin temperature sensor
Sun- and cabin sensor, Convertible1 Sun sensor
2 Cabin temperature sensor
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118 Instruments and controls
FunctionsPressing AUTO will cancel all manual settings.
If a manual function is selected, it will be locked in but other functions
will be controlled automatically.
The selected temperature is always maintained automatically.
Temperature, air distribution, fan speed and recir-
culation will be controlled automatically.
In falling temperatures the A/C compressor is
switched off at approx. 32°F (0 °C).
In rising temperatures the A/C compressor is
switched on at approx. 40°F (+5 °C).
If, when starting the car, the outside air temperature
is between 32°F and 40°F (0 and +5 °C), the A/C
compressor is switched on.
Pressing AUTO once will cancel all previous manual
air distribution selections.
When the engine is started, the ACC system will be
in AUTO mode, provided that no air distribution set-
tings are programmed under Profiler (see
page 124).
The A/C compressor must be turned on and off
manually with the AC button.
The compressor can only be turned on or off while
the engine is running.
This function has two modes:
 AC – The system cools and dehumidifies the
incoming air. This symbol is not shown in the
display.
 AC-OFF – The A/C compressor is switched off.
The incoming air is not cooled or dehumidified.
See also Profiler on page 124.
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119 Instruments and controls
To turn the system OFF, press and hold (or press
repeatedly) the button to reduce the fan speed until
the fan is switched off. Then release the button and
press it once more.
The A/C compressor will now be disengaged. To re-
engage the A/C, press one of the following buttons:

The A/C compressor will be
switched on if it was previously
engaged, and the air distribution
and fan speed will switch to AUTO. Higher fan speed The A/C compressor will be
switched on if it was previously
engaged, the air distribution will return to its previ-
ous setting and fan speed will increase. Defroster The A/C compressor will be
switched on if it was previously
disengaged, the air distribution will switch to
Defroster and the fan speed will increase (6 bars
on the display out of a maximum of 8).
When the system is switched OFF:
 The fan and A/C compressor are switched off.
 The temperature control is set to 0 % heat.
 The current air distribution setting is retained.
 Recirculation can be selected.
The rear window and door mirror heating can be
controlled manually or automatically (refer to
Profiler).
Switch off the rear window and door mirror heating
as soon as the glass is clear. The heating will be
turned off automatically after 12 minutes.
Refrain from placing sharp objects on the parcel
shelf, to avoid damaging the heating element.
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120 Instruments and controls
Recirculation is controlled manually.
Recirculation is not selected when the engine is
started (fresh air mode).
Press or to decrease or increase the fan
speed. This sets the fan speed (fan speed shown on
display).
Refer also to Profiler regarding the possibility to
increase/decrease the automatic fan speed.
Air distribution
When defroster is chosen, all the front windows are
demisted:
 High fan speed
 The air is directed to the defroster vents
 Normal temperature control
 Recirculation OFFRear window and door mirror heating ON
.
The system will remain in defroster mode until the
or button is pressed.
The following three buttons for air distribution can be selected indi-
vidually or in combination. Press the button or selection of buttons
to produce the airflow you desire. Pressing the same button twice
will return the system to AUTO. You can also select automatic air
distribution by pressing the AUTO button.
Initial air distribution to take effect on starting the engine can be set
under Profiler (see page 124).
Airflow to windshield vents.
Airflow to facia air vents.
Airflow to floor vents.
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