2006 SAAB 9-3 parking brake

198 Starting and drivingTowing a trailer3Make sure you are familiar with the legal
requirements regarding speed limits for
towing, maximum trailer weights, trailer
braking requirements, and also any spe-
cial driving licence provisions.
Trailer hitch attachment3Trailer hitch attachments are available as
accessories. These are designed for a max-
imum trailer weight of 3500 lbs (1588 kg),
with trailer brakes.
An electrical connection3 for the towbar
and an electrical unit are provided in the
electrical centre on the left-hand side of the
luggage compartment.
The Saab genuine electrical socket enables
a battery in the trailer on tow to be charged
while driving. Also, if the car has SPA, this
is deactivated automatically if a trailer is
hitched up and correctly connected to the
Saab genuine trailer socket.
Saab recommendations:
 Use a genuine Saab trailer hitch that is
designed and tested for your Saab.
 Contact your Saab dealer for advice on
which trailer hitch is designed for your car.
WARNING
 Do not drive with a trailer on inclines
steeper than 15 %. The load on the
drive (front) wheels will be so low that
the wheels can start to spin and
prevent further progress.
 In addition, the car’s parking brake
may not always be sufficient to hold
the car and trailer securely, as the
wheels may start to slide.
 Always apply the trailer’s parking
brake when unhitching it. There is
otherwise a risk of personal injury or
damage to the bumper should the
trailer start to roll.
 When you hitch up the trailer be sure
to attach its safety chains to the holes
by the hitch.93U S M 06.book Page 198 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
ProCarManuals.com

207 Starting and driving
Always try to keep the towrope taut by
gently applying the brake of the car on tow,
as necessary. This will avoid the towrope
being jerked violently.
Cars with automatic transmission:
Always observe the speed limit for vehicles
on tow. Whatever the speed limit, the car
must not be towed at speeds exceeding
30 mph (50 km/h) nor for a distance of more
than 30 miles (50 km). If the car needs to be
transported over a longer distance, a tow
truck or flatbed truck must be called out.
The engine cannot be started by towing or
pushing the car. In an emergency, the
engine can be started as described under
"Jump starting" on page 208.
Vehicle recoveryIf the car has to be transported on a flatbed
truck, or similar, it must be securely
strapped down. There are attachment
points for this purpose on the underside of
the car. The attachment points are oblong
hole that have been reinforced to cope with
the stresses that arise during this type of
transport.
Transporting the car
NOTICE The car must be towed front first.
 If the car is to be towed with the front
wheels off the ground, make sure the
parking brake is off, as this acts on the
rear wheels.
NOTICEIf a car with sports (lowered) chassis is
transported, for example on a flat bed
truck, take extra care not to damage the
spoiler and/or underbody.
Attachment points for anchorage straps
93U S M 06.book Page 207 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
ProCarManuals.com

209 Starting and driving
It is essential when a donor battery is to be
used to jump start the car that the jump
leads be connected correctly to prevent
arcing.
To jump start your vehicle:
1 Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground
system.2 Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure the
vehicles are not touching each other. If a
poor connection on the negative jumper
cable should exist, it is possible for
damage to be caused to electrical
systems/components of either vehicle
should inadvertent contact be made.
You would not be able to start your car
and bad grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
3 Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Turn off lights that are not needed, and
radios. This will avoid sparks and help
save both batteries and it could save
your radio.4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (–) termi-
nals on the battery.NOTICEIgnoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be
covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your car by pushing or pull-
ing it could damage your vehicle, even if
you have a manual transmission. If you
have an automatic transmission, your
vehicle cannot be started by pushing or
pulling it.
NOTICEIf the other system is not a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged.
WARNING
You could be injured if the vehicles roll.
Set the parking brake firmly on each vehi-
cle. Put an automatic transmission in P
(Park) or a manual transmission in
Neutral.
NOTICEIf you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
WARNING
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.Jump starting
93U S M 06.book Page 209 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
ProCarManuals.com

224 Car careBrake/clutch fluid and
brake padsCheckingBrake fluid should be changed according to
the service program. Refer to the Warranty
and Service Book.
The brake and clutch fluid reservoir is trans-
parent to facilitate checking of the fluid level.
The fluid level should lie between the MAX
and MIN marks.If the level drops too low, the following
message appears on the SID:
Top up as necessary with DOT 4 brake
fluid. Do not use DOT 5 fluid.
Use only new brake fluid from a sealed
container.
The brake fluid level will fall somewhat as
the brake pads wear. The MAX level in the
reservoir corresponds to the amount of
brake fluid required with new brake pads. If
the fall in fluid level is moderate, due to
normal brake pad wear, topping up is not
necessary.
If the brake fluid should require chang-
ing, this must be carried out at a Saab
dealer. We recommend that you contact
a Saab dealer.
The foot brake and parking brake are self-
adjusting.
It is not possible to detect, through abnormal
pedal or parking brake lever travel, whether
the brake pads are worn and need replac-
ing. It is therefore essential that brake pads
be checked regularly, as specified in the
service program.Brake pads should only be changed at a
workshop. We recommend that you con-
tact a Saab dealer. To ensure optimum
brake performance we recommend the
use of Saab genuine brake pads.
WARNING
Brake fluid deteriorates as it becomes
old. Because it is hygroscopic, it absorbs
water from the air and, in time, could allow
vapor to form in the brake system, thus
reducing its performance. It is therefore
important that brake fluid be changed
regularly, as specified in the service
program.
Brake fluid level low.
Make a safe stop.
Contact Saab dealer.
NOTICEAvoid spilling brake fluid onto paintwork,
since it can cause the paint to bubble and
lift. If any brake fluid is spilled, the area
should be flushed with large quantities of
water as quickly as possible.Brake fluid reservoir
93U S M 06.book Page 224 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
ProCarManuals.com

232 Car care
Changing bulbsAutochecking of lightsThe bulbs that are most important from the point of view of traffic
safety are monitored by the car’s electrical system. If one of these
bulbs should fail, a message will be displayed on the SID.
Example of SID message:
The following bulbs are not checked: parking lights, front fog lights,
reversing lights, license plate lighting, side marker lights and side
direction indicators.
SportCombi
The tail lights and brake lights consist of LEDs. If approx. 3/4 of the
LEDs on one side are broken then this is indicated in the SID.If a stop light bulb fails
Sport Sedan: If a stop light bulb fails, the adjacent taillight will act
as a stop light to ensure traffic safety. Change the broken bulb when
possible.
All rear light bulbs are of the same type and rated 21 W, with the
exception of the license plate lighting which is rated 5 W.
Wrong bulb fitted
If a dipped or main beam bulb of too high a rating is fitted, a bulb
failure message will be shown on the SID (a too high wattage bulb
can damage the reflector).
If the following message is displayed but the bulb shines, it is most
likely that an incorrect bulb has been fitted.
Note:
When changing bulbs, fit the same type of bulb (e.g. Long-Life)
as that removed.
Headlight aiming, page 283.
WARNING
Before changing a bulb in the engine bay, switch off the engine
to avoid the danger of fingers and hands being injured by moving
parts.
The radiator fan can cut in even when the engine is switched off.NOTICESwitch off the ignition before changing a bulb, to avoid possible
short-circuiting.
Left low beam failure.
Right high beam failure.
93U S M 06.book Page 232 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
ProCarManuals.com

246 Car care
Bulb tableNo. Designation Watt-
age
1 H7 55 Headlight
2 H3 55 Front fog lights3
3 P21W 21 Taillights; rear fog light; brake lights;
reversing lights
4 PY21W 21 Direction indicator, front/rear
5 R10W 10 Rear dome lighting; courtesy
lighting3; glove box lighting; trunk
lighting, Convertible
6 R5W 5 License plate lighting; trunk lighting,
Sport Sedan
7 T4W 4 Reading light, rear
8 WY5W/W5W 5 Side-mounted turn signal (yellow);
parking lights; front dome lightingNOTICEOnly fit lamps of the specified rating. Lamps of the wrong wattage
could damage the wiring harness and electronics.
93U S M 06.book Page 246 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
ProCarManuals.com

250 Car care
Trunk fuse panel, left-hand sideNo. Amp. Function
1–5 MAXI -
6 30 Control module in left rear door
7 30 Control module in right rear door
820Trailer3
9--
1030 Left-hand brake light; rear right turn signal; right tail-
light; right reversing light; high-mounted brake light;
trailer lights
11 - -
12 - -
13 - -
14 - -
15 15 Seat heating, left seat3
16 15 Seat heating, right seat3
17 7.5 Autodimming rearview mirror3; rain sensor3
18 15 Sunroof3
19 7.5 Telematics (OnStar)3
20 7.5 DVD player (navigation system)3
217.5 Saab Parking Assistance (SPA)3; control module in
rear doors
22 30 Amplifier, sound system III3
23 - -
24 10 Movement sensor3; CD changer in trunk 3
25 30 Electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory3
Trunk fuse panel, Sport Sedan93U S M 06.book Page 250 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
ProCarManuals.com

252 Car careFuse panel in engine bayNo. Amp. Function
1--
210 Engine control module; automatic transmission con-
trol module3
320Horn
4 10 Engine control module; battery disconnect switch3
5--
610 Selector lever, automatic transmission3; clutch pedal
switch
7--
8 5 Relay for vacuumpump (brake system)3
9--
10 - -
11 - -
12 10 Washer fluid pump, rear window3
13 - -
14 - -
15 30 Washer fluid pump, headlights3
1630 Front right parking light; front right turn signal; left and
right side turn signal; right high beam; left low beam;
front left fog light3
17 30 Windshield wiper motor, low speed
18 30 Windshield wiper motor, high speed
19 20 Parking heater; auxiliary heater3
20 10 Headlight levelling3
21 - -
22 30 Washer fluid pump, windshield
23 - -
24 20 Flash-to-pass
25 20 Amplifier, sound system II3
2630 Front left turn signal; front left parking light; front right
fog light3; right low beam; left high beam
27
–37MAXI
93U S M 06.book Page 252 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
ProCarManuals.com