2006 SAAB 9-3 wheel

269 Car care
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit1 Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed
XXX pounds” on your vehicle´s
placard.
2 Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3 Substract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.
4 The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if the
“XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb. passengers
in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capac-
ity is 650 lbs. (1400–750 (5x150) =
650 lbs.).5 Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
6 If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehi-
cle.
Winter tiresWinter (snow) tires are recommended for
winter climates where the majority of your
driving will be done on snow and ice. Winter
tires should be fitted to all four wheels to
maintain a proper balance. Your Saab
dealer can advise you of to the correct size
tire for your car (if different from the original
size) and also supply Saab approved winter
tires pre-mounted on steel or alloy rims.
Winter tires normally use a different speed
rating compared to summer/all season tires.
Make sure not to exceed the stated speed
rating on the tires you use.
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270 Car careTire date codeTires should be regarded as perishable
goods. As the tires age, the rubber becomes
progressively harder, and the roadholding
ability of the tires diminishes. This is partic-
ularly true on winter tires.
Tires have a code that specifies their date of
manufacture. The first two digits denote the
week number and the last two digits the
year.
Accordingly, a date code of 3701 signifies
that the tire was manufactured in week 37,
2001.
Compact spareThe compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing the tire. Its use is
only permitted when a standard tire has sus-
tained a puncture. The maximum life of the
tire is only just over 2,000 miles (3,500 km).
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) with the
compact spare fitted.
The tire pressure should be 60 psi
(420 kPa). Put the punctured tire in the
spare wheel well under the trunk floor.
“Driving with the compact spare tire”, see
page 208.
Have the standard tire repaired and refitted
as soon as possible.The spare tire, the tools and the jack with its
crank are carried under a panel in the trunk.
Fold the carpeting forward to ease access to
the tools and spare tire.
The screwdriver handle has a “button” for
removing plastic rivets. This type of rivet
must be removed when changing the light
bulb in the trunk lid (see page 241).
Your Saab is equipped with a trip computer
and you can use its “Speed warning” func-
tion, to monitor driving speed since you
must not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h), see
page 94.
WARNING
The spare tire or punctured tire must be
stowed under the trunk floor, and secured
in place with the retaining nut.
Date code93U S M 06.book Page 270 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
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271 Car care
Driving with a compact wheel
fittedObserve the following when the compact
spare tire is fitted:
 The compact spare is light and easy to
handle when changing a tire.
 Do not drive further than necessary with
the compact spare fitted - the maximum life of the tire is only just over 2,000 miles
(approx. 3,500 km).
 Refit the standard tire as soon as possi-
ble.
Important considerations when driving with
a compact spare tire:
 The car’s ground clearance is reduced.
 The car must not be driven with more than
one compact spare tire at a time.
 Avoid driving against the curb.
 Do not use snow chains.
 Do not fit the wheel cover - this would
conceal the warning text.
WARNING
 Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h). The
tire can overheat affecting the car’s
roadholding.
 Tire pressure: refer to page 304.
 The spare tire or punctured tire must
be stowed under the trunk floor, and
secured in place with the retaining nut.
NOTICETo avoid damaging a alloy wheel of a
punctured tire, this can be temporarily
placed outside up in the spare wheel well
but only while driving to the closest work-
shop.
As a general rule, all heavy loads must be
well secured in the trunk (see page 149).Tools under a panel in the trunk
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273 Car care
Changing a tire
WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
flat tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed if
the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the jack
provided with your vehicle only for chang-
ing a flat tire.
Changing a tire can be dangerous. The
vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over
or fall on you or other people. You and
they could be badly injured or even killed.
Find a level place to change your tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1 Set the parking brake firmly.
2 If you have an automatic transmis-
sion, put the shift lever in PARK (P).
For a manual transmission, leave the
car in gear (1st or REVERSE (R)).
3 Turn off the engine and do not restart
while the vehicle is raised.
4 Do not allow passengers to remain in
the vehicle.
To be even more certain the vehicle won't
move, you should put blocks at the front
and rear of the tire farthest away from the
one being changed. That would be the
tire, on the other side, at the opposite end
of the vehicle.
 The car jack is designed solely for use
in changing a tire or fitting snow
chains. It must not be used to
support the car during repair work
or servicing.
Never crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack. Always use
axle stands.
 Raising your vehicle too high or with
the jack improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle and even make
the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to
fit the jack lift head into the proper
location before raising the vehicle, and
raise the vehicle only far enough off
the ground so there is enough room for
the spare tire to fit (no more than
25 mm or 1 inch clearance between
the ground and the bottom of the tire).
 Switch on the hazard warning lights if
the car is on a road.
 The jack should be stored correctly
under the carpeting in the trunk. If it
lies loose in the car, it could thrown
forward and cause personal injury in
the event of a crash or if the car rolls
over.
 Grit, salt and rust can clog the inner
threads of the wheel bolts if the car has
been driven for several years exclu-
sively with alloy wheels.
If steel wheels are being installed, the
bolt hole threads in the brake hubs
should be cleaned before the thinner
steel wheels are fitted. It may other-
wise not be possible to achieve the
correct clamping force, despite tight-
ening the wheel bolts to the correct
torque.
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274 Car careWhen the car has to be lifted, the jack must
be positioned at one of the four jacking
points (front or rear) under the sill members.
If a floor jack is used, the lifting plate must
be positioned under the normal jacking
points, see illustration. If the car is equipped
with a towbar, the jack can also be placed
under this.
1 Wind the jack up to a suitable height
before placing it under the jacking point.
Each jacking point is indicated by an
arrow on the sill (see illustration).
Make sure that the jack fully engages
the jacking point in the underside of the
sill member and that the entire foot of the
jack is steady and flat on the ground.
The jack must not stand on snow, ice or
similar.
Wind up the jack until it just begins to lift
the car.2 It is not necessary to remove the wheel
cover.
If, none the less, you wish to remove the
wheel cover, take hold of the outer edge
and pull it straight out.
Loosen the wheel bolts half a turn.
3 Wind the jack to raise the wheel clear of
the ground. Remove the wheel bolts and
lift off the wheel.4 Clean any rust or dirt from the contact
surfaces between the wheel and brake
disc. Do not wipe away the grease in the
wheel hub.
5 Add a thin layer of grease on the bolts
before fitting, see page 276. Fit the
wheel and screw in the bolts in the
sequence shown on page 276 (opposite
pairs).
Tighten the bolts enough for the bolts
and wheel to be seated correctly.
6 Lower the car and tighten the wheel
bolts to torque in sequence as shown on
page 276.
Tightening torque:
Light-alloy wheels: 80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
Steel wheels: 80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).NOTICEApply the jack only to the jacking points
indicated on the body.
Jacking points
Marking of jacking points
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275 Car care
7 Retouching the wheel bolts after twenty
or so miles.
Tightening torque:
Light-alloy wheels: 80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
Steel wheels: 80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
We advise against using wheels with large
ventilation slots in winter, as the brake com-
ponents are then more exposed to slush,
road salt and grit.
If you fit wheels of a different dimension, the
speedometer can be reprogrammed to
ensure it is as accurate as possible. We rec-
ommend that you contact a Saab dealer.
Driving with tire chains 3, see page 196
NOTICE Do not overtighten the bolts using a
impact wrench: not only can this
damage the wheels but it can also
make it impossible to undo the bolts
using the wheel wrench in the car’s
toolkit.
 When refitting a wheel cover, make
sure that the valve protrudes through
the marked recess in the wheel cover.
Do not wipe away the grease in the wheel
hub.
Clean any rust or dirt from the contact sur-
faces between the wheel and brake disc.
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276 Car care
Safety beltsCheck the function of the safety belts regu-
larly as follows:
 Hold the diagonal strap and pull it sharply.
The safety belt should lock and it should
not be possible to withdraw it further.
Check the anchorage points in the floor.
They must not have suffered rust damage.
If a belt is worn or has any fraying edges, it
should be replaced.
Safety belts must not come into contact with
substances such as polishes, oil or chemi-
cals. If the belts get dirty, wash them with
warm water and a detergent or have them
replaced.
Upholstery and trimTo remove fluff and hairs from the seats,
door armrests and headlining, use a
vacuum cleaner, a moist lint-free cloth, or a
clothes brush. Remove spots and dirt using
a cloth moistened with lukewarm soapy
water.
When using a stain remover, always work
from the outside towards the centre to avoid
leaving a ring. If a soiled ring or spot should
remain, it can usually be removed using
lukewarm soapy water or water alone.
Spots left by liquids, such as soft drinks or
thin oil, must be removed at once with an
absorbent material, such as kitchen towel-
ling. Then clean with a stain remover.
White spirit is recommended for removing
grease and oil stains. A medium stiff brush
may also be used.
WARNING
If the car is involved in a crash, the safety
belts, belt pretensioners and other asso-
ciated components must be inspected.
We recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer.
Never make any alterations or repairs to
the safety belts yourself. We recommend
that you contact a Saab dealer dealer.
Tightening sequence, wheel boltsGrease the surfaces indicated with a thin
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280 Car careAnti-corrosion
treatmentThe entire car undergoes a series of anti-
corrosion processes during production.
These include electrophoretic priming,
PVC-based coating to protect against stone
chip damage and corrosion, and treatment
of body cavities and members with thin,
penetrating rustproofing oil.
In addition, most body panels, such as the
hood, doors and floor pan are galvanized.
The anti-corrosion treatment on some parts
of the car is constantly exposed to wear and
prone to damage. This applies particularly
to the underside of the car and inside the
wheel arches, where grit, road salt and the
like that are thrown up can give rise to cor-
rosion where the underseal has worn away.
The extent of this obviously depends on the
conditions in which the car is used.
Accordingly, make it a habit to hose the
underside of the car often and to inspect the
condition of the underseal. The anti-corro-
sion warranty does not relieve the car owner
of the need to carry out normal maintenance
to the rustproofing and to make good any
damage.Use a hose to clean the underside of the car
thoroughly. After it has dried, use a brush or
spray to apply a viscous anti-corrosion
agent to any worn or damaged areas, to
prevent the onset of corrosion.
Even after the anti-corrosion warranty has
expired, it makes good sense to continue to
maintain the rustproofing.
Seams in the body, especially those in the
doors and trunk lid, are particularly vulnera-
ble to corrosion from the outside, caused by
grit and salt thrown up from the road, and to
corrosion from the inside, largely as a result
of condensation. Keep the seams clean and
at the first sign of any rust, apply a thin, pen-
etrating, anti-corrosion oil. Your Saab
dealer will be pleased to give you further
advice.
What causes rust?Steel body panels of automobiles are sub-
ject to rusting whenever air and moisture
manage to penetrate the protective finish.
Body panels may rust through if the process
is unchecked. Rusting can occur wherever
water is trapped or where the car’s panels
are continuously damp.
Damage to paint and undercoating by
stones, gravel and minor crashes immedi-
ately exposes metal to air and moisture.
Road salts used for de-icing will collect on
the bottom of the car and promote rusting.
Areas of the country with high humidity have
a greater potential for rust problems, espe-
cially where salt is used on roads or there is
moist sea air. Industrial pollution (fallout)
may also damage paint and promote rust-
ing.
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