2006 SAAB 9-3 recommended oil

222 Car careAir filter
Transmission fluidManual transmission
Check and top up the oil in accordance with
the service program.
Automatic transmission
Check and top up the oil in accordance with
the service program.
CoolantIf the coolant level drops too low, the follow-
ing message appears on the SID:
The properties of the coolant are retained
for the entire service life of the car. There-
fore, it is not necessary to change the cool-
ant.The coolant contains 45 % antifreeze and
anti-corrosion fluid. This ratio gives the best
cooling effect. Lower concentrations should
be avoided, in view of the corrosion risk.
Other brands of antifreeze can damage the
engine and cooling system.
Note:
If incorrect coolant is used or added, the life-
time properties will be affected. Even if the
coolant is flushed from the system and
replaced with life-time coolant, life-time
properties are no longer retained and the
coolant must then be drained and replaced
at regular intervals.
WARNING
To ensure reliable operation, only use
an air filter recommended by Saab
Automobile AB.
WARNING
 Proceed with caution if the radiator is
boiling when you open the hood.
Never remove the expansion-tank
filler cap when the radiator is boiling.
 The cooling system is pressurized –
hot coolant and vapor can escape
when the filler cap is released. These
can cause injury to your eyes and
burns. Loosen the cap carefully, and
let the engine cool before removing
the cap.
 Exercise care when adding coolant.
Coolant on hot surfaces constitutes a
fire risk.
Coolant level low.
Refill.
NOTICEIf the cooling system needs topping up,
mix the antifreeze with the appropriate
quantity of drinking water or distilled
water before adding it to the system.
If undiluted antifreeze is added, the
engine could still freeze and be damaged.
This is because the antifreeze will not mix
properly with the coolant before the ther-
mostat has opened to allow full circula-
tion.
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267 Car care
Loading Your VehicleThis is an example of what your vehicle´s
Tire-Loading Information/Certification label
might look like. It is located on the B-pillar
and shows how much weight your vehicle
may properly carry. The label tells you the
proper size, and recommended inflation
pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It
also gives you important information about
the number of people that can be in your
vehicle and the total weight that you can
carry. This weight is called the Vehicle
Capacity Weight, and includes the weight of
all occupants, cargo and all nonfactory-
installed options.
Tire Terminology and DefinitionsAir Pressure: The amount of air inside the
tire pressing outward on each square inch of
the tire. Air pressure is expressed in pounds
per square inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight: This means the com-
bined weight of optional accessories, for
example, automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power windows,
power seats, radio and air conditioning.
Aspect Ratio: The relationship of a tire´s
height to its width.
Belt: A rubber coated layer of cords that is
located between the plies and the tread.
Cords may be made from steel or other rein-
forcing materials.
Bias Ply Tire: A pneumatic tire in which the
ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at
alternate angles substantially less than 90
degrees to the centerline of the tread.
Cold Inflation Pressure: The amount of air
pressure in a tire, measured in pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa), before
a tire has built up heat from driving. See
“Inflation - Tire Pressure” on page 257.
Curb weight: This means the weight of a
motor vehicle with standard and optional
equipment including the maximum capacity
of fuel, oil and coolant, without passengers
and cargo.DOT Markings: A code molded into the
sidewall of a tire signifying that the tire is in
compliance with the U.S. Department of
Transportation motor vehicle safety stan-
dards. The DOT code includes the Tire
Identification Number (TIN), an alphanu-
meric designator which can also identify the
tire manufacturer, production plant, brand
and date of production.
GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating see
“Loading Your Vehicle” on page 267.
GAWR FRT: Gross Axle Weight Rating for
the front axle, see “Loading Your Vehicle”
on page 295.
GAWR RR: Gross Axle Weight Rating for
the rear axle, see “Loading Your Vehicle” on
page 267.
Intended Outboard Sidewall: The side of
an asymmetrical tire that must always face
outward when mounted on a vehicle.
Kilopascal (kPa): The metric unit for air
pressure. There are 6.9 kPa to one psi.
Light Truck (LT-Metric) Tire: A tire used
on light duty trucks and some multipurpose
passenger vehicles.
Load Index: An assigned number ranging
from 1 to 279 that corresponds to the load
carrying capacity of a tire.
This label can only be found on vehicles
sold in the U.S.
Vehicles sold in Canada have the tire
information label in the glove box, see
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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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288 Customer Assistance and InformationMaintenance scheduleThe Maintenance Schedule prescribes a
service program to the purchaser/operator
of a Saab that is reasonable and necessary
to ensure the proper emission control sys-
tems function, safety and reliability of the
Saab automobile in normal use. Additional
maintenance is recommended for specific
components when the car is operated under
certain severe conditions. Proper mainte-
nance is always a good practice!
Authorized Saab dealers are equipped and
trained to meet your Saab’s service needs.
They regularly receive up-to-date Saab ser-
vice manuals and parts and technical ser-
vice bulletins from Saab and are able,
through their franchise agreement, to attend
Saab service schools, obtain Saab special
tools and technical assistance and pur-
chase original equipment service and
replacement parts.
Today’s complex automobiles should only
be entrusted to the most knowledgeable
service professionals. A Saab dealer is your
best choice.
SERVICE INTERVALSA time for service message will illuminate on
the Saab Instrument Display (SID) when the
car is due for regular maintenance. There
are three different messages that will
appear:
TIME FOR INTERMEDIATE SERVICE
indicates that an oil/filter change is required
along with several inspections. This mes-
sage is set by the engine management
system which calculates service intervals
based on several factors including driving
habits, ambient temperature, number of
cold starts, mileage driven and elapsed time
since the last service. If mileage accumula-
tion does not occur, the message will be set,
and maintenance required at a maximum of
2 years.
TIME FOR MAIN AND INTERMEDIATE
SERVICE
indicates that an oil/filter change is required
along with several inspections and addi-
tional maintenance such as air filter or spark
plug replacement.TIME FOR MAIN SERVICE will be set when
additional maintenance is necessary, such
as air filter or spark plug replacement. When
the message Time for service. is displayed,
contact your Saab Dealer for a service
appointment.
Failure to perform scheduled maintenance
in a timely manner may result in serious
damage to key components or systems.
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289 Customer Assistance and Information
Engine oil and filter changesChanging the engine oil and filter is required
at every service point. Use only a Saab
approved long-life oil filter and engine oils
meeting the SAE viscosity ratings and API
service classifications stated in the “Techni-
cal data” section of this Owner’s Manual.
The use of extra additives in the oil is not
necessary and is not recommended, and
may be harmful to turbochargers.
More frequent oil changes are recom-
mended if your vehicle is operated under
any of the following conditions:
 Most trips are less than 5–10 miles (8–
16 km). This is particularly important
when outside temperatures are below
freezing.
 Most trips include extensive idling
(frequent stop-and-go traffic).
 Most trips are through dusty areas (such
as construction zones).
 If the vehicle is used for delivery service,
police, taxi or other commercial applica-
tions.
If your driving habits match this description,
have the engine oil and filter changed in-
between normal services. These conditions
cause the engine oil to break down faster.
The Warranties and Service Record Book-
let has provisions to record extra oil
changes.
Service record retentionIt is the owner’s responsibility to retain ser-
vice records. If possible, you should keep
copies of all shop work orders for all service
and repairs, whenever performed. As indi-
cated in the new car and emission control
system warranties, it is important to docu-
ment that all necessary maintenance has
been done.
HOW THE SERVICE RECORD IS ORGA-
NIZED
The service record is comprised of a series
of coupons on which to record services as
they are performed. There are additional
coupons for documenting extra engine oil
and filter changes, extra automatic trans-
mission fluid services necessary for severe
service conditions, and brake fluid changes.
HOW TO USE THE SERVICE RECORD
COUPONS
When the car is brought to a Saab dealer for
scheduled maintenance, present the War-
ranties & Service Record Booklet to the ser-
vice manager. When the technician has
completed the service, the technician will
sign the maintenance record. The person
responsible for quality assurance at the
dealership will also sign and stamp the
record with the dealer identification stamp.
Service costsDealer pricing practices and labor for ser-
vice work vary. Saab’s recommended ser-
vice times for each service point do not
include the labor required to replace wear
items, such as wiper blades, brake pads or
tires. Nor is labor to perform other service or
repairs found to be necessary as a result of
the inspections included in these times.
Additional labor and parts will be charged
for such work when necessary, except as
covered under an applicable Saab warranty
or any optional extended service contract.
Transmission fluid changes or suspension
alignment, when necessary, are also addi-
tional.
Dealer charges for general shop material,
regulated hazardous waste removal, recy-
cling expenses or other operation costs may
also be applied to service and repair
invoices and are apt to vary by dealer and
location.
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298 Technical dataEngine oilTo meet demands in Saab's extended service intervals all en-
gines are filled with specially designed synthetic factory fill oils.
Long service intervals, fuel economy and environmental issues
are the base for our choice of oil. By using oils approved by
Saab you minimise the tendencies for oil sludge build, by that
protecting the engine from harmful, wear increasing, deposits.
Approved oils:
For all gasoline engines - fully synthetic engine oil - approved
against the GM-LL-A025 specification - with viscosity SAE 0W-
30 or 0W-40. To benefit from Saab´s specified service intervals,
pleasure ensure to select a fully synthetic engine oil approved
against GM-LL-A025.
For optimum performence Saab recommends the use of Saab
Long Life Turbo Oil 0W-30 or Mobil 1 0W-40 European Car For-
mula, but other fully synthetic oils approved against the above
specification and with proper SAE viscosity 0W-30 or 0W-40
may also be used.Servicing/Oil changes:
To be able to use recommended service intervals the need to
use only approved engine oils is vital. Use only engine oils ap-
proved for your engine. Service should be done according to
the recommended service intervals to optimize your engine's
function through out its entire life. Saab Automobile AB will not
take responsibility for any damage that might occur due to ne-
glecting to meet above mentioned requirements.
At your Saab dealers you can find Saab Genuine or Mobil en-
gine oils. Among those there are oils specially designed to meet
your engines specific needs. We recommend that you, with the
help of our skilled service personnel, choose your oil from that
selection.
Other oil companies also offer engine oils approved against GM
specifications. Oils meeting these standards may be marked as
synthetic. However, not all synthetic engine oils will meet your
engines specific requirements. Please ensure only to use fully
synthetic oils approved against your engines specific require-
ments, i.e. GM-LL-A025 with viscosity SAE 0W-30 or SAE 0W-
40.
Recommended oil viscosities.
Viscosity is a measurement of the oil´s thickness at various
temperatures, according to the SAE standard. The thickness in-
fluences e.g. fuel economy and cold starting properties. For op-
timum performance Saab recommends:
For gasoline engines:
SAE 0W-30 or SAE 0W-40 engine oil.
Extra engine oil additives.
Don't add anything to your oil. The recommended oils are all
you will need for good engine performance and protection.
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299 Technical data
Fuel
When to change engine oil.
Your vehicle has a display (SID) where time for service will be
shown. Based not only on mileage but also on driving condi-
tions the mileage at which a service will be indicated can vary
considerably.
Under normal circumstances the service indication will come on
at or around 15 000 miles or 2 years.
For this service system to work it is of outmost importance that
the right engine oil is used.
When the message for service is displayed you need to have
the required service done as soon as possible.
After the service your service personnel will reset the service in-
dicator. It is important to reset the service indicator in order to
optimize the time to the next service.
Oil capacity, including filter (oil change)
Petrol engine, 4-cyl. ________________ 6.3 qts. (6.0 l)
Petrol engine, V6 __________________ 6.0 qts. (5.7 l)Fuel tank capacity ________________ 16.05 U.S. gal. (61 l)
For optimum performance Saab recom-
mends: _______________________ 2.0t 175 hp – AON 90.
2.0T 210 hp – AON 90.
2.8 V6 230 hp and
250 hp — AON 90.
Gasoline with a lower octane rating can be used, although not
lower than AON 87. However, engine performance will fall slightly
and heavy loading and laboring should be avoided. For optimum
performance, use the recommended grade of fuel.
For further information on fuel, see page 169.93U S M 06.book Page 299 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
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