2006 SAAB 9-3 traction control

132 Interior equipmentRearview mirrorsDoor mirrorsTo adjust
The door mirrors are electrically adjustable
and heated. The controls for adjusting the
mirrors are on the driver’s door:
1 Select a door mirror with the upper
button.
2 Adjust the mirror using the touch pad.
The mirror glass can also be adjusted man-
ually by gently pressing the glass in the
desired direction.
The mirror heating is turned on together with
the rear window heating.
If the car has an electrically adjustable
driver’s seat with memory, the mirror
settings are stored in the memory (see
page 20).Manual retraction
The door mirrors are designed to fold back
if knocked. The mirrors can also be
retracted manually. This can be useful when
parking in tight spaces, such as on the car
deck of a ferry. Remember to return the door
mirrors to their normal positions before
driving off.Reversing position3
On certain model variants, the passenger-
side mirror glass can be angled down to
facilitate reversing. Press the button
shown in the illustration. This is located
under the touch pad. Return the mirror to its
normal position by pressing the button
again. The mirror will also return to its
normal position if you drive forward approx-
imately 22 yds. (20 meters).
1 Selection of mirror
2 Touch pad for adjustment
3 Reversing position3
Retracting a door mirror
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159 Starting and driving
Ignition switch ________ 160
Steering wheel lock ____ 162
Starting the engine ____ 162
Important considerations
for driving __________ 164
Refueling ____________ 167
Engine Break-in Period _ 171
Manual transmission___ 172
Automatic
transmission 3 ______ 173
Cruise control ________ 179
Braking ______________ 180
Traction Control System
(TCS) ______________ 183
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) 3 _____ 185
Parking brake_________ 187
Parking ______________ 187
Saab Parking
Assistance 3 ________ 190 Economical driving _____ 193
Driving in cold weather__ 195
Driving in hot climates __ 197
Towing a trailer 3_______ 198
Driving with a roof rack
load ________________ 202
Driving with a load _____ 204
Driving with the trunk lid
open________________ 204
Driving in deep water ___ 204
Driving at night ________ 205
Towing the car _________ 205
Driving with the compact
spare tire ____________ 208
Jump starting _________ 208
For long trips __________ 211
Starting and driving
3Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
market specification, options or accessories).93U S M 06.book Page 159 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
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183 Starting and driving
Hill Start Assist (HSA)3(Hillstarting assistance)
This function facilitates starting on a hill.
When the parking brake has been released
and the foot is moved off the brake pedal it
can take approx. 1.5 s before the brakes
release. The brakes release as soon as the
accelerator pedal is depressed within this
time.
Traction Control
System (TCS)Anti-spin systemHow the system worksThe Traction Control System (TCS) is
designed to prevent wheelspin. This
enables the car to achieve the best possible
grip and, hence, maximum tractive effort,
together with greater stability.
The TCS uses information from the ABS
wheel sensors to detect when the front (driv-
ing) wheels are rotating faster then the rear
wheels.
If the two front wheels are rotating faster
than the rear wheels, the torque from the
engine is reduced to eliminate the differ-
ence.
The process continues until all the wheels
are rotating at the same speed.
The advantages of the TCS become most
apparent when the cohesion between the
front wheels and the road surface is so low that one or both of the wheels would lose
their grip were the car not equipped with the
TCS, e.g.:
 When the car is pulling away or accelerat-
ing with the front wheels on different
surfaces (e.g. one slippery and one dry),
the TCS functions like an electronic differ-
ential lock, making sure that both wheels
rotate at the same speed. The system
also functions when the car is reversing.
 When cornering, if the inside front wheel
rotates faster than the other wheels.
TCS OFF
lights up under the speedometer if:
 a fault has been detected and the system
has therefore been switched off
 there is a fault in the ABS system
 the system has been switched off
manually.
WARNING
When driving normally, the TCS system
helps to improve the car’s directional
stability. The TCS must not be regarded
as a system to enable the driver to main-
tain higher speeds. The same precau-
tions must be adopted as normal for safe
cornering and driving on slippery roads.
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184 Starting and drivingTCS indicatorWhen the remote control is turned to the ON
position, the lamp is lit for about 4 seconds
while the system performs self-diagnosis.
The light under the speedometer
comes on when the TCS is operative, that is
when one of the wheels has lost its grip.
The fact that the TCS is operative indicates
that the limit for grip has been exceeded and
that the driver must exercise greater care.
Turning the TCS offThe TCS is switched on automatically when
the engine is started.
You can switch the system off manually with
the TCS button, whereupon the light
under the speedometer will come on. The
TCS cannot be switched off if the car is trav-
elling faster than 35 mph (60 km/h).
It may be necessary to switch off the system
if the car has become bogged down, for
instance. Press TCS to switch it on again.
If a fault is detected in the ABS, the TCS will
be switched off automatically.
The following message is shown on the SID:
The cruise control system (if active) will
automatically be disengaged if the TCS is
operative.
Traction control failure.
Contact Saab dealer.
TCS button93U S M 06.book Page 184 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
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185 Starting and driving
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP)3Anti-skid system
The Electronic Stability Program employs
both the antilock braking system (ABS) and
the traction control system (TCS). It is a
system that helps the driver to stabilize the
car in unusual circumstances that can oth-
erwise be difficult to handle.
How the ESP system worksThe Electronic Stability Program can help to
prevent the car from skidding by braking
one or several wheels independently of the
driver. The engine output is then also
reduced to prevent the driving wheels from
spinning. The car has sensors that measure
wheel speed, yaw rate, lateral acceleration,
steering wheel position and braking pres-
sure. The values provided by these sensors
are used to calculate the actual direction of
the car, the intentions of the driver and
whether the ESP should be engaged.
If this direction does not agree with that
intended by the driver, calculated from the
steering wheel position, the ESP is
engaged.
The ESP improves the driver’s chances
of retaining control over the car in a critical
situation.
WARNING
When driving normally, the ESP system
helps to improve the car’s directional
stability. The ESP must not be regarded
as a system to enable the driver to main-
tain higher speeds. The same precau-
tions must be adopted as normal for safe
cornering and driving on slippery roads
must be adopted.
Illustration of how the system applies the
brakes on one or several wheels in order
to reduce the likelihood of the car skidding
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261 Car care
Uniform Tire Quality GradingQuality grades can be found where applica-
ble on the tire sidewall between tread shoul-
der and maximum section width. For exam-
ple:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature
A
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-
tion, which grades tires by treadwear, trac-
tion and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United
States.) The grades are molded on the side-
walls of most passenger car tires. The Uni-
form Tire Quality Grading system does not
apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12
inches (25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-pro-
duction tires.
While the tires available on General Motors
passenger cars and light trucks may vary
with respect to these grades, they must also
conform to federal safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire Perfor-
mance Criteria (TPC) standards.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and a half (1.5) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100. The rela-
tive performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due
to variations in driving habits, service prac-
tices and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled condi-
tions on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance. Warn-
ing: The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
WARNING
Mixing tires could cause you to lose
control while driving. If you mix tires of
different sizes or types (radial and bias-
belted tires), the vehicle may not handle
properly, and you could have a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also
cause damage to your vehicle. Be sure to
use the same size and type tires on all
wheels. It’s all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, it was devel-
oped for use on your vehicle. See
“Compact spare” on page 270.
WARNING
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle,
the wheel rim flanges could develop
cracks after many miles of driving. A tire
and/or wheel could fail suddenly, causing
a crash. Use only radial-ply tires with the
wheels on your vehicle.93U S M 06.book Page 261 Friday, February 18, 2005 1:15 PM
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263 Car care
Notice:
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brake cool-
ing, speedometer or odometer calibra-
tion, headlamp aim, bumper height, vehi-
cle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See “Changing a tire” on page 273.Used Replacement Wheels
Tire Chains
WARNING
When fitting just one new pair of tires,
these should be fitted to the rear wheels,
as these are more critical to the direc-
tional stability of the car (e.g. on braking
or in a skid). The existing rear wheels
should therefore be moved to the front.
WARNING
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been
used or how far it’s been driven. It could
fail suddenly and cause a crash. If you
have to replace a wheel, use a new GM
original equipment wheel.
WARNING
If your vehicle has 235/45 R17 size tires,
don’t use tire chains, there’s not enough
clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by
the tire chains could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and you or others
may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if
its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that manu-
facturer’s instructions. To help avoid
damage to your vehicle, drive slowly,
readjust or remove the device if it’s
contacting your vehicle, and don’t spin
your wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit,
install them on the front tires.
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310 Technical dataWarning and indications that can
be shown on the SIDWhich warnings and indications that can be
shown depends on engine variant and car
specification.
Symbol Text
Antilock brake malfunction.
Contact Saab dealer.
Brake malfunction.
Make a safe stop.
Contact Saab dealer.
Brake fluid level low.
Make a safe stop.
Contact Saab dealer.
Release parking brake.
Oil pressure low.
Make a safe stop.
Turn off engine.
Low engine oil level.
Fill oil now.
Engine malfunction.
Contact Saab dealer.
Coolant level low.
Refill.
Hot engine.
Make a safe stop.
Run engine on idle.
Airbag malfunction.
Contact Saab dealer.
Use your seatbelt.
Gearbox malfunction.
Limited performance.
Contact Saab dealer.
Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop.
Open hood to cool down.
Battery not charging.
Make a safe stop.
Contact Saab dealer.
Headlight levelling
malfunction.
Contact Saab dealer.
Tap brakes lightly before
using cruise control.
Traction control failure.
Contact Saab dealer.
Stability control failure.
Contact Saab dealer.
Washer fluid level low.
Refill.
Key not accepted.
Contact Saab dealer.
Remote control battery
low. Replace battery.
2: standard key
0: valet key
Key No: 1
Steering lock malfunc.
Make a safe stop.
Contact Saab dealer.
Steering wheel locked.
Pull out key, turn steering
wheel. Try again.
Immobilizer failure.
Try starting again.
Contact Saab dealer.
Theft protection failure.
Contact Saab dealer.
Alarm has been triggered
since being armed.
Rear left seat backrest
unlocked.
Rear right seat backrest
unlocked.
Parking assistance
Contact Saab dealer.
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