2006 SAAB 9-5 engine

179 Starting and driving
Recommendations for cars with manual
gearbox
Rises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
The following steps are taken in order as the
temperature of the engine increases:
 A/C compressor is switched off.
 engine torque is reduced.
When continuing your journey, select a gear
in which the engine speed is about
3,000 rpm until the incline eases.
Driving considerations Always take extra care when towing a
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different
and its braking effect reduced. The trailer’s
braking system and suspension also have a
considerable effect on these characteris-
tics, see also ”Driving with a load” page 183.
If the car has automatic transmission, select
position D when ascending steep hills. This
ensures that the adaptive gear change pat-
terns are operational, see page 160. Use
position D or L for steep descents.
Checks before drivingMake sure that the car and camper or trailer
are in good working order. This is essential
since towing a camper or trailer increases
the strain on the car.
 Check and if necessary adjust the tire
pressure of the car and camper or trailer.
 Make sure all wheel bolts are properly
tightened.
 Make sure that the equipment joining the
car and camper or trailer is properly
secured and adjusted.
 Make sure the camper or trailer’s electri-
cal cable is properly connected and is not
so long that it drags along the ground.
Also, make sure the cable is not too short
and risks breaking when turning a corner.
 Check all bulbs.
 Check the car and camper or trailer
brakes.
 Make sure that all items on or in the cara-
van or trailer are properly secured.
 Make sure that the camper or trailer’s
jockey wheel is raised and locked.
 Check the distribution of the load so that
the car and camper or trailer are well bal-
anced.
 Check that the rearview mirrors provide
the best possible rearward vision.
 Make sure the camper or trailer’s safety
cable is correctly attached.
WARNING
Utilize the braking effect of the engine
(1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you are
descending long or steep hills to spare
the brakes.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
NOTICEIf the ”Automatic transmission
, fault
indicator” indicator comes on, cease
towing until the problem has been recti-
fied.
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185 Starting and driving
Driving with a spare
wheel fittedSee page 238.Driving with the trunk
lid/tailgate openAvoid driving with the trunk lid/tailgate partly
or fully open, since exhaust fumes can be
drawn into the cabin.
If you must drive with the trunk lid/tailgate
open, all windows and the moonroof
must
be closed and the cabin fan on at its highest
speed setting.
Driving in deep water Towing the carNOTICEDo not drive in water deeper than
12 inches (30 cm) and do not drive faster
than 3–4 mph. Water can otherwise be
sucked into the engine. The engine will be
seriously damaged if water enters the
intake system.
WARNING
 Remember that the brake servo does
not operate when the engine is off.
Much greater pressure than normal
will therefore be required to operate
the brake pedal.
 Nor does the steering servo operate
when the engine is off. The steering
will therefore be much heavier than
usual.
 The towing vehicle should always be
heavier than the vehicle on tow.
 Never allow passengers to ride in the
car being towed.
 Always seek professional help if the
car needs to be towed.
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186 Starting and drivingFront towing eye
The front towing eye is stored with the spare
wheel.
The attachment point (tapped hole) for the
towing eye is midway along the engine sub-
frame at the front of the car.
Remove the plastic plug and screw in the
towing eye securely.
To ensure that the towing eye is in far
enough, insert the handle of the wheel
wrench through the eye for additional
leverage.
Rear towing eyeThe car has a permanently mounted towing
eye at the back. If the car is equipped with a
trailer hitch, this can be used instead of the
towing eye.
WARNING
 Make sure that the towing eye at the
front is screwed in tightly.
 The towing eye is only designed for
use when the car is being towed on the
road. It must not be used to pull the
car out of a ditch, for example.
 Make sure that all bystanders keep a
suitable distance, in case the towing
eye or tow rope should break. The
towing eye or tow rope could catapult
off and cause serious injury.NOTICE Do not drive the car with the front
towing eye in position. If it catches the
curb, for example, the engine sub-
frame could be damaged.
 Refit the plastic plug in the hole when
the towing eye has been removed, to
keep dirt and moisture out of the
threads.
IB3885
Front towing eye
IB3886
Rear towing eye
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187 Starting and driving
Towing the car Gear lever in neutral (in cars with automatic
transmission: selector lever at N (neutral))
Turn on the parking lights.
Drive carefully and do not exceed the
speed limit for vehicles being towed.
Always try to keep the towrope taut by
gently applying the brake, as necessary.
This will avoid the towrope being jerked
violently.
The local regulations on towing speeds
must be followed.
The highest permissible towing speed is
30 mph (50 km/h), unless the legal limit is
lower. The longest permissible towing dis-
tance is 30 miles (50 km). If the car has to
be transported farther than that, summon a
tow truck. A flat bed tow truck is the pre-
ferred method to tow.
Failure to follow these guidelines can result
in damage.Cars with automatic transmission
The car cannot be push started. In an emer-
gency, it is possible to start the engine using
jump leads (see the section, ”Jump starting”
on page 188).
Transporting the car
NOTICENever use the towing eyes to pull the
car unstuck.
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 a sport (lowered) chassis is
transported, for example on a flat bed
truck, take extra care not to damage the
spoiler and/or underbody.
Never use the towing eyes to pull the car
unstuck
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189 Starting and driving
4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (–) termi-
nals on the battery.5 Check that the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock and also the
vehicles could be damaged.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some basic things you should know.
Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and
negative (–) will go to a major metal
engine part with a good ground. Do not
connect (+) to (–) or you will get a short
that could injure you or would damage
the battery and maybe other parts as
well.
6 Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
7 Do not let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8 Now connect the black negative (–)
cable to the good battery’s negative
terminal.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.
WARNING
Using a match or flame of any kind near a
battery can cause battery gas to explode.
You can suffer burns or be blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
The battery installed in your new Saab
has filler caps. Be sure the right amount
of water is there. Add distilled or boiled
water if the level is too low. If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Be sure the electrolyte in the battery is not
frozen. Discharged batteries will freeze.
When connecting jumper cables to a
frozen battery, gas from the chemical
reaction inside the battery can build up
under the ice and cause an explosion.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you acciden-
tally get it in your eyes or on your skin,
flush the area with water and get medical
help immediately.
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190 Starting and driving9 Attach the cable at least 18 inches
(45 cm) away from the discharged bat-
tery, but not near engine parts that
move. To avoid an arc which could deto-
nate the hydrogen gas around the bat-
tery, the final connection must be at least
18” from the battery.
10 Start the vehicle with the good battery
and run the engine for a while.
11 Try to start the vehicle with the dis-
charged battery. If it does not start after
a few tries, it probably needs service.
12 Remove the cables in reverse order to
prevent electrical shorting. Take care
that they do not touch each other or any
other metal.
Charging the battery/Jump
startingTo avoid damaging the car’s electrical
system and electronics, the following rules
must be followed when charging the battery
or jump starting the car.
 If the charger
or starter unit
can be
set to different voltages
(6V/12V/18V/24V), 12V must be
selected.
 Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
supplied with the charger or starter unit.
 Nothing that is plugged into an electrical
outlet should be connected to the car
during charging or jump starting.
 The charger or starter unit must under no
conditions produce a voltage greater
than:
 16V continuous
 18V for 60 min.
 If you are unsure about the charge rating
of the unit, disconnect the battery clamp
from the positive terminal before connect-
ing the unit to the battery.
WARNING
Do not let the other end touch anything
until the next step. The other end of the
negative cable does not go to the dead
battery. It goes to a major metal part with
a good ground on the engine of the vehi-
cle with the discharged battery.95usM06.book Page 190 Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:59 AM
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191 Car care and technical information
IB3888
Hood ________________ 192
Engine compartment __ 193
Emission control
systems ____________ 194
Engine ______________ 196
Engine oil ____________ 196
Transmission fluid ____ 198
Coolant ______________ 198
Brake and clutch fluid__ 199
Power steering fluid ___ 201
Air filter _____________ 201
Battery ______________ 202
Drive belts ___________ 204
Wipers and washers ___ 205
Changing bulbs _______ 207
Fuses _______________ 219 Tires ________________ 225
Compact spare tire ____ 237
Safety belts __________ 242
Upholstery and trim ___ 243
Textile carpeting ______ 243
Washing the car ______ 244
Waxing and polishing __ 245
Engine compartment __ 245
Touching up the paint _ 245
Air conditioning (ACC) _ 246
Anti-corrosion treatment 248
For long trips _________ 249
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materials ___________ 250
Headlight aiming ______ 250
Car care and technical information

Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
market specification, options or accessories).
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193 Car care and technical information
Engine compartment
9
6
8
1
2
4
3
5
7
IB3637
Engine compartment1 Engine-oil dipstick/filler cap
2 Reservoir, brake/clutch fluid
3 Fuse box
4 Expansion tank, coolant
5 Washer-fluid filler cap
6Battery
7 Turbo unit
8 Ignition discharge module
9 Reservoir, power-steering fluid
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