12 SafetySafety belts
Three-point inertia-reel safety belts are pro-
vided for all seats.
The results of studies show that it is equally
important to wear safety belts in the rear
seat as in the front seats.
Bear in mind that in certain states/provinces
it is a legal requirement for all occupants of
the car to wear a safety belt.
Safety belt reminderWhen the ignition is switched on, the ”FAS-
TEN BELTS” reminder will light up until the
driver fastens the safety belt. In addition an
audible signal sounds for 6 seconds, or until
the driver fastens his belt.
WARNING
Buckle up and adjust your safety belt
before driving off so that you can pay
full attention to the traffic.
Safety belts must be worn at all times
by all car occupants.
Child safety, see page 22.
Check that the locking tongue is prop-
erly locked in the belt lock.
In the event of a crash, the rear-seat
passengers not wearing a seatbelt will
be thrown forward against the
front-seat backrests. The stresses
imposed on the front seat passengers
and belts are multiplied and can result
in needless injury or even death for all
car occupants.
FASTEN BELTS
IB3838
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18 SafetySeats Both front seats are electrically operated.
On certain models the driver´s seat is
equipped with a memory function.
To facilitate getting into the car, both seats
can be adjusted when either of the front
doors is open.
For safety reasons, if the door is closed, the
seat can only be adjusted when the ignition
is ON.
Note, however, that both seats can be
adjusted for 30 seconds after both doors
have been closed. The following seat adjustments can be
made to achieve a comfortable driving
position:
height
legroom
backrest rake angle
lumbar support
head-restraint height
We recommend that adjustments to the
driver’s seat be performed in the following
order:
1height
2 legroom
3 seat tilt angle
4 backrest rake angle
Lastly, adjust the steering wheel (see
page 114).
Side airbags
(see page 36).
Head restraint
(see page 21).
HeightTo raise the seat, lift the lower control
straight up.
To lower the seat, press the lower control
down.
The same control can be used to adjust the
height of the front and rear edges of the seat
independently.
WARNING
The seats are actuated by powerful
motors. Bear this in mind when adjusting
the seat, and make sure that nothing gets
caught and damaged. Ensure that noth-
ing can be trapped when adjusting the
seat.
Bear in mind that children can be injured
if they play with the electrically-operated
seats.
Always remove the ignition key when you
leave the car. This prevents personal
injury caused by the electrically adjust-
able seats, for example, due to children
playing.
WARNING
Never adjust the driver’s seat except
when the car is stationary.
IB3225
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33 Safety
Passenger Sensing SystemVehicles with a passenger sensing system
have indicator LEDs on the fascia. The indi-
cators will be lit during the system check
when you turn your ignition key to ST or ON.
When the system check is complete, either
the ON or the OFF LED, will be lit. See
AIRBAG warning light on page 61. If your
vehicle does not have the indicators pic-
tured, then your vehicle does not have the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system will turn off
the right front passenger’s frontal airbag
and side airbag under certain conditions.
The driver’s airbags is not part of the pas-
senger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with
sensors that are part of the right front pas-
senger’s seat and safety belt. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a
properly-seated occupant and determine if
the passenger’s frontal airbag should be
enabled (may inflate) or not.
Accident statistics show that children are
safer if they are restrained in the rear rather
than the front seat.Saab recommends that child restraints be
secured in a rear seat, including an infant
riding in a rear-facing infant seat, a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat and an
older child riding in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accom-
modate a rear-facing child restraint. A label
on your sun visor says, “Never put a
rear-facing child seat in the front.” This is
because the risk to the rear-facing child is so
great, if the airbag deploys.
WARNING
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger’s airbag inflates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the inflat-
ing airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the passen-
ger’s frontal airbag if the system detects a
rear-facing child restraint, no system is
fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that
an airbag will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even though it is
turned off. Saab recommends that
rear-facing child restraints be secured in
the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
IB3952
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.
USA indicator shown, Canada similar
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44 SecurityDoorsDoor handlesPull the handle to open the door.
If the door is stuck (e.g. if frozen), hold the
handle from above to secure a better grip.Central locking
Key / Remote control The key unit consists of a mechanical key
with integrated remote control.
The mechanical key is used for manual
locking and unlocking.
The remote control is used for remote lock-
ing and unlocking.
The key fits all the car’s locks.
The key supplied with the car has a code
number on a black plastic tag that needs to
be quoted for ordering additional keys. You
should therefore make a careful note of the
number.
The key contains a unique electronic code
for your car. When the key is inserted in the
ignition, the code is checked. If it matches,
the car can be started.
Your car is supplied with two keys. It is pos-
sible to have up to four keys for a car at one
time. If you loose one key you should have
this replaced as soon as possible by con-
tacting your Saab dealer. When the new key
is programmed into the system, the missing
key is automatically erased.
NOTE: For this reason, we strongly advise
you to take two keys with you on long jour-
neys and to keep them separate. If all keys
are lost, it will be necessary to replace costly
electronic components as well as the keys.
This loss and replacement cost is not cov-
ered by the new car warranty.
If an additional key is to be added, all of the
original keys must be brought to the dealer
so that the control module can ”learn” to rec-
ognize the new components.To check the number of keys that are pro-
grammed for the car; see page 54.
WARNING
Leaving children or pets unattended in a
locked car is dangerous. It is also danger-
ous to leave children in a vehicle with the
ignition key. A child or others could be
badly injured or even killed.
NOTICEThe key contains delicate electronics.
Do not expose it to water.
Avoid rough handling.
Do not place the key where it may be
subjected to high temperatures, e.g.
on the instrument panel.
The key may malfunction if it becomes
very cold. Warm it in your hands for a
couple of minutes.
Never open the key. For changing the
battery, see page 49.
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46 Security
If remote unlocking should fail to work
Unlock the front door with the key. To
silence the alarm, insert the key into the igni-
tion switch and turn it to the ON position.
The car can now be started. Contact a work-
shop to have the system checked and
repaired. We recommend that you contact
an authorized Saab dealer.
Locking by key (1)
When the car is locked and unlocked the
theft alarm is also affected.
Turn the key clockwise: all doors locked.
The trunk/tailgate release/unlock switch on
the driver’s door will not work when all doors
are locked. Nor will the switch on the center
console.
Unlocking by key (2)
Turn the key counterclockwise once: the
driver´s door will unlock.
Turn the key counterclockwise twice: all
doors, but not tailgate, unlocked. Switch in
driver´s door and switch in center console
enabled.
WARNING
The remote control also works from inside
the car. Therefore, hold the key in such a
way that the buttons are not unintention-
ally pressed when the key is turned, or
inserted or removed from the ignition
switch.
Otherwise, the doors may be unintention-
ally locked or the tailgate unlocked. On
Sedan models, the trunk may even be
opened.
Having the doors locked when you are
driving will reduce the likelihood of:
Passengers, especially children,
opening doors and falling out of the
car.
Intruders entering the car when it is
moving slowly or at a standstill.
However, you must also remember that
locked doors can hamper rescuers in the
event of a crash.
IB1555
2
1
Locking/unlocking by key1To lock
2 To unlock
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50 SecurityCar alarm The car alarm (anti-theft system) is acti-
vated/deactivated when the car is
locked/unlocked by the remote control or by
the key, see page 45.
The antenna for the alarm system is located
in the center console.
All the doors plus trunk lid/tailgate and hood
are monitored by microswitches.
Your Saab 9-5 is equipped with an Elec-
tronic starting interlock (immobilizer), see
page 51 for details.
The car alarm is armed 10 seconds after the
car has been locked by the remote control.
During this ten-second delay period, the
doors, trunk lid/tailgate and hood may still
be opened without the alarm being trig-
gered.
The LED indicator on the instrument panel
fascia will be on continuously during this
period, at the end of which it will start to flash
(once every other second). If a door or the trunk lid/tailgate or hood has
been left open when the car is locked, the
LED on the fascia will flash (three times per
second) for ten seconds to indicate this.
WARNING
Leaving children or pets unattended in a
locked car is dangerous. It is also danger-
ous to leave children in a vehicle with the
ignition key. A child or others could be
badly injured or even killed.
IB3153
3
2 1
Remote control 1 Activate/lock
2 Deactivate/unlock
3 Unlock trunk/tailgate
Unlocking the tailgate (9-5 SportCombi)
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51 Security
Check to ensure that all the doors, plus
trunk lid/tailgate and hood, are closed prop-
erly.
If the fault persists (LED flashing when
another attempt is made to activate the car
alarm by remote control), lock the car using
the key instead. The car alarm will not have
been activated and you should contact an
authorized Saab dealer.
To avoid inconvenience caused by the
alarm being triggered inadvertently, make
sure that anyone else using the car is famil-
iar with how both the car alarm and the lock-
ing system work.
If the alarm is tripped (the direction indica-
tors are flashing and the horn is on) it can be
turned off by unlocking the car using the
button.
Activating the car alarm The car alarm cannot be activated if the
driver’s door is open or if the ignition switch
is in ON position.
If one of the other doors or the trunk or hood
is open or opened and not closed again
during the 10-second delay period, it will be
excluded from the alarm function.
If it is then closed, a new delay period of ten
seconds will start, and the door (or trunk or
hood) will once again be secured by the
alarm system.
As usual, the LED will be on continuously
during the new delay period and will start to
flash once every other second after the
10-second period has elapsed.
Electronic starting interlock
(immobilizer) When the key is inserted in the ignition, a
signal is sent to the receiver. If the signal is
verified, the engine can be started.
Each time the key is removed from the igni-
tion, the electronic immobilizer is activated.
This means that the car cannot be started
without the correct key inserted in the igni-
tion and the immobilizer thus deactivated.
If a fault is detected (e.g. in the transmitter)
”Key not accepted.
Contact service.”
will appear on the Saab Information Display
(SID).
In this case, you can still start the car if you
turn the ignition key to ON and press one of
the buttons on the key (providing that the
receiver gets the right signal from the key).
Take the car to an authorized Saab dealer
to have the system checked.
The LED double-flashes when the car is
immobilized.
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52 SecurityAlarm signals When the car alarm is armed, it will be trig-
gered if any door, or the trunk lid or hood, is
opened.
The alarm will also be triggered if an attempt
is made to bypass or short-circuit the igni-
tion switch, or to disconnect the battery.
If the alarm is triggered, the following alarm
signals will be set off:
Flashing of hazard warning lights for five
minutes.
Horn wailing for 30 seconds.
The alarm signals will stop if the alarm is
deactivated (car unlocked) during the alarm
period.
Panic-functionIn the car alarm system there is a feature
called "Panic-function".
To activate panic function:
Push and hold one of the buttons on the
key for 2 seconds. Or, if you are sitting
inside the car, push the LOCK-switch on
the center console for 2 seconds.
These actions will trigger the alarm (hazard
warning lights and horn).
To deactivate panic function:
Push one of the buttons on the key, push
the LOCK-switch in the center console,
turn the key in the driver´s door or turn the
ignition to ON.
When the panic-function is activated the car
will be locked/unlocked depending upon
which button was pushed.
When the ignition is ON the panic-function
cannot be activated.
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