2006 SAAB 9-5 suspension

166 Starting and drivingESP indicator lightThe indicator light on the main instru-
ment comes on for a short period of time
when the ESP system is operative.
Operation of the ESP indicates reduced
cohesion between the tires and the road,
and that extra care should be taken by the
driver.ESP OFFThe light on the main instrument
comes on if:
 A fault has been detected and the system
has therefore been switched off.
 The system has been switched off manu-
ally.
 When the ignition key is turned to the ON
position, the lamp is lit for about four sec-
onds while the system undergoes a
self-test.
Turning ESP offThe system can be turned off manually with
the ESP button, whereupon the light
on the main instrument panel will come on.
The ESP system cannot be switched off if
the car is travelling faster than 35 mph
(60 km/h).
The ESP is always operative during brak-
ing, even if it has been switched off manu-
ally.NOTICESuspension modifications, such as
changing the type of wheels, dampers or
springs, can affect the function of the ESP
system.
Always consult a workshop before chang-
ing any suspension components. We rec-
ommend that you contact an authorized
Saab dealer.
IB3884
95usM06.book Page 166 Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:59 AM
ProCarManuals.com

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.
95usM06.book Page 179 Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:59 AM
ProCarManuals.com

231 Car care and technical information
Tire Chains
Notice: If your vehicle does not have
225/45R17 alt. 235/45 R17 size tires, use
tire chains only where legal and only
when you must. Contact your Saab
dealer regarding suitable snow chains.
Install them on the front tires and tighten
them as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and
follow the chain manufacturer’s instruc-
tions. If you can hear the chains contact-
ing your vehicle, stop and retighten
them. If the contact continues, slow
down until it stops. Driving too fast or
spinning the wheels with chains on will
damage your vehicle.If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow-out” while
you’re driving, especially if you maintain
your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire,
it’s much more likely to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blow-out”, here
are a few tips about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a
drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side.
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and
grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to main-
tain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blow-out, particularly on a curve, acts
much like a skid and may require the same
correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear
blowout, remove your foot from the acceler-
ator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop – well off
the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to
use your jacking equipment to change a flat
tire safely.
WARNING
If your vehicle has 225/45 R17 alt. 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 con-
tacting your vehicle, and don’t spin your
wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit,
install them on the front tires.95usM06.book Page 231 Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:59 AM
ProCarManuals.com

255 Customer Assistance and Information
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 ORGANIZEDThe 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 COUPONSWhen the car is brought to a Saab dealer for
scheduled maintenance, present the Saab
Warranty and Service Record Booklet to the
service 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.
Owner assistanceWarranties and service
problem assistanceFor complete information about all applica-
ble warranties, including the New Car War-
ranty, Perforation Warranty, Vehicle Emis-
sion Warranty and Emission Perforation
Warranty, consult the Warranties and Ser-
vice Record Booklet which accompanies
this Owner’s Manual. It also contains owner
assistance information including Saab
Roadside Assistance. If the booklet is lost or
misplaced, a new one may be ordered
through a Saab dealer or by contacting
Saab.
In the U.S. there is a national Customer
Assistance Center at Saab Cars USA, Inc.
The toll-free number to call from all 50 states
is 1-800-955-9007.
In Canada, please call the Saab Customer
Assistance Centre at 1-800-263-1999.
A list of authorized Saab sales and service
dealers is available for those planning to
travel in the United States and Canada.
Canadian or U.S. travelers may call the
Customer Assistance Center in the country
in which they are traveling.
95usM06.book Page 255 Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:59 AM
ProCarManuals.com

259 Specifications
General______________ 260
Engine ______________ 262
Fuel_________________ 262
Engine oil ____________ 263
Engine variants _______ 264
Electrical system______ 265
Drive belts ___________ 265
Manual gearbox_______ 266
Automatic transmission 266
Suspension __________ 267
Steering _____________ 267
Brake system_________ 267
Wheels and tires ______ 268
Plates and labels ______ 270
IB3918
Specifications

Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
market specification, options or accessories).
95usM06.book Page 259 Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:59 AM
ProCarManuals.com

267 Specifications
Suspension
Steering Brake system Spring type, front and rear ___________ Coil springs
Maximum deflection of springs:
Front __________________________ 7.09 in (180 mm)
Rear ___________________________ 7.87 in (200 mm)
Dampers, front and rear _____________ Gas-filled dampers
Steering _________________________ Power-assisted
steering of
rack-and-pinion
type; telescopic
steering-column
shaft with universal
joints
Number of turns, lock to lock __________ 2.9
Power-steering fluid ________________ Power-steering fluid
CHF 11S or
CHF 202Footbrake (ABS) ____________________ Hydraulic, dual-
circuit brake sys-
tem. Diagonally
split circuit with vac-
uum servo unit.
Disc brakes front
and rear. EBD, see
page 162.
Parkingbrake _______________________ Acts on rear wheels
Brake fluid _________________________ DOT 4
Brake-fluid capacity _________________ 0.951 qts (900 ml)
Disc diameter:
Front, ventilated ___________________ 12.05 in (308 mm)
Rear, solid _______________________ 11.26 in (286 mm)
Total friction area of brake pads:
Front ___________________________ 36.3 in
 (234 cm
)
Rear ___________________________ 15.5 in
 (100 cm
)
95usM06.book Page 267 Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:59 AM
ProCarManuals.com

276 IndexRadio
_________________________ 93
Radio Data System (RDS)
_________ 94
Radio text
______________________ 94
Radio waves ___________________ 110
Rain sensor _____________________ 77
Random playback of MP3 files, CD
_ 103
Random playback, CD
____________ 99
Random playback, CD changer
____ 101
Rapid playing an MP3 file
_________ 103
Rear fog light
___________________ 74
Rear seat, 9-5 Sedan, folding
______ 130
Rear seat, 9-5 SportCombi, folding
_ 133
Rear window heating
_____________ 82
Rear-seat head restraints __________ 21
Rear-view mirror, auto-dimming
____ 121
Rearview mirrors
________________ 116
Reclamation
___________________ 250
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmission, towing a
camper or trailer
_______________ 177
Refuelling
_____________________ 148
Relay panel ____________________ 222
Remote control __________________ 44
Remote-control battery, changing
____ 49
Remove the key
________________ 142
Removing CDs
__________________ 99
Removing CDs, CD-changer
______ 100
Removing MP3 discs
____________ 102
Replacement, wheel
_____________ 230
Reporting safety defects
__________ 256
Reprogramming of systems _______ 272
Reservoir, power-steering fluid _____ 201Rev counter
_____________________ 64
Reversing lights
_________________ 76
Rolling advertisements
____________ 94
Roof load
______________________ 181
Running-in _____________________ 172
SSDM
_________________________ 257
SID
___________________________ 68
Saab Information Display (SID)
_____ 68
Saab Parking Assistance
_________ 170
Safety belts
_____________________ 12
Safety belts, care of
_____________ 242
Safety-belt pretensioners
__________ 15
Safety-belt reminder
______________ 12
Seats
__________________________ 18
Securing a load
__________________ 47
Selecting a radio station
___________ 93
Selecting and changing tracks, CD
___ 99
Selecting/changing MP3 file
_______ 103
Selector lever indication, automatic
transmission
___________________ 67
Sentronic, manual mode
__________ 158
Service costs
___________________ 255
Service information
______________ 256
Service intervals
________________ 254
Service record retention
__________ 255
Setting the clock
________________ 105
Setting the date _________________ 105
Settings, seats __________________ 18Shadow effect
__________________ 110
Side airbags
____________________ 36
Signalling, horn _________________ 114
Snow chains
___________________ 174
Sorting music ___________________ 103
Sound system __________________ 107
Sources of AM interference
________ 111
Sources of FM interference ________ 111
Spare wheel
___________________ 237
Spare wheel and tools
____________ 185
Spark plugs
____________________ 265
Speed dependent volume
compensation _________________ 106
Speedometer
_________________ 64
, 65
Starting in cold weather, ACC
_______ 84
Starting in hot weather, ACC ________ 84
Steering wheel adjustment
________ 114
Steering wheel controls
____________ 91
Steering, technical data ___________ 267
Steps for determining correct load
limit
_________________________ 236
Stone-chip damage, repairing
______ 245
Storage compartments
___________ 127
Storing radio stations
______________ 93
Sun visors
_____________________ 125
Suspension ____________________ 267
Suspension, technical data
________ 267
Switches
_______________________ 73
Symboler ________________________ 9
Systems, adjustment
_____________ 272
95usM06.book Page 276 Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:59 AM
ProCarManuals.com