2007 SAAB 9-3 warning

156 Starting and driving Have the car serviced regularly in accor-
dance with the service program.
Always be alert to any misfiring of the
engine (not running on all cylinders) and
any loss of power or performance. At the
first sign of a malfunction, reduce speed
and take the car to a workshop. We
recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer.
If the engine fails to start (in severe cold
or if the battery is flat), the car can be
bump started (manual transmission only)
or started using jump leads to a donor
battery. However, as soon as you have
started the engine, it is important that it
runs on all cylinders. If it is misfiring, allow
it to idle for up to 5 minutes to give it time
to settle and run smoothly. If, after this
time, the engine still fails to run properly,
switch off the engine to avoid serious
damage to the catalytic converter. We
recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer for advice. Never park the car on dry grass or other
combustible material. The catalytic
converter gets very hot and could there-
fore start a fire.
Never drive off if the engine is misfiring.
If you bump start the car when the engine
is already at normal working temperature,
the engine must start to run on all cylin-
ders. Abort bump starting if the engine
fails to start immediately.
Failure to strictly follow these instructions
can result in damage to the catalytic con-
verter and associated components, and
could represent a breach of the warranty
conditions.
NOTICEIf the car runs out of gas, air may be drawn
in with the fuel, which, in turn, can cause
the catalytic converter to be damaged by
overheating.
WARNING
If the engine is being run with the car on a
rolling road or dynamometer, to ensure
adequate cooling, air must be blown into
the engine compartment and under the
car at a rate equivalent to the ram-air
effect that would obtain at the corre-
sponding road speed.
Engine management system with catalytic
converter1 Engine control module
2 Oxygen sensor
3 Catalytic converter
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157 Starting and driving
Refueling
WARNING
If you spill fuel and then something ignites
it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out on you if you open the fuel cap
too quickly. This spray can happen if your
tank is nearly full, and is more likely in hot
weather. Open the fuel cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
Gasoline fumes are highly explosive.
Therefore:
never smoke while refueling.
never use gasoline for any purpose
other than as engine fuel.
gasoline is extremely flammable and
can cause severe burns. No open or
exposed flames near gasoline.
do not use a mobile phone at the
same time as refueling.
If a fire starts while you are refueling, do
not remove the nozzle. Shut off the flow of
fuel by shutting off the pump or by notify-
ing the station attendant. Leave the area
immediately.
NOTICE Do not overfill. Fuel should not come
right up the filler pipe as room for
expansion is needed for when the
temperature rises.
The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine
damage.
Clean fuel from painted surfaces as
soon as possible.
NOTICEThe engine control module (ECM) moni-
toring the engine parameters also stores
fault codes.
Under certain circumstances, this may
cause constant illumination of the Engine
malfunction (CHECK ENGINE) lamp
, thus indicating a fault that must be
checked by your Saab dealer, see
page 83.
NOTE: always observe the following two
measures:
Make sure that the fuel filler cap is
screwed on correctly before the
engine is started. Screw on the fuel
filler cap until you hear a distinct click.
Avoid driving with the fuel low level
indicator illuminated. The symbol illu-
minates when less than approximately
2.5 gallons (10 litres) of fuel remains
in the tank.
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158 Starting and drivingRefueling1 Switch off the engine.
2 Open the filler cap, located in the right-
hand rear fender.
3 Insert the fuel pump nozzle beyond the
flange on the filler pipe and let the first
mark (a ring, a pimple or the first spring-
coil) rest on the flange. Do not withdraw
the nozzle while filling is in progress.
4 Cease refueling the first time the pump
stops, and wait a few seconds after
you´ve finished pumping before you
remove the nozzle.Filler cap
To remove the filler cap, turn it slowly to the
left (counterclockwise). The filler cap has a
spring in it; if you let go of the cap too soon,
it will spring back to the right.
When you put the filler cap back on, turn it
to the right (clockwise) until you hear three
clicks. Make sure you fully install the cap.
The most effective way to prevent conden-
sation forming in the tank (and thus avoid
possible running problems) is to keep the
tank full.
Refer to page 185 for information regarding
gasoline anti-freeze.
WARNING
If a fire starts while you are refueling, do
not remove the nozzle. Shut off the flow of
fuel by shutting off the pump or by notify-
ing the station attendant. Leave the area
immediately.
NOTICEDo not overfill. Fuel should not come right
up the filler pipe as expansion room is
needed when the temperature rises.
Fill to maximum filling capacity.
Stop filling after the first time that the
nozzle trips to shut off the flow of fuel.
Filling capacity can differ between
different fuel stations and outside
temperature. Fuel tank volume when
nozzle trips to shut off, may vary by
0.5 gal. (2 liters).
Do not fill fuel all the way up the filler
pipe. The gasoline must be allowed
room for expansion especially during
hot weather.
Filler cap
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159 Starting and driving
The fuel door has a built in filler cap holder
slot located on the fuel door. Slide the white
ring on the cap into the slot.
Notice: If you need a new fuel cap, be sure
to get the right type. Your dealer can get one
for you. If you get the wrong type, it may not
fit properly.
Filling a portable fuel container Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an impor-
tant part of the proper maintenance of your
vehicle.
For optimum performance Saab recom-
mends:
Gasoline engines – AON 90.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a
posted octane of 87 or higher. If the octane
is less than 87, you may get a heavy knock-
ing noise when you drive. If this occurs, use
a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. Otherwise, you might
damage your engine. A little pinging noise
when you accelerate or drive uphill is con-
sidered normal. This does not indicate a
problem exists or that a higher-octane fuel
is necessary. If you are using 87 octane or
higher-octane fuel and hear heavy knock-
ing, your engine needs service.
WARNING
Never fill a portable fuel container while it
is in your vehicle. Static electricity
discharge from the container can ignite
the gasoline vapor. You can be badly
burned and your vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to you and
others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not fill a container while it is inside
a vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup
bed or on any surface other than the
ground.
Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
inside of the fill opening before operat-
ing the nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the filling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping gaso-
line.
When refueling, hang the filler cap inside
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163 Starting and driving
Automatic
transmission3The automatic transmission has an elec-
tronic control module. The control module
receives information including accelerator
position and road speed. Using this and
other information, it controls the hydraulic
pressure of the transmission to ensure that
gear changing is as smooth as possible.The remote control can only be removed
when the selector lever is in the P position.The engine can only be started when the
selector lever is in the P or N position.
When the car is stationary, the engine must
be idling when you move the selector lever
from one position to another. If not, the
transmission could be damaged.
WARNING
Depress the brake pedal when shifting
the selector lever from P or N.
The car must be at a standstill before
P, R or N is selected. You have to have
your foot on the brake pedal to move
the lever out of P. If the car is still
moving when a drive position is subse-
quently selected, this could cause a
crash or damage the automatic trans-
mission.
Never park the car with the selector
lever in a drive position, even if the
parking brake is on.
If you want to leave the car with the
engine running, move the selector
lever to P or N and apply the parking
brake.
NOTICEAfter selecting a drive position, pause
briefly to allow the gear to engage (the car
starts to pull a little) before you acceler-
ate.
Selector lever1 Position for manual gear selection
Indication of gear position on main
instrument panel
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165 Starting and driving
Driving in hilly country with a
heavy loadThe transmission fluid can overheat when
the gearbox is strained, for example, when
driving with a trailer on hilly roads. To avoid
the transmission fluid overheating, always
drive with the selector lever in the D posi-
tion. The adaptive gear change patterns are
then active.
High air temperatures or a faulty oil cooler
can also cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Overheating reduces the service
life of the fluid.
TowingTowing of cars with automatic transmission,
see page 195.Descending hillsIf the speed of the car increases while
descending a steep hill, despite the acceler-
ator being released, the control module will
change down. If you desire more powerful
engine braking, manually select a lower
gear (see page 168).
Limp-homeIf the transmission malfunctions, the control
module will activate limp-home mode. Driv-
ability will be affected to varying degrees.
The following message is shown on the SID:
WARNING
Remember to use the braking effect of the
engine (1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you
are descending long or steep hills to
spare the brakes.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
NOTICEDo not tow a trailer if limp-home mode is
engaged.
Gearbox malfunction.
Limited performance.
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169 Starting and driving
Cruise control(Cruise control system)
For safety reasons (brake system func-
tion), the brakes must be applied once
when the engine has started, before the
cruise control system can be activated.
The following message is shown on the SID:
The system has the following functions:
1 ON: engaged
2 OFF: disengaged
3 SET/+: sets the speed and increases
the set speed
4 SET/ –: sets the speed and decreases
the set speed
5 RESUME: re-engages the system at the
set speed
The CRUISE indicator light in the main
instrument panel comes on when the switch
is slid to ON. If you switch off the engine
while the cruise control is ON, the system
will be ON the next time the engine is
started.
To set the desired speed1 Slide the switch to ON.
2 Move the thumbwheel up to SET/+ or
SET/– when the car has reached the
desired speed (above 15 mph (25 km/
h)).To increase the preset speedYou can increase the speed in any of
the following ways:
Accelerate to the desired speed. Jog the
control to SET/+ or SET/–.
Jog the control to SET/+ to increase the
speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h) (when cruise
control already engaged).
Hold the control in the SET/+ position until
the desired speed is reached (when
cruise control already engaged).
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control system in
wet or icy conditions, in dense traffic or on
winding roads.
Tap brakes lightly
before using cruise ctrl.
Cruise control switches
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171 Starting and driving
ABS brakesThe Antilock Braking System (ABS) modu-
lates the brake pressure to each wheel. The
pressure is automatically reduced just
before the wheel locks up and then
increases again to the point at which the
wheel is just about to lock. The wheel sen-
sors send information to the brake system’s
electronic control module for every 4 or so
inches (decimetre) that the car rolls. This
information is processed continuously to
ensure that the adjustment of the brake
pressure will be as exact as possible.
Adjustment takes place up to 12 times per
second.The brake system provides Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). This distri-
butes the brake pressure between the front
and rear wheels, in such a way as to achieve
optimum braking performance irrespective
of the car’s speed or load.
The ABS has a built-in diagnostics function
which will switch on the ABS warning light
if a fault is detected in the system (see
page 82).
The following message will appear on the
SID (and corresponding symbol on main
instrument unit) if a fault is detected:
WARNING
It is prudent to try your brakes from
time to time, especially when driving in
heavy rain, through water collected on
the road, in snow, on a wet road
surface or in salty slush. In such condi-
tions, the brakes may take longer than
normal to take effect. To rectify this,
touch the brake pedal periodically to
dry the brakes out.
The same applies after the car has
been washed or when the weather is
very humid.
Avoid parking the car with wet brakes.
Before parking, and if the traffic condi-
tions allow, brake quite heavily so that
the brake discs and pads warm up and
dry.
The brakes are power assisted and it
should be kept in mind that the servo
unit only provides the power assis-
tance when the engine is running.
The brake pressure required when the
engine is off, (e.g. when the car is
being towed) is roughly four times the
normal pedal force required. The
pedal also feels hard and unrespon-
sive.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
WARNING
The additional safety afforded by the
ABS system is not designed to allow
drivers to drive faster but to make
normal driving safer.
To stop as quickly as possible, without
loss of directional stability, whether
the road surface is dry, wet or slippery,
press the brake pedal down hard
without letting up (do not pump the
pedal), declutching simulta-
neously, and steer the car to safety.
Antilock brake malfunc.
Contact service.
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