2007 SAAB 9-3 lock

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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172 Starting and drivingThe ABS system will not reduce the braking
distance on loose gravel, snow or ice but,
because the wheels cannot lock up, steer-
ing control is retained.
When the ABS system operates you will feel
the brake pedal pulsate and hear a ticking
noise, both of which are perfectly normal.
Apply the brake pedal with full force (you
cannot press too hard), declutch and if nec-
essary steer to safety.
Do not release the brake pedal before the
car has come to a halt or the danger is
past!
The above is critical.
If the road is slippery, the ABS system will
operate even when only light pressure is
applied to the brake pedal. This means that
the driver can brake gently to test the condi-
tion of the road and adapt their driving
accordingly.
It is well worth practising the use of ABS
brakes on a skid pan or other suitable
facility.
Braking with ABS – evasive steering
Braking with ABS brakes.
Indication that the system is operating:
pulsating brake pedal and ticking noise
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173 Starting and driving
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 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.93_U S _M 07.book Page 173 W ednesday, April 12, 2006 9:30 AM
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175 Starting and driving
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP
®)3
Anti-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 more difficult to handle.
How the ESP
® system works
The 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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177 Starting and driving
Parking brakeThe parking brake lever is situated between
the front seats. The brake acts on the rear
wheels. When the parking brake is applied,
the indicator light on the main instru-
ment panel will come on.
To release the parking brake, lift the lever
slightly, pull the release button on the under-
side of the lever and lower the lever.
If conditions allow, it is best if the brake
pedal is not depressed, or only depressed
as little as necessary so as to stop the car
from rolling, when the parking brake is
applied.
To facilitate releasing the parking brake,
depress the brake pedal. This is especially
appropriate if the car is standing on a hill.If the parking brake is applied when the car
starts off, the following message will appear
on the SID:
Parking
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when
you park the car. If the car is to be
left parked for a long time, refer to
page 179.
Always apply the parking brake
before removing the remote control.
Do not use the parking brake while
driving.
Grasp the parking brake lever in such
a way that no fingers get trapped when
you release the parking brake.
Release park brake.
WARNING
Never leave children or pets unat-
tended in the car. In warm, sunny
weather, the temperature inside the
car can reach 160–180°F (70–80°C).
Park where the vehicle will not create
an obstruction or a hazard to other
road users.
Do not park on dry grass or other
combustible material. The catalytic
converter gets very hot and could start
a fire.
Apply the parking brake, remove the
remote control and lock the car.
Correct hold
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178 Starting and drivingParking on a hillWhen parking on a steep hill, turn the front
wheels so that they will be blocked by the
curb if the car should move.
If the car is parked with one front wheel
touching the curb, for example, you may
need to turn the steering wheel slightly
when you insert the remote control to allow
the steering wheel lock to unlock.NOTICEEmpty the car yourself and bear in mind:
Never leave a mobile phone, camera,
computer or similar object visible in
the car.
Clothing, packages and bags attract
thieves.
Do not leave small objects such as
CDs, sunglasses and coins visible.
If possible, park in a well-lit, conspicu-
ous parking space.
Thieves strike whenever and wher-
ever they are given the opportunity.
1Downhill with curb
.
Turn the wheels toward
the curb and edge the car
forwards until the wheel
lightly touches the curb.2Uphill with curb. Tu r n
the wheels away from the
curb and edge the car
backward until the wheel
lightly touches the curb.3Uphill or downhill with-
out curb. Turn the wheel
towards the edge of the
road so that the car,
should it move, will not
roll towards the middle of
the road.
93_U S _M 07.book Page 178 W ednesday, April 12, 2006 9:30 AM
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184 Starting and drivingengine wear is at its greatest during this
period. Drive off as soon as possible after
starting the engine and avoid high engine
speeds.
Drive as smoothly and thoughtfully as
possible. Match your driving to the
prevailing traffic conditions.
Driving in a low gear gives rise to higher
fuel consumption than driving in a high
gear because of the higher engine speed
for any given road speed. Always shift up
as soon as traffic conditions allow and
drive in the highest gear as much as
possible.
Check the tire pressure once a month.
Incorrect tire pressure increases tire
wear. It is preferable for the tire pressure
to be slightly high than too low. Under-
pressure increases fuel consumption. Check the fuel consumption regularly.
Increased fuel consumption can indicate
that something is wrong and that the car
needs to be checked. We recommend
that you contact a Saab dealer.
Practical road tests have demonstrated that
substantial savings in fuel consumption can
be made if the above advice is followed.
Road conditionsWet roads increase fuel consumption, as do
unpaved roads and driving in hilly country
(the amount of fuel saved driving downhill is
less than the additional amount required to
climb the hill).
Engine block heater3The following are just some of the benefits
to the car and the environment of using an
engine block heater:
Lower fuel consumption.
Reduced wear on the engine.
Inside of car warms up faster.
Exhaust emissions substantially reduced
over short runs.
The engine heater is effective at outside
temperatures up to 60–70°F (+15–+20°C).
The warmer it is outside, the shorter the time
the engine heater needs to be connected.
Longer than 1.5 hours is unnecessary.
If the car is equipped with a removable,
electric cabin heater that is not in use, store
this in the trunk.
WARNING
Never switch off the engine while driving
as the effect of the brakes and power
steering will be greatly reduced.
93_U S _M 07.book Page 184 W ednesday, April 12, 2006 9:30 AM
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185 Starting and driving
Driving in cold weatherIn cold weather, special attention should be
paid to the following:
Before driving off, make sure that the
wiper blades have not frozen to the wind-
shield.
Remove any snow from the heating
system air intakes between the hood and
the windshield.
If necessary, inject oil into the locks to
prevent them from freezing. Use molyb-
denum-sulphide oil (MoS
2). If the locks
freeze, exercise care when unlocking the
car (manual unlocking) to avoid breaking
the key. Warm up the key or use a de-icer.
It is particularly important when the roads
are slippery that the brakes and tires are
in good condition.
For how to check the level of antifreeze in
the engine coolant, see page 209. Add gasoline anti-freeze when refueling
several times before the onset of winter.
This will prevent condensation water in
the fuel tank from freezing and causing
interruptions in the fuel supply. The likeli-
hood of condensation is lowest when the
fuel tank is full.
If the car is parked outside and the
temperature is below zero, gasoline anti-
freeze is of little use as it cannot remove
water that has already frozen. Park the
car in a warm place so that any ice that
may have built up melts, then add gaso-
line anti-freeze when refueling.
Condensation is caused by temperature
fluctuations, either in the outside temper-
ature alone or when the car is alternately
parked outdoors and in a garage.
Convertible: Avoid operating the soft top
at temperatures below 23°F (–5°C). The car is equipped with tires designed to
provide optimum grip on both wet and dry
roads, although this has been achieved at
the expense of somewhat reduced grip on
snow and ice. For regular driving on snow
and ice, we therefore recommend that
winter tires be fitted. However, winter tires
achieve this extra grip at the expense of
grip on bare road surfaces.
Winter tires, particularly studded tires, gen-
erally make driving safer on snow and ice.
Acquaint yourself with the legal provi-
sions governing the use of different
types of winter tires and snow chains.
Studded tires are not allowed in some
countries. If winter tires are fitted, the same
type must be fitted to all four wheels. Your
Saab dealer will be pleased to advise you on
the best tires for your car.
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