Page 40 of 304
40 SafetyHead protectionThe pillar trim and headlining (not Converti-
ble soft top) are designed to absorb energy,
softening possible blows to the head. After
a crash, these items must be changed in the
seat positions that were occupied. Never fit
accessories to the pillar trim or headlining
as these could reduce the effectiveness of
the head protection and inflatable curtain
(Sport Sedan and SportCombi).
Side-impact protection
The side airbags, which help protect the
upper body (head also in Convertible), are
integrated in the outside edges of the front
seat backrests. The side impact protection
of the Sport Sedan and SportCombi also
includes inflatable curtains (see page 42).
The side impact protection will be activated
if certain predetermined conditions are met
such as the force and angle of the impact,
the speed of the car on impact, and at which
point on the car´s side the impact occurs.
WARNING
This car is equipped with side airbags
and no extra seat cover should be
fitted. Failure to observe this warning
could result in the side airbags not
inflating as intended and thus not
providing the intended protection
either.
Never place any object in the area that
would be occupied by the inflated air-
bag.
For optimum protection, sit upright in
the seat, with your safety belt correctly
fastened.
The side-impact protection will only be
activated in the event of a side-on
crash and not in the event of a rear-
end crash or the car rolling over. For
the Convertible’s Roll-over protection
see page 76.
Damage or wear to the seat cover, or
the seat seam, in the area of the side
airbag must be repaired immediately.
We recommend that you contact a
Saab dealer.
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Page 61 of 304
61 9-3 Convertible
Advice on soft top
operation ___________ 62
Operating the soft top __ 63
Raising the soft top
manually ___________ 68
SID warnings and
messages __________ 71
"Easy entry" __________ 73
Head restraints _______ 74
Safety belts, rear seat,
Convertible _________ 75 Rollover Pop-up Bars ___ 76
Electric windows _______ 77
Interior lighting ________ 78
Unlocking the trunk lid
manually ____________ 79
Placing two golf bags
in the trunk __________ 80
9-3 Convertible
3Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
market specification, options or accessories).93_U S _M 07.book Page 61 W ednesday, April 12, 2006 9:30 AM
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Page 62 of 304
62 9-3 ConvertibleAdvice on soft top
operation Once you have raised the soft top and
before driving off, always check that the
soft top is properly engaged with the wind-
shield rail, see page 66.
Once you have folded the soft top and
before driving off, check that the soft top
cover is locked, see page 64.
Do not operate the soft top in tempera-
tures below 23°F (–5°C).
Note that certain automatic car washes
can damage the soft top. This applies to
car washes that use mechanical feelers
bearing against the body. Saab advises
against washing the Convertible in an
automatic car wash.
After rain or washing the car, allow the
soft top to dry completely before folding it.
Folding a wet or damp soft top can cause
water damage in the car and mildew to
form on the soft top. Roof racks and ski holders must not be
mounted on the soft top.
On no account should anything be put into
the stowage space of the soft top (under
the soft top cover) since this could cause
an obstruction when the soft top is being
folded away.
Do not place any objects on the covers
over the roll bars as this can hamper their
function.
When operating the soft top, raise or fold
it fully until notified that operation is
complete by the SID. Do not leave the soft
top partially open/closed. If the soft top is
left in an intermediate position it will
collapse progressively after 20 seconds
to prevent overloading the drive system.
Washing the soft top, see page 261.
WARNING
Never touch the hinges and struts of
the soft top nor the upper rail of the
windshield while operating the soft
top.
Do not operate the soft top while there
are bystanders close to the car.
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Page 63 of 304
63 9-3 Convertible
Operating the soft top
Read the "Advice on soft top operation"
section on page 62 before operating the soft
top.
The soft top is operated with the switch on
the instrument panel. Hold the switch in the
desired position until the soft top is fully
folded or raised.
The completion of folding or raising the soft
top is indicated by a chime.
Error messages that can appear on the SID
are shown on page 71.
WARNING
Do not touch the hinges or struts of the
soft top during opening due to the
pinch hazard.
Keep children out of reach.
Do not operate the soft top while there
are bystanders close to the car.
Make sure that the soft top cover has
locked properly after folding the soft
top.
Check that the soft top engages prop-
erly with the upper edge of the wind-
shield after raising.NOTICEIf you drive off while raising or folding the
soft top, operation is halted when
the speed of the car exceeds 20 mph
(30 km/h). This speed can be
programmed (0–20 mph/0–30 km/h). We
recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer. The movement of the car and
force of the wind can seriously damage
the components of the soft top system.
Switch for operating the soft topaRaising
b Folding
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Page 64 of 304
64 9-3 ConvertibleOpeningThe following conditions must be fulfilled for
the soft top to be folded:
Vehicle speed must not exceed 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Battery voltage must exceed 10 V.
Outside temperature must exceed 23°F
(–5°C).
The trunk lid must be locked.
There must be sufficient space in the
trunk for the soft top.
1 Star t the engine and let it idle. Clearance
for soft top operation: height, min. 7.2 ft
(2.2 m); behind car, min. 2" (5 cm).2 Press and hold the soft top button until
the soft top is fully folded and the soft top
cover raised. Completed folding is indi-
cated by a chime. If there is a malfunc-
tion a text message will be shown on the
SID. Refer to page 71.
Do not press any of the buttons on the
same section of the instrument panel as
the soft top switch while folding the soft
top. This will cause the soft top to stop
and then sink after about 20 seconds.
If you continue to hold the button after the
chime, all the windows will open after a brief
delay.
Remote opening3
You can fold the soft top when outside the
car by pressing and holding the
(unlock) button on the remote control. See
also page 119.
Folding
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65 9-3 Convertible
3 Soft top folded. 4 The soft top cover is closed. 1 Rear window raised. Soft top storage in
luggage compartment lowered.
2 The soft top cover is opened.
a 7.2 ft (2.2 m)
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Page 66 of 304
66 9-3 ConvertibleRaisingThe following conditions must be fulfilled for
raising the soft top:
Vehicle speed must not exceed
20 mph (30 km/h).
Battery voltage must exceed 10 V.
The trunk lid must be locked.
1 Star t the engine and let it idle. Clearance
for soft top operation: height, min. 7.2 ft
(2.2 m); behind car, min. 2" (5 cm).2 Press and hold the soft top button until
the soft top is fully raised and the soft top
cover closed. Completed raising is indi-
cated by a chime. If there is a malfunc-
tion a text message will be shown on the
SID. Refer to page 71.
Do not press any of the buttons on the
same section of the instrument panel as
the soft top switch while raising the soft
top. This will cause the soft top to stop
and then sink after about 20 seconds.
All side windows are opened slightly to pro-
tect the seals when the soft top is raised.
Check that the hooks in the soft top hold it
securely to the upper edge of the wind-
shield.
If you hold the button pressed up after the
chime, all the windows will be closed after a
short delay.
Raising
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67 9-3 Convertible
1 The soft top cover is opened. 2 The soft top is raised. 3 The soft top cover is closed.
4 The rear window is lowered.
a 7.2 ft (2.2 m)
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