194 Car care and technical informationEngineThe 2.3-liter model is a transverse, 4-cylin-
der in-line engine with twin overhead cam-
shafts and 4 valves per cylinder.
This engine is equipped with balance shafts
that reduce engine vibration to a minimum.
The balance shafts are chain driven and
rotate at twice the speed of the crankshaft.
They produce forces and torques that are
opposed to those generated by the pistons
and connecting rods, an effect that occurs
twice for each revolution of the engine.
Engine noise is also reduced as the
counter-rotating shafts counteract the vibra-
tion from the moving parts of the engine.
The transmission, located on the right
(viewed from the front), is integrated with
the engine. All models have front-wheel
drive.
Engine oilChecking the oil level Check the engine-oil level regularly. This
should be done after the engine has been
run to normal temperature and then allowed
to cool for 2–5 minutes, with the car stand-
ing on level ground. Remove the dipstick
and wipe it clean before checking the level.
The oil level must not be allowed to drop
below the MIN mark on the dipstick, nor
should oil be filled beyond the MAX mark, as
this can lead to excessive oil consumption.
The distance between the MIN and MAX
marks on the dipstick corresponds to a
volume of approximately 1.05 qts (1 liter).When necessary, add oil of the recom-
mended grade via the dipstick tube.
Recommended oil grade, see page 261.
NOTICE Do not operate the engine with a low
oil level.
Change engine oil and oil filter as pre-
scribed in the service programme.
Only use the recommended oil type.
Follow the three points listed above to
avoid severe engine damage.
More frequent oil changes are recom-
mended if your vehicle is operated under
certain conditions, see page 252.
IB601
Balance shafts
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197 Car care and technical information
Use only new brake fluid from a sealed con-
tainer.
Check that there are no leaks in the brake
system.
The brake fluid level will fall somewhat as
the brake pads wear. The MAX level in the
reservoir corresponds to the amount of
brake fluid required with new brake pads. If
the fall in fluid level is moderate, due to
normal brake pad wear, topping up is not
necessary.
Changing of the brake fluid should be
carried out by a workshop. We recom-
mend that you contact an authorized
Saab dealer.
The vehicle´s regular braking system is
adjusted automatically, but the parking
brake has to be adjusted manually. This
work, involving adjustment of the parking
brake cables and brake pads, must only be
carried out by a workshop. We recommend
that you contact an authorized Saab dealer.It is not possible to detect, through abnormal
pedal or parking brake-lever travel, whether
brake pads are worn and need replacing. It
is therefore essential that brake pads be
checked regularly, as specified in the ser-
vice program.
Brake pad wear indicators The outboard brake pads on the front
wheels incorporate pad-wear indicators.
When the lining is down to 0.11 in (3 mm),
the pad will produce a screeching, squeal-
ing or scraping noise when the brakes are
applied. New pads should be fitted without
delay.
Brake pads should only be changed by a
workshop. We recommend that you con-
tact an authorized Saab dealer.
NOTICEAvoid spilling brake fluid onto paintwork,
since it can cause the paint to bubble and
lift. If any brake fluid is spilled, the area
should be flushed with large quantities of
water as quickly as possible.
IB1188
Brake and clutch-fluid reservoir
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232 Car care and technical informationMaximum Load rating: The load rating for
a tire at the maximum permissible inflation
pressure for that tire.
Maximum Loaded Vehicle Weight: The
sum of curb weight; accessory weight; vehi-
cle capacity weight; and production options
weight.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pres-
sure: The maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated.
Normal occupant weight: The number of
occupants a vehicle is designed to seat mul-
tipled by 150 pounds (68 kg). See “Loading
Your Vehicle” on page 231.
Occupant Distribution: Designated seat-
ing positions.
Outward Facing Sidewall: The side of a
asymmetrical tire that has a particular side
that faces outward when mounted on a vehi-
cle. The side of the tire that contains a white-
wall bears white lettering or bears manufac-
turer, brand and or model name molding on
the other sidewall of the tire.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire: A tire used on
passenger cars and some light duty trucks
and multipurpose vehicles.Recommended Inflation Pressure: Vehi-
cle manufacturer´s recommended tire infla-
tion pressure shown on the tire label, see
“Inflation - Tire Pressure” on page 222 and
“Loading Your Vehicle” on page 231.
Radial Ply Tire: A pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are
laid at substantially 90 degrees to the cen-
terline of the tread.
Rim: A metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads
are seated.
Sidewall: The portion of a tire between the
tread and the bead.
Speed rating: An alphanumeric code
assigned to a tire indicating the maximum
speed at which a tire can operate.
Traction: The friction between the tire and
the road surface. The amount of grip pro-
vided.
Treadwear Indicators: Narrow bands,
sometimes called “wear bars”, that show
across the tread of a tire when only
2/32 inch of tread remains. See “When It Is
Time for New Tires” on page 224.Tread Width: The width of the tire´s tread.
UTQGS: Uniform Tire Quality Grade Stan-
dards, a tire information system that pro-
vides consumers with ratings for a tire´s
traction, temperature and treadwear. Rat-
ings are determined by tire manufacturers
using government testing procedures. The
rating are molded into the sidewall of the
tire. See “Uniform Tire Quality Grading” on
page 226.
Vehicle Capacity Weight: Is the number of
designated seating positions multipled by
150 pounds (68 kg) plus the rated cargo
load. See “Loading Your Vehicle” on
page 231.
Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire: Load
on an individual tire due to curb weight,
accessory weight, occupant weight and
cargo weight.
Vehicle label: A label permanently
attached to a vehicle showing original
equipment tire size and the recommended
cold inflation pressure. See “Loading Your
Vehicle” on page 231.95_U S _M 07.book Page 232 Friday, June 9, 2006 8:58 AM
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251 Customer Assistance and Information
Maintenance schedule _ 252
Owner assistance _____ 253
Reporting Safety Defects
(U.S.A.) _____________ 254
Reporting Safety Defects
to the Canadian
government _________ 254
Vehicle Data Collection
and Event Data
Recorders __________ 255
Customer Assistance and Information
3 Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
market specification, options or accessories).95_U S _M 07.book Page 251 Friday, June 9, 2006 8:58 AM
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254 Customer Assistance and InformationChange of Address Notification
(U.S. and Canada)Two change of address cards are provided
at the end of the Warranty and Service
Record Booklet. Knowing your current
address allows Saab to contact you in the
event of a recall or service campaign.
Please help us keep our records up to date
for your own peace of mind.Service informationFactory Service Manuals for the Saab 9-5
car line can be ordered through your Saab
dealer or by visiting www.saabtechinfo.com.
These are comprehensive manuals on CD
rom, geared to use by professional techni-
cians.
Consult your Saab dealer for prices and for
a listing for your model.
Reporting Safety
Defects (U.S.A.)If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause
injury or death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) in addition to noti-
fying Saab Cars USA, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it
may open an investigation, and if it finds that
a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles,
it may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved
in individual problems between you, your
dealer, or Saab Automobile USA, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the
toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at
1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153; go
to http://www.safercar.gov
; or write to:
Administrator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Washington D.C. 20590. You can also
obtain other information about motor vehi-
cle safety from
http:// www safercar.gov.
Reporting Safety
Defects to the Canadian
governmentIf you live in Canada, and believe that your
vehicle has a safety defect, you should
immediately notify Transport Canada, in
addition to notifying General Motors of
Canada Limited.
You may write to Transport Canada at
Box 8880, Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 3J2.
In addition to notifying Transport Canada
in a situation like this, we certainly hope
you will notify us. In Canada, please call
our Saab Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-263- 1999.
Or write:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center,
1908 Colonel Sam Drive,
Oshawa, Ontario, L1H 8P7.
95_U S _M 07.book Page 254 Friday, June 9, 2006 8:58 AM
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255 Customer Assistance and Information
Vehicle Data Collection and
Event Data RecordersYour vehicle, like other modern motor vehi-
cles, has a number of sophisticated com-
puter systems that monitor and control sev-
eral aspects of the vehicle’s performance.
Your vehicle uses on-board vehicle comput-
ers to monitor emission control components
to optimize fuel economy, to monitor condi-
tions for air bag deployment and, if so
equipped, to provide anti-lock braking and
to help the driver control the vehicle in diffi-
cult driving situations. Some information
may be stored during regular operations to
facilitate repair of detected malfunctions;
other information is stored only in a crash
event by computer systems commonly
called event data recorders (EDR).
In a crash event, computer systems, such
as the Air Bag Sensing and Diagnostic
Module (SDM) in your vehicle may record
information about the condition of the vehi-
cle and how it was operated, such as data
related to engine speed, brake application,
throttle position, vehicle speed, steering
wheel angle, lateral acceleration, safety belt
usage, air bag readiness, air bag perfor-
mance, and the severity of a collision. This
information has been used to improve vehi-
cle crash performance and may be used to
improve crash performance of future vehi-
cles and driving safety. Unlike the data
recorders on many airplanes, these
on-board systems do not record sounds,
such as conversation of vehicle occupants.To read this information, special equipment
is needed and access to the vehicle or the
SDM is required.
Saab will not access information about a
crash event or share it with others other than
with the consent of the vehicle owner or, if
the vehicle is leased, with the consent of
the lessee,
in response to an official request of police
or similar government office,
as part of Saab’s defense of litigation
through the discovery process, or
as required by law.
In addition, once Saab collects or receives
data, Saab may
use the data for Saab research needs,
make it available for research where
appropriate confidentiality is to be main-
tained and need is shown, or
share summary data which is not tied to a
specific vehicle with non-Saab organiza-
tions for research purposes.
Others, such as law enforcement, may have
access to the special equipment that can
read the information if they have access to
the vehicle or SDM.
If your vehicle is equipped with OnStar®,
please check the OnStar® subscription ser-
vice agreement or manual for information
on its operations and data collection.95_U S _M 07.book Page 255 Friday, June 9, 2006 8:58 AM
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274 IndexRandom 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
______ 129
Rear seat, 9-5 SportCombi, folding
_ 132
Rear window heating
_____________ 82
Rear-seat head restraints __________ 21
Rear-view mirror, auto-dimming
____ 121
Rearview mirrors
________________ 116
Reclamation
___________________ 247
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmission, towing a
camper or trailer
_______________ 175
Refuelling
_____________________ 146
Relay panel ____________________ 219
Remote control __________________ 44
Remote-control battery, changing
____ 49
Remove the key
________________ 140
Removing CDs
__________________ 99
Removing CDs, CD-changer
______ 100
Removing MP3 discs
____________ 102
Replacement, wheel
_____________ 227
Reporting safety defects
__________ 254
Reprogramming of systems _______ 270
Reservoir, power-steering fluid _____ 198
Rev counter
____________________ 64
Reversing lights _________________ 76
Rolling advertisements
____________ 94
Roof load
_____________________ 179
Running-in ____________________ 170
SSDM
_________________________ 255
SID
___________________________ 68
Saab Information Display (SID)
_____ 68
Saab Parking Assistance
_________ 168
Safety belts
_____________________ 12
Safety belts, care of
_____________ 239
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
__________ 156
Service costs
___________________ 253
Service information
______________ 254
Service intervals
________________ 252
Service record retention
__________ 253
Setting the clock
________________ 105
Setting the date _________________ 105
Settings, seats __________________ 18
Shadow effect
__________________ 110
Side airbags
____________________ 36
Signalling, horn _________________ 114
Snow chains
___________________ 172
Sorting music __________________ 103
Sound system __________________ 107
Sources of AM interference
_______ 111Sources of FM interference
________ 111
Spare wheel
___________________ 234
Spare wheel and tools
____________ 183
Spark plugs
____________________ 263
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 ___________ 265
Steps for determining correct load
limit
_________________________ 233
Stone-chip damage, repairing
______ 242
Storage compartments
___________ 126
Storing radio stations
______________ 93
Sun visors
_____________________ 125
Suspension ____________________ 265
Suspension, technical data
________ 265
Switches
_______________________ 73
Symboler ________________________ 9
Systems, adjustment
_____________ 270
TTCS OFF
_______________________ 63
TP
____________________________ 99
Table of fuses
__________________ 218
Tachometer
_____________________ 64
Tailgate, opening
_________________ 47
Tank gauge
_____________________ 65
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