2008 SAAB 9-3 change wheel

246 Car carecertain that all wheel nuts are properly tight-
ened. See page 265.
Flat spottingAll tires get hot, especially on long journeys
or when the car is driven hard. After the car
has been parked with hot tires and the tires
have cooled down, a flat spot can form in the
tire, where it is in contact with the ground.
The same can occur if the car has not been
moved for a long time.
Flat spots can cause vibration that can be
felt through the steering wheel, similar to
that experienced when the wheels need bal-
ancing.
Flat spots of this type disappear once the
tires get hot again, usually after 10–15 miles
(20–25 km) of driving at cruising speed. If
the outdoor temperature is low it takes a
longer distance.
When It Is Time for New TiresOne way to tell when it’s time for new tires is
to check the treadwear indicators, which will
appear when your tires have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following
statements are true:
You can see the indicators at three or
more places around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing
through the tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or
snagged deep enough to show cord or
fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other
damage that can’t be repaired well
because of the size or location of the
damage.
WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel
could come off and cause an accident.
When you change a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an emergency,
you can use a cloth or a paper towel to do
this; but be sure to use a scraper or wire
brush later, if you need to, to get all the
rust or dirt off. See “Changing a tire” on
page 262.93_US_M08.book Page 246 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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251 Car care
Tire Chains
Notice: If your vehicle does not have
235/45R17 size tires, use tire chains only
where legal and only when you must.
Contact your Saab dealer regarding suit-
able 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 instructions. If you
can hear the chains contacting 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 FlatIt’s unusual for a tire to “blowout” 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 “blowout”, 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 blowout, 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 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.93_US_M08.book Page 251 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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263 Car care
When the car has to be lifted, the jack must
be positioned at one of the four jacking
points (front or rear) under the sill members.
If a floor jack is used, the lifting plate must
be positioned under the normal jacking
points, see illustration. If the car is equipped
with a towbar, the jack can also be placed
under this. To be even more certain the vehicle won't
move, you should put blocks at the front
and rear of the tire farthest away from the
one being changed. That would be the
tire, on the other side, at the opposite end
of the vehicle.
The car jack is designed solely for use
in changing a tire or fitting snow
chains. It must not be used to sup-
port the car during repair work or
servicing.
Never crawl under a car that is sup-
ported only by a jack. Always use axle
stands.
Raising your vehicle too high or with
the jack improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle and even make
the vehicle fall. To help avoid personal
injury and vehicle damage, be sure to
fit the jack lift head into the proper
location before raising the vehicle, and
raise the vehicle only far enough off
the ground so there is enough room for
the spare tire to fit (no more than
25 mm or 1 inch clearance between
the ground and the bottom of the tire).
Switch on the hazard warning lights if
the car is on a road.
The jack should be stored correctly
under the carpeting in the trunk. If it
lies loose in the car, it could thrown for-
ward and cause personal injury in the
event of a crash or if the car rolls over.
Grit, salt and rust can clog the inner
threads of the wheel bolts if the car has
been driven for several years exclu-
sively with alloy wheels.
If steel wheels are being installed, the
bolt hole threads in the brake hubs
should be cleaned before the thinner
steel wheels are fitted. It may other-
wise not be possible to achieve the
correct clamping force, despite tight-
ening the wheel bolts to the correct
torque.
NOTEApply the jack only to the jacking points
indicated on the body.Jacking points for floor jack
93_US_M08.book Page 263 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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303 Index
Index
AABS brakes
____________________ 173
ACC
_________________________ 108
Adjustment, steering wheel
________ 120
Air filter
_______________________ 211
Airbag
_________________________ 32
Anchorage eyes, SportSedan
______ 141
Anti-corrosion treatment
__________ 271
Antilock braking system __________ 173
Anti-spin
______________________ 175
Ashtrays ______________________ 136
Autochecking of lights, warning and
indicator lights
__________________ 87
Autodimming
_______________ 125
, 126
Automatic climate control (ACC)
____ 108
Automatic closing of moonroof
_____ 131
Automatic closing of windows, SportSedan
and SportCombi
_______________ 122
Automatic transmission
___________ 165
Automatic transmission, sport mode
_167
BBattery
_______________________ 216
Bedding-in of new brake pads
_____ 163
Before towing a trailer
____________ 193
Belt height, SportSedan and
SportCombi
____________________ 14Brake fluid, grade
_______________ 295
Brakes
________________________ 172
Braking _______________________ 172
Bulb changing
__________________ 222
Bulb table
_____________________ 236
Buying new tires
________________ 247
CCabin lighting, Convertible
_________ 78
Cabin lighting, SportSedan and
SportCombi
___________________ 133
Calibrating front electric windows with
pinch protection
________________ 78
Calibration of windows, SportSedan and
SportCombi
___________________ 123
Car alarm
______________________ 56
Car transport ___________________ 199
Care of air conditioning
___________ 274
Cargo guard
___________________ 150
Cargo guard, SportWagon
________ 150
Cargo net, SportCombi
___________ 147
Change of address notification
_____ 282
Changing a tire
_________________ 262
Changing bulbs _________________ 222
Changing the battery, remote control
_54
Changing wiper blades
___________ 220
Checking the number of remote
controls
_______________________ 53
Checks before towing a trailer
_____ 193
Child safety
_____________________ 24
Child safety locks, rear doors
_______ 52Child seats
______________________ 24
Cigarette lighter
_________________ 136
Cleaning the engine bay
__________ 267
Cleaning upholstery
______________ 266
Closing the soft top manually,
Convertible
____________________ 68
Closing the soft top, Convertible
_____ 64
Clutch interlock
_________________ 164
Comfort opening of moonroof
______ 131
Comfort opening of windows,
SportSedan and SportCombi _____ 121
Compact spare
_________________ 260
Compact spare wheel fitted, driving
with
_________________________ 260
Compass
______________________ 129
Convertible _____________________ 61
Convertible, washing
_____________ 268
Coolant
_______________________ 212
Cornering headlights
______________ 99
Crash memory, see EDR
_________ 284
Cruise control
__________________ 171
Cup holder
_____________________ 134
DDate codes, tires
________________ 257
Deactivating rear windows,
SportSedan and SportCombi
_____ 123
Deactivating the passenger door
window button, Convertible
________ 77
Deactivating the rear window
switches
_____________________ 123
93_US_M08.book Page 303 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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