2008 SAAB 9-3 tow

89 Instruments and controls
If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone
and the engine at the same time loses
power, because the monitoring system is
limiting the boost pressure, you should
contact a Saab dealer as soon as possible.
If the speed of the car exceeds 143 mph
(230 km/h), acceleration is limited by reduc-
ing the boost pressure. The pressure gauge
then moves towards the middle of the white
field, indicating a drop in engine power and
consequently the car’s speed.
Fuel gaugeWhen less than about 2.5 gallons (10 litre)
of fuel is left in the tank, a warning light on
the main instrument panel comes on.
Refueling, see page 159.
Saab Information
Display (SID)Various types of information are shown on
the SID: warnings, indications, trip
computer information and information
from the car’s Infotainment System.
Selected gear is shown on the left-hand
side of the display. When gears are
selected manually, the letter M (manual)
and the selected gear are displayed (see
page 170) (cars with automatic transmis-
sion).
In the first row trip computer information is
displayed and in the second row odome-
ter and tripmeter is displayed.
When a message is displayed
The odometer and tripmeter is temporarily
turned off when a two row message is dis-
played. The icon is displayed in the left part
of the display.
The warnings and indications that can be
shown on the SID are listed on page 300.
If there is more than one message on the
SID, a plus sign will be displayed to the left
of the first message. Each message will be
displayed for 10 seconds.
93_US_M08.book Page 89 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

99 Instruments and controls
Xenon cornering headlights3
33 3When the car speed exceeds approx.
6 mph (10 km/h), the main headlight will be
angled slightly when the steering wheel is
turned. The beam can be angled maximum
15° to the right or left compared to a car
without cornering headlights.
If a fault occurs in the cornering headlights,
there is no angling when the steering wheel
is turned. The beam continues to shine
straight ahead and the following message
appears in SID:
High/low beamTo switch between high and low beam, pull
the control stalk all the way towards the
steering wheel. (Headlight switch must be
ON.)
The symbol on the main instrument
panel shows when the high beam is on.Headlight flasherTo flash your headlights, pull the control
stalk half-way towards the steering wheel.
The high beam will remain on until you
release the stalk.
Courtesy Headlamp FeatureA delay function allows the low beam head-
lights and back-up lights to remain on for
about 30 seconds after the driver’s door has
been closed.
To activate this function:
1 After turning off the engine, remove the
remote control.
2 Open the driver’s door.
3 Pull the control stalk all the way towards
the steering wheel.
The low beam headlights and reversing
lights will come on and remain on for
30 seconds when the door is closed.
Cornering headlights
malfunction
Dimmer switch1 Headlight flasher
2 High/low beam
93_US_M08.book Page 99 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

101 Instruments and controls
Rear fog lightTo turn on the rear fog light, press the rear
fog light button on the instrument panel. The
headlights or front fog lights must be on.
The rear fog light is automatically turned off
when the engine is switched off. When the
car is next started, the rear fog light will have
to be switched back on manually by press-
ing the rear fog light switch. If the engine is
restarted within 30 seconds, the rear fog
light will remain on but not if the light switch
is in position AUTO.
Rear fog light consists of one bulb.
Acquaint yourself with the legal provi-
sions governing the use of rear fog light.
Turn signal & lane change
indicatorsThe stalk switch has an intermediate,
spring-loaded position that is useful for sig-
nalling when changing lanes or passing.
The stalk switch also has fixed positions for
indicating a right or left turn, that are can-
celled automatically when the steering
wheel is centered.
If an indicator bulb breaks, the frequency
with which the indicators flash will be
doubled.
This frequency is also doubled if a trailer is
being towed and one of its indicator bulbs
breaks.
Turn signal & lane change indicators1 Right
2Left
Rear fog light switch93_US_M08.book Page 101 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

104 Instruments and controls
Activate the rain sensor by lifting the stalk
switch to the AUTO position. The wipers
make one sweep for reference to see how
much water is on the windshield. Thereafter
the sensor compares the amount of water
on the windshield with this reference value.
If the stalk switch is left in the AUTO position
when the engine is switched off, when the
engine is next started it must first be moved
to the 0 or 3 position and then back to AUTO
to reactivate the sensor.
If the system malfunctions, the wipers will
operate at low speed when the stalk switch
is set to the AUTO position and SID will
show:
WashersActivate the washers by pulling the stalk
switch towards the steering wheel.
When the washers are operated, the wipers
will make 3, 4 or 5 sweeps, depending on
how long the washers were kept on. If
the speed of the car is less than 12 mph
(20 km/h), the wipers will make an addi-
tional sweep after roughly 8 seconds.
When the washer fluid level drops below
1 quart (1 litre), the headlight washers (if
equipped) are deactivated. This is in order
to prioritize the windshield. The following
message is displayed on the SID:
Rain sensor malfunc.
Contact service.
Washer fluid level low.
Refill.
Windshield wipers with rain sensor0OFF
1 Single sweep
2 AUTO - rain sensor engaged
3 Low speed
4 High speed
5 Windshield and headlight washing393_US_M08.book Page 104 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

151 Starting and driving
Ignition switch ________ 152
Steering wheel lock ____ 154
Starting the engine ____ 154
Important considerations
for driving __________ 156
Refueling ____________ 159
Engine Break-in Period _ 163
Manual transmission___ 164
Automatic
transmission3
33 3______ 165
Cruise control ________ 171
Braking ______________ 172
Traction Control System
(TCS) ______________ 175
Electronic Stability
Program ESP
®
______ 177
Parking brake_________ 179
Parking ______________ 179
Saab Parking
Assistance3
33 3________ 182 Economical driving _____ 185
Driving in cold weather__ 187
Driving in hot climates __ 189
Towing a trailer3
33 3______ 190
Driving with a roof rack
load ________________ 194
Driving with a load _____ 196
Driving with the trunk lid
open________________ 196
Driving in deep water ___ 196
Driving at night ________ 197
Towing the car _________ 197
Jump starting _________ 200
For long trips __________ 202
Starting and driving
3Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
market specification, options or accessories).93_US_M08.book Page 151 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

167 Starting and driving
Sport mode3
33 3
Sport mode is selected using the
button, while the word SPORT illuminates
on the SID . Changing up occurs later
and changing down occurs earlier at the
same accelerator pedal position.
Sport mode will be deselected if:
The Sport button is depressed again
the engine is switched off.
Lock-upThe transmission’s torque converter has a
lock-up function. This can lock the torque
converter, thus reducing the engine speed
and fuel consumption.Kick-downWhen the accelerator is pressed down fully,
a down change is made to optimize acceler-
ation, e.g. for overtaking.
Following this, the next higher gear will be
selected at the optimum engine speed,
unless you ease off the accelerator before
reaching this.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 197.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 170).
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!
93_US_M08.book Page 167 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

168 Starting and drivingLimp-homeIf the transmission malfunctions, the control
module will activate limp-home mode. Driv-
ability will be affected to varying degrees.
Cars with 5-speed transmission3
33 3
In this mode, only 2nd and 5th gears are
available. Select 2nd gear when driving at
low speeds and 5th gear at higher speeds.
2nd gear must be selected manually. Select
5th gear manually or move the selector
lever to D, see page 170.
Cars with 6-speed transmission3
33 3
The car may be totally powerless. If this is
case, have the car transported to a work-
shop to have the problem rectified.
The car may feel weak but can be driven
carefully to a workshop to have the prob-
lem rectified.
Drivability may barely be affected.
Irrespective of the drivability of the car, the
car must be taken to a workshop to have the
problem checked and rectified.Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock
1 Apply the parking brake.
2 Lift up the rubber mat in the storage
compartment ahead of the selector
lever.
3 Under the floor of the storage compart-
ment is a yellow plastic lever. Use a thin
tool, such as a screwdriver, to press and
hold the plastic lever while moving the
selector lever from P to N.
4 Remove the tool.
5 Release the parking brake if the car is to
be moved immediately, otherwise it
should remain on.
Check fuse 6 in the engine bay fuse box.
If the fuse is OK the battery may be dead.
Contact a workshop to have the problem
checked and rectified. We recommend that
you contact a Saab dealer.NOTEDo not tow a trailer if limp-home mode is
engaged.
NOTEDue to electrical problems it may not be
possible to move the selector lever out of
the park position, even if the ignition is
ON. If for some reason the selector lever
has to be moved out of the park position
(i.e. to tow the car a short distance) do as
described below.
Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock
93_US_M08.book Page 168 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com

172 Starting and drivingTo reduce the preset speedYou can reduce speed in any of the follow-
ing ways:
Brake to the desired speed. Jog the
control to SET/+ or SET/–.
Jog the control to SET/– to reduce the
speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
Hold the control in the SET/– position until
the desired speed is reached.Temporary increase in speedAccelerate, without shifting down (manual
transmission), to exceed the set speed such
as for overtaking. When you release the
accelerator, the car will return to the set
speed.To disengage the system
temporarilySlide the switch to the left towards OFF, but
only as far as to disengage the cruise con-
trol. Allow the switch to spring back.
To re-engage the systemSlide the switch to RESUME. The car will
return to the previously set speed. Vehicle
speed must exceed 15 mph (25 km/h).To disengage the systemThe system will be disengaged:
As soon as the brake or clutch pedal is
depressed (cars with manual transmis-
sion).
When the switch is slid towards OFF. See
also heading "To disengage the system
temporarily".
When the switch is slid to OFF.
When the TCS/ESP
® system is operative.
When position N is selected (cars with
automatic transmission).
BrakingIt is good practice to try your brakes period-
ically while driving. This is particularly
important when driving in heavy rain, on
roads with a lot of surface water, in snow or
in salty slush. In such conditions a slight
delay in the braking effect may be noticed.
To minimize this delay, dry the brakes by
applying them lightly now and again. This
should also be done after the car has been
washed, and in extremely damp weather.
To avoid the brakes becoming overheated,
such as when negotiating long descents
with a drop of several hundred yards (hun-
dred metres), select a low gear to utilize the
braking effect of the engine. If the car has
automatic transmission, select 1st or 2nd
gear.
You can help to prolong the life of the brakes
by thinking ahead and braking harder over
short periods, rather than braking more
moderately over long stretches.
93_US_M08.book Page 172 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
ProCarManuals.com