2008 SAAB 9-3 Owners Manual

217 Car care
Always connect the positive (red) cable to
the battery’s positive (+) terminal, and the
negative (black) cable to the negative (-)
terminal of the battery. Always disconnect
both battery leads when boost charging the
battery.
A car with standard equipment specifica-
tions and a fully charged battery can be left
for up to 40 days and still have a sufficient
charge for starting. If extra equipment is fit-
ted, such as a mobile phone, the charge
may only be sufficient for about 15 days.NOTEIf boost charging never use anything
but a 12-volt charger, see page 200.
Do not connect the battery termi-
nals, + and –, incorrectly.
Serious damage can occur to the car’s
electrical system if a battery or alterna-
tor lead is disconnected while the
engine is running.
Exercise special care when removing
and fitting the positive (+) cable so as
not to damage the battery disconnect
switch.
Turn the two retainers a quarter turn to
unlock the battery cover.
Battery bracket
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218 Car careBattery disconnect switch3
33 3A collision could cause a short circuit in the
alternator or starter motor. A disconnect
switch by the battery’s positive terminal cuts
off the battery from the alternator and starter
motor when the airbags and safetybelt pre-
tensioners are detonated.
WARNING
If the battery disconnect switch has
tripped, do not reset it until you have vis-
ually inspected the car’s electrical sys-
tem. If there are visible signs of damage,
have the car checked at a workshop
before resetting the disconnect switch.
We recommend that you contact a
authorized Saab dealer.NOTEExercise special care when removing and
fitting the positive (+) cable so as not to
damage the battery disconnect switch.
Battery disconnect switch with reset
button
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219 Car care
Drive beltThe alternator is situated on the right-hand
side of the engine. It is driven by a
poly-V-belt from the crankshaft pulley.A slipping or broken poly-V-belt can
result in:
no charge to the battery
no A/C compressor function.
The belt tension is critical and is adjusted
automatically by the belt tensioner.
WARNING
Keep hands and clothing clear of drive
belts when engine is running.
Always stop the engine before
inspecting the drive belt.
The radiator fan is electric and can
start even when the engine is
switched off.NOTESerious damage can be done to the car’s
electrical system if an alternator lead is
disconnected while the engine is running.
Drive belt, 4-cyl engine
Drive belt, V6 engine
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220 Car careWipers and washersWiper bladesCheck and clean all wiper blades regularly.
If poor wiper performance is experienced,
clean the windshield with washer fluid. This
is particularly important if the car has been
through an automatic car wash, as these
sometimes leave a wax coating on the wind-
shield.
If wiper performance is still unsatisfactory,
fit new blades.
Windshield1 Press in the catch (1).
2 Pull the complete wiper blade down-
wards so that it comes away from the
wiper arm. Slide the entire blade out
from the arm.
Fitting the wiper blade
1 Align the wiper arm’s guide lug in the
blade’s corresponding slot.
2 Move the blade in towards the wiper arm
until the two catches grip the blade.
Check that the blade is fitted firmly.
Change of wiper blades, windshield
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221 Car care
Rear window, SportCombi1 Detach the blade from the arm by press-
ing on the mounting for the blade from
below.
2 Fit the new blade by pressing the shaft
of the blade into the arm's mounting.
The washer jet, which is located next to the
high-mounted brake light, is not adjustable.
WashersThe reservoir capacity is approx. 6 qts.
(5.8 litres).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:
Headlight washers are only available on
certain markets.
Fill with a mixture of washer fluid and water
as recommended by the table on
the packaging to reduce the risk of freezing
and to ensure effective cleaning (see also
page 104).
WARNING
Take care not to spill washer fluid concen-
trate onto hot surfaces. Washer fluid con-
centrate can contain flammable ingredi-
ents such as alcohol.
Washer fluid level low.
Refill.
Washer fluid reservoir
Change of wiper blades, rear window,
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222 Car careWasher jetsThe washer jets, which are adjustable, can
be cleaned with a pin if necessary.
Changing bulbs
Autochecking of lightsThe bulbs that are most important from the
point of view of traffic safety are monitored
by the car’s electrical system. If one of these
bulbs should fail, a message will be dis-
played on the SID.
Example of SID message:
The following bulbs are not checked: park-
ing lights, front fog lights, reversing lights,
license plate lighting, side marker lights and
side direction indicators.
SportCombi
The tail lights and brake lights consist of
LEDs. If approx. 3/4 of the LEDs on one side
are broken then this is indicated in the SID.
If a stop light bulb fails
SportSedan: If a stop light bulb fails, the
adjacent taillight will act as a stop light to
ensure traffic safety. Change the broken
bulb when possible.
All rear light bulbs are of the same type and
rated 21 W, with the exception of the license
plate lighting which is rated 5 W.
WARNING
Before changing a bulb in the engine
bay, switch off the engine to avoid the
danger of fingers and hands being
injured by moving parts.
The radiator fan can cut in even when the
engine is switched off.NOTESwitch off the ignition before changing a
bulb, to avoid possible short-circuiting.
Left low beam failure.
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223 Car care
Wrong bulb fitted
If a low or main beam bulb of too high a
rating is fitted, a bulb failure message will be
shown on the SID (a too high wattage bulb
can damage the reflector).
If the following message is displayed but the
bulb shines, it is most likely that an incorrect
bulb has been fitted.
Note
When changing bulbs, fit the same type of
bulb (e.g. Long-Life) as that removed.
Headlight aiming, page 275.
Xenon headlights3
33 3Xenon headlights produce roughly two
times as much light as halogen bulbs and
have a significantly longer service life.
The lamp units consist of a gas discharge
lamp containing xenon. When the lights are
switched on a very high voltage activates
the xenon gas. The lamps soon reach full
intensity.
Cars with xenon headlights have automatic
levelling. The levelling system is comprised
of two sensors, one on the front suspension
and one on the rear suspension, and a con-
trol unit by the engine bay fuse box. Head-
light alignment is adjusted automatically to
the car’s load to prevent dazzling drivers in
oncoming traffic.
If a fault is detected in the system, the fol-
lowing message will be displayed on the
SID: Right high beam failure.
WARNING
Xenon headlights are high tension. All
work on xenon headlights, including
changing bulbs, must be carried out by
dealer personnel.
Headlight levelling
malfunction.
We recommend you to contact a Saab
dealer to have a xenon headlight changed
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224 Car careLow beam, halogenLeft-hand side
1 Lift aside the hose3 running along the side of the battery cover.
2 Release the two retainers (a quarter of a turn counterclockwise)
in the leading edge of the cover and remove the cover.
3 Pull up the washer fluid filler pipe.
4 Remove the air pipe from the front edge of the battery box.
5 Pull up the fuse panel3 in front of the battery, see page 243.
Both sides
1 Remove the cover from the rear of the headlight.
2 Twist the bulb holder counterclockwise and withdraw the holder
from the reflector.3 Change the bulb without touching the glass with your fingers.
Insert the bulb holder into the reflector and twist it clockwise until
it locks.
4 Refit the cover over the rear of the headlight.
Left-hand side
5 Refit the air pipe to the front of the battery box.
6 Refit the washer fluid filler pipe.
7 Refit the battery cover.
8 Refit the hose3 running along the side of the battery cover.
NOTEDo not fit bulbs with a higher rating than 55 W as this could
damage the headlight reflector. Furthermore, the car’s wiring is
not designed to cope with higher wattages.
Retainers on the battery cover Changing the low beam bulb93_US_M08.book Page 224 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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