2008 SAAB 9-3 battery

142 Interior equipment
Trunk lightingOn the underside of the parcel shelf is a light
that is switched on and off when the trunk is
opened and closed.
If the trunk lid is left open, the lighting will be
switched off automatically after 20 minutes
to prevent the battery from running flat.
Emergency opening of the
narrow backrest, SportSedanThe narrow section of the backrest can be
opened in an emergency if the car is without
electricity (not possible to open trunk lid)
and you need to access the trunk for a warn-
ing triangle, for example.
Remove the cover and depress the yellow
lever forward.
Tools and spare wheel, see page 260. Do not exceed the load capacity of the
car, as this will alter its handling char-
acteristics (see page 286).
Match your speed and driving style to
how the car is loaded. The handling
characteristics of the car can be
affected since a load in the trunk will
alter the car’s center of gravity.Cover over emergency opening lever, on
parcel shelf
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153 Starting and driving
OFF positionParts of the electrical system are operative.
Do not leave the remote control in the
OFF position with the engine not running
as this could cause the battery to run flat
in a matter of hours.
Cars with automatic transmission: The
gear lever is not locked. See also page 166.
If the ignition switch is turned from ON to
OFF before the car is stationary then turning
to LOCK may not be possible. In which case
turn the ignition switch to the ON position
until the ABS lamp goes out,
approx. 2 seconds. Following which, turn it
back to OFF.
ON positionThe entire electrical system is operative.
Do not leave the remote control in the ON
position when the engine is not running.
Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position
to disconnect the electrical system.
When you turn the ignition switch to ON,
some indicator and warning lights will come
on in the main instrument panel. These
should go out after about 3 seconds.
ST - starter positionThe starter motor operates (automatic
transmission: selector lever must be in P or
N) when the ignition switch is turned to this
position. When released, the ignition switch
will spring back to the ON position.
The car has an electronic restart lock. If the
engine fails to start, the ignition switch must
first be turned back to a position between
OFF and LOCK before the starter motor can
be operated again.
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158 Starting and drivingHave the car serviced regularly in accor-
dance with the service program.
Always be alert to any misfiring of the
engine (not running on all cylinders) and
any loss of power or performance. At the
first sign of a malfunction, reduce speed
and take the car to a workshop. We
recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer.
If the engine fails to start (in severe cold or
if the battery is flat), the car can be bump
started (manual transmission only) or
started using jump leads to a donor
battery. However, as soon as you have
started the engine, it is important that it
runs on all cylinders. If it is misfiring, allow
it to idle for up to 5 minutes to give it time
to settle and run smoothly. If, after this
time, the engine still fails to run properly,
switch off the engine to avoid serious
damage to the catalytic converter. We
recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer for advice.Never park the car on dry grass or other
combustible material. The catalytic
converter gets very hot and could there-
fore start a fire.
Never drive off if the engine is misfiring.
If you bump start the car when the engine
is already at normal working temperature,
the engine must start to run on all cylin-
ders. Abort bump starting if the engine
fails to start immediately.
Failure to strictly follow these instructions
can result in damage to the catalytic con-
verter and associated components, and
could represent a breach of the warranty
conditions.
NOTEIf the car runs out of gas, air may be drawn
in with the fuel, which, in turn, can cause
the catalytic converter to be damaged by
overheating.
WARNING
If the engine is being run with the car on a
rolling road or dynamometer, to ensure
adequate cooling, air must be blown into
the engine compartment and under the
car at a rate equivalent to the ram-air
effect that would obtain at the corre-
sponding road speed.
Engine management system with catalytic
converter1 Engine control module
2 Oxygen sensor
3 Catalytic converter
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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
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181 Starting and driving
Long-term parkingIf the car is not going to be used for some
time, e.g. three to four months, the following
steps are recommended:
Drain the washer fluid reservoir and
hoses.
Wash and wax the car. Clean the rubber
seals on the hood, trunk lid and doors,
and lubricate them with glycerol
(glycerine).
After washing the car, dry the brake discs
to avoid corrosion by taking the car out on
the road and applying the brakes a few
times.
Fill the fuel tank to prevent condensation
forming in it.
Top up the coolant and check the anti-
freeze before the onset of winter.Park the car in a dry, covered and
well-ventilated building. Leave the park-
ing brake OFF!
Convertible: If the car is stored, the soft
top should be closed.
If necessary, use wheel chocks and leave
the parking brake off.
Disconnect the negative (–) battery lead.
If frost is likely to occur during the storage
period, remove the battery and store it in
a frost-free place.
If it is not possible to stand the car on axle
stands, increase the tire pressure to
43 psi (3 bar).
Leave all the door windows open a crack
and cover the car with a non-plastic
tarpaulin – not one made of plastic which will
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190 Starting and drivingTowing a trailer3
33 3Make sure you are familiar with the legal
requirements regarding speed limits for
towing, maximum trailer weights, trailer
braking requirements, and also any spe-
cial driving licence provisions.
Trailer hitch attachment3
33 3Trailer hitch attachments are available as
accessories. These are designed for a max-
imum trailer weight of 3500 lbs (1588 kg),
with trailer brakes.
An electrical connection3 for the towbar
and an electrical unit are provided in the
electrical center on the left-hand side of the
luggage compartment.
If the car has a 13-pin Saab genuine electri-
cal socket then it is possible to supply a
trailer/caravan with rear fog lights and
reversing lights. The caravan can also have
interior and exterior lighting even when the
car’s ignition is switched off. In which case,
remember not to load the battery for too
long so that it is discharged and pre-
vents the car from starting.
There is also access to power in the caravan
during a journey, the caravan battery can be
charged for example.
Also, if the car has SPA, this is deactivated
automatically if a trailer is hitched up and
correctly connected to the Saab genuine
trailer socket.
Saab recommendations:
Use a genuine Saab trailer hitch that is
designed and tested for your Saab.
Contact your Saab dealer for advice on
which trailer hitch is designed for your car.
WARNING
Do not drive with a trailer on inclines
steeper than 15 %. The load on the
drive (front) wheels will be so low that
the wheels can start to spin and pre-
vent further progress.
In addition, the car’s parking brake
may not always be sufficient to hold
the car and trailer securely, as the
wheels may start to slide.
Always apply the trailer’s parking
brake when unhitching it. There is oth-
erwise a risk of personal injury or
damage to the bumper should the
trailer start to roll.
When you hitch up the trailer be sure
to attach its safety chains to the holes
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197 Starting and driving
Driving at nightBear in mind the following points, especially
when driving at night:
Nighttime driving requires your full
concentration
Do not rush. Count on your journey taking
slightly longer.
The number of drivers under the influence
of drugs is likely to be greater at night than
during the day.
Do not stare at the headlights of oncom-
ing vehicles.
Avoid driving at night if you have poor
eyesight. Night vision deteriorates with
age.
Keep your car’s headlights, windows and
mirrors clean. Also, if you wear glasses,
make sure they are clean.
Make sure you are well rested before
starting a long journey. Take a break every
other hour.
Only eat light meals. Heavy meals have a
tendency to induce tiredness.
Wild animals prefer to move at dusk and
dawn.
Check the headlight levelling setting (see
page 98).
Towing the car
Front towing eye
WARNING
Remember that the brake servo does
not operate when the engine is off.
Much greater pressure than normal
will therefore be required to operate
the brake pedal.
Nor does the steering servo operate
when the engine is off. The steering
will therefore be much heavier than
usual.
The towing vehicle should always be
heavier than the vehicle on tow.
Never allow passengers to ride in the
car when it is on tow.
Always seek professional help if the
car needs to be recovered.
The ignition switch must be in the ON
position if the car is moved with the
engine not running.
The steering wheel lock must be dis-
engaged before towing the car.
The steering wheel lock disengages
when the remote control is inserted
into the ignition switch, if the battery
has sufficient charge.
WARNING
Make sure that the towing eye is
screwed in tightly. It has a left-hand
thread!
The towing eye is only designed for
towing the car on roads. It must not
be used to pull the car out of a ditch,
for example.
Make sure that all bystanders keep a
suitable distance, in case the towing
eye or tow rope should snap. The
towing eye or tow rope could catapult
off and cause seriously injury.
Never drive with the towing eye fitted
to the front bumper. Return it to its des-
ignated storage space.
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200 Starting and drivingJump starting
It is essential when a donor battery is to be
used to jump start the car that the jump
leads be connected correctly to prevent
arcing.
To jump start your vehicle
1 Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground
system.2 Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure the
vehicles are not touching each other. If a
poor connection on the negative jumper
cable should exist, it is possible for
damage to be caused to electrical
systems/components of either vehicle
should inadvertent contact be made.
You would not be able to start your car
and bad grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
3 Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Turn off lights that are not needed, and
radios. This will avoid sparks and help
save both batteries and it could save
your radio.
WARNING
When working on the battery, highly
explosive gas can build up. A spark
could ignite this gas that collects
around the battery. Therefore, always
avoid sparks and open flames in the
vicinity of the battery.
The battery contains corrosive sulphu-
ric acid. Always wear a face mask or
goggles when working on the battery.
If battery acid gets into the eyes or
splashes onto skin or clothing, wash
the affected area liberally with water. If
acid gets into the eyes or a large quan-
tity makes contact with the skin, seek
medical help.
NOTEIgnoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be
covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your car by pushing or pull-
ing it could damage your vehicle, even if
you have a manual transmission. If you
have an automatic transmission, your
vehicle cannot be started by pushing or
pulling it.
NOTEIf the other system is not a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged.
WARNING
You could be injured if the vehicles roll.
Set the parking brake firmly on each vehi-
cle. Put an automatic transmission in P
(Park) or a manual transmission in Neu-
tral.
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