2008 SAAB 9-3 brake

254 Car care
Loading Your VehicleThis is an example of what your vehicle´s
Tire-Loading Information/Certification label
might look like. It is located on the B-pillar
and shows how much weight your vehicle
may properly carry. The label tells you the
proper size, and recommended inflation
pressures for the tires on your vehicle. It
also gives you important information about
the number of people that can be in your
vehicle and the total weight that you can
carry. This weight is called the Vehicle
Capacity Weight, and includes the weight of
all occupants, cargo and all nonfac-
tory-installed options.
Tire Terminology and DefinitionsAir Pressure: The amount of air inside the
tire pressing outward on each square inch of
the tire. Air pressure is expressed in pounds
per square inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa).
Accessory Weight: This means the com-
bined weight of optional accessories, for
example, automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power windows,
power seats, radio and air conditioning.
Aspect Ratio: The relationship of a tire´s
height to its width.
Belt: A rubber coated layer of cords that is
located between the plies and the tread.
Cords may be made from steel or other rein-
forcing materials.
Bias Ply Tire: A pneumatic tire in which the
ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at
alternate angles substantially less than 90
degrees to the centreline of the tread.
Cold Inflation Pressure: The amount of air
pressure in a tire, measured in pounds per
square inch (psi) or kilopascal (kPa), before
a tire has built up heat from driving. See
“Inflation - Tire Pressure” on page 244.
Curb weight: This means the weight of a
motor vehicle with standard and optional
equipment including the maximum capacity
of fuel, oil and coolant, without passengers
and cargo. This label can only be found on vehicles
sold in the U.S.
Vehicles sold in Canada have the tire
information label in the glove box, see
page 297.
TIN-codea Manufacturer´s Identification Mark
b Tire Size
c Tire Type Code
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262 Car care
Changing a tire
WARNING
Lifting a vehicle and getting under it to do
maintenance or repairs is dangerous
without the appropriate safety equipment
and training. The jack provided with your
vehicle is designed only for changing a
flat tire. If it is used for anything else, you
or others could be badly injured or killed if
the vehicle slips off the jack. Use the jack
provided with your vehicle only for chang-
ing a flat tire.
Changing a tire can be dangerous. The
vehicle can slip off the jack and roll over
or fall on you or other people. You and
they could be badly injured or even killed.
Find a level place to change your tire. To
help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1 Set the parking brake firmly.
2 If you have an automatic transmis-
sion, put the shift lever in PARK (P).
For a manual transmission, leave the
car in gear (1st or REVERSE (R)).
3 Turn off the engine and do not restart
while the vehicle is raised.
4 Do not allow passengers to remain in
the vehicle.
SportCombi
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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
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265 Car care
4 Clean any rust or dirt from the contact
surfaces between the wheel and brake
disc. Do not wipe away the grease in the
wheel hub.
5 Add a thin layer of grease on the bolts
before fitting, see page 266. Fit the
wheel and screw in the bolts in the
sequence shown on page 266 (opposite
pairs).
Tighten the bolts enough for the bolts
and wheel to be seated correctly.
6 Lower the car and tighten the wheel
bolts to torque in sequence as shown on
page 266.
Tightening torque
Light-alloy wheels: 80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
Steel wheels: 80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
Lubricate the heads of the wheel studs
with a small amount of Vaseline or simi-
lar and refit the plastic covers on the
wheel studs. The Vaseline makes it
easier to remove them later on.7 Retouching the wheel bolts after twenty
or so miles.
Tightening torque
Light-alloy wheels: 80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
Steel wheels: 80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
We advise against using wheels with large
ventilation slots in winter, as the brake com-
ponents are then more exposed to slush,
road salt and grit.
If you fit wheels of a different dimension, the
speedometer can be reprogrammed to
ensure it is as accurate as possible. We rec-
ommend that you contact a Saab dealer.
Driving with tire chains3
33 3, see page 188NOTEDo not overtighten the bolts using a
impact wrench: not only can this
damage the wheels but it can also
make it impossible to undo the bolts
using the wheel wrench in the car’s
toolkit.
When refitting a wheel cover, make
sure that the valve protrudes through
the marked recess in the wheel cover.
Do not wipe away the grease in the wheel
hub.
Clean any rust or dirt from the contact sur-
faces between the wheel and brake disc.
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268 Car care
The underside of the car also needs wash-
ing regularly, and this should be done extra
thoroughly at the end of winter. Clean the
underside of the car by hand if the car is
usually washed in an automatic car wash
without special facilities for underbody
cleaning.
Never wash or leave the car to dry in the
sun, but wipe it dry with a chamois leather
immediately after washing to avoid smears
and streaks.
Clean the inside of window glass using a
proprietary window cleaner. This is particu-
larly important when the car is new, as
upholstery and trim have a tendency to
sweat a little at first.
Keep the glass well polished, as this helps
to prevent misting.
Clean the outside of the windows with Saab
washer fluid. This is especially important if
the car has been washed in an automatic
car wash, as sometimes a wax treatment is
used that can contaminate the windshield
and impair the performance of the wipers.
In the U.S., Saab offers a full complement of
car care products. See your dealer or visit
us at www.saabcatalog.com.Convertible
If a pressure washer is used be heedful of
the following recommendations:
on the lower part of the car (not higher
than the door handles): max pressure
of 100 bar and not closer than 8 in.
(20 cm).
on the upper part of the car: tax pres-
sure of 100 bar and not closer than
32 in. (80 cm).
Do not use any drying chemicals or water-
proofing agents.
Avoid automatic car washes.
NOTEDo not use alcohol-based cleaners on the
plastic lenses of the front or rear lights, as
these can cause a crackling effect on the
lenses.
The door mirrors should be folded in
before the car enters an automatic car
wash.
SportCombi: To avoid the wiper arm to
break tape it down to the window when
using a drive-through carwash.
Try your brakes on leaving a car wash.
Wet brake discs reduce the performance
of the brakes.
Fixed antennae, such as for a mobile
phone, must be removed if the car goes
through an automatic car wash.
Cars with Saab Parking Assistance: Do
not spray the sensors or closer than 8 in.
(20 cm) to the sensors with a pressure
washer, as this can damage them.
WARNING
Read and follow the instructions on
the packaging of the recommended
cleaning agents and waterproofing
agents. We recommend that you con-
tact an authorized Saab dealer
regarding recommended cleaning
agents and waterproofing agents.
Never treat the soft top with hot wax or
similar.
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281 Customer Assistance and Information
Engine oil and filter changesChanging the engine oil and filter is required
at every service point. Use only a Saab
approved long-life oil filter and engine oils
meeting the SAE viscosity ratings and API
service classifications stated in the “Techni-
cal data” section of this Owner’s Manual.
The use of extra additives in the oil is not
necessary and is not recommended, and
may be harmful to turbochargers.
More frequent oil changes are recom-
mended if your vehicle is operated under
any of the following conditions:
Most trips are less than 5–10 miles (8–
16 km). This is particularly important
when outside temperatures are below
freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling
(frequent stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas (such
as construction zones).
If the vehicle is used for delivery service,
police, taxi or other commercial applica-
tions.
If your driving habits match this description,
have the engine oil and filter changed in-
between normal services. These conditions
cause the engine oil to break down faster.
The Warranties and Service Record Book-
let has provisions to record extra oil
changes.
Service record retentionIt is the owner’s responsibility to retain ser-
vice records. If possible, you should keep
copies of all shop work orders for all service
and repairs, whenever performed. As indi-
cated in the new car and emission control
system warranties, it is important to docu-
ment that all necessary maintenance has
been done.
HOW THE SERVICE RECORD IS ORGA-
NIZED
The service record is comprised of a series
of coupons on which to record services as
they are performed. There are additional
coupons for documenting extra engine oil
and filter changes, extra automatic trans-
mission fluid services necessary for severe
service conditions, and brake fluid changes.
HOW TO USE THE SERVICE RECORD
COUPONS
When the car is brought to a Saab dealer for
scheduled maintenance, present the War-
ranties & Service Record Booklet to the ser-
vice manager. When the technician has
completed the service, the technician will
sign the maintenance record. The person
responsible for quality assurance at the
dealership will also sign and stamp the
record with the dealer identification stamp.
Service costsDealer pricing practices and labor for ser-
vice work vary. Saab’s recommended ser-
vice times for each service point do not
include the labor required to replace wear
items, such as wiper blades, brake pads or
tires. Nor is labor to perform other service or
repairs found to be necessary as a result of
the inspections included in these times.
Additional labor and parts will be charged
for such work when necessary, except as
covered under an applicable Saab warranty
or any optional extended service contract.
Transmission fluid changes or suspension
alignment, when necessary, are also addi-
tional.
Dealer charges for general shop material,
regulated hazardous waste removal, recy-
cling expenses or other operation costs may
also be applied to service and repair
invoices and are apt to vary by dealer and
location.
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284 Customer Assistance and InformationVehicle 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.
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285 Technical data
General data __________ 286
Engine _______________ 289
Engine oil _____________ 290
Fuel__________________ 291
Engines ______________ 291
Electrical system_______ 291
Drive belt _____________ 292
Manual transmission ___ 292
Automatic transmission _ 292
Suspension ___________ 293
Steering ______________ 293
Brake system__________ 293
Wheels and tires _______ 294
Plates and labels _______ 297
Technical data
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 285 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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