2008 SAAB 9-3 gas type

161 Starting and driving
Refer to page 187 for information regarding
gasoline anti-freeze.
The fuel door has a built in filler cap holder
slot located on the fuel door. Slide the white
ring on the cap into the slot.
Notice: If you need a new fuel cap, be sure
to get the right type. Your dealer can get one
for you. If you get the wrong type, it may not
fit properly.
Filling a portable fuel container Fuel (Gasoline Engine)
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an impor-
tant part of the proper maintenance of your
vehicle.
For optimum performance Saab recom-
mends:
Gasoline engines – AON 90.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a
posted octane of 87 or higher. If the octane
is less than 87, you may get a heavy knock-
ing noise when you drive. If this occurs, use
a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as
soon as possible. Otherwise, you might
damage your engine. A little pinging noise
when you accelerate or drive uphill is con-
sidered normal. This does not indicate a
problem exists or that a higher-octane fuel
is necessary. If you are using 87 octane or
higher-octane fuel and hear heavy knock-
ing, your engine needs service.
WARNING
Never fill a portable fuel container while it
is in your vehicle. Static electricity dis-
charge from the container can ignite the
gasoline vapor. You can be badly burned
and your vehicle damaged if this occurs.
To help avoid injury to you and others:
Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
Do not fill a container while it is inside
a vehicle, in a vehicle’s trunk, pickup
bed or on any surface other than the
ground.
Bring the fill nozzle in contact with the
inside of the fill opening before operat-
ing the nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the filling is complete.
Do not smoke while pumping gaso-
line.
When refueling, hang the fuel cap inside
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162 Starting and drivingGasoline Specifications
It is recommended that gasoline meet spec-
ifications which were developed by automo-
bile manufacturers around the world and
contained in the World-Wide Fuel Charter
which is available from the Alliance of Auto-
mobile Manufacturers at www.autoalli-
ance.org/fuel_charter.htm. Gasoline meet-
ing these specifications could provide
improved driveability and emission control
system performance compared to other
gasoline.California Fuel
If your vehicle is certified to meet California
Emission Standards (see the underhood
emission control label), it is designed to
operate on fuels that meet California speci-
fications. If this fuel is not available in states
adopting California emissions standards,
your vehicle will operate satisfactorily on
fuels meeting federal specifications, but
emission control system performance may
be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp
may turn on and your vehicle may fail a
emission system inspection. See Engine
malfunction (CHECK ENGINE) on page 83.
If this occurs, return to your authorized Saab
dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that
the condition is caused by the type of fuel
used, repairs may not be covered by your
warranty.Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the
United States are now required to contain
additives that will help prevent engine and
fuel system deposits from forming, allowing
your emission control system to work prop-
erly. You should not have to add anything to
your fuel. However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of additive
required to meet U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency regulations. Saab recom-
mends that you buy gasolines that are
advertised to help keep fuel injectors and
intake valves clean. If your vehicle experi-
ences problems due to dirty injectors or
valves, try a different brand of gasoline.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as
ethers and ethanol, and reformulated gaso-
lines may be available in your area to con-
tribute to clean air. Saab recommends that
you use these gasolines, particularly if they
comply with the specifications described
earlier.
Notice: Your vehicle was not designed
for fuel that contains methanol. Do not
use fuel containing methanol. It can cor-
rode metal parts in your fuel system and
also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be cov-
ered under your warranty.
Some gasolines that are not reformulated
for low emissions may contain an
octane-enhancing additive called methylcy-
clopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy NOTEGasolines containing oxygenates, such
as ethers and ethanol, and reformulated
gasolines may be available in your area.
We recommend that you use these gaso-
lines, if they comply with the specifica-
tions described earlier. However, E85
(85% ethanol) and other fuels containing
more than 10% ethanol must not be used
in vehicles that were not designed for
those fuels.93_US_M08.book Page 162 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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187 Starting and driving
Driving in cold weatherIn cold weather, special attention should be
paid to the following:
Before driving off, make sure that the
wiper blades have not frozen to the wind-
shield.
Remove any snow from the heating
system air intakes between the hood and
the windshield.
If necessary, inject oil into the locks to
prevent them from freezing. Use molyb-
denum-sulphide oil (MoS
2). If the locks
freeze, exercise care when unlocking the
car (manual unlocking) to avoid breaking
the key. Warm up the key or use a de-icer.
It is particularly important when the roads
are slippery that the brakes and tires are
in good condition.
For how to check the level of antifreeze in
the engine coolant, see page 212.Add gasoline anti-freeze when refueling
several times before the onset of winter.
This will prevent condensation water in
the fuel tank from freezing and causing
interruptions in the fuel supply. The likeli-
hood of condensation is lowest when the
fuel tank is full.
If the car is parked outside and the
temperature is below zero, gasoline anti-
freeze is of little use as it cannot remove
water that has already frozen. Park the
car in a warm place so that any ice that
may have built up melts, then add gaso-
line anti-freeze when refueling.
Condensation is caused by temperature
fluctuations, either in the outside temper-
ature alone or when the car is alternately
parked outdoors and in a garage.
Convertible: Avoid operating the soft top
at temperatures below 23°F (–5°C).The car is equipped with tires designed to
provide optimum grip on both wet and dry
roads, although this has been achieved at
the expense of somewhat reduced grip on
snow and ice. For regular driving on snow
and ice, we therefore recommend that
winter tires be fitted. However, winter tires
achieve this extra grip at the expense of
grip on bare road surfaces.
Winter tires, particularly studded tires, gen-
erally make driving safer on snow and ice.
Acquaint yourself with the legal provi-
sions governing the use of different
types of winter tires and snow chains.
Studded tires are not allowed in some
countries. If winter tires are fitted, the same
type must be fitted to all four wheels. Your
Saab dealer will be pleased to advise you on
the best tires for your car.
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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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291 Technical data
Fuel
EnginesElectrical systemFuel tank capacity 16.05 U.S. gal. (61 l)
For optimum performance Saab recom-
mends:Gasoline engines –
AON 90.
Gasoline with a lower octane rating can be used, although not
lower than AON 87. However, engine performance will fall slightly
and heavy loading and laboring should be avoided. For optimum
performance, use the recommended grade of fuel.
For further information on fuel, see page 161.
2.0T Ecopower
Rating, EEC at 5300 rpm ____________ 210 hp (155 kW)
Maximum torque, EEC at 2500-4000 rpm 221 ft.lb. (300 Nm)
Compression ratio__________________ 9.5:1
2.8 V6 Ecopower
Rating, EEC at 5500 rpm ____________ 255 hp (187 kW)
Maximum torque, EEC at 1800-4500 rpm 258 ft.lb. (350 Nm)
Compression ratio__________________ 10.0:1Voltage ___________________________ 12 V
Battery capacity ____________________ 60 Ah
Starter motor:
4-cyl engine ______________________ 1.8 kW
V6 engine ________________________ 1.4 kW
Alternator rating:
4-cyl engine with manual gearbox _____ 120 A/14 V
4-cyl engine with automatic gearbox ___ 140 A/14 V
V6 engine ________________________ 155 A/14 V
Firing order:
4-cyl engine ______________________ 1-3-4-2
V6 engine ________________________ 1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark plugs:
4-cyl engine
Type ____________________________ NGK PFR6T-10G
Electrode gap _____________________ 0.9–1.0 mm
Tightening torque __________________ 20 ft.lb. (28 Nm)
V6 engine
Type ____________________________ PLFR6C 10G
Electrode gap _____________________ 0.9–1.0 mm
Tightening torque __________________ 20 ft.lb. (28 Nm)93_US_M08.book Page 291 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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293 Technical data
Suspension
Steering
Brake systemSpring type, front and rear_____________ Coil springs
Maximum deflection of springs:
Front ____________________________ 7.0'' (178 mm)
Rear ____________________________ 8.3'' (212 mm)
Dampers, front and rear ______________ Oil and gas-filled
twin-tube
Steering___________________________ Power-assisted
steering gear of
rack-pinion type and
telescopic jointed
steering column
Number of turns, lock to lock ___________ 2.97
Oil type ___________________________ Power steering fluid
CHF 11S or
CHF 202
Foot brake (ABS)____________________ Hydraulic disc
brakes with vacuum
servo unit. Diago-
nally split circuits;
ventilated discs on
front wheels (some
variants also have
ventilated rear
discs). EBD function
(see page 173).
Park brake _________________________ Acts on rear wheelsBrake fluid _________________________ To DOT 4.
Do not use DOT 5.
Disc diameter:
Front ____________________________ 11.9 in.
(302 mm) **)
Front3 *) ________________________ 12.4 in.
(314 mm) **)
Rear ____________________________ 10.9 in.
(278 mm)
Rear3 *) ________________________ 11.5 in.
(292 mm) **)
Total friction area of brake pads:
Front ____________________________ 9.30 in.² (60 cm²)
Front3__________________________ 9.61 in.² (62 cm²)
Rear ____________________________ 4.96 in.² (32 cm²)
*) 15" wheels and 16" aluminium wheels
must not be fitted to these variants since
the diameter of the brake discs does not
allow this.
**) ventilated93_US_M08.book Page 293 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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