2008 SAAB 9-3 snow chains

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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188 Starting and drivingRemember that tires age: it may therefore
be necessary to change winter tires before
they reach the legal wear limit, as they grad-
ually lose their friction properties with age.
If you get into a front wheel skid and the car
has a manual transmission, the best
response is to freewheel, which means
declutching so that the wheels neither drive
nor brake, and to cautiously steer in the
desired direction.
If the car has automatic transmission, ease
off the accelerator slightly and steer cau-
tiously in the desired direction.
If you get into a rear wheel skid, steer in the
same direction as the movement of the rear
of the car.
Driving with tire chains3
33 3Snow chains must only be fitted to the wheel
and tire dimensions that Saab recommends
in "Technical data" on page 285.
We recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer regarding approved tire chains. See
also page 251.
WARNING
Do not drive at speeds above 30 mph
(50 km/h) when tire chains are fitted.
Tire chains can reduce directional sta-
bility.
Do not fit tire chains to the car’s rear
wheels.
NOTECheck the links frequently for wear.
Check that the chains do not foul the
wheel arch liner at full lock.
Refer to the "Technical data" section
on page 285, for information on wheel
and tire dimensions approved for the
fitting of tire chains.
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251 Car care
Tire Chains
Notice: If your vehicle does not have
235/45R17 size tires, use tire chains only
where legal and only when you must.
Contact your Saab dealer regarding suit-
able snow chains. Install them on the
front tires and tighten them as tightly as
possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the
chain manufacturer’s instructions. If you
can hear the chains contacting your
vehicle, stop and retighten them. If the
contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or spinning the
wheels with chains on will damage your
vehicle.
If a Tire Goes FlatIt’s unusual for a tire to “blowout” while
you’re driving, especially if you maintain
your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire,
it’s much more likely to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blowout”, here are
a few tips about what to expect and what to
do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a
drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side.
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and
grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to main-
tain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts
much like a skid and may require the same
correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear
blowout, remove your foot from the acceler-
ator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop – well off
the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to
use your jacking equipment to change a flat
tire safely.
WARNING
If your vehicle has 235/45 R17 size tires,
don’t use tire chains, there’s not enough
clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by
the tire chains could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and you or others
may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if
its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that manu-
facturer’s instructions. To help avoid
damage to your vehicle, drive slowly,
readjust or remove the device if it’s con-
tacting your vehicle, and don’t spin your
wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit,
install them on the front tires.93_US_M08.book Page 251 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM
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261 Car care
The car must not be driven with more than
one compact spare tire at a time.
Avoid driving against the curb.
Do not use snow chains.
Do not fit the wheel cover - this would
conceal the warning text.NOTETo avoid damaging a alloy wheel of a
punctured tire, this can be temporarily
placed outside up in the spare wheel well
but only while driving to the closest work-
shop.
As a general rule, all heavy loads must be
well secured in the trunk (see page 141).
Tools under a panel in the trunk
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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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295 Technical data
Recommended tire/engine combinations
RF/XL = Reinforced (or Extra Load) tire.
NOTESnow chains
Snow chains must not be fitted to the rear wheels, and may only
be used with the following wheel-tire combinations:
Wheels Tires
6.5x16"_______ 215/55 R16 M+S or
215/55 R16
Contact your Saab dealer regarding suitable snow chains.
Max. permissible speed with snow chains fitted is 30 mph
(50 km/h).
Snow chains must not be fitted to wheels larger than 16".NOTEWheels larger than 17" must not be fitted for reasons stated on
page 248.
Exercise care when driving on uneven roads or against the curb
if the car is heavily laden. This particularly applies to cars with
17" wheels.
Permitted wheel offset is 41 mm.
2.0 Turbo V6 engine
All season tires
215/55 R16 97 H RF/XL x–
235/45 R17 94 V x x
Summer tires
235/45 R17 94 W–x
Winter (snow) tires
215/55 R16 93 Q x x
235/45 R17 94 Q x x
Wheel sizes
6.5x16" x–
7.5x17" x x
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306 IndexOpening handles
_________________ 48
Opening the soft top, Convertible
____ 64
Outside mirrors
_________________ 124
Owner assistance _______________ 282
PPanic function, car alarm
__________ 58
Park Brake Shift Lock
____________ 166
Park Brake Shift Lock, temporary
override
______________________ 168
Parking
_______________________ 179
Parking aid ____________________ 182
Parking brake __________________ 179
Parking on a hill ________________ 180
Pinch protection, electric windows,
SportSedan and SportCombi
_____ 122
Pinch protection, moonroof
________ 132
Plates and labels, location ________ 299
Polishing and waxing
____________ 270
Poly-V-belt
____________________ 219
Portable fuel container
___________ 161
Position lights
___________________ 98
Power steering fluid, checking
_____ 215
Power steering fluid, grade
________ 294
Pressure gauge
_________________ 88
Pressure, tires
__________________ 244
Profiles, customized settings
_______ 94
QQuality grading, tires
_____________ 248
Quick guide, remote control
________ 49
RRain sensor
____________________ 105
Raising the soft top manually,
Convertible ____________________ 68
Reading lights, Convertible
_________ 78
Rear fog light
___________________ 101
Rear seat, folding down, SportCombi
143
Rear seat, safety belts
____________ 17
Rear seats, folding down, SportSedan
138
Rear towing eye
________________ 198
Rear windows, deactivating,
SportSedan and SportCombi
_____ 123
Rearview mirrors
________________ 124
Recommendations for automatic
transmission, towing a trailer
_____ 191
Recommendations for manual
gearbox, towing a trailer
_________ 192
Recommended snow chains _______ 296
Refueling
______________________ 159
Remote control
__________________ 48
Remote locking malfunction
________ 50
Replacement, wheel
_____________ 250
Reporting safety defects __________ 283
Rev counter
_____________________ 87
Reversing lights
________________ 102Rollover Pop-up Bars, Convertible
___ 76
Roof carriers, SportCombi with roof
rails
_________________________ 195
Roof carriers, SportSedan and
SportCombi without roof rails
_____ 194
Roof lighting, SportSedan and
SportCombi
___________________ 133
Roof lighting, changing
___________ 232
Running-in
_____________________ 163
SSaab Information Display
__________ 89
Saab Parking Assistance _________ 182
Safety belts
_____________________ 12
Safety belts, rear seat, SportSedan
and SportCombi
________________ 17
SAHR, head restraint _____________ 23
SDM
_________________________ 284
SID
___________________________ 89
SPA __________________________ 182
Seatbelts
_______________________ 12
Seatbelts in rear seat, Convertible
___ 75
Seatbelts, care
_________________ 266
Seatbelts, checking
______________ 266
Seats
__________________________ 18
Securing a load
_________________ 141
Sentronic, manual gear selection
___ 170
Service costs
___________________ 281
Service information
______________ 282
Service intervals
________________ 280
Service record retention
__________ 281
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