2008 SAAB 9-5 warning

177 Starting and driving
Recommendations for cars with manual
gearbox
Rises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
The following steps are taken in order as the
temperature of the engine increases:
A/C compressor is switched off.
engine torque is reduced.
When continuing your journey, select a gear
in which the engine speed is about
3,000 rpm until the incline eases.
Driving considerations Always take extra care when towing a
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different
and its braking effect reduced. The trailer’s
braking system and suspension also have a
considerable effect on these characteris-
tics, see also ”Driving with a load” page 181.
If the car has automatic transmission, select
position D when ascending steep hills. This
ensures that the adaptive gear change pat-
terns are operational, see page 158. Use
position D or L for steep descents.Checks before drivingMake sure that the car and camper or trailer
are in good working order. This is essential
since towing a camper or trailer increases
the strain on the car.
Check and if necessary adjust the tire
pressure of the car and camper or trailer.
Make sure all wheel bolts are properly
tightened.
Make sure that the equipment joining the
car and camper or trailer is properly
secured and adjusted.Make sure the camper or trailer’s electri-
cal cable is properly connected and is not
so long that it drags along the ground.
Also, make sure the cable is not too short
and risks breaking when turning a corner.
Check all bulbs.
Check the car and camper or trailer
brakes.
Make sure that all items on or in the cara-
van or trailer are properly secured.
Make sure that the camper or trailer’s
jockey wheel is raised and locked.
Check the distribution of the load so that
the car and camper or trailer are well
balanced.
Check that the rearview mirrors provide
the best possible rearward vision.
Make sure the camper or trailer’s safety
cable is correctly attached.
WARNING
Utilize the braking effect of the engine
(1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you are
descending long or steep hills to spare
the brakes.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
NOTEIf the ”Automatic transmission3, fault
indicator” indicator comes on, cease
towing until the problem has been recti-
fied.
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178 Starting and drivingTrailer hitch loadThe weight distribution on the trailer makes
a lot of difference to the handling properties
of the car and trailer combination. As
regards single-axle trailers, whenever pos-
sible, concentrate the load over the wheels
and keep it as low as possible.
The trailer should be loaded so that the
maximum load on the towbar ball is 5 % to
7 % of the trailer weight with a maximum
permissible tongue weight of 110–165 lbs.
(50–75 kg).
Note that this load must be added to the total
load for the car. If this now exceeds the
specified load capacity, the load in the lug-
gage compartment will have to be reduced
by a corresponding amount.
WARNING
When you connect the trailer be sure to
attach its safety chains to the holes as
illustrated.
IB106
Distribution of load in trailer
aLight
b Moderate
c Heavy
Attach the safety chains to the holes as
illustrated
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179 Starting and driving
Driving with a roof rack
loadThe maximum permissible roof load is
220 lbs. (100 kg).
Note that the roof load is included in the
car’s maximum permissible load (see
page 260).
Strong, sturdy roof carriers3 designed spe-
cially for the car are available from your
Saab dealer. Always secure the roof load
safely.
Fitting the roof carriers3
33 3,
9-5 Sedan and 9-5 SportCombi
without roof railsThe carrier feet are marked with a top view
of the car and arrow indicating their posi-
tions.
1 Slip the plastic cover onto the adjustable
foot of the carrier (foot with knob for tight-
ening) to protect the paintwork during
assembly.
2 Open all the doors.
Fold back the rubber strip and find the
fixing holes. 3 Start on the left-hand side of the car.
Rest the carrier carefully across the roof,
with the rigid foot towards you. Hold the
foot clear of the roof to avoid damaging
the paintwork.
Fold back the rubber strip and insert the
pins on the foot into the fixing holes.
Make sure that the rubber strip comes
inside the plastic cover on the carrier.
Repeat the procedure with the other
carrier.
WARNING
A roof load will affect the car’s center
of gravity and aerodynamics. Be
aware of this when cornering and driv-
ing in crosswinds.
Suit your speed to the prevailing con-
ditions.
Due to higher aerodynamic drag, fuel
economy may suffer when driving with
a roof rack.
IB480
IB481
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182 Starting and drivingTires
The tire pressure should match the current
load and speed of the car; for cars sold in
U.S. see page 231; for cars sold in Canada
see page 269.
The tire pressures given apply to cold tires,
that is tires that are the same temperature
as the outside air temperature.
The tire pressure increases as the tires
become warm (e.g. during highway driving)
with approximately 0.3 bar (4 psi). When
the temperature of the tires changes by 50°
(10°C), the tire pressure will change 0.1 bar
(2 psi).Never reduce the pressure of a hot tire. If the
tires are hot when you check them, only
increase the pressure, if necessary.
Underinflated tires wear more quickly than
slightly overinflated tires.
If a valve is leaking, simply unscrew it and fit
a new one.
Important! Remember to adjust the tire
pressures if you change the load in the car
or intend to drive at substantially lower or
higher speeds than normal.
WARNING
Check the tire pressure at least once a
month and before long journeys. Under-
inflation can result in:
Punctures
Separation of the tire and tread
Damage to the sidewalls
Damage to the rims on poor roads
Poor handling characteristics
Premature tire wear
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183 Starting and driving
Driving with a spare
wheel fittedSee page 238.Driving with the trunk
lid/tailgate openAvoid driving with the trunk lid/tailgate partly
or fully open, since exhaust fumes can be
drawn into the cabin.
If you must drive with the trunk lid/tailgate
open, all windows and the moonroof3 must
be closed and the cabin fan on at its highest
speed setting.
Driving in deep water Towing the carNOTEDo not drive in water deeper than
12 inches (30 cm) and do not drive faster
than 3–4 mph. Water can otherwise be
sucked into the engine. The engine will be
seriously damaged if water enters the
intake system.
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 being towed.
Always seek professional help if the
car needs to be towed.
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184 Starting and drivingFront towing eye
The front towing eye is stored with the spare
wheel.
The attachment point (tapped hole) for the
towing eye is midway along the engine sub-
frame at the front of the car.
Remove the plastic plug and screw in the
towing eye securely.
To ensure that the towing eye is in far
enough, insert the handle of the wheel
wrench through the eye for additional
leverage.
Rear towing eyeThe car has a permanently mounted towing
eye at the back. If the car is equipped with a
trailer hitch, this can be used instead of the
towing eye.
WARNING
Make sure that the towing eye at the
front is screwed in tightly.
The towing eye is only designed for
use when the car is being towed on the
road. 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 break. The
towing eye or tow rope could catapult
off and cause serious injury.NOTEDo not drive the car with the front
towing eye in position. If it catches the
curb, for example, the engine sub-
frame could be damaged.
Refit the plastic plug in the hole when
the towing eye has been removed, to
keep dirt and moisture out of the
threads.
IB3885
Front towing eye
IB3886
Rear towing eye
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186 Starting and drivingJump startingIf your battery has run down, you may want
to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your Saab. Follow the steps
below to do it safely.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 elec-
trical systems.
3 Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Turn off all lights that are not needed,
and radios. This will avoid sparks and
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 bat-
tery.
The battery contains corrosive sulfuric
acid. Always wear a face mask or gog-
gles 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
quantity makes contact with the skin,
seek medical help.
Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds. Wash your hands after
handling.
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
Neutral.
IB3931
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187 Starting and driving
help save both batteries and it could
save your radio.
4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (–) termi-
nals on the battery.5 Check that the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock and also the
vehicles could be damaged.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some basic things you should know.
Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and
negative (–) will go to a major metal
engine part with a good ground. Do not
connect (+) to (–) or you will get a short
that could injure you or would damage
the battery and maybe other parts as
well.
6 Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
7 Do not let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8 Now connect the black negative (–)
cable to the good battery’s negative
terminal.NOTEIf you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
WARNING
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
WARNING
Using a match or flame of any kind near a
battery can cause battery gas to explode.
You can suffer burns or be blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
The battery installed in your new Saab
has filler caps. Be sure the right amount
of water is there. Add distilled or boiled
water if the level is too low. If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Be sure the electrolyte in the battery is not
frozen. Discharged batteries will freeze.
When connecting jumper cables to a
frozen battery, gas from the chemical
reaction inside the battery can build up
under the ice and cause an explosion.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you acciden-
tally get it in your eyes or on your skin,
flush the area with water and get medical
help immediately.
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