2008 SAAB 9-5 API

197 Car care and technical information
Use only new brake fluid from a sealed
container.
Check that there are no leaks in the brake
system.
The brake fluid level will fall somewhat as
the brake pads wear. The MAX level in the
reservoir corresponds to the amount of
brake fluid required with new brake pads. If
the fall in fluid level is moderate, due to
normal brake pad wear, topping up is not
necessary.
Changing of the brake fluid should be
carried out by a workshop. We recom-
mend that you contact an authorized
Saab dealer.
The vehicle´s regular braking system is
adjusted automatically, but the parking
brake has to be adjusted manually. This
work, involving adjustment of the parking
brake cables and brake pads, must only be
carried out by a workshop. We recommend
that you contact an authorized Saab dealer.It is not possible to detect, through abnormal
pedal or parking brake-lever travel, whether
brake pads are worn and need replacing. It
is therefore essential that brake pads be
checked regularly, as specified in the
service program.
Brake pad wear indicators The outboard brake pads on the front
wheels incorporate pad-wear indicators.
When the lining is down to 0.11 in (3 mm),
the pad will produce a screeching, squeal-
ing or scraping noise when the brakes are
applied. New pads should be fitted without
delay.
Brake pads should only be changed by a
workshop. We recommend that you con-
tact an authorized Saab dealer.
NOTEAvoid spilling brake fluid onto paintwork,
since it can cause the paint to bubble and
lift. If any brake fluid is spilled, the area
should be flushed with large quantities of
water as quickly as possible.
IB1188
Brake and clutch-fluid reservoir
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204 Car care and technical informationChanging bulbs
Check that the new bulb is working when
finished.
Use only "Long Life" bulbs.
Headlight aiming, see page 250.
Xenon headlight3
33 3Xenon headlights produce roughly twice as
much light as halogen bulbs and have a sig-
nificantly 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 comprises
two sensors, one on the front axle, one on
the rear axle and a control unit under each
of the two headlight housings. Headlight
alignment is regulated automatically to pre-
vent dazzling oncoming traffic. Alignment is
also adjusted during braking.
WARNING
Before changing a bulb in the engine bay,
switch off the engine to avoid danger of
fingers and hands being injured by
moving parts.
The radiator fan can start up even when
the engine is switched off.
Xenon headlights3
33 3 are high voltage
and must therefore be changed at a
workshop. We recommend that you
contact an authorized Saab work-
shop. Work involving high-voltage
components is potentially lethal.NOTESince the headlight lenses are made
of plastic, rinse dried-on dirt with
water and allow it time to soften up
before cleaning the lenses. Avoid
rubbing the lenses when dry and
never use solvents.
Use de-icer spray instead of scraping
the ice off.
NOTEDo not fit bulbs with a higher rating
than 55 W, since the headlight reflec-
tor and the wiring of the car are not
designed for a higher wattage.
Switch off the ignition before chang-
ing a bulb, to avoid possible short-cir-
cuiting.
Do not touch the glass of the bulbs
with your fingers. The oil on your skin
can shorten the life of the bulb.
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246 Car care and technical informationTwo-coat enamelAs the name implies, two-coat enamel is
applied in two operations. The first coat, the
base color, contains the pigment, metal
flakes and binder. The second coat consists
of a clear enamel, which provides the final
gloss for the paintwork and protects the
base from moisture and environmental con-
taminants.
Touch-up stone-chip damage as follows:
1 Thoroughly clean the damaged area.
2 Apply the primer, base color and finally,
the enamel. To achieve the best finish,
apply two or three coats of primer.
Air conditioning
(ACC)
WARNING
All repairs and adjustments on the A/C
system must be carried out by a work-
shop authorized for this kind of work.
The A/C system is pressurized. Do not
break any connections or undo A/C
system components.
Escaping refrigerant gas can cause
visual impairment or other injury.NOTEThe A/C system is designed for use
with R134a refrigerant.
Refrigerant handling requires special
equipment and special procedures for
charging and draining the system.
Never mix R134a and R12 refriger-
ants.
IB1334
Surface-treatment composition 1 Body panel
2 Zinc (certain panel sections only) 7.5 µm
3 Phosphate coating
4 Cathodic ED 23 µm
5 Intermediate coat 35 µm
6 Metallic base 15 µm
7 Clear enamel /solid enamel 40 µm
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248 Car care and technical informationAnti-corrosion
treatmentThe entire car is corrosion-protected at the
factory in different stages by an electrolytic
immersion coating and a PVC-based pro-
tective coating to protect against corrosion
caused by stones flung up by the wheels. A
thin penetrating anti-rust oil is also applied
in cavities and body members.
In addition to conventional anti-corrosion
treatment like painting, underbody treat-
ment and cavity treatment, most of the body
panel surfaces are galvanized. These
include the hood, the doors and the under-
body.
The anti-corrosion treatment on the under-
side of the car and inside the wheel arches
is particularly exposed to constant wear and
possible damage, the degree of which will
obviously depend on driving conditions.
What causes rust?Steel body panels of automobiles are sub-
ject to rusting whenever air and moisture
manage to penetrate the protective finish,
and body panels may rust through if the pro-
cess is unchecked. Rusting can occur wher-
ever water is trapped or where the car’s
panels are continuously damp. Damage to
paint and undercoating by stones, gravel
and minor crashes immediately exposes
metal to air and moisture. Road salts used
for de-icing will collect on the bottom of the
car and promote rusting. Areas of the coun-
try with high humidity have great potential
for rust problems, especially where salt is
used on roads or there is moist sea air.
Industrial pollution (fallout) may also
damage paint and promote rusting.
Preventive maintenanceThe following procedures are necessary to
help protect against rusting. Refer also to
the terms and conditions of the Sheet Metal
Coverage described in the warranty book-
let.
1Wash the car frequently, and wax at
least twice a year. Under adverse
conditions, where there is a rapid
buildup of dirt, sand or road salt, wash
your car at least once a week. After
extreme exposure to salted snow or
slush, evidenced by a white film on the
car, wash the car immediately. Frequent
washing will prevent paint damage from
acid rain and other airborne contami-
nants such as tree sap and bird drop-
pings. If any of these contaminants are
noticed on the car the finish should be
washed immediately.
Begin washing by rinsing the entire car
with water to loosen and flush off heavy
concentrations of dirt (include the
underbody).
Sponge the car with a solution of either
a good quality car soap or mild general
purpose (dish washing) detergent and
water.
Rinse car thoroughly with clean water.
After washing, check and clear all
drains in doors and body panels.
Wipe the car dry, preferably using a
chamois.
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276 IndexRain sensor
_____________________ 77
Random playback of MP3 files, CD
_103
Random playback, CD
____________ 99
Random playback, CD changer
____ 101
Rapid playing an MP3 file
_________ 103
RDS time
_____________________ 106
Rear fog light ___________________ 74
Rear seat, 9-5 Sedan, folding
______ 129
Rear seat, 9-5 SportCombi, folding
_132
Rear window heating
_____________ 82
Rear-seat head restraints __________ 21
Rear-view mirror, auto-dimming
____ 121
Rearview mirrors
________________ 116
Reclamation
___________________ 250
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmission, towing a
camper or trailer
_______________ 175
Refuelling
_____________________ 146
Relay panel ____________________ 219
Remote control __________________ 44
Remote-control battery, changing
____ 49
Remove the key
________________ 140
Removing CDs
__________________ 99
Removing CDs, CD-changer
______ 100
Removing MP3 discs
____________ 102
Replacement, wheel
_____________ 227
Reporting safety defects
__________ 258
Reprogramming of systems _______ 274
Reservoir, power-steering fluid _____ 198
Rev counter
____________________ 64
Reversing lights _________________ 76
Rolling advertisements
____________ 94Roof load
______________________ 179
Running-in _____________________ 170
Saab Information Display (SID)
_____ 68
SSaab Parking Assistance
_________ 168
Safety belts
_____________________ 12
Safety belts, care of
_____________ 242
Safety-belt pretensioners
__________ 15
Safety-belt reminder
______________ 12
SDM
_________________________ 259
SID
___________________________ 68
Seats __________________________ 18
Securing a load
__________________ 47
Selecting and changing tracks, CD
___ 99
Selecting a radio station
___________ 93
Selecting/changing MP3 file _______ 103
Selector lever indication, automatic
transmission
___________________ 67
Sentronic, manual mode
__________ 156
Service costs
___________________ 257
Service information
______________ 258
Service intervals
________________ 256
Service record retention
__________ 257
Setting the clock
________________ 105
Setting the date _________________ 105
Settings, seats __________________ 18
Shadow effect
__________________ 110
Side airbags
____________________ 36
Signalling, horn _________________ 114Snow chains
___________________ 172
Sorting music ___________________ 103
Sound system __________________ 107
Sources of AM interference
________ 111
Sources of FM interference ________ 111
Spare wheel
___________________ 237
Spare wheel and tools
____________ 183
Spark plugs
____________________ 267
Speed dependent volume
compensation _________________ 106
Speedometer
_________________ 64
, 65
Starting in cold weather, ACC
_______ 84
Starting in hot weather, ACC ________ 84
Steering wheel adjustment
________ 114
Steering wheel controls
____________ 91
Steering, technical data ___________ 269
Steps for determining correct load
limit
_________________________ 233
Stone-chip damage, repairing
______ 245
Storage compartments
___________ 126
Storing radio stations
______________ 93
Sun visors
_____________________ 125
Suspension ____________________ 269
Suspension, technical data
________ 269
Switches
_______________________ 73
Symboler ________________________ 9
Systems, adjustment
_____________ 274
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