2009 SAAB 9-3 wheel

258 Car careDriving with a compact wheel
fittedObserve the following when the compact
spare tire is fitted:
 The compact spare is light and easy to handle when changing a tire.
 Do not drive further than necessary with the compact spare fitted - the maximum
life of the tire is only just over 2,000 miles
(approx. 3,500 km).
 Refit the standard tire as soon as possi- ble.
 Fitting a spare tire/wheel without pressure sensor will trigger a malfunction
message, see page 255.
Important considerations when driving with
a compact spare tire:
 The car’s ground clearance is reduced.  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.
Changing a tire
WARNING
 Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h). The
tire can overheat affecting the car’s
road holding.
 Tire pressure: refer to page 291.
 The spare tire or punctured tire must be stowed under the trunk floor, and
secured in place with the retaining nut.
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.
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259
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.
NOTICEApply the jack only to the jacking points
indicated on the body.Jacking points for floor jack
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260 Car care1 Wind the jack up to a suitable height before placing it under the jacking point.
Each jacking point is indicated by an
arrow on the sill (see illustration).
Make sure that the jack fully engages the
jacking point in the underside of the sill
member and that the entire foot of the
jack is steady and flat on the ground. The
jack must not stand on snow, ice or sim-
ilar.
Wind up the jack until it just begins to lift
the car. 2 It is not necessary
to remove the wheel
cover.
If, none the less, you wish to remove the
wheel cover, take hold of the outer edge
and pull it straight out.
Remove the plastic wheel bolt covers.
Loosen the wheel bolts half a turn.
3 Wind the jack to raise the wheel clear of the ground. Remove the wheel bolts and
lift off the wheel.
Jacking points
Marking of jacking points
IB4529
Removing the plastic wheel bolt covers
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261
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 261. Fit the
wheel and screw in the bolts in the
sequence shown on page 262 (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 262.
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 chains 3, see page 186
NOTICE Do 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.
Grease the surfaces indicated with a thin
layer of grease
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262 Car care
Tire repair kit3
The tire repair kit re places the spare wheel.
The repair kit allows a punctured tire to be
temporarily repaired and reinflated without
needing to remove the wheel.
Minor damage to the tire, such as a foreign
object that has penetrated the tread, can be
temporarily repaired with the repair kit.
Do not remove the foreign object. Damage
larger than 0.16 in. (4 mm) and damage to
the sidewalls cannot be repaired with the
repair kit.
Follow the instructions supplied with the
repair kit carefully.
If the compressor sounds strange or
becomes abnormally hot, leave it switched
off for at least 30 minutes.
WARNING
Make sure no one can jog the gear lever,
for example, as the engine must be idling
when the tire is repaired. There is other-
wise a risk of personal injury.
Do not use the repair kit if:
 the damage to the tire is larger than 0.16 in. (4 mm).
 the wheel is damaged.
Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) after
repairing one of the car tires with the
repair kit.
WARNING
Change the punctured tire as soon as
possible.
Replenish the repair kit at a workshop.
We recommend that you contact an
authorized Saab workshop. The canister
of sealant must be changed once every
four years. See the date on the canister.
The handling characteristics of the car
may be impaired.
Driving with a tire that is underinflated or
has a puncture can damage the tire in
such a way that it is not possible to repair
it with the sealant.
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264 Car care4 Connect the air hose from the compres-sor to the connection on the canister.
5 Insert the canister into the recess in the compressor.
6 Unscrew the valve cap from the punc- tured wheel. 7 Connect the air hose from the canister to
the valve on the wheel.
8 The switch on the compressor must be in the 0 position.
9 Connect the compressor’s electric cable to the 12 volt socket (cigarette lighter) in
the car. 10 Start the compressor.
11 While the canister of sealant empties
(approx. 30 seconds), the gauge on the
compressor will briefly show a pressure
of up to 87 psi (6 bar). The pressure will
then drop.
12 Once the canister is empty, pump the tire to the recommended tire pressure
(see page 291). It is not necessary to
remove the canister.
13 The tire should be inflated to the recom- mended pressure within 10 minutes.
Switch off the compressor once the
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271
Car care
Anti-corrosion
treatmentThe entire car undergoes a series of
anti-corrosion processes during production.
These include electr ophoretic priming,
PVC-based coating to protect against stone
chip damage and corrosion, and treatment
of body cavities and members with thin,
penetrating rust-proofing oil.
In addition, most body panels, such as the
hood, doors and floor pan are galvanized.
The anti-corrosion treatment on some parts
of the car is constantly exposed to wear and
prone to damage. This applies particularly
to the underside of the car and inside the
wheel arches, where grit, road salt and the
like that are thrown up can give rise to cor-
rosion where the underseal has worn away.
The extent of this obv iously depends on the
conditions in which the car is used.
Accordingly, make it a habit to hose the
underside of the car often and to inspect the
condition of the underseal. The anti-corro-
sion warranty does not relieve the car owner
of the need to carry out normal maintenance
to the rust-proofing and to make good any
damage. Use a hose to clean the underside of the car
thoroughly. After it has dried, use a brush or
spray to apply a viscous anti-corrosion
agent to any worn or damaged areas, to
prevent the onset of corrosion.
Even after the anti-corrosion warranty has
expired, it makes good sense to continue to
maintain the
rust-proofing.
Seams in the body, especially those in the
doors and trunk lid, are particularly vulnera-
ble to corrosion from the outside, caused by
grit and salt thrown up from the road, and to
corrosion from the inside, largely as a result
of condensation. Keep the seams clean and
at the first sign of any rust, apply a thin, pen-
etrating, anti-corrosion oil. Your Saab
dealer will be pleased to give you further
advice.
What causes rust?Steel body panels of automobiles are sub-
ject to rusting whenever air and moisture
manage to penetrate the protective finish.
Body panels may rust through if the process
is unchecked. Rusting can occur wherever
water is trapped or where the car’s panels
are continuously damp.
Damage to paint and undercoating by
stones, gravel and minor crashes immedi-
ately 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 country with high humidity have
a greater potential for rust problems, espe-
cially where salt is used on roads or there is
moist sea air. Industrial pollution (fallout)
may also damage paint and promote rust-
ing.Preventive maintenanceThe following procedures are necessary to
help protect against rusting. Refer also to
the terms and conditions of the Performa-
tion Limited Warranty described in the war-
ranty booklet. 1 Wash the car freque ntly, 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
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272 Car care
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.
2 Clean the underside of the car during
the winter. Use high pressure water to
clean the car’s underside (floor panels,
wheel wells) at least at mid-winter and in
the spring. 3
Inspect the car frequently for leaks or
damage, and arrange for needed
repairs promptly. After washing or after
heavy rain, check for leaks. When wash-
ing the car inspect body surfaces for
paint damage. While checking for leaks,
lift the floor mats and check underneath
them. Water can collect in these areas
and remain for prolonged periods. Dry
any wet areas including the floor mats.
Have leaks repaired as soon as possi-
ble.
Use touch -up paint to repair small
scratches or minor finish damage. Areas
where metal is exposed will rust quickly
and MUST be repaired immediately by
touch-up or professional repainting.
Rust must be removed, the bare metal
primed and painted. Major body
damage should be repaired immediately
and new panels or exposed areas
should be undercoated with anti- corro-
sion material.
Repairs of this type are the owner’s
responsibility and are not covered under
warranty. Inspect the undercoating and touch up if
necessary.
Pay particular attention to the
fenders and wheel housings, which are
exposed to abrasion by flying gravel, etc. If
the composition has worn or flaked off, the
steel must be thoroughly cleaned and dried
before a fresh coat is applied. The cleaning
is best done with a scraper and a steel wire
brush, followed by washing with solvent.
Apply the new coating thinly, otherwise it
may run off or fall off when dry.
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materialsInformation on the scrapping and recycling
of car materials is available on
www.saab.com.
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