2009 SAAB 9-3 fuel

89 Instruments and controls
If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone
and the engine at the same time loses
power, because the monitoring system is
limiting the boost pressure, you should
contact a Saab dealer as soon as possible.
If the speed of the car exceeds 143 mph
(230 km/h) (this speed varies between dif-
ferent engine variants), acceleration is lim-
ited by reducing the boost pressure. The
pressure gauge then moves towards the
middle of the white field, indicating a drop in
engine power and consequently the car’s
speed.
Fuel gaugeWhen less than about 2.5 gallons (10 liter)
of fuel is left in the tank, a warning light on
the main instrument panel comes on.
Because of the fuel remaining in the tank,
the amount of fuel required to fill the tank
may be less than the specified tank capac-
ity.
Refueling, see page 156.
Saab Information
Display (SID) Various types of information are shown on
the SID: warnings, indications, trip
computer information and information
from the car’s Infotainment System.
 Selected gear is shown on the left-hand
side of the display. When gears are
selected manually, the letter M (manual)
and the selected gear are displayed (see
page 168) (cars with automatic transmis-
sion).
 In the first row trip computer information is
displayed and in the second row odome-
ter and tripmeter is displayed.
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90 Instruments and controlsWhen a message is displayed
The odometer and tripmeter is temporarily
turned off when a two row message is dis-
played. The icon is displayed in the left part
of the display.
The warnings and indications that can be
shown on the SID are listed on page 294.
If there is more than one message on the
SID, a plus sign will be displayed to the left
of the first message. Each message will be
displayed for 10 seconds.
Press the CLR button to acknowledge a SID
message. If you acknowledge a message
but do nothing about it, the message will be
displayed again the next time you start the
car.
When the engine is switched off the warn-
ing/indicator lights still active are displayed,
this is to remind the driver. At this point the
warning/indicator lights previously acknowl-
edged with the CLR button are also dis-
played.
You can adjust the settings of several of the
car’s systems, such as the alarm3, rain
sensor3 and climate control system. These
are known as Settings se page 94.
Odometer and trip meterThe odometer records the distance trav-
elled in miles on U.S. vehicles and on Cana-
dian vehicles the distance indicated is in
kilometres, and the trip meter in miles and
tenths (kilometres and tenths of kilometres
on Canadian vehicles).Reset buttonThe reset button is positioned immediately
to the left of the speedometer.
Press once to resets the trip meter, the igni-
tion shall be in position ON.
Trip computer function of the SID
WARNING
It is strongly recommended that the SID
settings be changed only when the car is
stationary. The driver’s attention can oth-
erwise easily be distracted from the road.
SID contains the following functions:
TempOutdoor temperature
D.T.E.Estimated range (distance to
empty fuel tank).
When the possible range is
less than 18 miles (30 km)
then the text Refill fuel now
is displayed.
Fuel ØAverage fuel consumption
since function last reset
DistDistance to destinations.
Function can also be used as
a trip meter
Speed ØAverage speed since function
last reset
Speed WSpeed warning (chime)
SettingsSettings of features such as
alarm clock, language and
rain sensor3
SID, control unit and display
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91 Instruments and controls
When the engine is started, the function that
was selected when the engine was
switched off is displayed, with the following
exceptions:
Temp is displayed if the outside tempera-
ture is between 26 and 38°F (–3 and
+3°C).
D.T.E. is displayed if less than or equal to
30 miles (50 km).
Outdoor temperature
The Temp function is always activated
(even in NIGHTPANEL mode) if the outdoor
temperature rises or falls to between 26 and
38 °F (–3 and +3 °C).
If the temperature sensor, located under the
front bumper, is covered by snow or ice,
temperature readings will be unreliable.Setting values
1 Select one of the functions using the
steering wheel controls, or .
Dist (preset to 100 miles (100 km) if not
previously set)
 Speed Ø
Speed W (preset to 55 mph (90 km/h).
2 Press and hold the SET button until
given audible confirmation.
3 Use the steering wheel controls to select
the value. (Press CLR to reset the
value.)
4 Press the SET button to finish setup.
Using DIST as a trip meter
1Select Dist using the steering wheel
controls, or .
2 Press and hold the CLR button for
approx. 1 second.
An arrow will now appear on the right-hand
side of the display, indicating that the trip
meter is running.Resetting a single function
1 Select the function you wish to reset
using the steering wheel controls, or
.
FuelØ
 Speed Ø
Tr i p (Dist used as trip meter).
2 Press and hold the CLR button for
approx. 1 second.
The selected function will now be reset.
WARNING
Remember that roads can be icy even at
temperatures of above 38°F (+3°C),
especially on bridges and stretches of
road that are sheltered from the sun.93_US_MY09.book Page 91 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
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92 Instruments and controlsResetting the trip computer
Press and hold the CLR button (approx.
3 seconds) until audible confirmation is
given.
The following functions will be rest:
FuelØ
 Speed Ø
D.T.E. (the value is reset to the distance
possible on the remaining fuel if fuel
consumption is 10l/100 km, lower
consumption means a longer possible
distance)
Tr i p (Dist used as trip meter).Speed warning
This value is preset to 55 mph (90 km/h).
The value can be set to between 0 and
150 mph (0 and 250 km/h).
1Select Speed W using the steering
wheel controls, or .
2 Press and hold the SET button until
given audible confirmation.
3 Adjust the speed using the steering
wheel controls.
4 Confirm the setting by pressing the SET
button.
Go back/modify using the CLR-button.
The word ON on the right-hand side of the
display indicates when the speed warning
function is active.
An audible alarm will sound if the set speed
is exceeded.
Disengage the function with the CLR button.
Re-engage the function using the SET but-
ton.Calculating the arrival time
(When will I arrive if I know how far I have to
drive?)
This function should be used before starting
out a journey.
To calculate the arrival time, the distance
must first be given.
1Select Dist using the steering wheel
controls, or .
2 Press and hold the SET button until
given audible confirmation.
3 Set the distance to the destination using
the steering wheel controls.
4 Confirm the setting by pressing the SET
button.
The calculated arrival time will now appear
on the right-hand side of the display.
If you take a break, this time will be added to
the previously calculated arrival time.93_US_MY09.book Page 92 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
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93 Instruments and controls
You can check the distance left by selecting
Dist. At the same time you can check the
calculated time of arrival.
After the distance to destination has
decreased to zero, Dist will function as a trip
meter (see Using DIST as a trip meter). The
starting value for the trip meter will be the
last distance set for the Dist function.
Example: The Dist function is set to
100 miles. After the count-down has
reached 0 miles, Dist will act as a trip meter
beginning at 100 miles.Calculating the arrival time if a specified
average speed is maintained
(When will I arrive if I know how far I have to
drive and know what my average speed will
be?)
This function should be used before starting
out a journey.
First, set the distance under Dist.
1 Then select Speed Ø function.
2 Press and hold the SET button until
given audible confirmation.
3 Set the estimated average speed using
the steering wheel controls.
4 Confirm the setting by pressing the SET
button.
The distance and the calculated time of
arrival is now displayed.
The time of arrival is updated during the
journey based on the average speed since
Dist was set. The speed of the car must
exceed 12 mph (20 km/h).
By selecting Dist during the journey, you
can see how much distance is left to travel.
When Dist reaches zero it acts as a trip
meter. The trip meter starts from the dis-
tance that was set previously.
NIGHTPANELTo improve night-driving conditions inside
the car, the Night Panel mode can be
selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
mation displayed is reduced, and only the
most important instruments and displays
will be illuminated.
When the NIGHTPANEL button is pressed,
only the speedometer will be illuminated.
All other instrument lighting will be switched
off and the needles drop to zero.
Note: All indicator and warning lights and
messages will operate normally if required.
Temp (when the outside temperature falls
or rises to between 26 and 38 °F (–3 and
+3 °C)) and D.T.E. (when the remaining fuel
is only sufficient for approx. 80 miles
(50 km) of driving) are even shown in Night
Panel model.
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149 Starting and driving
Ignition switch ________ 150
Steering wheel lock ____ 151
Starting the engine ____ 152
Important considerations
for driving __________ 153
Refueling ____________ 156
Engine Break-in Period _ 160
Manual transmission___ 161
Automatic
transmission3______ 162
Cruise Control ________ 169
Braking ______________ 170
All-wheel drive (XWD)3173
Traction Control System
(TCS) ______________ 173
Electronic Stability
Program ESP
®
______ 175
Parking brake_________ 177 Parking _______________ 177
Saab Parking
Assistance3________ 180
Economical driving _____ 183
Driving in cold weather__ 185
Driving in hot climates __ 187
Towing a trailer3______ 188
Driving with a roof rack
load ________________ 192
Driving with a load _____ 192
Driving with the trunk lid
open________________ 193
Driving in deep water ___ 193
Towing the car _________ 193
Jump starting _________ 197
For long trips __________ 199
Starting and driving
3Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
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153 Starting and driving
Useful tips on starting the engineIf the engine has failed to start after several
attempts in very cold weather, proceed as
follows:
1 Turn the ignition switch to ON (it is
essential that you turn the ignition to
ON before depressing the accelerator).
2 Press the accelerator to the floor and run
the starter motor for 5-10 seconds. This
will prevent the engine being flooded
(fully depressed accelerator cuts off the
fuel supply).
3 Now start the engine in the normal way
- do not touch the accelerator.
If the engine stalls immediately after starting
(e.g. if the clutch was released too quickly),
do not touch the accelerator when restarting
the engine.
Important
considerations for
driving1 Starting and driving
 Do not use full throttle until the engine
is warm, so as to avoid unnecessary
wear. If the needle of the turbo gauge
repeatedly enters the red zone, the
engine may suddenly lose power, due
to the initiation of a monitoring system
that limits the boost pressure. We
recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer as soon as possible.
 Under certain barometric conditions
(high outside temperature and/or high
altitude) the needle may enter the first
part of the red zone without necessarily
indicating that a fault has arisen.
 A protective function (interruption of the
fuel supply) limits the engine speed.2 Stopping the engine
 Do not rev the engine immediately
before switching it off - stop the engine
when it is idling.
3 Regulating the boost pressure
 One of the advantages of boost pres-
sure regulation is that the engine can
also be run safely on gasoline with a
lower octane rating, although not lower
than AON 87. However, engine perfor-
mance will fall slightly and heavy load-
ing and laboring should be avoided. For
optimum performance, use the recom-
mended grade of fuel.
 The maximum boost pressure is regu-
lated according to the tendency of the
engine to knock. Short-lived knocking
is perfectly normal. This can occur
when the engine is running at about
3,000 rpm under a heavy load. The
extent of this knocking will depend on
the grade of fuel in the tank.
 Isolated instances of knocking can
occur with low-octane fuel. This
controlled form of knocking, followed by
a reduction in the boost pressure, is a
sign that the control system is working
normally, and is perfectly safe for the
engine.
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154 Starting and drivingThe light comes on in the event of an engine
or gearbox fault (cars with automatic gear-
box), which may cause driveability prob-
lems but that does not affect exhaust emis-
sion. The car can still be driven but perhaps
with limited performance.
Contact a dealer whenever an opportunity
occurs. We recommend that you contact a
Saab dealer.
Limp-homeThe engine management system has a
diagnostic feature that checks a number of
internal functions. If a fault is detected in the
throttle valve, the engine management
system will set the throttle system to the
limp-home mode. This means:
 idling control will be poor (uneven idling
since regulated by ignition and fuel
supply)
 engine performance will be reduced
 the cruise control will not function
 the capacity of the A/C compressor will be
limited.
If the diagnosis function detects a fault in the
engine management system, the light
"Service Engine Light also known as
CHECK ENGINE" indicator light in the
instrument panel will come on (see
page 83). Have the car checked at a work-
shop as soon as possible. We recommend
that you contact a Saab dealer.
Important considerations with
catalytic convertersThe catalytic converter is an emission con-
trol device incorporated in the car’s exhaust
system. It consists of a metal canister with a
honeycomb insert, the cells of which have
walls coated in a catalytic layer (precious
metal alloy).
NOTICE If the engine sounds strange there is a
malfunction. We recommend that you
contact a Saab dealer immediately.
 The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine dam-
age.
Limited performance.
NOTICEIf "Service Engine Light also known
as CHECK ENGINE" indicator light warn-
ing light starts to flash (indicating that the
engine is misfiring and the catalytic con-
verter can be damaged), ease off the
accelerator slightly. The light should go
out or start to shine constantly. If the light
continues to flash despite easing off the
accelerator, you may continue to drive the
car but at the minimum throttle permitted
by the current traffic situation. Have the
car checked as soon as possible. We rec-
ommend that you contact a Saab dealer.NOTICEUse only unleaded gasoline. Leaded gas-
oline is detrimental to the catalyst and
oxygen sensor and will seriously impair
the function of the catalytic converter.
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