2009 SAAB 9-3 airbag

42 SafetyInflatable curtains, SportSedan
and SportCombi
The inflatable curtains, which protect the
head, are concealed along the lengths of
the headlining (all the way from front to rear
roof pillars).
The inflatable curtains inflate at the same
time as the side airbags in the front seats in
case of a side-on impact.
The inflatable curtains reduce the risk of
head injuries to the occupants of the car’s
outer seats. The inflatable curtains deploys
into the window area between the front and
rear roof pillars.
If the airbag system registers forces equiv-
alent to a high-speed frontal crash (Stage II
for the steering wheel and passenger
airbags), the inflatable curtains will also be
deployed.
WARNING
 Do not sit with your head resting
against the side window. The inflat-
able curtain is designed to inflate
between the window and the head.
Resting the head against the window
could prevent the inflatable curtain
from providing the intended pro-
tection.
 Hang only light clothes from the hooks
on the rear seat courtesy handles. The
items of clothing must not contain
heavy or sharp objects. Do not use
wire coat hangers.
 Do not position a sun visor or similar
item in the area that would be filled by
the inflatable curtain.
 To reduce the risk of head injuries in
the event of a crash, the roof pillars
and headlining incorporate cushioning
material. Do not attach anything to the
car’s headlining, roof pillars or side
panels as this could prevent the
side-impact protection from providing
the intended protection.
 Do not stack loads so high that they
could encumber the inflatable curtain
in the event of a crash.
Inflated inflatable curtain, SportSedan
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43 Safety
For optimal protection, do not sit too close to
the door. Bear this in mind, for example, if
someone is sleeping in the car. The inflat-
able curtain comes down from the headlin-
ing and covers a large portion of the side
windows.
Airbag warning lamp What Will You See After an
Airbag Inflates?
After an airbag inflates, it quickly deflates,
so quickly that some people may not even
realize the airbag inflated. Some compo-
nents of the airbag module - the steering
wheel hub for the driver's frontal airbag, the
instrument panel for the right front passen-
ger's frontal airbag or the ceiling of your
vehicle near the side windows - will be hot
for a short time. The parts of the bag that
come into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There will be some
smoke and dust coming from the vents in
the deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does
not prevent the driver from seeing or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop
people from leaving the vehicle.
WARNING
 If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the airbag system may not be working
properly. See page 85.
 The airbags in your vehicle may not
inflate in a crash, or they could even
inflate without a crash.
 To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle serviced
right away if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
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44 SafetyIn many crashes severe enough to inflate an
airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle
deformation. Additional windshield break-
age may also occur from the right front pas-
senger airbag.
 Airbags are designed to inflate only once.
After an airbag inflates, you will need
some new parts for your airbag system. If
you do not get them, the airbag system
will not be there to help protect you in
another crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other parts.
The service manual for your vehicle
covers the need to replace other parts. Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module which
records information after a crash. See
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data
Recorders on page 282.
 Let only qualified technicians work on
your airbag system. Improper service can
mean that your airbag system will not
work properly. See your dealer for
service.
Notice: If you damage the covering for
the driver's or the right front passenger's
airbag, or the side impact airbag cover-
ing on the ceiling near the side windows,
the bag may not work properly. You may
have to replace the airbag module in the
steering wheel, both the airbag module
and the instrument panel for the right
front passenger's airbag, or side impact
airbag module and ceiling covering for
the roof-mounted side impact airbag. Do
not open or break the airbag coverings.
Servicing the airbag systemThe airbag system must be inspected as
part of the normal service program but oth-
erwise may be regarded as mainte-
nance-free.Scrapping or working on airbag
and belt pretensioners
WARNING
When an airbag inflates, there is dust in
the air. This dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble. To
avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should
get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have breathing problems but can not get
out of the vehicle after an airbag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening a window or
a door. If you experience breathing prob-
lems following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
WARNING
 Under no circumstances should any
modifications be made that affect the
steering wheel or the airbag’s electri-
cal circuitry.
 During any welding, both battery
cables must be disconnected and cov-
ered.
 Before quick drying paint in the vicinity
of the electronic control module, the
module’s grounding points and wiring
must be covered.
 Airbags and safety belt pretensioners
must be deployed under controlled
conditions before the car is scrapped
or any of the system’s components are
removed. Airbags or belt pretension-
ers that have been deployed as a
result of a crash must be replaced by
new ones.
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45 Safety
Frequently asked questions on
function of the airbagDo you still need to wear a safety belt if air-
bags are fitted?
Yes, always! The airbag system compo-
nents merely supplement the car’s normal
safety system. Moreover, the front airbags
will only be actuated in a moderate to severe
frontal, or near-frontal crash, which means,
of course, that they provide no protection in
minor frontal crashes, major rear- or side-
crashes or if the car rolls over.
The safety belts help to reduce the sideway
movement of the body in a crash.
But they also ensure that, if a crash occurs
in which the airbags are inflated, the airbag
will make the optimum contact with the
occupant, i.e. square on from the front. If the
occupant meets the airbag in an offset posi-
tion, the protection afforded will be reduced.
In addition, airbags provide no protection
against a secondary impact occurring in the
same incident. So there is no doubt about
the benefit of wearing safety belts at all
times.
Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs
room to inflate.
The airbag inflates very quickly and power-
fully in order to protect an adult, before they
are thrown forward, in a serious frontal
crash.How do I position the seat to leave room for
the airbag to inflate?
Don’t have your seat too far forward.
Recline the seat back to increase the dis-
tance between you and the airbag. For short
drivers, special accessory pedal extensions
are available through your Saab dealer.
Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with
great force – to be fast enough to protect an
adult in the seat.
When do the airbags in the steering wheel
and passenger side of the dash board
inflate?
The airbag will only be inflated under certain
predetermined conditions in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal crash,
depending on such factors as the force and
angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
the impacting object.
The airbag can only be activated once in the
same incident.
Do not attempt to drive the car after an
airbag has been inflated, even if it is possi-
ble.
What won’t trigger the airbag?
The airbag will not be activated in all frontal
crashes. For instance, if the car has hit
something relatively soft and yielding (e.g. a  The car's impact protection consists of
several different safety features
including the airbags, safety belts,
steering wheel, seats and dashboard.
These parts are co-ordinated with
each other to provide optimum protec-
tion in the event of a collision, so never
install an airbag from one car into
another.
There is no guarantee that it would
then work satisfactorily in the event of
a collision.
 All work involving the scrapping or
replacement of airbags or belt preten-
sioners must be carried out by autho-
rized personnel only.
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46 Safetysnow drift or a hedge) or a solid object at a
low impact speed, the airbag will not neces-
sarily be triggered.
How loud is the inflation?
The noise of the inflation is certainly loud,
but it is of an very short duration and will not
damage your hearing. For a short time after-
wards you could experience a buzzing
noise in your ears.
Most people who have experienced it
cannot remember the noise of the inflation
at all – all they remember is the noise of the
crash.
Can you still use a child seat in the front if a
passenger airbag is installed?
Definitely not!
Children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm) can be killed by the air-
bag.
The back seat is the safest place for chil-
dren.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in the
front.
Sit as far back as possible from the airbag.
Always use seat belts and child restraints.What should I do if the AIR-BAG warning
light comes on?
If the warning light is on, it means that a fault
has been detected in the system. The
airbag cannot be relied on to operate as
intended and it might even be activated
erroneously. You should therefore take the
car to a workshop. We recommend that you
contact a Saab dealer as soon as possible.
Are the dust and fumes given off when the
airbag operates at all harmful?
Most people who have remained in a car
with little or no ventilation for several min-
utes complained only of minor irritation of
the throat and eyes. Avoid as much as pos-
sible getting dust on your skin as there is a
risk of skin irritation.
If you suffer from asthma, the incident may
bring on an attack, in which case you should
follow the normal procedure advised by
your doctor. It is advisable to consult a
doctor afterwards.
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped VehicleIs there anything I might add to the front or
sides of the vehicle that could keep the air-
bags from working properly?
Yes. If you add things that change your vehi-
cle’s frame, bumper system, front end or
side sheet metal or height, they may keep
the airbag system from working properly.
Also, the airbag system may not work prop-
erly if you relocate any of the airbag sen-
sors. If you have any questions about this,
you should contact Saab Customer Assis-
tance before you modify your vehicle. The
phone numbers and addresses for Cus-
tomer Assistance can be found on page
280.
Because I have a disability, I have to get my
vehicle modified. How can I find out whether
this will affect my advanced airbag system?
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module or the inside rearview
mirror can affect the operation of the
advanced airbag system. If you have ques-
tions, call Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for Customer
Assistance can be found on page 280.
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76 9-3 Convertible
Rollover Pop-up BarsThe Rollover Pop Up Bars, which are
located behind each rear seat head
restraint, are designed to deploy in the
event of a crash or rollover.
WARNING
You can be severely injured or killed in a
crash if you are not wearing your safety
belt - even if you have airbags and Roll-
over Pop Up Bars. Wearing your safety
belt during a crash helps reduce your
chance of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it.
 The Rollover Pop Up Bars have pow-
erful springs that rapidly extend the
bars in rollover crashes, as well as in
moderate to severe crashes in which
the airbags deploy. Rollover Pop Up
Bars are supplemental to the safety
belts. They are designed to work with
safety belts but do not replace them.
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85 Instruments and controls
The brake system provides Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). This distrib-
utes the brake pressure between the front
and rear wheels, in such a way as to achieve
optimum braking performance irrespective
of the car’s load.
If a fault arises in the EBD function, the ,
and lights will come on. Also, the
following message will appear on the Saab
Information Display (SID):
If this is the case, drive carefully and contact
a workshop as soon as possible. We recom-
mend that you contact a Saab dealer. Refer
to Brake warning light on page 84, Antilock
braking warning on page 82 and ESP
® OFF
indicator on page 86.
This light reminds the driver to buckle up,
see page 12.This light comes on when the parking brake
is applied (see page 177).
The parking brake is mechanical and oper-
ates on the rear wheels.
If the parking brake is applied when the car
starts off, the following message will appear
on the Saab Information Display (SID):
This light comes on if a potentially serious
fault has occurred in the airbag system, see
also page 32.The following message is shown on the
Saab Information Display (SID):
This light will come on for about four sec-
onds when the ignition switch is turned to
the Start or Drive position. Brake malfunction.
Make a safe stop.
Safety belt reminder
Parking brake warning
lightRelease park brake.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when
parking, see page 177.
Always apply the parking brake
before removing the remote control.
Do not apply the parking brake while
the car is moving.
Airbag warning light
Airbag malfunction.
Contact service.
WARNING
 If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the airbag system may not be working
properly. One or more of the following
conditions may occur:
– Non-deployment of the airbags in the
event of a crash.
– Deployment of the airbags without a
crash.
– Deployment of the airbags in crashes
less severe than intended.
 To help avoid injury to yourself or oth-
ers, have your vehicle serviced right
away if the airbag readiness light stays
on after you start your vehicle.
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235
Car care
Fuse panel in end of fasciaNo. Amp. Function
1 15 Steering wheel lock
2 5 Steering column unit; ignition switch
3 10 Hands-free 3
4 10 Main instrument unit;
automatic climate control
(ACC) 3
5 7.5 Control module in front doors; Park Brake Shift Lock
(automatic transmission)
6 7.5 Brake light switch
7 20 Dash fuse panel; fuel filler door
8 30 Control module in passenger front door
9 10 Dash fuse panel
10 30 Trailer socket
3; electrical socket in storage compart-
ment between seats 3
11 10 Data link connection (diagnostics)
12 15 Interior lighting incl. glove box
13 10 Accessories
14 20 Amplifier 2, Sound System 3
15 30 Control module in driver’s door
16 5 Passenger Sensing System
17 - -
18 - -
19 - -
20 7.5 Headlight levelling switch 3
21 7.5 Hands-free 3; brake light switch; clutch pedal switch
22 30 Cigarette lighter 3
23 40 Cabin fan
24 7.5 Airbag control module
25 - -
26 5
Yaw sensor (cars with ESP
®)
27 - -
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