2009 SAAB 9-3 key

134 Interior equipmentPower Outlet3You can use the electrical socket in the stor-
age compartment under the armrest
between the front seats to charge a mobile
phone, for example. There is a recess on
each side of the compartment which will
accept a lead so that you can close the lid
without damaging the charger lead.
Storage compartmentsThere are additional storage compartments
below the front ashtray and in the doors
(cars with Bose
® Centerpoint
® Surround
Sound System do not have storage com-
partments in the rear doors).
WARNING
The maximum output of the cigarette
lighter socket is 240 W (20 A). The rating
of the socket in the compartment between
the seats is the same. Overloading can
result in melting or even fire.
WARNING
The glove box must be closed while trav-
elling. An open glove box door could
cause personal injury in the event of a
crash.
Open the glove box with the button on the
left of the moulding.
Convertible has lockable glove box. Use
the traditionally key, see page 54.
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151 Starting and driving
approx. 2 seconds. Following which, turn it
back to OFF.ON positionThe entire electrical system is operative.
Do not leave the remote control in the ON
position when the engine is not running.
Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position
to disconnect the electrical system.
When you turn the ignition switch to ON,
some indicator and warning lights will come
on in the main instrument panel. These
should go out after about 3 seconds.ST - starter positionThe starter motor operates (automatic
transmission: selector lever must be in P or
N) when the ignition switch is turned to this
position. When released, the ignition switch
will spring back to the ON position.
The car has an electronic restart lock. If the
engine fails to start, the ignition switch must
first be turned back to a position between
OFF and LOCK before the starter motor can
be operated again.
Steering wheel lockThe steering wheel lock is electronic. The
lock engages when the remote control is
removed from the ignition and unlocks when
the remote control is inserted. A click can be
heard when the steering wheel lock locks
and unlocks.
If the car is parked with one front wheel
touching the curb, for example, you may
need to turn the steering wheel slightly
when you insert the remote control to allow
the steering wheel lock to unlock. If you do
not succeed on first attempt you must
remove the remote control before trying
again. Turn the steering wheel and insert
the remote control into the ignition switch.
If the steering wheel lock does not disen-
gage it will not be possible to turn the remote
control in the ignition switch.
The following message is shown on the SID:If a fault arises affecting the steering wheel
lock, the following message will be
displayed on the SID:
If the steering wheel lock malfunctions while
the remote control is in the ignition switch,
this may prevent the removal of the remote
control or prevent the car from being
restarted once the engine has been
switched off.
If you have to leave the car, lock the car by
pressing down the lock buttons on the
doors. Lock the front left door from outside
with the traditional key (see page 50). The
car is now locked but the alarm is inactive.
Pull out key, turn
steering wheel. Restart.
Steering lock malfunc.
Make a safe stop.
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152 Starting and drivingStarting the engine
Starting the engineAvoid racing the engine or loading it heavily
before it has warmed up. Do not drive away
before the warning and indicator lights have
gone out.
The engine has an automatic choke and
should be started as follows:
Cars with manual transmission
To start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.
1 Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2 Depress the clutch pedal but do not
touch the accelerator.
3 Start the engine. Let the ignition switch
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.Cars with automatic transmission
The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
1 The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
2 Keep your foot on the brake pedal.
Note! Once the engine has started, the
brake pedal will sink. This is perfectly
normal.
3 Start the engine. Let the ignition switch
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.
WARNING
 When starting the engine:
– Sit down in the driver’s seat.
– Depress the clutch pedal fully (M/T). If
the gear lever is not in the neutral posi-
tion, the clutch pedal must be fully
depressed or the car will jump for-
wards or backwards, which may
cause a crash.
– Never start the car from outside the
vehicle, e.g. through a window that is
down. This could lead to serious per-
sonal injury.
 Cars with automatic transmission:
select position P to remove the ignition
key. The key can only be removed in
this gear position.
 Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless,
odorless, poisonous gas. Be alert to
the danger of CO – always open the
garage doors before starting the
engine in the garage.
 Do not rest or sleep in the car when
parked with the engine running. There
is a risk of depressing the accelerator
which could lead to engine damage.
 There is also a danger of CO poison-
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185 Starting and driving
Driving in cold weatherIn cold weather, special attention should be
paid to the following:
 Before driving off, make sure that the
wiper blades have not frozen to the wind-
shield.
 Remove any snow from the heating
system air intakes between the hood and
the windshield.
 If necessary, inject oil into the locks to
prevent them from freezing. Use molyb-
denum-sulfide oil (MoS
2). If the locks
freeze, exercise care when unlocking the
car (manual unlocking) to avoid breaking
the key. Warm up the key or use a de-icer.
 It is particularly important when the roads
are slippery that the brakes and tires are
in good condition.
 For how to check the level of antifreeze in
the engine coolant, see page 210. Add gasoline anti-freeze when refueling
several times before the onset of winter.
This will prevent condensation water in
the fuel tank from freezing and causing
interruptions in the fuel supply. The likeli-
hood of condensation is lowest when the
fuel tank is full.
If the car is parked outside and the
temperature is below zero, gasoline anti-
freeze is of little use as it cannot remove
water that has already frozen. Park the
car in a warm place so that any ice that
may have built up melts, then add gaso-
line anti-freeze when refueling.
Condensation is caused by temperature
fluctuations, either in the outside temper-
ature alone or when the car is alternately
parked outdoors and in a garage.
Convertible: Avoid operating the soft top
at temperatures below 23 °F (–5 °C). The car is equipped with tires designed to
provide optimum grip on both wet and dry
roads, although this has been achieved at
the expense of somewhat reduced grip on
snow and ice. For regular driving on snow
and ice, we therefore recommend that
winter tires be fitted. However, winter tires
achieve this extra grip at the expense of
grip on bare road surfaces.
Winter tires, particularly studded tires, gen-
erally make driving safer on snow and ice.
Acquaint yourself with the legal provi-
sions governing the use of different
types of winter tires and snow chains.
Studded tires are not allowed in some
countries. If winter tires are fitted, the same
type must be fitted to all four wheels. Your
Saab dealer will be pleased to advise you on
the best tires for your car.
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191 Starting and driving
Checks before drivingMake sure that the car and trailer are in
good working order. This is essential since
towing a trailer increases the strain on the
car.
 Check and if necessary adjust the tire
pressure of the car and trailer.
 Make sure all wheel bolts are properly
tightened.
 Make sure that the equipment joining the
car and trailer is properly secured and
adjusted.
 Make sure the trailer’s electrical 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 break-
ing when turning a corner.
 Check all bulbs.
 Check the car and trailer brakes.
 Make sure that all items on or in the
camper or trailer are properly secured.
 Make sure that the trailer’s jockey wheel is
raised and locked.
 Check the distribution of the load so that
the car and trailer are well balanced.
 Check that the rear view mirrors provide
the best possible rearward vision.
 Make sure the trailer’s safety cable is
correctly attached.
Driving considerationsAlways take extra care when towing a
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different
and its braking performance reduced. The
trailer’s braking system and suspension
also have a considerable effect on these
characteristics. See also "Driving with a
load" on page 192.
Drive carefully:
 Descending hills
 On uneven roads
 Over railway crossings
 When meeting large vehicles.
If the car has automatic transmission, select
gear M1 when ascending or descending
steep hills.
ReversingGet someone to help you keep an eye out
behind the trailer as the door mirrors do not
always provide sufficient rearward vision
when reversing.
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243
Car care
Treadwear indicatorsThe tires incorporate wear indicators in the
form of smooth, treadless strips across the
width, which become visible when only
2/32" (1.6 mm) of tread remains. As soon as
the indicators become visible, new tires
should be fitted without delay.
Make sure you are fa miliar with the legal
limit for minimum tread depth in your
country and also any regulations gov-
erning the use of winter (snow) tires.
Buying New TiresTo find out what kind and size of tires you
need, look at the Tire-Loading Information
label.
Before changing to wheels/tires of another
size, we recommend that you contact an
authorized Saab workshop regarding
acceptable options. See also page 288
Wheels/tires combinations that are not
approved by Saab can negatively affect the
car’s directional stability, steering and brak-
ing in both wet and dry conditions. The wheels and tires have been carefully
matched to the characteristics of the car and
play a key role in its outstanding road hold-
ing and handling.
Do not take it for granted that a wheel/tire
combination will work in the best possible
way, just because it can be fitted to the car.
To ensure that the speedometer is as accu-
rate as possible it should be reprogrammed
if wheels of a different
dimension are fitted.
Contact a Saab dealer.
Because of front wheel drive, the front tires
tend to wear faster than the rear ones. New
tires should always be fitted in pairs, so that
tires on the same axle have the same
amount of tread.
Store wheels lying flat or hanging – never
standing upright.
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278 Customer Assistance and InformationMaintenance scheduleThe Maintenance Schedule prescribes a
service program to the purchaser/operator
of a Saab that is reasonable and necessary
to ensure the proper emission control sys-
tems function, safety and reliability of the
Saab automobile in normal use. Additional
maintenance is recommended for specific
components when the car is operated under
certain severe conditions. Proper mainte-
nance is always a good practice!
Authorized Saab dealers are equipped and
trained to meet your Saab’s service needs.
They regularly receive up-to-date Saab ser-
vice manuals and parts and technical ser-
vice bulletins from Saab and are able,
through their franchise agreement, to attend
Saab service schools, obtain Saab special
tools and technical assistance and pur-
chase original equipment service and
replacement parts.
Today’s complex automobiles should only
be entrusted to the most knowledgeable
service professionals. A Saab dealer is your
best choice.
SERVICE INTERVALSA time for service message will illuminate on
the Saab Instrument Display (SID) when the
car is due for regular maintenance.
There are three different service types:
MAIN SERVICE
Main service is performed at fixed odometer
intervals. These intervals vary between
markets and engine variants. Contact a
workshop for more information. We recom-
mend that you contact an authorized Saab
dealer.
Failure to perform scheduled maintenance
in a timely manner may result in serious
damage to key components or systems.INTERMEDIATE SERVICE
The intermediate service on the other hand,
is performed depending on e.g. number of
cold starts and the climate conditions which
the car is in. Therefore the interval can vary
for this service type.
MAIN AND INTERMEDIATE SERVICE
When the counter for these two service
types is close enough, a combined service
is performed. Time for service.
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294 Technical dataWarning and indications that can
be shown on the SIDWhich warnings and indications that can be
shown depends on engine variant and car
specification.
The warnings/indications that contain an
exclamation mark are shown together with
a warning or check light in the main instru-
ment panel.
Symbol Text
Antilock brake malfunc.
Contact service.
Brake malfunction.
Make a safe stop.
Brake fluid level low.
Make a safe stop.
Release park brake.
Oil pressure low.
Make a safe stop.
Low engine oil level.
Fill oil now.
Reduced engine power.
Contact service.
Tighten fuel filler cap.
Limited performance.
Coolant level low.
Refill.
Hot engine. Make a
safe stop. Idle engine.
Airbag malfunction.
Contact service.
Gearbox too hot. Make a
safe stop. Open hood.
Battery not charging.
Make a safe stop.
Headlight levelling
malfunction.
Cornering headlights
malfunction
Tap brakes lightly
before using cruise ctrl.
Traction control failure.
Contact service.
Stability control failure.
Contact service.
Turn on the lights.
Washer fluid level low.
Refill.
Rain sensor malfunc.
Contact service.
Key not accepted.
Contact service.
Remote control battery
low. Replace battery.
Number of keys:
Active key number:
Steering lock malfunc.
Make a safe stop.
Pull out key, turn
steering wheel. Restart.
Theft protection failure.
Contact service.
Alarm tripped during
last arming period.
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