101 Instruments and controls
Rear fog lightTo turn on the rear fog light, press the rear
fog light button on the instrument panel. The
headlights or front fog lights must be on.
The rear fog light is automatically turned off
when the engine is switched off. When the
car is next started, the rear fog light will have
to be switched back on manually by press-
ing the rear fog light switch. If the engine is
restarted within 30 seconds, the rear fog
light will remain on but not if the light switch
is in position AUTO.
Rear fog light consists of one bulb.
Acquaint yourself with the legal provi-
sions governing the use of rear fog light.
Turn signal & lane change
indicatorsThe stalk switch has an intermediate,
spring-loaded position that is useful for sig-
nalling when changing lanes or passing.
The stalk switch also has fixed positions for
indicating a right or left turn, that are can-
celled automatically when the steering
wheel is centered.
If an indicator bulb breaks, the frequency
with which the indicators flash will be
doubled.
This frequency is also doubled if a trailer is
being towed and one of its indicator bulbs
breaks.
Turn signal & lane change indicators1 Right
2Left
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168 Starting and driving
Certain variants also have steering wheel controls for manual gear
selection. On these models, it is possible to change gear manually
using the selector lever and the steering wheel controls. The steer-
ing wheel controls are only active when the selector lever is in the M
position.
Select a higher gear by pressing the right-hand button and a lower
gear by pressing the left-hand button. Sentronic, manual gear selection
Move the selector lever to the manual position (M)
(to the left position D) to select gear manually.
Select a higher gear by pressing the selector lever
forward or a lower gear by pulling it back. The
selector lever will return to a position adjacent to
the letter M after each gear change.
An example of when you may wish to make
manual gear changes is when overtaking, to
enable you to remain in a low gear for an extended
period of time.
If the road surface is slippery, you may wish to start
off in 2nd or 3rd to reduce the risk of wheel spin.
When descending steep hills you should select a
low gear to increase the braking effect of the
engine and thus spare the brakes.
Manual gear selections are displayed on the main instrument
panel. The letter M and the current gear are displayed.
When the selector lever is in the M position, as opposed to the D
position, the engine is much more responsive to changes in accel-
erator position. The accelerator has a different feel.
When changing down, the desired gear can be selected but the
transmission will not change down until the engine speed is low
enough to avoid overrevving.Steering wheel controls for manual gear
selection3
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176 Starting and drivingESP
® system OFF
lights up if:
The system is turned off manually. The
car must be travelling slower than 35 mph
(60 km/h). The TCS is also disengaged.
A fault is detected in the ABS-system.
A fault has been detected in the
system and the system has therefore
been switched off. The following
message will be displayed on the SID:
ESP
® system indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position, the lamp is lit for about 4 seconds
while the system performs self-diagnosis.
The light comes on for a short period of
time when the ESP
® system is operative.
Operation of the ESP® system indicates
reduced cohesion between the tires and the
road, and that extra care should be taken by
the driver during continued driving.
Temporarily turning ESP
®
system off
The ESP
® is switched on automatically
when the engine is started.
It may be necessary to switch off the system
if the car has become bogged down, for
instance.
The ESP® system is always engaged
during braking, even if it has been switched
off manually with the ESP
® button.
The cruise control system (if active) will
automatically be disengaged if the ESP
®
system is operative.Disengage the system in Settings.
1Select Settings using the steering
wheel buttons, or .
2 Hold the SET button depressed until a
chime sounds.
3Select ESP.
4 Press the SET button.
5Select ON or OFF.
End by pressing the SET-button.
Go back/modify using the CLR-button.
Stability control failure.
Contact service.
NOTICEChanges to the chassis, such as a
change of wheels, shock absorbers or
springs, could affect the function of the
ESP
® system.
Always consult a workshop before chang-
ing any chassis components. We recom-
mend that you contact a Saab dealer.
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181 Starting and driving
increases as the car comes closer to the
object.
If you stop the car with reverse gear
engaged, the sound pulse will stop after
2 seconds. The sound pulses will return if
you continue to reverse. If the car rolls for-
ward while reverse is engaged, the system
is silenced.
When the distance to the object is less
than 1 ft. (30 cm), a continuous tone will
be heard.
When an object is approximately 3 ft.
(90 cm) from the car, the sound pulses
change character markedly (frequency
increases). A distance of about 3 ft. (90 cm)
is suitable if you wish to load or unload the
trunk.
If the distance between an object and a
corner sensor does not change for
3 seconds, for example if you are reversing
alongside a wall, the system will switch to
monitoring straight back. The system indi-
cates if the distance to the wall decreases
again.
If a trailer is hitched up and correctly con-
nected to the trailer contact by the towbar,
the system is automatically deactivated.Reversing alongside a wall
If the distance between an object and a
corner sensor does not change for
2 seconds, for example if you are reversing
alongside a wall, the system will switch to
monitoring straight back. The system indi-
cates if the distance to the wall decreases
again.Cars with trailer hitch
If the car has a trailer hitch and its wiring is
correctly connected to the car’s electrical
system, the Saab Parking Assistance auto-
matically compensates for the protrusion of
the towbar.
If a camper or trailer is hitched up and the
trailer hitch wiring is correctly connected to
the car’s electrics, the system is automati-
cally deactivated.
You can temporarily deactivate the Saab
Parking Assistance as follows:
Engage reverse and press the CLR button
on the steering wheel.
The system will be reactivated the next time
you engage reverse.
NOTICEThe sensors must be kept clean to func-
tion well. Ice, snow and dirt can affect
their sensitivity.
Large quantities of snow or dirt covering
the sensors can prevent the parking
assistance system from detecting any
objects.
Do not spray the sensors with a pressure
washer, as this can damage them.
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186 Starting and drivingRemember that tires age: it may therefore
be necessary to change winter tires before
they reach the legal wear limit, as they grad-
ually lose their friction properties with age.
If you get into a front wheel skid and the car
has a manual transmission, the best
response is to freewheel, which means
declutching so that the wheels neither drive
nor brake, and to cautiously steer in the
desired direction.
If the car has automatic transmission, ease
off the accelerator slightly and steer cau-
tiously in the desired direction.
If you get into a rear wheel skid, steer in the
same direction as the movement of the rear
of the car.
Driving with tire chains3Snow chains must only be fitted to the wheel
and tire dimensions that Saab recommends
in "Technical data" on page 283.
We recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer regarding approved tire chains. See
also page 247.
WARNING
Do not drive at speeds above 30 mph
(50 km/h) when tire chains are fitted.
Tire chains can reduce directional sta-
bility.
Do not fit tire chains to the car’s rear
wheels.
NOTICE Check the links frequently for wear.
Check that the chains do not foul the
wheel arch liner at full lock.
Refer to the "Technical data" section
on page 283, for information on wheel
and tire dimensions approved for the
fitting of tire chains.
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189 Starting and driving
Contact your Saab dealer for advice on
which trailer hitch is designed for your car.
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmissionThe following driving time limits are based
on the capacity of the cooling system in hot
weather, i.e. approximately 86°F (+30°C).
The following driving time limits are based
on the capacity of the cooling system in hot
weather, i.e. approximately 104°F (+40°C).When negotiating long hills, bear the follow-
ing important considerations in mind.
Rises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
The following steps are taken in order as the
temperature of the transmission increases:
Gear change pattern is altered
A/C compressor is switched off
Max. engine torque is reduced.
The following message will be displayed on
the SID if the transmission fluid becomes
too hot:
If this message appears, stop the car as
soon as it is safe to do so and allow the
engine to idle until the message has gone
out. The selector lever should be in
position P.
NOTICE Only use a towbar that has been
approved for your car. We recom-
mend that you entrust towbar installa-
tion to an authorized Saab dealer,
which can also provide important
information such as trailer weight.
Your authorized Saab dealer has
information on how the towbar is to be
installed and whether other measures
must be undertaken that could affect
the cooling system or other equipment
We recommend that you contact a
Saab dealer for guidance on how to
connect a trailer hitch.
Exercise care when driving on uneven
roads or against the curb if the car is
heavily laden. This particularly applies
to cars with 17" and 18" wheels.
Gradient of
hill, %Max. trailer
weight, lbs.
(kg)Time limit,
minutes
6-8 3330 (1500) unlimited
9-11 3080 (1400) max 15
12-14 2645 (1200) max 15
max 15 2200 (1000) max 15
Gradient of
hill, %Max. trailer
weight, lbs.
(kg)Time limit,
minutes
6-8 2200 (1000) unlimited
9-11 1760 (800) max 15
12-14 1100 (500) max 15
max 15 880 (400) max 15
Gearbox too hot. Make a
safe stop. Open hood.
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213
Car care
Brake pads should only be changed at a
workshop. We recommend that you con-
tact a Saab dealer.
Power steeringCheck the level of the power steering fluid in
the reservoir regularly, in accordance with
the service program.
The wheels should point directly forwards
during this check.
Clean round the cap before unscrewing it.
Wipe the dipstick. To check the level, screw
down the cap completely and then remove
it again.
The oil level should lie between the MAX
and MIN marks when the oil temperature is
about 68°F (+20°C). If the oil is colder, the
level will be lower, and at a higher tempera-
tures the level will be higher.
Top up with CHF 11S or CHF 202 power
steering fluid.
NOTICEAvoid 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.
WARNING
Power steering fluid on hot engine com-
ponents constitutes a fire risk.
Power steering fluid reservoir, 4-cyl
enginePower steering fluid reservoir, V6 engine
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224 Car careFront fog lights3
1 Undo one screw in the wheel housing.
Lower the air shield.
2 Remove the protective cover. Release the two spring clips securing the bulb.
3 Unplug the connector.
4 Change the bulb. Try not to touch the glass part of the bulb with your fingers.
The height of the beam can be adjusted
using a screwdriver inserted through the
hole in the lower grille adjacent to the lens.Side marker lights and parking
lightsSide marker lights and parking lights con-
sists of LEDs.We recommend that you con-
tact a Saab dealer if they need changing.
SportSedan: If a stop light bulb fails, the
adjacent taillight will act as a stop light to
ensure traffic safety. Change the broken
bulb when possible.
WARNING
Never crawl under a car that is sup-
ported only by a jack. Always use axle
stands.
Refer to the information on jacks on pages 258 and 259.
Taillights, SportSedan1 Turn signals
2 Taillights/stop lights
3 Reversing lights
4 Rear fog light (left-hand side)
5 High-mounted stop light
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