2009 SAAB 9-3 instrument panel

3
Instrument panelChanging bulbs __________ 218
Front fog lights___________ 100
Headlight levelling ________ 98
High/low beam __________ 99
Parking lights____________ 98
Rear fog light ____________ 101Cruise Control ___________ 169
Direction indicators _______ 101
High/Low beam switch ____ 99
Fuel gauge __________________ 89
Odometer and trip meter ________ 90
Speedometer ________________ 87
Tachometer __________________ 87
Temperature gauge ____________ 88
Turbo gauge _________________ 88
Warning and indicator lights _____ 82
Saab Information Display (SID) ___ 89Power Outlet _________________ 134
Cigarette lighter _______________ 134
Washers and wipers ______ 103
Washer fluid ____________ 217
Replacing wiper blades ___ 216Automatic climate control __ 107
Hazard warning lights_____ 102
Seat heating, ACC _______ 114
Car care and maintenance _ 273
93_US_MY09.book Page 3 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
ProCarManuals.com

12 SafetySafety beltsThree-point inertia-reel safety belts are pro-
vided for all seats.
The results of studies show that it is equally
important to wear safety belts in the rear
seat as in the front seats.
Safety belt reminderWhen the ignition is switched on, the safety
belt reminder will come on if the driver
or/and the front seat passenger has not
buckled up.
The reminder for the driver is in the main
instrument and for the front seat passenger
on the instrument panel.
The reminder for the driver has an additional
audible signal which sounds for 6 seconds,
or until the driver fastens his belt.
The following applies to the both front
seats: If the belt is not fastened before the
car starts to move there will be an additional
reminder when the speed exceeds 15 mph.
The text Use your seat belt. is lit on the
Saab Information Display (SID) and the
symbol will flash.
If the belt is not fastened then an audible
signal will come on after 30 seconds.
The text in the SID can be turned off by the
CLR-button on the steering wheel.
WARNING
 Buckle up and adjust your safety belt
before driving off so that you can pay
full attention to the traffic.
 Safety belts must be worn at all times
by all occupants.
 Child safety, see page 24.
 Check that the locking tongue is prop-
erly locked in the belt lock.
 In the event of a crash, a rear-seat
passenger not wearing a safety belt
will be thrown forward against the
front-seat backrests. The stresses
imposed on the front seat passengers
and belts are multiplied and can result
in needless injury or even death for all
car occupants.
Driver seat safety belt reminderPassenger seat safety belt reminder
93_US_MY09.book Page 12 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
ProCarManuals.com

32 SafetyAirbag
Airbag system components Airbag in steering wheel
 Airbag in instrument panel in front of
passenger seat
 Side airbags in front seat backrests
Convertible: The side airbags help
protect the head also
 Inflatable curtains along length of headlin-
ing (from front to rear roof pillars)
(SportSedan and SportCombi only)
 Safety belt pretensioners for front seats
Convertible: and outer rear seats.
The airbag system supplements the protec-
tion provided by the safety belts to further
enhance the safety of occupants taller than
59 in. (150 cm).
When the system is activated at the moment
of impact, the airbag inflates and then
deflates through holes in the back. The
whole operation takes roughly 0.1 second,
quicker than the blink of an eye.
The steering wheel and passenger airbags
are so-called smart airbags. The driver and
passenger airbag system compensates for
safety belt usage and the force of the crash
at the moment of impact.There are two impact sensors on the front
bumper, under the lacquered shell. Very
soon after the moment of impact, these
register that the car is involved in a crash.
Using this information and data from the
central sensor in the control module, the
control module determines whether or not to
inflate the airbags. The control module also
controls whether other components of the
airbag system are to be deployed: safety
belt pretensioners, inflatable curtains
(SportSedan and SportCombi) and roll over
bars (Convertible).
Which airbag system components are
deployed depends on a number of factors,
such as the force of the crash and the angle
of impact.
If the airbag system registers forces equiv-
alent to a high-speed crash (airbags inflated
to Stage II), the inflatable curtains will also
be activated (SportSedan and SportCombi)
see page 42.
If a fault arises in the airbag system during
a journey, the airbag warning lamp on the
main instrument panel will come on and the
Saab Information Display (SID) will display:
WARNING
To reduce risk of death or serious injury:
Always wear your safety belt.
Always adjust your seat so that you
are as far back as possible but still
able to operate the pedals and reach
the steering wheel and controls com-
fortably.
 Passengers 12 and under or shorter
than 59 inches (150 cm) must always
travel in the rear seat as the car is fitted
with a passenger airbag.
Never fit a child seat in front of the pas-
senger airbag.
Airbag malfunction.
Contact service.
93_US_MY09.book Page 32 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
ProCarManuals.com

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.
Prohibited seating position93_US_MY09.book Page 43 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
ProCarManuals.com

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.
93_US_MY09.book Page 44 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
ProCarManuals.com

49 Security
Remote control functions*) parking lights, side direction indicators, tail-
lights and license plate lighting.
NOTICEThe remote control contains delicate
electronics.
 Do not expose it to water.
 Avoid rough handling.
 Do not place the remote control where
it may be subjected to high tempera-
tures, e.g. on the instrument panel.
 Warm the remote control in your
hands for a couple of minutes if it has
become very cold to prevent malfunc-
tion.
 For details on changing the battery,
refer to page 54.
Button Pressed once Pressed
twiceHold and
press the
button more
than
2 seconds
Locks all doors. _ _
Unlocks driver´s
door.SportSedan:
The other
doors are
unlocked.
SportCombi:
The other
doors and tail-
gate are
unlocked.Comfort
opening, see
page 119.
SportSedan:
Unlocks and
slightly opens
the trunk lid.
SportCombi:
Unlocks the tail-
gate.
Checks number
of remote con-
trols, see
page 53.__
Turns on exterior
and cabin light-
ing *) (for
30 seconds) or
turns off lighting
and deactivates
panic alarm._ Panic alarm
(activates
alarm manu-
ally), see
page 58.
Remote control1 Locks car
2 Unlocks car and turns on cabin lighting
3 Unlocks and opens trunk lid.
4 Turns on exterior and cabin lighting.
Activates panic function93_US_MY09.book Page 49 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
ProCarManuals.com

63 9-3 Convertible
Operating the soft top
Read the "Advice on soft top operation"
section on page 62 before operating the soft
top.
The soft top is operated with the switch on
the instrument panel. Hold the switch in the
desired position until the soft top is fully
folded or raised.
The completion of folding or raising the soft
top is indicated by a chime.
Error messages that can appear on the SID
are shown on page 71.
WARNING
 Do not touch the hinges or struts of the
soft top during opening due to the
pinch hazard.
 Keep children out of reach.
 Do not operate the soft top while there
are bystanders close to the car.
 Make sure that the soft top cover has
locked properly after folding the soft
top.
 Check that the soft top engages prop-
erly with the upper edge of the wind-
shield after raising.NOTICEIf you drive off while raising or folding the
soft top, operation is halted when
the speed of the car exceeds 20 mph
(30 km/h). This speed can be pro-
grammed (0–20 mph/0–30 km/h). We
recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer. The movement of the car and
force of the wind can seriously damage
the components of the soft top system.
Switch for operating the soft top
aRaising
b Folding
93_US_MY09.book Page 63 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
ProCarManuals.com

64 9-3 ConvertibleOpeningThe following conditions must be fulfilled for
the soft top to be folded:
 Vehicle speed must not exceed 20 mph
(30 km/h).
 Battery voltage must exceed 10 V.
 Outside temperature must exceed 23 °F
(–5 °C).
 The trunk lid must be locked.
 There must be sufficient space in the
trunk for the soft top.
1 Start the engine and let it idle. Clearance
for soft top operation: height, min. 7.2 ft
(2.2 m); behind car, min. 2" (5 cm).2 Press and hold the soft top button until
the soft top is fully folded and the soft top
cover raised. Completed folding is indi-
cated by a chime. If there is a malfunc-
tion a text message will be shown on the
SID. Refer to page 71.
Do not press any of the buttons on the
same section of the instrument panel as
the soft top switch while folding the soft
top. This will cause the soft top to stop
and then sink after about 20 seconds.
Remote opening3
You can fold the soft top when outside the
car by pressing and holding the
(unlock) button on the remote control. See
also page 119.
Folding
93_US_MY09.book Page 64 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
ProCarManuals.com