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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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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156 Starting and drivingRefueling
WARNING
If you spill fuel and then something ignites
it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out on you if you open the fuel cap
too quickly. This spray can happen if your
tank is nearly full, and is more likely in hot
weather. Open the fuel cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
Gasoline fumes are highly explosive.
Therefore:
never smoke while refueling.
never use gasoline for any purpose
other than as engine fuel.
gasoline is extremely flammable and
can cause severe burns. No open or
exposed flames near gasoline.
do not use a mobile phone at the
same time as refueling.
If a fire starts while you are refueling, do
not remove the nozzle. Shut off the flow of
fuel by shutting off the pump or by notify-
ing the station attendant. Leave the area
immediately.
NOTICE Do not overfill. Fuel should not come
right up the filler pipe as room for
expansion is needed for when the
temperature rises.
The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine dam-
age.
Clean fuel from painted surfaces as
soon as possible.
Do not use additives with E85-fuel.
NOTICEThe engine control module (ECM) moni-
toring the engine parameters also stores
fault codes.
Under certain circumstances, this may
cause constant illumination of the “Ser-
vice Engine Light also known as CHECK
ENGINE” indicator light , thus indicat-
ing a fault that must be checked by your
Saab dealer, see page 83.
NOTE: always observe the following two
measures:
Make sure that the fuel filler cap is
screwed on correctly before the
engine is started. Screw on the fuel
filler cap until you hear 3 clicks.
Avoid driving with the fuel low level
indicator illuminated. The symbol illu-
minates when less than approximately
2.5 gallons (10 liters) of fuel remains
in the tank.
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178 Starting and drivingParking on a hillWhen parking on a steep hill, turn the front
wheels so that they will be blocked by the
curb if the car should move.
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.NOTICEEmpty the car yourself and bear in mind:
Never leave a mobile phone, camera,
computer or similar object visible in
the car.
Clothing, packages and bags attract
thieves.
Do not leave small objects such as
CDs, sunglasses and coins visible.
If possible, park in a well-lit, conspicu-
ous parking space.
Thieves strike whenever and wher-
ever they are given the opportunity.
1Downhill with curb
.
Turn the wheels toward
the curb and edge the car
forwards until the wheel
lightly touches the curb.2Uphill with curb. Tu r n
the wheels away from the
curb and edge the car
backward until the wheel
lightly touches the curb.3Uphill or downhill with-
out curb. Turn the wheel
towards the edge of the
road so that the car,
should it move, will not
roll towards the middle of
the road.
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214 Car careBattery
The battery is maintenance free.
If frequent short journeys are made, the bat-
tery may need extra charging. This can be
done with a battery charger or by taking the
car for a long run.
If the battery is not being charged while the
engine is running, the following message
will appear on the SID:
Check the drive belt (see page 215). If the
belt is damaged, the engine may overheat,
the battery may not be charged and the A/C
compressor may not work. Always connect the positive (red) cable to
the battery’s positive (+) terminal, and the
negative (black) cable
to the negative (-)
terminal of the battery. Always disconnect
both battery leads when boost charging the
battery.
A car with standard equipment specifica-
tions and a fully charged battery can be left
for up to 40 days and still have a sufficient
charge for starting. If extra equipment is
fitted, such as a mobile phone, the charge
may only be sufficient for about 15 days.
WARNING
When working on the battery, highly explosive gas can build up. A spark
could ignite this gas that collects
around the battery.
Therefore, always avoid sparks and
open flames in the vicinity of the bat-
tery.
The battery contains corrosive sulfuric acid. Always wear a face mask or gog-
gles when working on the battery.
If battery acid gets into the eyes or splashes onto skin or clothing, wash
the affected area liberally with water.
If acid gets into the eyes or a large
quantity makes contact with the skin,
seek medical help.
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead
compounds. Wash your hands after
handling
NOTICEA discharged battery can freeze and frac-
ture. Batteries should therefore always be
stored away from sub-zero temperatures.
Battery not charging.
Make a safe stop.
Turn the two retainers a quarter turn to
unlock the battery cover.
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267
Car care
Textile carpetingTextile carpeting should be vacuum
cleaned regularly. Carpeting can also be
cleaned using a brush or sponge and carpet
shampoo.
For safety reasons, vacuum cleaners that
are not earthed (grounded) must not be
used out of doors.Engine bayThe engine bay should be cleaned with an
engine decreasing and rinsed with hot
water. The headlights must be covered
over. Do not use a pressure washer. Avoid
spraying electrical components and con-
nectors.
Do not use petrol as a cleaning agent or sol-
vent when carrying out repairs or mainte-
nance. Saab recommends the use of envi-
ronmentally-friendly cleaning solutions.
WashingThe bodywork must be washed frequently.
When the car is new, the body should be
washed by hand using plain cold water and
a clean, soft brush through which the water
flows. Automatic carwashes should be
avoided when the car is new.
After 5–6 months the paintwork will have
hardened. To facilitate cleaning, a suitable
detergent can be added to the water, which
should be lukewarm.
Remove any bird droppings without delay,
as these can discolor the paintwork and
prove difficult to polish out. Lay a wad of wet
paper on the patch of dirt and leave it for a
minute or so. It will then be easy to wash off
the dirt.
Use a soft cloth moistened with white spirit
to remove splashes of tar or asphalt. Do not
use strong cleaners, as these can dry out
the paintwork.
NOTICEOnly use liquid detergent when cleaning
the plastic lenses of the front and rear
lights. Do not use mechanical cleaning.
Rinse off the detergent immediately, oth-
erwise cracks may form in the plastic
lenses.
The door mirrors should be folded in
before the car enters an automatic car
wash.
SportCombi: To avoid the wiper arm to
break tape it down to the window when
using a drive-through car wash.
Try your brakes on leaving a car wash.
Wet brake discs reduce the performance
of the brakes.
Fixed antennae, such as for a mobile
phone, must be removed if the car goes
through an automatic car wash.
Cars with Saab Parking Assistance: Do
not spray the sensors or closer than 8 in.
(20 cm) to the sensors with a pressure
washer, as this can damage them.
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