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185 Starting and driving
help save both batteries and it could
save your radio.
4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (–) termi-
nals on the battery.5 Check that the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock and also the
vehicles could be damaged.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some basic things you should know.
Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and
negative (–) will go to a major metal
engine part with a good ground. Do not
connect (+) to (–) or you will get a short
that could injure you or would damage
the battery and maybe other parts as
well.
6 Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
7 Do not let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8 Now connect the black negative (–)
cable to the good battery’s negative
terminal.NOTICEIf you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
WARNING
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
WARNING
Using a match or flame of any kind near a
battery can cause battery gas to explode.
You can suffer burns or be blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
The battery installed in your new Saab
has filler caps. Be sure the right amount
of water is there. Add distilled or boiled
water if the level is too low. If you don’t,
explosive gas could be present.
Be sure the electrolyte in the battery is not
frozen. Discharged batteries will freeze.
When connecting jumper cables to a
frozen battery, gas from the chemical
reaction inside the battery can build up
under the ice and cause an explosion.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you acciden-
tally get it in your eyes or on your skin,
flush the area with water and get medical
help immediately.
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186 Starting and driving9 Attach the cable at least 18 inches
(45 cm) away from the discharged
battery, but not near engine parts that
move. To avoid an arc which could deto-
nate the hydrogen gas around the
battery, the final connection must be at
least 18” from the battery.
10 Start the vehicle with the good battery
and run the engine for a while.
11 Try to start the vehicle with the
discharged battery. If it does not start
after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
12 Remove the cables in reverse order to
prevent electrical shorting. Take care
that they do not touch each other or any
other metal.
Charging the battery/Jump
startingTo avoid damaging the car’s electrical
system and electronics, the following rules
must be followed when charging the battery
or jump starting the car.
If the charger3 or starter unit3 can be
set to different voltages
(6V/12V/18V/24V), 12V must be
selected.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
supplied with the charger or starter unit.
Nothing that is plugged into an electrical
outlet should be connected to the car
during charging or jump starting.
The charger or starter unit must under no
conditions produce a voltage greater
than:
16V continuous
18V for 60 min.
If you are unsure about the charge rating
of the unit, disconnect the battery clamp
from the positive terminal before connect-
ing the unit to the battery.
WARNING
Do not let the other end touch anything
until the next step. The other end of the
negative cable does not go to the dead
battery. It goes to a major metal part with
a good ground on the engine of the vehi-
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187 Car care and technical information
IB3888
Hood ________________ 188
Engine compartment __ 189
Emission control
systems ____________ 190
Engine ______________ 192
Engine oil ____________ 192
Transmission fluid ____ 193
Coolant ______________ 193
Brake and clutch fluid__ 194
Power steering fluid ___ 196
Air filter _____________ 196
Battery ______________ 197
Drive belts ___________ 199
Wipers and washers ___ 200
Changing bulbs _______ 202
Fuses _______________ 214 Tires ________________ 220
Automatic tire pressure
monitoring system ___ 232
Compact spare tire ____ 235
Safety belts __________ 240
Upholstery and trim ___ 241
Textile carpeting ______ 241
Washing the car ______ 242
Waxing and polishing __ 243
Engine compartment __ 243
Touching up the paint _ 243
Air conditioning (ACC) _ 244
Anti-corrosion treatment 246
For long trips _________ 247
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materials ___________ 248
Headlight aiming ______ 248
Car care and technical information
3 Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
market specification, options or accessories).95_US_MY09.book Page 187 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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188 Car care and technical informationHood The hood release handle is located under-
neath the instrument panel. To open the
hood:
1 Pull the release handle.
2 The front of the hood will now spring up,
providing access to the secondary
safety catch.
3 Push the catch upwards, pushing the
hood downward a little bit at the same
time. The hood can now be lifted right
up.
To close the hood, release it from a height
of about 8 - 16 in (20-40 cm). Do not press
down on it.
Check that the hood is now closed securely.
WARNING
Never hold your fingers between the hood
and safety catch if lowering but not clos-
ing the hood.
IB3890
IB3889
Hood release handle Hood secondary safety catch
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189 Car care and technical information
Engine compartment
9
6
8
1
2
4
3
5
7
IB3637
Engine compartment
1 Engine-oil dipstick/filler cap
2 Reservoir, brake/clutch fluid
3 Fuse box
4 Expansion tank, coolant
5 Washer-fluid filler cap
6Battery
7 Turbo unit
8 Ignition discharge module
9 Reservoir, power-steering fluid
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190 Car care and technical informationEngine familiesSaab cars imported into the United States
and Canada meet all applicable emission
control standards. The engine family and
appropriate tune-up specifications are iden-
tified on a label affixed to the left front inner
fender.
These engine families meet applicable EPA
Federal Standards, California State Stan-
dards and Canadian Federal Standards and
are equipped with the following systems:
Sequential multiport fuel injection system
Three way catalytic converter
Crankcase emissions control system
Evaporative emission control system
On-Board diagnostic (OBD II) system.
Emission control
systemsThe systems for controlling emissions to the
atmosphere require regular checking and
adjustment at the intervals specified in the
service program.
In addition to meeting the exhaust emission
regulations and thereby helping to keep the
environment clean, a correctly tuned engine
will also give maximum fuel economy.
WARNING
Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
CA to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, certain
fluids contained in vehicles and certain
products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cal-
ifornia to cause cancer and birth defects
or other reproductive harm.
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191 Car care and technical information
Saab Trionic engine
management systemThe Saab Trionic engine management
system is a unique Saab development that
combines sequential multiport fuel injection,
electronic distributorless ignition and turbo-
charger boost pressure control into one sys-
tem.
The Trionic engine control module (ECM)
monitors many different engine parameters
such as:
Intake manifold pressure
Intake air temperature
Crankshaft position
Engine coolant temperature
Throttle position and
The oxygen content of the exhaust gases.
The ECM receives information regarding
engine knocking from a sophisticated feed-
back function in the ignition discharge unit.
By processing all of this information, the Tri-
onic system can control fuel injector open-
ing duration, ignition timing and turbo-
charger boost pressure to provide excellent
engine performance while maintaining low
emissions and fuel consumption.
ORVR (Onboard Refueling Vapor
Recovery)Hydrocarbon vapors formed when refueling
will be recovered by the car and not
released into the atmosphere. The hydro-
carbons are absorbed in a evaporative
emission canister. When the engine is sub-
sequently started, the evaporative emission
canister is gradually purged as air is sucked
into it through a shut-off valve. The hydro-
carbon/air mixture passes through the evap
canister purge valve and into the engine
where it is burned.
When refueling, make sure you screw the
filler cap on and keep turning until it has
clicked at least 3 times. Otherwise, it is pos-
sible for the CHECK ENGINE light to illumi-
nate.
Refueling, see page 146.
NOTICEThe Trionic engine management system
continuously monitors the operation of
these systems and has on-board diag-
nostic capabilities (OBD II).
If the ”Service Engine Light also known as
CHECK ENGINE” lamp in the main
instrument illuminates, this indicates that
the Trionic ECM has detected a problem.
The car will continue to operate, but per-
formance may be diminished. You should
have your car checked by a Saab dealer
as soon as possible.
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192 Car care and technical informationEngineThe 2.3-liter model is a transverse, 4-cylin-
der in-line engine with twin overhead cam-
shafts and 4 valves per cylinder.
This engine is equipped with balance shafts
that reduce engine vibration to a minimum.
The balance shafts are chain driven and
rotate at twice the speed of the crankshaft.
They produce forces and torques that are
opposed to those generated by the pistons
and connecting rods, an effect that occurs
twice for each revolution of the engine.
Engine noise is also reduced as the
counter-rotating shafts counteract the vibra-
tion from the moving parts of the engine.
The transmission, located on the right
(viewed from the front), is integrated with
the engine. All models have front-wheel
drive.
Engine oilChecking the oil level Check the engine-oil level regularly. This
should be done after the engine has been
run to normal temperature and then allowed
to cool for 2–5 minutes, with the car stand-
ing on level ground. Remove the dipstick
and wipe it clean before checking the level.The oil level must not be allowed to drop
below the MIN mark on the dipstick, nor
should oil be filled beyond the MAX mark, as
this can lead to excessive oil consumption.
The distance between the MIN and MAX
marks on the dipstick corresponds to a
volume of approximately 1.05 qts (1 liter).
When necessary, add oil of the recom-
mended grade via the dipstick tube.
Recommended oil grade, see page 260.
NOTICE Do not operate the engine with a low
oil level.
Change engine oil and oil filter as pre-
scribed in the service programme.
Only use the recommended oil type.
Follow the three points listed above to
avoid severe engine damage.
More frequent oil changes are recom-
mended if your vehicle is operated under
certain conditions, see page 252.
IB601
Balance shafts
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