2009 SAAB 9-5 belt

40 SafetyFrequently asked questions on
function of airbagsDo you still need to wear a safety belt if air-
bags are fitted?
Yes, always! The airbag merely supple-
ments the car’s normal safety system.
Moreover, the airbag will only be actuated in
a moderate to severe frontal, or near-frontal
crash, which means, of course, that it pro-
vides no protection in minor frontal crashes,
major rear-end or side-on crashes or if the
car rolls over.
The safety belts help reduce the chance of
the car occupants from being thrown around
and injured or killed inside the car.
But they also ensure that, if a crash occurs
in which the airbags are inflated, the airbag
will make the optimum contact with the
occupant, i.e. square on from the front. If the
occupant meets the airbag in an offset posi-
tion, the protection afforded will be reduced.
In addition, airbags provide no protection
against a secondary impact occurring in the
same incident. So there is no doubt about
the benefit of wearing safety belts at all
times.
Do not sit too close to the airbag: it needs
room to inflate.
The airbag inflates very quickly and power-
fully in order to protect an adult person,
before they are thrown forward, in a serious
frontal crash.How do I position the seat to leave room for
the airbag to inflate?
Don’t have your seat too far forward.
Recline the seat back to increase the dis-
tance between you and the airbag. For short
drivers, special accessory pedal extensions
are available through your Saab dealer.
Airbags inflate extremely rapidly and with
great force – to be fast enough to protect an
adult in the seat.
When do the front airbags inflate?
The airbag will only be inflated under certain
predetermined conditions in a moderate to
severe frontal, or near-frontal crash,
depending on such factors as the force and
angle of the impact, the speed of the car on
impact, and the resistance to deformation of
the impacting object.
The airbag can only be activated once in the
same incident.
Do not attempt to drive the car after an
airbag has been inflated, even if it is
possible.
What won’t trigger the front airbags?
The airbag will not be activated in all
front-end crashes. For instance, if the car
has hit something relatively soft and yielding
(e.g. a snow drift or a hedge) or a solid object at a low impact speed, the airbag will
not necessarily be triggered.
How loud is the inflation?
The noise of the inflation is certainly loud,
but it is very short-lived and will not damage
your hearing. For a short time afterwards
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 can be killed or seriously injured
by the airbag
 The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for
children 12 and under or shorter than
55 inches (140 cm)
 ALWAYS use SAFETY BELTS and
CHILD RESTRAINTS
 NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in the
front
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41 Safety
Are the smoke 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 far as possible
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.
What should I do if the AIRBAG 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 an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
possible.
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
Customer Assistance can be found on
page 253.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 253.
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59 Instruments and controls
This light indicates a malfunction in the
fuel-injection or ignition system.
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to
fully install the cap. See Fuel cap on page
147. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. A loose or missing fuel cap will
allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
The car may still be driven with care and
with somewhat diminished performance
(see page 144).
This light will come on if the engine oil pres-
sure is dangerously low. If the light flashes
or comes on while you are driving, stop the
car, switch off the engine and check the
engine oil level (see page 192).
This light will come on if the battery is dis-
charging. If it comes on while you are driv-
ing, stop the car as soon as possible and
switch off the engine.
Check the alternator drive belt (see page
199). If the belt has broken:
 the engine may overheat (cooling system
will not function properly)
 the battery will not be charged
 the A/C compressor will not run and
 power assistance for the steering will be
lost.This light will come on if there is insufficient
brake fluid in the reservoir (see pages 194).
If the ABS warning light is on at the same
time, the ABS system may be inoperative
because of a fault (see ”Anti-lock brake
warning”, page 60).
NOTICEThe car should be checked immediately
at a workshop to prevent more serious
faults from arising. We recommend that
you contact an authorized Saab dealer.
Warning, oil pressure
(engine oil)
NOTICEUnder no circumstances must the car be
driven when this warning light is on. Low
oil pressure can result in serious engine
damage.
Warning, charging
Brake warning light
WARNING
 Never drive the car when this warning
lights is on. Danger of brake failure!
 If the level of brake fluid in the reser-
voir is below the MIN mark, the car
should be towed to a workshop. We
recommend that you contact an
authorized Saab workshop.
 Have the brake system checked at
once by a workshop. We recommend
that you contact an authorized Saab
dealer.
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71 Instruments and controls
CHECK messages When the engine is started, CHECKING will
appear on the display for about 4 seconds
while the SID CHECK functions are being
performed.
When a CHECK message is activated while
driving, a chime sounds and the message
appears in SID. The number of possible
CHECK messages varies depending on the
car’s specifications.
If more than one CHECK message has
been generated, the
+ symbol will appear to
the left of the text on the display. The mes-
sages appear in order of priority.
If a new fault occurs whilst another message
is being displayed, the message relating to
the new one will appear for 10 seconds,
after which the display will return to the ear-
lier one.
Briefly press the CLR button to acknowl-
edge a message from the display. After
acknowledgement, the message is dis-
played each time the ignition is re-started
until remedied.The following messages may be displayed:
1) This message will be displayed approximately
600 miles (1,000 km) before the next scheduled
service is due, or when 365 days have elapsed
since the last service. The message should be
cleared at the time of that service (see the Saab
Warranties & Service Record Booklet).
This message can also be deleted by pressing
the CLR button for at least eight seconds until a
chime sounds. The message can only be deleted
when it is shown on the SID.
*) 9-5 SportCombi: the high-mounted stop light is
not included in the autocheck of lights.
Message See page
Use your seatbelts. 12
Front light failure. 202
Rear light failure. 206
Fog light failure. 203
Brake light failure.
*)
206
Washer fluid level low.
Refill. 201
Coolant level low.
Refill. 193
Remote control battery
low. Replace battery. 49
Key not accepted.
Contact service. 54
Theft protection failure.
Contact service. 54
Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop. 154
Tire pressure low,
front left. Check tires. 232
Tire pressure low,
front right. Check tires. 232
Tire pressure low,
rear left. Check tires. 232
Tire pressure low,
rear right. Check tires. 232
Low tire pressure front
left. Make a safe stop. 232
Low tire pressure front
right. Make a safe stop. 232
Low tire pressure, rear
left. Make a safe stop. 232
Low tire pressure, rear.
right. Make a safe stop. 232
Tire pressure system
failure. Contact service. 232
Time for service.
1)
252
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129 Interior equipment and trunk
TrunkFolding the rear seat, 9-5 SedanThe rear seat is split and the two sections can be folded indepen-
dently. Folding down of the rear seat is easier if the front seats are
not all the way back, and the rear head restraints are folded down.
1 Raise the rear seat cushions by pulling the loop located between
the cushion and the backrest.
2 Tip the seat cushion forward.
3 Press the button adjacent to the respective backrest to release it.
4 Fold down the backrest.
WARNING
 Never leave a child or animal unattended in the car. During
sunny weather the temperature in the passenger and luggage
compartments can climb to 158–176°F (70–80°C). Small chil-
dren are very susceptible to heat stroke.
 Rear-seat passengers should always ensure that the head
restraint is raised and in proper position for the seats to be
occupied.
 Keep hands well clear of all moving parts.
 Never place heavy objects on the rear window shelf. There is
always a danger of loose objects flying about and causing
injury if the car should brake suddenly or be involved in a
crash.
 Before folding up the backrest, hang the outer safety belts
onto the hook on the respective courtesy handle to prevent
them from becoming trapped.
 Check that the seatbelt locks do not get trapped under the
seat cushions when these are raised back up.
 Make sure that the backrest is locked when it is restored to an
upright position. Check that the back rest release button (3) is
flush with the surround before entering the rear seat. This indi-
cates that the backrest is locked.
IB459
1
2
4
3
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130 Interior equipment and trunk
WARNING
 Place heavy items closest to the backrest and stow smaller
and lighter items on top.
Never overload the cargo net3. If the elastic breaks this may
cause personal injury. Do not use a cargo net that shows signs
of wear.
 Secure heavy and bulky items using the tie down points
provided in the trunk. This will avert the danger of luggage
flying around if the car should brake suddenly or be involved
in a crash (see page 131).
 Secure small items if the backrest is folded down or the
load-through hatch is open. Small items can also be thrown
around inside the car and cause personal injury.
 Do not exceed the load capacity of the car, as this will alter its
handling characteristics (see page 258).
 Make sure that the seat cushions and backrests are properly
secured when folding them back to their normal position.
Check that the button (item 3 on page 129) is flush with the
surround before entering the back seat.
The tail pipe of the exhaust system can become very hot during
driving. Bear this in mind when loading and unloading the car so
that children, for example, do not burn themselves.
IB4140IB461
Outer safety belt hooked onto courtesy handle
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131 Interior equipment and trunk
Trunk pass-through hatch A trunk pass-through hatch is incorporated in the rear seat backrest
to enable long, narrow items to be carried inside the car.
Items should not weigh more than 33 lbs. (15 kg) nor be more than
2 yards (2 metres) in length. See the label on the hatch.
1 Fold down the armrest.
2 Raise the hatch by lifting the handle.
Before loading or unloading long items, switch off the engine and
apply the parkingbrake. This averts the danger of the car moving off
suddenly if a long item were to knock the gear or selector lever into
gear. Tie DownsThe tie downs for securing the load are fitted inside the trunk. Place
the load as far in as possible.
WARNING
 Anchor the load securely (e.g. using middle safety belt) to
avoid danger of injury resulting from displacement of load on
hard braking.
 Do not exceed the load capacity of the car, as this will alter its
handling characteristics (see page 258).
IB463IB4141
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132 Interior equipment and trunkFolding the rear seat, 9-5 SportCombiBoth the narrow and wide sections of the rear seat can be folded
separately. Folding is facilitated if the front seats are not located too
far back. The wide section cannot be folded separately if a cargo net
(accessory) is mounted on the rear of the backrest.
1 Make sure that the head restraint is in the down position. For
height adjustment refer to page 21.
2 Put the safety belts for the outer seat places in their respective
belt clips, which are located near the backrest (see illustration).
3 Raise the rear seat cushions by pulling the loop located between
the cushion and the backrest.
4 Fold the narrow section (right) of the backrest forward by raising
the opening handle on the right-hand side.
5 Fold the wide section of the backrest forward in the
corresponding manner.
6 Adjust the front seats for optimal driving/passenger comfort. NOTICEThe safety belts for the outer seating positions should be put in
their respective belt clips near the backrest to prevent them from
being pinched when the rear seat is raised to the upright position.
IB1211IB3127
Safety belt located in its belt clip
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