4Exterior
IB3831
Driving with a roof rack load______ 179
Maximum roof load ____________ 258
Rearview mirror _______________ 118
Hood _______________________ 188
Engine compartment: washing ___ 243
Central locking __________ 44
Trunk lid lock, 9-5 Sedan __ 47
Tailgate, 9-5 SportCombi __ 48
Child safety locks ________ 47
Car alarm3____________ 50Headlights _____________ 73
High/low beam __________ 73
Turn signal and lane change
indicators______________ 75
Headlight washers3_____ 77
Changing bulbs _________ 202
Fuel gauge___________________ 65
Refueling ____________________ 146
Economical motoring ___________ 170
Fuel ________________________ 260
b Tires pressure ________________ 263
Wheels and tires ______________ 261
Braking______________________ 160
Driving in cold weather__________ 172
Compact spare tire_____________ 235
Changing a wheel _____________ 237
Trunk _______________________ 129
Folding the rear seat, 9-5 Sedan __ 129
Folding the rear seat,
9-5 SportCombi ______________ 132
Trunk Release Handle __________ 138
Driving with a spare wheel fitted __ 181
Compact spare tire ____________ 235Towing a trailer3________ 174
Towing the car ___________ 181
Rear towing eye _________ 182Headlights ______________ 73
Rear light cluster, 9-5 Sedan 206
Rear lights clusters,
9-5 SportCombi _________ 208
Changing bulbs __________ 202Moonroof3_____________ 123
Washing the car _________ 242
Waxing and polishing _____ 243
Touching up the paint _____ 243
Anti-corrosion treatment ___ 24695_US_MY09.book Page 4 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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9
No sparks,
flames or
smoking.Buckle up
Use protective
gogglesAirbag
Keep out of
reach of
children.Never place a
rear-facing
child seat in
this seat.
Battery acid
contains
sulfuric acid.Electric
windows
Refer to the
Owner’s
Manual.Deactivating
of rear window
switches
Risk of
explosive gas.Central
locking, lock
.Central
locking,
unlock
Tr u n k
lid/tailgate,
opening
HeadlightsWindshield
wipers
Direction
indicatorsWindshield
washers
Parking lights Defroster
Hazard
warning lightsRear window
heating
Front fog
lightsVentilation fan
Rear fog
light
Coolant
temperatureRadiator fan
Battery
chargingFuel
Foot brake
ESP
®
Coolant levelAutomatic tire
pressure
monitoring
system
Engine oil
pressure
ABS brakes
Examples of symbols that can be found in your car95_US_MY09.book Page 9 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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63 Instruments and controls
The ESP
® indicator light is located in the
tachometer and will be illuminated when the
ESP
® regulation is occurring, i.e. when
there is insufficient traction between the
tires and the road surface to provide the grip
required for the acceleration called for. The
driver can also sense that the engine is not
responding normally to the accelerator.
Operation of the ESP
® indicates reduced
traction between the tires and the road, and
that extra care should be taken by the driver.
In normal driving, the ESP
® system will help
to improve both ride comfort and safety, but
must not be regarded as a system to enable
the driver to drive at or maintain a higher
rate of speed. The same precautions for
safe cornering and driving on slippery roads
must still be applied (see page 163).The indicator light goes on when the system
is switched off with the ESP
® button.
IMPORTANT: the system is automatically
engaged every time the engine is started
(see page 163).
The indicator light also goes on when there
is a fault in the system. In this case the light
cannot be turned off by means of the ESP
®
button. If a fault is indicated, have the
system checked by an authorized Saab
dealer.
See also Electronic Stability Program
(ESP
®) on page 163.The lamp illuminates if the tire pressure in
one or more tires is too low or if a fault has
arisen in the system, see page 232.
Below is an example of the message simul-
taneously shown on the SID:
ESP
® system, indicator
ESP
® system, OFF-indica-
tor
Warning, tire pressureLow tire pressure front
left. Make a safe stop.
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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
95_US_MY09.book Page 71 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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163 Starting and driving
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP
®)
The system employs both the antilock brak-
ing system (ABS) and the traction control
system (TCS). It is a system that helps the
driver to stabilize the car in unusual circum-
stances that would otherwise be more diffi-
cult to handle.
How the ESP
® system works
The system can help to prevent the car from
skidding by braking one or several wheels
independently of the driver. The engine
output is then also reduced to prevent the
driving wheels from spinning. The car has
sensors that measure wheel speed, yaw
acceleration, lateral acceleration, steering
wheel position and braking pressure. The
values provided by these sensors are used
to calculate the actual direction of the car. If
this direction does not agree with that
intended by the driver, calculated from the
steering wheel position, the ESP
® is
engaged.
The ESP
® system improves the driver’s
chances of retaining control over the car in
critical situations.
To ensure that the system works as
designed, the dimensions of all four tires
must be the same.
WARNING
When driving normally, the ESP
® system
will help to improve the stability of the car.
This does not mean that car can be driven
faster. The same care and prudence as
normally applied should be displayed on
cornering and when driving on slippery
roads.
The illustration shows how the system
brakes one or more wheels (and with var-
ying braking force for each wheel) in order
to increase the car’s chances of following
the direction in which the driver wants to
drive.
95_US_MY09.book Page 163 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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171 Starting and driving
Driving technique To obtain the best running economy, not
only regarding fuel consumption but
general wear also, regular service is
required.
High speed, unnecessary acceleration,
heavy braking and much low gear work all
gives rise to higher fuel consumption.
Frequent gear changing in traffic, starting
in cold weather, the use of studded tires
and roof racks, and towing a trailer all
increase fuel consumption.
Do not run the engine when the car is
stationary.
If idling, it will take much longer before the
engine becomes hot. Engine wear is
greatest during this warming-up phase.
Therefore drive away as soon as possible
after the engine is started and avoid high
revving. Driving in a low gear results in higher fuel
consumption than in a high gear because
of the higher engine speed for a given
road speed. Always change up to a higher
gear as soon as traffic conditions allow
and use the highest gear as much as
possible.
Check the air pressure in the tires once a
month. Incorrect pressures increase tire
wear. It is better to have slightly higher
pressure than lower.
Check fuel consumption regularly.
Increased consumption can indicate that
something is wrong and that the car
needs to be checked by a workshop. We
recommend that you contact an autho-
rized Saab dealer.
Practical trials on the roads have demon-
strated that substantial savings in fuel con-
sumption can be made if the above advice
is heeded.
Road conditionsWet roads increase fuel consumption, as do
unpaved roads and driving in hilly country
(the amount of fuel saved driving downhill is
less than the additional amount required to
climb the hill).
WARNING
Never switch the engine off while driving
as the effect of the brakes and power
steering will be greatly reduced.
95_US_MY09.book Page 171 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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177 Starting and driving
Recommendations for cars with manual
gearbox
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 engine increases:
A/C compressor is switched off.
engine torque is reduced.
When continuing your journey, select a gear
in which the engine speed is about
3,000 rpm until the incline eases.
Driving considerations Always take extra care when towing a
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different
and its braking effect reduced. The trailer’s
braking system and suspension also have a
considerable effect on these characteris-
tics, see also ”Driving with a load” page 179.
If the car has automatic transmission, select
position D when ascending steep hills. This
ensures that the adaptive gear change pat-
terns are operational, see page 158. Use
position D or L for steep descents.Checks before drivingMake sure that the car and camper or trailer
are in good working order. This is essential
since towing a camper or trailer increases
the strain on the car.
Check and if necessary adjust the tire
pressure of the car and camper or trailer.
Make sure all wheel bolts are properly
tightened.
Make sure that the equipment joining the
car and camper or trailer is properly
secured and adjusted. Make sure the camper or trailer’s electri-
cal cable is properly connected and is not
so long that it drags along the ground.
Also, make sure the cable is not too short
and risks breaking when turning a corner.
Check all bulbs.
Check the car and camper or trailer
brakes.
Make sure that all items on or in the cara-
van or trailer are properly secured.
Make sure that the camper or trailer’s
jockey wheel is raised and locked.
Check the distribution of the load so that
the car and camper or trailer are well
balanced.
Check that the rearview mirrors provide
the best possible rearward vision.
Make sure the camper or trailer’s safety
cable is correctly attached.
WARNING
Utilize the braking effect of the engine
(1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you are
descending long or steep hills to spare
the brakes.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
NOTICEIf the ”Automatic transmission3, fault
indicator” indicator comes on, cease
towing until the problem has been recti-
fied.
95_US_MY09.book Page 177 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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179 Starting and driving
Driving with a roof rack
loadThe maximum permissible roof load is
220 lbs. (100 kg).
Note that the roof load is included in the
car’s maximum permissible load (see
page 258).
Strong, sturdy roof carriers3 designed spe-
cially for the car are available from your
Saab dealer. Always secure the roof load
safely.
Driving with a loadThe driving characteristics of the car are
affected by the way it is loaded.
Place heavy loads as far forward and as
low as possible in the trunk.
Secure the load to the tie downs, see
page 131.
The load should be such that the car´s
total weight or axle weight are not
exceeded, see page 258.
Heavy loads mean that the car’s center of
gravity is further back. As a result, the car
will sway more during evasive steering.
Never exceed the permissible load in the
roof box3, even if there is room for more.
Ensure that the tire pressure is correct –
slight overinflation is preferable to under-
inflation.
The braking distance of a loaded car is
always greater. Keep your distance from
the vehicle in front.
Roof loads can negatively affect tele-
communication.
Tire pressure, see page 263.
Additional information on tires, see page
220.
WARNING
A roof load will affect the car’s center
of gravity and aerodynamics. Be
aware of this when cornering and driv-
ing in crosswinds.
Suit your speed to the prevailing con-
ditions.
Due to higher aerodynamic drag, fuel
economy may suffer when driving with
a roof rack.95_US_MY09.book Page 179 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:03 AM
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