automatic transmission SAAB 9-2X 2006 User Guide

Driving tips
8-7
8
– CONTINUED –
Keep the door locks from freezing by
squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage
or separate the rubber weather strips
around the door. If the door is frozen, use
hot water to melt the ice, and afterwards
thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that con-
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes be-
cause they may damage the paint of the
vehicle.

Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that
could make the pedals slippery and dan-
gerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driv-
ing, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operate
smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has accu-
mulated under the fenders to avoid mak-
ing steering difficult. During severe winter
driving, stop when and where it is safe to
do so and check under the fenders period-
ically.
Parking in cold weather
Do not use the parking brake when park-
ing for long periods in cold weather since
it could freeze in that position. Instead, ob-
serve the following.
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for
manual transmission vehicles, and in “P”
for automatic transmission vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent
the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked af-
ter use on roads heavily covered with
snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-
ness.

Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weath-
er.
Use only additives that are specifically de-
signed for this purpose. When an anti-
freeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your Saab is not going to be used for an
extended period, it is best to have the fuel
tank filled to capacity.
Driving on snowy and icy
roadsTo prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance betweenSnow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the engine
running.
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8-10
Driving tips
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slip-
pery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
Refer to the “Automatic transmission” sec-
tion in chapter 7 for information on holding
the transmission in 2nd position.
Loading your vehicle
Never allow passengers to ride on
a folded rear seatback, in the
trunk or in the cargo area. Doing
so may result in serious injury.

Never stack luggage or other car-
go higher than the top of the seat-
back because it could tumble for-
ward and injure passengers in the
event of a sudden stop or acci-
dent. Keep luggage or cargo low,
as close to the floor as possible.
100094

When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can to prevent it from being
thrown around inside the vehicle
during sudden stops, sharp turns
or in an accident.

Do not pile heavy loads on the
roof. These loads raise the vehi-
cle’s center of gravity and make it
more prone to tip over.

Secure lengthy items properly to
prevent them from shooting for-
ward and causing serious injury
during a sudden stop.

Never exceed the maximum load
limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can
change the way your vehicle han-
dles. This could result in loss of
control and cause personal injury.
Also, overloading can shorten the
life of your vehicle.

Do not place anything on the rear
shelf behind the extended lug-
gage cover. Such items could
tumble forward in the event of a
sudden stop or a collision. This
could cause serious injury.
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8-20
Driving tips
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn.

If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed im-
mediately by the nearest Saab dealer.

Driving on grades

Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.

When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.

When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge
pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP
warning light (for AT vehicles) since the
engine and transmission are relatively
prone to overheating under these condi-
tions. If the water temperature gauge
pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone
or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates, immediately switch off the air con-
ditioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest
safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheat-
ing” section in chapter 9, and “Warning
and indicator lights” section in chapter 3.
If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, avoid using the accelerator pedal
to stay stationary on an uphill slope in-
stead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission
fluid to overheat.

If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, place the selector lever as fol-
lows:
Uphill slopes: “D” position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear posi-
tion to use engine braking

Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehi-
cle and trailer when parking. Apply the
parking brake firmly. You should not park
on a hill or slope. But if parking on a hill or
slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, re-
lease the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then ap-
ply the parking brake; slowly release the
regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manualtransmission) or “P” (automatic transmis-
sion) and shut off the engine.A1910BE-A-GSAAB.book Page 20 Tuesday, September 6, 2005 8:37 AM
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In case of emergency
9-3
9
1) Tread wear indicator bar
2) Indicator location mark
When the wear indicator appears on the
tread, replace the tire.

The temporary spare tire must be used
only on a rear wheel. If a front wheel tire
gets punctured, replace the wheel with a
rear wheel and install the temporary spare
tire in place of the removed rear wheel.
1) Spare fuse
2) FWD connectorNOTE(If your vehicle is AWD with automatic
transmission, except Turbo models)
Before driving your vehicle with the
temporary spare tire, put a spare fuse
inside the FWD connector in the main
fuse box located in the engine com-
partment and confirm that the Front-
wheel drive warning light “FWD” in the
instrument cluster comes on. The All-
Wheel Drive capability of the vehicle
has now deactivated. After re-installing
the conventional tire, remove the spare
fuse from the FWD connector in order
to reactivate All-Wheel Drive.
900231
1
2
21
900278
Never tow a trailer when the tempo-
rary spare tire is used. The tempo-
rary spare tire is not designed to
sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tire
and/or less stability of the vehicle
and may lead to an accident.
Never use any temporary spare tire
other than the original. Using other
sizes may result in severe mechani-
cal damage to the drive train of your
vehicle.
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9-4
In case of emergency
Flat tiresIf you have a flat tire while driving, never
brake suddenly; keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed.
Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place.
Changing a flat tire
1. Park on a hard, level surface, whenev-
er possible, then stop the engine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and
shift a manual transmission vehicle in re-
verse or an automatic transmission vehi-
cle in the “P” (Park) position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher and
have everyone get out of the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire diagonally opposite the flat tire.
1) Jack
2) Jack handle
3) Spare tire5. Take out the spare tire, jack, and wheel
nut wrench.
The spare tire is stored under the floor of
the cargo area.
To remove the spare tire, proceed as fol-
lows:
Do not jack up the vehicle on an
incline or a loose road surface.
The jack can come out of the jack-
ing point or sink into the ground
and this can result in a severe ac-
cident.

Use only the jack provided with
your vehicle. The jack supplied
with the vehicle is designed only
for changing a tire. Never get un-
der the vehicle while supporting
the vehicle with this jack.

Always turn off the engine before
raising the flat tire off the ground
using the jack. Never swing or
push the vehicle supported with
the jack. The jack can come out of
the jacking point due to a jolt and
this can result in a severe acci-
dent.
900000
23 1
900279
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9-12
In case of emergency
Tie-down hooks:1) Tie-down hook
2) Towing and tie-down hook

Using a flat-bed truckThis is the best way to transport your vehi-
cle. Use the following procedures to en-
sure safe transportation.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P” po-
sition for automatic transmission vehiclesor “1st” for manual transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.

Towing with all wheels on the
ground
900286
12 11

Use only the specified towing
hook and tie-down hook. Never
use suspension parts or other
parts of the body for towing or tie-
down purposes.

Never use the tie-down hook on
the underside of the vehicle clos-
est to the muffler for towing pur-
poses.
900287
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler, be
careful not to scrape them when
placing the vehicle on the carrier
and when removing the vehicle from
the carrier.
900288
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In case of emergency
9-13
9
– CONTINUED –
1. Check the transmission and differential
oil levels and add oil to bring it to the upper
level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the
“ACC” position while the vehicle is being
towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Rear liftgate – if the rear lift-gate cannot be unlockedIn the event that you cannot unlock the
rear liftgate by operating the power door
locking switches or the remote keyless en-
try system, you can unlock it from inside
the cargo area.
0
1. Remove the access cover at the bot-
tom-center of the rear liftgate trim.
2. Locate the rear liftgate lock release le-
ver behind the rear liftgate trim panel.
Never turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK” position while the ve-
hicle is being towed because the
steering wheel and the direction
of the wheels will be locked.

Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not run-
ning. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater ef-
fort to operate the brake pedal and
steering wheel.

If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.

Do not run the engine while being
towed using this method. Trans-
mission damage could result if
the vehicle is towed with the en-
gine running.

For vehicles with automatic trans-
mission, the traveling speed must
be limited to less than 20 mph (30
km/h) and the traveling distance
to less than 31 miles (50 km). For
greater speeds and distances,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
900066
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111
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule ....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions .................................. 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine
compartment ........................................................ 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine
compartment while the engine is running ......... 11-4
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview ......................... 11-6
Non-turbo models ................................................... 11-6
Turbo models .......................................................... 11-7
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-8
Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-8
Changing the oil and oil filter ................................ 11-8
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-11
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe
driving conditions ................................................ 11-11
Synthetic oil ............................................................ 11-12
Cooling system .................................................. 11-12
Cooling fan, hose and connections ...................... 11-12
Engine coolant ........................................................ 11-13
Air cleaner element ............................................ 11-15
Replacing the air cleaner element ......................... 11-16
Spark plugs ......................................................... 11-18
Recommended spark plugs ................................... 11-18
Drive belts ........................................................... 11-18
Manual transmission oil .................................... 11-19
Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-19
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-20
Automatic transmission fluid ............................ 11-20
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-20
Recommended fluid ............................................... 11-21
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ............ 11-22
Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-22
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-22
Rear differential gear oil .................................... 11-23
Checking the gear oil level .................................... 11-23
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-23
Power steering fluid ........................................... 11-24
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-24
Recommended fluid ............................................... 11-25
Brake fluid ........................................................... 11-25
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-25
Recommended brake fluid ..................................... 11-26
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) .................................. 11-26
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-26
Recommended clutch fluid .................................... 11-27
Brake booster ..................................................... 11-27
Brake pedal ......................................................... 11-27
Checking the brake pedal free play ...................... 11-27
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ......... 11-28
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) ................................ 11-28
Checking the clutch function ................................ 11-28
Checking the clutch pedal free play ..................... 11-28
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............... 11-29
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings .......... 11-29
Parking brake stroke .......................................... 11-30
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11 - 6
Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview
Non-turbo models
12 3456
7 8 9 10 11
1312
B00464
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-19) or Differential gear
oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-22)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level
gauge (page 11-20)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-40)
7) Battery (page 11-39)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-35)
9) Engine coolant reservoir
(page 11-13)
10) Engine coolant reservoir
oil level gauge (page 11-8)
11) Engine oil level gauge filler cap
(page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-13)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
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Maintenance and service
11 - 7
– CONTINUED –
11
Turbo models
12 3456
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
B00466
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-19) or Differential gear
oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-22)
3) Automatic transmission fluid level
gauge (page 11-20)
4) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-40)
7) Battery (page 11-39)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-35)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8)
10) Engine coolant reservoir
(page 11-13)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-13)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
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