tires 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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8-8
Driving tips
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the en-
gine brake effectively to control the vehi-
cle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when
necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behav-
ior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhanc-
es your vehicle’s braking performance on
snowy and icy roads. Refer to the “ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System)” section in chap-
ter 7 for information on braking on slippery
surfaces.NOTEThe following tires are summer tires.
Compared with winter and all-season
tires, summer tires give significantly
less grip on snowy and icy road surfac-
es. Avoid driving on snowy and icy
road surface with summer tires.

Optional 215/45R17 tires for Aero

Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the windshield or rear
window, use the defroster with the airflow
control dial in the “
” position and the
temperature control dial set for maximum
warmth until the wiper blades are com-
pletely thawed out. If your vehicle is
equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful
to thaw the windshield wiper blades. To
thaw out the rear wiper blade, use the rear
window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow
starts to stick on the surface of the wind-
shield despite wiper operation, use the de-
froster with the airflow control dial in
“
” and the temperature control dial
set for maximum warmth. After the wind-
shield gets warmed enough to melt the
frozen snow on it, wash it away using the
windshield washer.Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and sub-
zero temperatures. Blades of this type
give superior wiping performance in
snowy conditions. Be sure to use blades
that are suitable for your vehicle.
NOTEWhen the season requiring non-freez-
ing type wiper blades is over, replace
them with standard wiper blades.
Corrosion protectionRefer to the “Corrosion protection” section
(chapter 10). Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of vehi-
cle control.
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine’s intake system and may
hinder the air flow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.
During high-speed driving, non-
freezing type wiper blades may not
perform as well as standard wiper
blades. If this happens, reduce the
vehicle speed.
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Driving tips
8-9
8
– CONTINUED –

Snow tires
Your vehicle may be equipped with “all
season tires” as original equipment, which
are designed to provide an adequate
measure of traction, handling and braking
performance in year-round driving. In win-
ter, it may be possible to enhance perfor-
mance through use of tires designed spe-
cifically for winter driving conditions.
The optional 215/45R17 tires for the Aero
model are summer tires. Compared with
winter and all-season tires, summer tires
give significantly less grip on snowy and
icy road surfaces. Therefore, use of winter
tires is strongly recommended when driv-
ing with such road conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on
your vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire
size and type. You must install four winter
tires that are of the same size, construc-
tion, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires
since this may result in dangerous han-
dling characteristics. When you choose a
tire, make sure that there is enough clear-
ance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on your ve-
hicle.
Tire chainsDriving on snowy grades or icy roads may
require the use of tire chains, in whichcase put the chains on the front wheels
only. Use only SAE class S type chains
that are of the correct size for your tires so
as not to damage the vehicle body or sus-
pension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at
speeds below 19 mph (30 km/h).
When a temporary spare tire is on a front
wheel, replace the temporary spare tire
with the rear tire on the same side of the
vehicle, and then fit chains on the front
tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving
with tire chains – overconfidence because
you are driving with tire chains could eas-
ily lead to a serious accident.

Rocking the vehicleIf you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the acceler-
ator pedal slightly and move the selector
lever back and forth between “D” and “R”
When replacing original tires with
winter (snow) tires, make sure you
use only the same size, construc-
tion and load range as the original
tires listed on the tire label. Using
other sizes and construction may
affect speedometer/odometer cal-
ibration and clearance between
the body and tires. It also may be
dangerous and lead to loss of ve-
hicle control.

You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, con-
struction, brand, and load range.
Mixing other sizes or construc-
tions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive train
of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speed-
ometer/odometer calibration. It
also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control.

Do not use a combination of radi-
al, belted bias or bias tires since it
may cause dangerous handling
characteristics and lead to an ac-
cident.Tire chains cannot be used on tires
listed in the following because of
lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body.

Optional 215/45R17 tires for Aero
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8-12
Driving tips
In addition, the total weight applied to
each axle (GAW) must never exceed the
GAWR. The front and rear GAWs can be
adjusted by relocating luggage inside the
vehicle.
Even if the total weight of your luggage is
lower than the vehicle capacity weight, ei-
ther front or rear GAW may exceed the
GAWR, depending on the distribution of
the luggage.
When possible, the load should be evenly
distributed throughout the vehicle.
If you carry heavy loads in the vehicle, you
should confirm that GVW and front and
rear GAWs are within the GVWR and
GAWR by putting your vehicle on a vehi-
cle scale, found at a commercial weighing
station.
Do not use replacement tires with a lower
load range than the originals because
they may lower the GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires with a high-
er load range than the originals do not in-
crease the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
Roof crossbar
3
Cargo can be carried after securing the
roof crossbar kit and installing the appro-
priate carrying attachment. When install-
ing the roof crossbar kit, follow the manu-
facturer’s instructions.When you carry cargo on the roof using
the roof crossbar kit and a carrying attach-
ment, never exceed the maximum load
limit explained in the following. You should
also be careful that your vehicle does not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) and front and rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). See the “Loading
your vehicle” section in this chapter for in-
formation on loading cargo into or onto
your vehicle. The maximum load limit of
the cargo, crossbars and carrying attach-
ment must not exceed 100 lbs (45 kg).
Place the heaviest load at the bottom,
nearest the roof, and evenly distribute the
cargo. Always properly secure all cargo.

Installing carrying attachments on
the crossbars
When installing any carrying attachment
such as a bike carrier, ski carrier, kayak
carrier, cargo basket, etc. on the cross-
bars, follow the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions and make sure that the attachment is
securely fixed to the crossbars. Use only
attachments designed specifically for the
crossbars. A set of the crossbars is de-
signed to carry loads (cargo and attach-
ment) of not more than 100 lbs (45 kg).
Before operating the vehicle, make sure
that the cargo is properly secured on the
attachment.NOTERemember that the vehicle’s center of
gravity is altered with the weight of the
load on the roof, thus affecting the
driving characteristics.
Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, hard
cornering and abrupt stops. Crosswind
effects will be increased.
When using the roof crossbar kit,
make sure that the total weight of
the crossbars, carrying attach-
ment and cargo does not exceed
the maximum load limit. Overload-
ing may cause damage to the ve-
hicle and create a safety hazard.
Do not carry cargo on the roof
when the crossbars are removed.
Luggage on the roof will be
thrown forward or backward in
sudden stops or rapid accelera-
tions, resulting in a dangerous
road hazard.
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Driving tips
8-13
8
– CONTINUED –
Trailer towingYour vehicle is designed and intended to
be used primarily as a passenger-carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer puts additional
loads on your vehicle’s engine, drivetrain,
brakes, tires and suspension and has an
adverse effect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safe-
ty and satisfaction depend upon proper
use of correct equipment and cautious op-
eration of your vehicle. Seek the advice of
your Saab dealer to assist you in purchas-
ing a hitch and other necessary towing
equipment appropriate for your vehicle. In
addition, be sure to follow the instructions
on correct installation and use provided by
the trailer and other towing equipment
manufacturers.
Saab assumes no responsibility for inju-
ries or vehicle damage that result from
trailer towing equipment, or from any er-
rors or omissions in the instructions ac-
companying such equipment or for your
failure to follow the proper instructions.
Warranties and maintenanceFor details of application of warranties to
vehicle damage or malfunctions related
with trailer towing, please refer to the
“Saab Warranty and Service RecordBooklet”. If you use your vehicle to tow a
trailer, more frequent maintenance will be
required due to the additional load. (Refer
to “Maintenance schedule under severe
driving conditions” in the “Saab Warranty
and Service Record Booklet”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer
be towed with a new vehicle or a vehicle
with any new powertrain component (en-
gine, transmission, differential, wheel
bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,600 km) of driving.

Maximum load limits

Total trailer weightTotal trailer weightThe total trailer weight (trailer weight plus
its cargo load) must never exceed the
maximum weight shown in the following
table. Never exceed the maximum load
limits explained in the following. Ex-
ceeding the maximum load limits
could cause personal injury and/or
vehicle damage.

Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight.
Before towing a trailer, check the
trailer total weight, GVW, GAWs
and tongue load. Make sure the
load and its distribution in your
vehicle and trailer are acceptable.
800211
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Driving tips
8-17
8
– CONTINUED –
The use of a genuine Saab trailer hitch is
recommended. A genuine Saab hitch is
available from your Saab dealer.If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoid-
able, be sure the hitch is suited to your ve-
hicle and trailer. Consult with a profes-
sional hitch supplier to assist you in
choosing an appropriate hitch for your ve-
hicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitch man-
ufacturer’s instructions for installation and
use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the
rear bumper. The bumper is not designed
to handle that type of load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check
that the hitch mounting bolts and nuts are
tight.

Connecting a trailer
Trailer brakes
If your trailer’s total weight (trailer weight
plus its cargo weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs
(453 kg), the trailer is required to be
equipped with its own brake system. Elec-
tric brakes or surge brakes are recom-
mended, and must be installed properly.
Check that your trailer’s brakes conform
with Federal, state/province and/or other
applicable regulations. Your Saab’s brake
system is not designed to be tapped into
the trailer’s hydraulic brake system.Please ask your Saab dealer and profes-
sional trailer supplier for more information
about the trailer’s brake system.

Trailer safety chains
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch
ball should break or become disconnect-
ed, the trailer could get loose and create a
traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing ve-
hicle and trailer with trailer safety chains.
Pass the chains crossing each other un-
der the trailer tongue to prevent the trailer
from dropping onto the ground in case the
trailer tongue should disconnect from the
hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the
chains taking tight-turn situations into ac- Never drill the frame or under-body
of your vehicle to install a commer-
cial trailer hitch. If you do, danger-
ous exhaust gas, water or mud may
enter the passenger compartment
through the drilled hole. Exhaust
gas contains carbon monoxide, a
colorless and odorless gas which is
dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
Also, drilling the frame or under-
body of your vehicle could cause
deterioration of strength of your ve-
hicle and cause corrosion around
the drilled hole.

Do not modify the vehicle exhaust
system, brake system, or other
systems when installing a hitch or
other trailer towing equipment.

Do not use axle-mounted hitches
as they can cause damage to the
axle housing, wheel bearings,
wheels or tires.
Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight.

Do not directly connect your trail-
er’s hydraulic brake system to the
hydraulic brake system in your
vehicle. Direct connection would
cause the vehicle’s brake perfor-
mance to deteriorate and could
lead to an accident.
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8-18
Driving tips
count; however, be careful not to let them
drag on the ground.
For more information about the safety
chain connection, refer to the instructions
for your hitch and trailer.
Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors pro-vide a good rearward field of view without
significant blind spots. If significant blind
spots occur with the vehicle’s standard
side mirrors, use towing mirrors that con-
form with Federal, state/province and/or
other applicable regulations.

Trailer lights
Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-
cle’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle’s lighting circuit to in-
crease its capacity and accommodate wir-
ing changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your Saab dealer. Check for proper oper-
ation of the turn signals, the brake lights
and parking lights each time you hitch up.

Tires
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated to the pressure spec-
ified on the tire label located on the left
center pillar of your vehicle.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating andproper inflation pressure should be in ac-
cordance with the trailer manufacturer’s
specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured.

Trailer towing tips
Always use safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. Towing
a trailer without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due
to coupling damage or hitch ball
damage.
800026
Direct splicing or other improper
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle’s lighting system.
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.

Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly coun-
try on hot days.
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9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in case of an
emergency ....................................................... 9-2
Temporary spare tire .......................................... 9-2
Flat tires .............................................................. 9-4
Changing a flat tire ................................................. 9-4
Jump starting ...................................................... 9-8
How to jump start ................................................... 9-8
Engine overheating ............................................ 9-10
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment ......................................................... 9-10
If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment ......................................................... 9-10
Towing ................................................................. 9-10
Towing and tie-down hooks .................................. 9-11
Using a flat-bed truck ............................................. 9-12
Towing with all wheels on the ground .................. 9-12
Rear liftgate – if the rear liftgate cannot be
unlocked .......................................................... 9-13
Moonroof – if the moonroof cannot be closed 9-14
Maintenance tools .............................................. 9-15
Jack and jack handle .............................................. 9-15
3 Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars (can depend
on model variant, engine variant, market specification, options
or accessories)
.
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9-2
In case of emergency
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in case of an emergencyThe hazard warning flasher should be
used in day or night to warn other drivers
when you have to park your vehicle under
emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to
safely pull off the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be acti-
vated regardless of the ignition switch po-
sition.
Turn on the hazard warning by pushing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pushing the switch again.
NOTEWhen the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
Temporary spare tireThe temporary spare tire is smaller and
lighter than a conventional tire and is de-
signed for emergency use only. Remove
the temporary spare tire and re-install the
conventional tire as soon as possible be-
cause the spare tire is designed only for
temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the tempo-
rary spare tire periodically to keep the tire
ready for use. The correct pressure is 60
psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2).
When using the temporary spare tire, note
the following.

Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).

Do not put a tire chain on the temporary
spare tire. Because of the smaller tire
size, a tire chain will not fit properly.

Do not use two or more temporary
spare tires at the same time.

Do not drive over obstacles. This tire
has a smaller diameter, so road clearance
is reduced.
300117
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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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