towing SAAB 9-2X 2006 User Guide

Driving tips
8-19
8
– CONTINUED –

Before starting out on a trip

Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer.

Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is
tipped sharply up at the front and down at
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable.

Check that the tire pressures are cor-
rect.

Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
– the trailer tongue is connected prop-
erly to the hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is connect-
ed properly and trailer’s brake lights illu-
minate when the vehicle’s brake pedal
is pressed, and that the trailer’s turn sig-nal lights flash when the vehicle’s turn
signal lever is operated.
– the safety chains are connected prop-
erly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safe-
ty in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good rear-
ward field of view without a significant
blind spot.

Sufficient time should be taken to learn
the “feel” of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up.

Driving with a trailer

You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may re-
sult in skidding or jackknifing and loss of
control.

Avoid abrupt starts and sudden acceler-
ations. If your vehicle has a manual trans-
mission, always start out in first gear and
release the clutch at moderate engine rev-
olution.

Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.

Slow down before turning. Make a long-
er than normal turning radius because the
trailer wheels will be closer than the vehi-
cle wheels to the inside of the turn. In atight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle.

Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to
weather conditions or the passing of large
trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down im-
mediately but gradually.

When passing other vehicles, consider-
able distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by at-
taching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
When towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be dif-
ferent from normal operation. For
safety’s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing a trail-
er and you should never speed.
You should also keep the follow-
ing tips in mind:1
2
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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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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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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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9-10
In case of emergency
Engine overheatingIf the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place.
If steam is coming from the
engine compartmentTurn the engine off and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down.
If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment1. Keep the engine running at idling
speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine
compartment.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If
the fan is not turning, immediately turn offthe engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature
has dropped, turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the
overheated zone, turn off the engine.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reserve
tank.
If the coolant level is below the “LOW”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the
radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it.
TowingIf towing is necessary, it is best done by
your Saab dealer or a commercial towing
service. Observe the following procedures
for safety.
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT
and MT) with the front wheels raised
off the ground while the rear wheels
are on the ground, or with the rear
wheels raised off the ground while
the front wheels are on the ground.
This will cause the vehicle to spin
away due to the operation or deteri-
oration of the center differential.
900282
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In case of emergency
9-11
9
– CONTINUED –

Towing and tie-down hooksThe towing hooks should be used only in
an emergency (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle
from mud, sand or snow).
Front towing hook:
1. Take out the towing hook, screwdriver
and wheel nut wrench from the on board
tool bag.
2. Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the
slot on the towing hook cover, then use it
to pry the cover upward.
3. Screw the towing hook into the thread
hole until its thread can no longer be seen.4. Tighten the towing hook securely using
the wheel nut wrench.
After towing, remove the towing hook from
the vehicle and stow it in the tool bag.
Fit the towing hook cover on the bumper.
Rear towing hook:
900283

Do not use the towing hook ex-
cept when towing your vehicle.

Be sure to remove the towing
hook after towing. Leaving the
towing hook mounted on the vehi-
cle could interfere with proper op-
eration of the SRS airbag system
in a frontal collision.
900284
To prevent deformation to the front
bumper and the towing hook, do not
apply excessive lateral load to the
towing hook.
900285
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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
9-15
9
Maintenance toolsYour vehicle is equipped with the following
maintenance tools:
Screwdriver
Towing hook (eye bolt)
Wheel nut wrench
*Hex-headed wrench (vehicles with
moonroof)
*: The hex-headed wrench is stored in the
glove box.

Jack and jack handleThe jack is stored on the left side of the
cargo area.
To take out the jack, turn the jackscrew
counterclockwise to loosen it, then re-
move the jack.
1) Jack
2) Jack handle
3) Spare tireThe jack handle is stored under the spare
tire cover.
For how to use the jack, refer to “Flat
tires”.
900291
900280
23 1
900279
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11 - 3 2
Maintenance and service

Abnormally low tire pressure (tread
worn at shoulders)
Rolling resistance is high, so fuel con-
sumption is also higher.
Abnormally high tire pressure (tread
worn in center)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magni-
fies the effects of road-surface bumps and
dips, possibly resulting in vehicle damage.
If the label shows tire pressures for the ve-
hicle when fully loaded and for the vehicle
when towing a trailer, adjust the tire pres-
sures to the values that match current
loading conditions.

Wheel balanceEach wheel was correctly balanced when
your vehicle was new, but the wheels will
become unbalanced as the tires become
worn during use. Wheel imbalance caus-
es the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at
certain vehicle speeds and detracts from
the vehicle’s straight-line stability. It can
also cause steering and suspension sys-
tem problems and abnormal tire wear. If
you suspect that the wheels are not cor-
rectly balanced, have them checked and
adjusted by your Saab dealer. Also have
them adjusted after tire repairs and after
tire rotation.NOTELoss of correct wheel alignment* caus-
es the tires to wear on one side and re-
duces the vehicle’s running stability.
B00051
B00052
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of vehi-
cle control could lead to an acci-
dent.
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13-8
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
involves switching the front and rear
tires on the right-hand side of the ve-
hicle and similarly switching the front
and rear tires on the left-hand side of
the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept on
its original side of the vehicle.) Re-
place any damaged or unevenly worn
tire at the time of rotation. After tire ro-
tation, adjust the tire pressures and
make sure the wheel nuts are correct-
ly tightened. A tightening torque spec-
ification and a tightening sequence
specification for the wheel nuts can be
found “Flat tires” section in chapter
9.

Vehicle load limit – how to de-
termineThe load capacity of your vehicle is
determined by weight, not by avail-
able cargo space. The load limit of
your vehicle is shown on the vehicle
label attached to the driver’s side B-
pillar. Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or XXX
lbs” on your vehicle’s label.
The vehicle label also shows seating
capacity of your vehicle.
The total load capacity includes thetotal weight of driver and all passen-
gers and their belongings, any cargo,
any optional equipment such as a
trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier,
etc., and the tongue load of a trailer.
Therefore cargo capacity can be cal-
culated by the following method.
Cargo capacity = Load limit – (total
weight of occupants + total weight of
optional equipment + tongue load of a
trailer (if applicable))
For towing capacity information and
weight limits, refer to “Trailer towing”
section in chapter 8.


Calculating total and load capac-
ities varying seating configura-
tions
Calculate the available load capacity
as shown in the following examples:Example 1A
Vehicle capacity weight of the vehicle
is 900 lbs (408 kg), which is indicated
on the vehicle label with the statement
“The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed 900
lbs or 408 kg”.
For example, if the vehicle has one
occupant weighing 154 lbs (70 kg)
plus cargo weighing 662 lbs (300 kg).
1. Calculate the total weight.
D00121
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