engine SAAB 9-5 2001 User Guide

49 Instruments and controls
Warning, charging
This light will come on together with if
the battery is discharging. If it comes on
while you are driving, stop the car as soon
as possible and switch off the engine.
Check the alternator drive belt (see page
202). 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.
Brake warning light
This light will come on together with if
there is insufficient brake fluid in the reser-
voir (see pages 198 / 198).
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 50).
Parking brake warning
light
This light will show when the parking brake
is on (see page 185).
If the car is driven with the parking brake still
on, will also come on and a chime will
sound.
The parking brake is mechanical and oper-
ates on the rear wheels.
WARNING
Never drive the car when these warning
lights are on. Danger of brake failure!
Have the brake system checked by an
authorized Saab dealer.
WARNING
 Always apply the parking brake when
parking, see page 185.
 Always apply the parking brake before
removing the ignition key.
 Do not apply the parking brake while
the car is moving.
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50 Instruments and controls

Anti-lock brake warning
This light will come on if a fault has occurred
in the ABS system.
On certain variants and as well
as can light up to indicate a fault in the
electronic brake force distribution system
(distribution of the brake pressure between
the front and rear wheels).
Conventional braking without the ABS func-
tion will still be available.
For safety reasons, stop the car and check
the level of the brake fluid (see page 198).If the level is normal, depress the brake
pedal firmly two or three times. Now check
the level again. If the level is still normal, you
may drive the car, with considerable cau-
tion, to the nearest authorized Saab dealer
to have the brake system checked.

Airbag warning light
This light together with will come on if
a potentially serious fault has occurred in
the airbag system.
The light will come on for about three sec-
onds when the ignition switch is turned to
the Start or Drive position. It should go out
after the engine has started.
WARNING
 If the ABS is inoperative, there is a
danger of the rear wheels locking up
on hard braking.
 If the level of brake fluid in the reser-
voir is below the MIN mark, the car
should be towed to an authorized
Saab dealer.
WARNING
 If the airbag readiness light stays on
after you start your vehicle, it means
the airbag system may not be working
properly. One or more of the following
conditions may occur:
- Non-deployment of the airbags in the
event of a crash.
- Deployment of the airbags without a
crash.
- Deployment of the airbags in
crashes less severe than intended.
 To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle serviced
right away if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
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51 Instruments and controls
CHECK message indicator
This light indicates that there is a message
in the SID. A chime will also sound
(see page 61).
Central warning light
This light will come on and a chime will
sound if a fault has been detected in any
system that is critical to safety. Any of the
following can activate the central warning
light and alarm:
 Airbag system.
 Low oil pressure in engine.
 Parking brake is on (when car is moving).
 Brake fluid level low.
 Fault detected in ABS system.
 Electronic brake force distribution (distri-
bution of brake pressure between front
and rear wheels).
 Engine overheating.
 Alternator not charging properly.
Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)
This light indicates a malfunction in the
fuel-injection or ignition system. The car
may still be driven with care and with some-
what diminished performance (see page
151).
Indicator, fuel
This light comes on when there is less than
about 2.5 gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the
tank.
WARNING
An illuminated ”Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)” indicator light indi-
cates a serious engine-related problem.
While your car may be able to be driven
with the ”Engine malfunction (CHECK
ENGINE)” indicator light illuminated
(Limp-home mode), you are advised to
have your car serviced at an authorized
Saab dealer as soon as possible.
Continued driving without this problem
being corrected might cause serious
further damage to your car and create
unsafe driving conditions. The operator
should be prepared to take action if such
unsafe conditions arise (e.g., apply the
brakes, disengage transmission, turn off
the ignition etc.).
NOTEThe car should be checked immediately
at an authorized Saab dealer to prevent
more serious faults from arising.NOTEIf the car runs out of fuel, air can be drawn
in with the fuel, which, in turn, can cause
the catalytic converter to be damaged by
overheating.
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52 Instruments and controls
Indicator, cruise control
This light shows when the cruise-control
system is active (see page 166).
Indicator, high beam
This light shows when the headlights are on
high beam (see page 63).
Indicator, rear fog light
This light shows when the rear fog light is on
(see page 64).
The rear fog light is switched off automat-
ically when the engine is switched off. When
the fog light is next needed, it will have to be
switched on manually again.
The rear fog light consists of one light so it
should not be mistaken for brake lights.
Indicator, open door
If a door has not been closed properly, the
pictogram will indicate the door concerned
(or tailgate).
Indicator, SPORT-mode
This light will come on in cars with automatic
transmission when the S (SPORT) button
on the selector lever has been pressed
(position D, 3, 2 or 1) see page 165.
In this mode, the gear changes occur later,
at higher engine revs, giving the engine and
transmission a sportier feel.
To cancel the SPORT mode, press the S
button on the selector lever again. The
mode is also deselected automatically
when the selector lever is moved to P or R.
Indicator, WINTER-mode
This light shows when the WINTER mode
has been selected in cars with automatic
transmission (see page 165).
In the WINTER mode, the car pulls away in
3rd gear, to help prevent wheelspin on an
icy road.
To cancel the WINTER mode, press the W
button.
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53 Instruments and controls
Automatic transmission,
fault indicator
On a car with an automatic transmission,
this warning symbol is illuminated if a fault
has been detected in the transmission.
Switch the ignition off and on again to check
if the fault persists.
Even if the fault persists, it is still possible in
most cases to drive the car (see page 161).
Have the automatic transmission checked
by an authorized Saab dealer as soon as
possible.
Traction-control-system:
OFF
The indicator light goes on when the Trac-
tion Control System is switched off with the
TCS OFF button.
IMPORTANT: the Traction Control System
is automatically engaged every time the
engine is started (see page 169).
The indicator light also goes on when there
is a fault in the Traction Control System. In
this case the light cannot be turned off by
means of the TCS button. If a fault is indi-
cated, have the system checked by an
authorized Saab dealer.
See also ”Traction Control System”, on
page 169.
TCS modulation in
progress
The TCS indicator light is located in the
lower half of the tachometer and will be illu-
minated when TCS regulation is occurring,
i.e. when there is insufficient traction
between the tires and the road surface to
provide the grip required for the accelera-
tion called for. The driver can also sense
that the engine is not responding normally to
the accelerator.
Operation of the TCS indicates reduced
traction between the tires and the road, and
that extra care should be taken by the driver.
In normal driving, the TCS will 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 169).
NOTEIf the control module has actuated the
Limp-home function for the automatic
transmission, the car will remain in 4th
gear when D is selected, making it very
sluggish. To overcome this, select posi-
tion 2 to prevent unnecessary wear on the
transmission. The transmission then
starts in 3rd gear. When the car is moving
you can select position D or 3.
When the indicator light is on, the car
must not be driven with a trailer attached.
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54 Instruments and controlsAutochecking of lights,
main instrument panel The above warning and indicator lights
should come on when the ignition is
switched on prior to starting. They should go
out after about 3 seconds.
The following lights light up until the engine
is started, presuming that no fault exists:
 Central warning light .
 Oil pressure warning light .
 Warning, charging .
InstrumentsTachometerThe tachometer indicates the engine speed
in thousands of revolutions per minute. The
needle may be allowed to enter the broken
red zone on the dial only for an instant.
A safety cut-out function (in the fuel system)
prevents the engine speed from exceeding
approximately 6,200 rpm.
Odometer and trip meter The odometer records the distance traveled
in miles on U.S. vehicles and on Canadian
vehicles the distance indicated is in kilome-
tres, and the trip meter in miles and tenths
(kilometres and tenths of kilometres on
Canadian vehicles). Reset button The reset button has two functions, deter-
mined by whether the ignition is ON or OFF.
 When the ignition is ON, pressing the
button will reset the trip meter.
 When the ignition is OFF, pressing the
button will bring up the display for
20 seconds to allow the odometer and
trip-meter readings to be viewed.
IB1279
IB340
IB341
1 Cars with automatic transmission
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55 Instruments and controls
Speedometer (U.S. speedometer
shown)The speedometer receives signals from the
wheel sensors in the ABS system.
If the NIGHT PANEL mode has been
selected, the scale will be illuminated up to
87 mph (140 km/h). The remainder of the
scale will be illuminated if the speed of the
car exceeds 84 mph (135 km/h).
Fuel gauge Fuel-tank capacity, 18.5 US gal. (70 liters).
The fuel gauge shows the amount of fuel left
in the tank. When this is down to about
2.5 gal. (10 liters), a warning light on the
main instrument panel will come on (see
page 51).
Use the Saab Information display (SID) to
check the approximate distance that can be
traveled on the remaining fuel
(see page 57).
Temperature gauge The temperature gauge shows the temper-
ature of the coolant. The needle should be
in the middle of the scale when the engine
is at normal operating temperature.
If the needle approaches the red zone,
which can occur in very hot weather or when
the engine is under a heavy load, drive in the
highest gear possible, keep the engine revs
low and avoid shifting down.
If the needle enters the red zone, the
warning light will come on and an alarm
chime will sound.
IB606
IB345
IB343
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56 Instruments and controlsCheck fuse 15 (radiator fan) in the fuse
panel under the hood, see page 219.
If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone,
stop the car as soon as it is safe to do so and
check the coolant level by looking at the
level visible through the plastic tank - do not
remove the cap.
If the coolant level falls below the MIN mark,
the SID will display the message ”FILL
COOLANT FLUID”.
Pressure gaugeThe turbo gauge indicates the air volume for
combustion, which is equivalent to the
engine load.
At low loads, the needle will move within the
white zone. At higher loads and during
heavy acceleration, the needle will enter the
yellow area. At very high loads (certain var-
iants only) the needle may enter the first part
of the red zone without indicating that there
is a fault.Under certain barometric conditions the
needle may enter the first part of the red
zone without necessarily indicating that a
fault has arisen.
If the needle repeatedly enters the red zone
and the engine at the same time loses
power, because the monitoring system is
holding the charging pressure down, you
should contact an authorized Saab dealer.
If the speed exceeds 143 mph (230 km/h),
the increase in speed will be limited by the
lowering of the boost pressure. The pres-
sure gauge then moves towards the middle
of the orange zone, indicating reduced
engine output and thus reduces the speed
of the car as well.
NOTEIf the needle, despite the above action,
enters the red zone, stop the car immedi-
ately, let the engine idle.
If the needle stays in the red zone, stop
the engine.
WARNING
Never open the cap of the expansion tank
completely when the engine is hot, open
with care. The pressure in the cool-
ing-system can cause hot coolant and
steam to be released.
IB344
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59 Instruments and controls
Turning the Alarm and Speed
warning on or off 1 Select the Alarm or Speed-warning
function.
2 Press SET to turn on the function.
Press CLEAR to turn off the function.
When either function is on, ALARM/SPD W
respectively will be visible on the display. An
asterisk
* will be visible on the far right of the
display when either function is selected.
The Alarm and Speed-warning settings will
not be cancelled when the engine is
switched off.
When the Alarm has been set to come on at
a specified time, it will only be activated
once – it will not come on at the same time
every day. Press SET to turn it on again.
The Alarm will continue to beep for one
minute if not switched off.
Calculation of arrival time and
average speed The settings must be made before the jour-
ney is started.
Calculation of arrival time:
1 Select DIST using the button.
2 Set the destination distance.
3 Press SET.
When ARRIV is selected during the journey,
the arrival time based on the average speed
over the past 20 minutes will be displayed.
The trip computer will include any stops in
the calculation of the estimated time of
arrival.
Press DIST and the distance remaining to
the destination will be displayed in the same
way.
After the distance to destination has
decreased to zero, the DIST will function as
a trip meter (see ”Using DIST as a trip
meter”). The starting value for the trip meter
will be the last distance set in the DIST
function.
Example: The DIST setting was 100 miles.
Once 100 miles (160 km) has been cov-
ered, the DIST will start to function as a trip
meter, the initial reading of which will be
100 miles (160 km).
Using DIST as a trip meter If no value has been set for the DIST func-
tion, DIST will now function as a trip meter
(indicated by an arrow on the far right of the
display).
Press CLEAR to reset the trip meter.
Under 1000 miles the distance will be
shown in increments of 0.1 miles,
there-after, the reading will change in incre-
ments of 1.0 mile.
Metric units: for just under a kilometer, the
distance will be shown in increments of
10 meters, there-after, the reading will
change in increments of 100 meters.
When DIST is functioning as a trip meter,
the ARRIV function will display the current
time.
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61 Instruments and controls
CHECK messages When the engine is started, CHECKING will
appear on the display for about four sec-
onds, while the SID checks are being per-
formed.
When a CHECK message is generated
while the car is being driven, a chime will
sound, INFO DISPL will illuminate on on the
main instrument panel, and the message
will appear on the SID. The number of mes-
sages that can be displayed by the SID
varies with the specification of the car.
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 while 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.
Press CLEAR once to acknowledge a mes-
sage, whereupon it will be cleared from the
display. It will not be displayed again before
the ignition has been switched off and then
on again. The following messages may be displayed:
1 This message will be displayed approxi-
mately 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 first
briefly pressing the CLEAR button, then
depressing it a second time for at least eight
seconds until ”SERVICE” appears on the dis-
play and a chime sounds. The message can
only be deleted when it is shown on the SID.
Night panelTo improve night-driving conditions inside
the car, the Night Panel mode can be
selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
mation displayed is reduced, and only the
most important instruments and displays
will be illuminated.
When the Night Panel button is pressed,
only the speedometer will be illuminated (up
to the 87-mph or 140-km/h graduation), all
the other instruments illumination being
extinguished and their needles moved to
zero. Both the SID and the ACC displays will
be extinguished and the backlighting for
switches and other controls will be dimmed.
Note: All indicator and warning lights,
together with the display of CHECK mes-
sages, will operate as normal, except ”Out-
door temperature (Frost warning)”, see
page 58. Message See
page
FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 205
REAR LIGHT FAILURE 208
FOG LIGHT FAILURE 209
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 208
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 204
FILL COOLANT FLUID 196
REPLACE KEY BATTERY 37
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 45
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 45
TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING 162
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 154
TIME FOR SERVICE
1)
242
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