lights SAAB 9-5 2003 User Guide

57 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
211). 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 207).
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 58).
Parking brake warning
light
This light will show when the parking brake
is on (see page 195).
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 at once
by an authorized Saab dealer.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when
parking, see page 195.
Always apply the parking brake
before removing the ignition key.
Do not apply the parking brake while
the car is moving.
ProCarManuals.com

60 Instruments and controls
Indicator, cruise control
This light shows when the cruise-control
system is active (see page 171).
Indicator, high beam
This light shows when the headlights are on
high beam (see page 71).
Indicator, rear fog light
This light shows when the rear fog light is on
(see page 72).
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.
Bi-Xenon headlight fault
indicator
(certain variants only)
This light indicates that there is a fault in the
Bi-Xenon headlight system, which consists
of xenon headlights and an automatic level-
ling system.
If a fault arises in the Bi-Xenon headlight
system, the headlights will be angled down
to avoid dazzling drivers in oncoming traffic.
Adjust your speed accordingly as visibility
will be reduced.
Indicator, open door
If a door has not been closed properly, the
pictogram will indicate the door concerned
(or tailgate).
Indicator, SPORT-mode
automatic transmission
This light will come on in cars with automatic
transmission when the S (SPORT) button
on the selector lever has been pressed
(position N or D) see page 170.
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
w h e n t h e s e l e c t o r l e v e r i s m o v e d t o P , R , M
or L.
Indicator, WINTER-mode
automatic transmission
This light shows when the WINTER mode
has been selected in cars with automatic
transmission (see page 170).
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.
NOTICEIf the Bi-Xenon headlight fault indicator
lights up, have your car checked as soon
as possible at an authorized Saab dealer.
If you do not rectify the problem, nighttime
visibility will be poor since the range of the
headlights is reduced.
ProCarManuals.com

62 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, the display
lights up for 20 seconds enabling you to
read the odometer and trip meter. Press-
ing the button a second time within these
20 seconds will reset the trip meter.
IB1922
IB340
IB341
1 Cars with automatic transmission
ProCarManuals.com

69 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 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 66. Message See
page
FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 215
REAR LIGHT FAILURE 219
FOG LIGHT FAILURE 219
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 219
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 213
FILL COOLANT FLUID 206
REPLACE KEY BATTERY 45
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 52
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 52
TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING 166
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 158
TIME FOR SERVICE
1)
254
ProCarManuals.com

71 Instruments and controls
Switches
Daytime running lights
The parking lights and daytime running
lights come on automatically when the igni-
tion switch is ON.
Note to owners in the U.S.: If you do not
want Daytime Running Lights, this feature
can be disconnected: switch off the engine
and remove fuse No. 35 (see page 228).
Note to owners in Canada: Daytime Run-
ning Lights must not be disconnected as
they are a Canadian Federal legal require-
ment.
Parking lights
The parking lights can be switched on
regardless of the position of the ignition
switch. Do not use parking lights when driv-
ing.
Note: The lighting switch must be in parking
light or headlight position (low beam posi-
tion only) to operate the fog lights (see page
74).
Headlights
The headlights come on automatically when
the ignition is ON and go off when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the LOCK position.
The parking lights, however, can be on
when the ignition switch is in the LOCK posi-
tion. High/low beamTo switch between high and low beam, pull
the control stalk fully towards you
(position 2). When the high beam is on, the
indicator on the main instrument panel will
be illuminated.
High beam flasher The headlights come on to high beam when
the stalk is pulled to the first spring-loaded
position (position 1) and remain on until the
stalk is released.
Note:
On cars equipped with Bi-Xenon lamps, the
Halogen lamps are used only for high beam
flasher if the daytime running lights have
been de-activated and the headlight switch
is in the off position (US only).
IB1594
121 High beam signal
2 High/low beam switching
IB350
Light switches
ProCarManuals.com

72 Instruments and controlsCourtesy Headlight FeatureA delay function allows the headlights to
remain on low beam for about 30 seconds
after the driver’s door has been closed.
To activate this function,
 Switch off the ignition and remove the key
 Open the driver’s door
 Pull the high/low beam control stalk
towards the steering wheel like you are
flashing the high beam, see page 71. The
low beam headlights will now come on
immediately after the driver’s door has
been closed (within 30 seconds) and will
remain on for about 30 seconds.
The length of time for this function can be
adjusted by your authorized Saab dealer.
Rear fog lightPress the button to switch on the rear fog
light, which will only come on if the head-
lights are on.
The rear fog light will go off automatically
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.
Make sure you are familiar with the appli-
cable provincial/state law regarding the
use of rear fog lights.

WARNING
In poor visibility, avoid following the tail
lights of the vehicle in front. If the vehicle
stops suddenly, you may be unable to
avoid a crash and therefore risk injury to
yourself and others.
IB351
Rear fog light
ProCarManuals.com

73 Instruments and controls
Instrument illuminationThe brightness of the instrument illumina-
tion can be varied by means of the dimmer
switch adjacent to the headlight switch.
(See also Night panel on page 69).
In daylight or other equally bright light, the
instrument and switch illumination is auto-
matically extinguished.
Turn signal and lane change indica-
torsTo switch on the turn signals/lane change
indicators, move the stalk up or down.
The stalk has fixed positions for indicating a
right or left turn, and the indicators are can-
celled automatically (stalk returns to off
position).
The stalk also has an intermediate,
spring-loaded position that is useful for sig-
nalling when changing lanes or passing.
The respective indicator lights on the instru-
ment panel flash at the same frequency as
the direction indicators.
IB352
102
IB1595
Turn signal and lane change indicators 1 Right indicators
2 Left indicators
Instrument illumination
ProCarManuals.com

74 Instruments and controlsFront fog lightsThe front fog lights can be activated in both
low beam headlight and parking light posi-
tions. Fog lights should only be used in poor
visibility conditions.
Make sure you are familiar with the appli-
cable provincial/state law regarding the
use of fog lights. Reversing lightsThe reversing lights come on automatically
when reverse gear is engaged or selected
with the ignition switched on.
Hazard warning lightsWhen this button is pressed, all the turn
signal indicators and a symbol in the button
flash simultaneously. If the ignition is on,
both indicator lights on the instrument panel
will also flash.
If the hazard warning lights are left on for
some time, the flasher frequency will be
reduced to save the battery.
Hazard warning lights should only be used
if the car constitutes a hazard to other road
users.

WARNING
Switch on the hazard flashers if the car
has to be left at the roadside on account
of a crash, engine trouble or a puncture. If
you carry a warning triangle or flares, they
should be set up along the side of the road
300 ft. (100 m) behind your vehicle. If the
car is not clearly visible (e.g. over the
brow of a hill or bridge), place the trian-
gle/flare even further back.
IB355
IB356
Hazard warning lights
ProCarManuals.com

75 Instruments and controls
Wipers and washers There are three intermittent wiper positions.
Moving the control stalk to the
spring-loaded position between 0 and 2 will
produce a single sweep of the wipers.
The wipers are designed for optimal clean-
ing at all driving speeds. At higher speeds,
it may be possible to detect a slight ”sweep-
ing” sound. This may be due to the
increased air pressure on the blades at
higher speeds.Headlight washersIf low beam is on, the headlights are washed
every fifth time the windshield washers are
used or if 2 minutes have elapsed since the
windshield was last washed. The headlight
washers cannot be activated separately.
The headlight washers are of the high-pres-
sure type, which means that other parts of
the car may become wet if you activate the
washers while the car is stationary.Rain sensing wipers (option)
The rain sensor automatically controls the
windshield wipers. The sensor is located on
the windshield beside the rearview mirror.
The system varies between single sweeps
of the windshield and continuous wiping
depending on how much water or snow
there is on the windshield.Activate the system by lifting the control
stalk to position 1. The wipers make one
sweep for reference to see how much water
and snow is on the windshield. In future, the
sensor compares the amount of water and
snow on the windshield with this reference
value.
When the engine has been switched off,
the control stalk must be moved to posi-
tion 0 and back to position 1 to reactivate
the sensor.
Set the sensitivity using the control on the
wiper stalk (the same control as used for
wiper delay on cars not fitted with a rain sen-
sor). The sensor has three sensitivity set-
tings. It is most sensitive when in the upper-
WARNING
Turn the rain sensor off if the ignition is
ON when clearing snow and ice from the
windshield, to avoid personal injury.
NOTICETo avoid damaging the windshield
wipers, turn the rain sensor off before
washing the car in an automatic carwash.
IB359
0
41
2
3
0 OFF
1 Intermittent operation
2 Low speed
3 High speed
4 Washers
12
IB569
Control for setting wiper delay1 Long delay
2 Short delay
ProCarManuals.com

76 Instruments and controlsmost position (1). When a higher degree of
sensitivity is selected, the wipers make one
sweep of the windshield for reference.
The rain sensor has a daylight and a night
time mode. The sensor measures the
amount of available light and automatically
selects the appropriate mode. The sensor is
more sensitive at night. The function of the
rain sensor is impaired by dry snow.Rear-window wiper (9-5 Wagon)The rear-window wiper and washer are
operated with the same stalk switch as used
for washing and wiping the windshield and
headlights.
This stalk has two additional switches,
ON/OFF and .
The ON position provides intermittent wip-
ing.
The position provides washing and
wiping. After a few sweeps the wiper stops
or reverts to intermittent wiping, if this has
been chosen. About 15 seconds after com-
pletion of the washing/wiping of the rear
window, the wiper makes a single sweep to
wipe away any remaining washer fluid.
A spring-loaded position between the OFF
and ON positions allows for a single sweep
of the rear-window wiper.
Intermittent wiping of the rear window
occurs when reverse gear is engaged if the
windshield wipers are in position 1, 2 or 3,
see page 75.
For how to adjust the rear window washer
jet on the 9-5 Wagon, refer to page 212.
2 1
IB1207
Rear-window wiper1 Intermittent wiping
2 Washers
ProCarManuals.com