ESP SAAB 9-2X 2006 Owner's Manual

Driving tips
8-13
8
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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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8-16
Driving tips
1) Jack
2) Bathroom scaleThe tongue load can be weighed with a
bathroom scale as shown in the following
illustration. When weighing the tongue
load, be sure to position the towing cou-
pler at the height at which it would be dur-
ing actual towing, using a jack as shown.
F: Front of vehicleThe tongue load can be adjusted by prop-
er distribution of the load in the trailer.
Never load the trailer with more weight in
the back than in the front; approximately
60 percent of the trailer load should be in
the front and approximately 40 percent in
the rear. Also, distribute the load as even-
ly as possible on both the left and right
sides.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to
prevent a change in weight distribution
while driving.

Trailer hitchesChoose a proper hitch for your vehicle and
trailer.
12
800270
F
60%
40%50%50%
800216
If the trailer is loaded with more
weight in the back of trailer’s axle
than in the front, the load is taken off
the rear axle of the towing vehicle.
This may cause the rear wheels to
skid, especially during braking or
when vehicle speed is reduced dur-
ing cornering, resulting in over-
steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
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10-2
Appearance care
Appearance care
Exterior care
Washing
NOTEWhen having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure be-
forehand that the car wash is of suit-
able type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the ve-
hicle at least once a month to avoid con-
tamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in direct
sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or soft
cloth. In the U.S., see your dealer or visit
www.saabcatalog.com for a full line of car
care products.

Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for deic-ing road surfaces are extremely corrosive,
accelerating the corrosion of underbody
components, such as the exhaust system,
fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor
pan and fenders, and suspension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-
sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody. Carefully flush the sus-
pension and axle parts, as they are partic-
ularly prone to mud and sand buildup. Do
not use a sharp-edged tool to remove
caked mud.
NOTEBe careful not to damage brake hoses,
sensor harnesses, and other parts
when washing suspension compo-
nents.

Using a warm water washer

Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle.

Do not wash the same area continuous-
ly.
When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes, drive
the vehicle at a safe speed while
lightly pressing the brake pedal to
heat up the brakes.

Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and area adjacent to it. If wa-
ter enters the engine air intake,
electrical parts or the power steer-
ing fluid reservoir, it will cause en-
gine trouble or faulty power
steering respectively.

Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become tan-
gled around it, damaging the wip-
er arm and other components.
Ask the automatic car-wash oper-
ator not to let the brushes touch
the wiper arm or to fix the wiper
arm on the rear window glass with
adhesive tape before operating
the machine.
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Maintenance and service
11 - 2 9
11
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Replacement of brake pad and liningThe right front disc brake and the right rear
disc brake have audible wear indicators
on the brake pads. If the brake pads wear
close to their service limit, the wear indica-
tor makes a very audible scraping noise
when the brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time
you apply the brake pedal, have the brake
pads serviced by your Saab dealer as
soon as possible.

Breaking-in of new brake
pads and liningsWhen replacing the brake pad or lining,
use only genuine Saab parts. After re-
placement, the new parts must be broken
in as follows:

Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40 mph
(50 to 65 km/h), step on the brake pedal
lightly. Repeat this five or more times.

Parking brake lining
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed of approx-
imately 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button
pushed in, pull the parking brake lever
SLOWLY and GENTLY. (Pulling with a
force of approximately 33 lbs [147 N, 15
kg].)
3. Drive the vehicle for approximately
220
yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parkingbrake to cool down. Repeat this proce-
dure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the
parking brake stroke is out of the specified
range, adjust it by turning the adjusting nut
located on the parking brake lever.
Parking brake stroke:
7 – 8 notches / 44 lbs (196 N, 20 kg)
700040
If you continue to drive despite the
scraping noise from the audible
brake pad wear indicator, it will re-
sult in the need for costly brake ro-
tor repair or replacement.
A safe location and situation should
be selected for break-in driving.
Pulling the parking brake lever too
forcefully may cause the rear
wheels to lock. To avoid this, be cer-
tain to pull the lever up slowly and
gently.
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11 - 4 2
Maintenance and service
1) Good
2) BlownIf any lights, accessories or other electri-
cal controls do not operate, inspect the
corresponding fuse. If a fuse has blown,
replace it.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”
position and turn off all electrical accesso-
ries.
2. Remove the cover.
3. Determine which fuse may be blown.
The back side of each fuse box cover and
the “Fuses and circuits” section in chapter
12 in this manual show the circuit for each
fuse.4. Pull out the fuse with the fuse puller.
5. Inspect the fuse. If it has blown, re-
place it with a spare fuse of the same rat-
ing.
6. If the same fuse blows again, this indi-
cates that its system has a problem. Con-
tact your Saab dealer for repairs.
Main fuseMain fuse boxThe main fuses are designed to melt dur-
ing an overload to prevent damage to the
wiring harness and electrical equipment.
Check the main fuses if any electrical
component fails to operate (except the
starter motor) and other fuses are good. A
melted main fuse must be replaced. Use
only replacements with the same speci-
fied rating as the melted main fuse. If a
main fuse blows after it is replaced, have
the electrical system checked by your
nearest Saab dealer.
12
B00338
600160
B00481
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