check engine SAAB 9-3 2000 User Guide

60 Instruments and controlsTemperature gaugeThe 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 enters the red zone, the
warning light will come on and an alarm
chime will sound. 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.
Check fuse 3 (radiator fan) in the fuse panel
under the hood, see page 191.
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 pressure gauge indicates the pressure
in the induction manifold. Under low load
and while the engine is braking there will be
vacuum in the induction manifold.The
needle of the pressure gauge will then move
within the white zone. At higher engine
speeds and higher loads, the turbo-com-
pressor produces an overpressure in the
induction manifold. The needle will then
enter the orange zone. Normally the needle
should not enter the red zone, since a mon-
itoring system sets limits to the charging
pressure and protects the engine.
NOTEIf the needle, despite the above action,
enters the red zone, stop the car immedi-
ately.
If the needle stays in the red zone, stop
the engine.
WARNING
Never open the coolant expansion tank
cap when the engine is hot. It contains hot
coolant under pressure. Failure to heed
this warning may result in personal injury.
IB343
IB344
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61 Instruments and controls
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.
Fuel gaugeThe fuel-tank capacity is 17.0 gal. (64 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 56).
Use the Saab Information display (SID) to
check the approximate distance that can be
travelled on the remaining fuel
(see page 62).
Refueling; see page 138.
Gear selector indication
(cars with automatic transmission)An indicator showing which gear is selected
is situated in the main instrument panel.
IB345
IB1280
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63 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 CHECK messages may be
displayed:
1 This message cannot be removed by pressing
CLEAR. Press the brake pedal to clear.
2 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).
If you have carried out the service yourself,
you can clear the message by pressing
CLEAR once. Reset by pressing CLEAR for
at least eight seconds, until ”SERVICE”
appears on the display and a chime sounds.
Night Panel To 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 will be
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.
The following conditions will wake up the
respective displays in the Night-Panel
mode:
 Adjusting of the Audio System, SID or
ACC (display comes on for ten seconds).
 CHECK message generated in the SID.
 High engine revs cause the rev counter to
be illuminated until the engine speed has
fallen again.
 If the quantity of fuel remaining falls below
4 gallons (15 liters), the fuel gauge will be
illuminated.
 If the engine temperature rises above nor-
mal, the temperature gauge will be illumi-
nated. Display shows: See
page
TEST BRAKE LIGHTS
1)
183
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 183
FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 181
REAR LIGHT FAILURE 183
FOG LIGHT FAILURE 183
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 180
FILL COOLANT FLUID 174
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 138
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 39
REPLACE KEY BATTERY 39
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 39
TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT-
ING 144
TIME FOR SERVICE
2)
212
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68 Instruments and controlsResetting values
To reset the values, press CLR for at least
four seconds.
The following functions will be reset
simultaneously:
 Estimated range on remaining fuel
(function based on a fuel consumption of
28 mpg)
 Average fuel consumption
 Average speed
 Arrival time (function based on current
speed)
Programmed values for DIST, ALARM and
SPD W will not be reset (see the respective
function).
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 CLR 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 CHECK messages may be
displayed:
1 This message cannot be removed by pressing
CLR. Press the brake pedal to clear.
2 This message will be displayed approximately
600 miles (1,000 km) before the next sched-
uled 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).
If you have carried out the service yourself, you
can clear the message by pressing CLR once.
Reset by pressing CLR for at least eight sec-
onds, until ”SERVICE” appears on the display
and a chime sounds. Display shows: See
page
TEST BRAKE LIGHTS
1)
183
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 183
FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 181
REAR LIGHT FAILURE 183
FOG LIGHT FAILURE 184
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 180
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 138
FILL COOLANT FLUID 174
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 39
REPLACE KEY BATTERY 39
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 39
TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT-
ING 144
TIME FOR SERVICE
2)
212
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69 Instruments and controls
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 will be
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. The following conditions will wake up the
respective displays in the Night-Panel
mode:
 Setting of the Audio System, SID or ACC
(display comes on for ten seconds).
 CHECK message generated in the SID.
 High engine revs cause the rev counter to
be illuminated until the engine speed has
fallen again.
 If the quantity of fuel remaining falls below
4 gallons (15 liters), the fuel gauge will be
illuminated.
 If the engine temperature rises above nor-
mal, the temperature gauge will be illumi-
nated.
 If the speed of the car exceeds 84 mph
(135 km/h), the entire speedometer will
be illuminated.
 In cars with automatic transmission, if the
selector lever is moved from D to position
3, 2 or 1, the selector indication on the
main instrument panel will be illuminated.
To restore the displays and lighting to the
normal mode, press the Night-Panel button.
Units and language versions The SID has four sets of units:
CHECK messages can be displayed in six
language options: English, Swedish,
German, French, Italian and Spanish. METRIC IMP. 1 IMP. 2 US
km miles miles miles
km/h mph mph mph
litres gallons gallons US
gallons
°C °F °C °F
24 hours 12 hours 12 hours 12 hours
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134 Starting and drivingIgnition switchThe single lock used for both the ignition
and gear/selector lever is in the center con-
sole located between the front seats. Before
you can remove the key, the car must be in
reverse gear (manual gearbox cars) or the
Parking (P) position (cars with automatic
transmission).
The key for this lock also fits all other locks
in the car. The key number is on a small
plastic tag delivered together with the keys.
Be sure to save this plastic tab since it has
the key number on it.
IB862
LOCK position
Put the gear lever in reverse and turn the ignition key to the LOCK posi-
tion.
For cars with automatic transmission, select the Parking (P) position
and turn the ignition key to the LOCK position.
The gear lever is now locked. The key can only be removed when the
gear lever is in this position.
The parking lights, the hazard warning lights and the interior lighting can
still be illuminated.
OFF position
Gear lever is not locked (manual transmission).
Automatic transmission: gear lever is locked until brake pedal is
depressed.
ON position
The entire electrical system is operative. Do not leave the key in the
ON position while the engine is not running. Turn the key to the
LOCK position to disconnect the electrical system.
When you turn the key to the ON position, the warnings and indicators
in the main instrument light so that you can check to see that they are
functioning properly. They are extinguished after approx. 3 seconds.
Start position (ST)
The starter motor operates in this position. When you release the key,
it springs back to the ON position. Restarting the starter motor is pre-
vented. If starting is unsuccessful, you must turn the key back to a posi-
tion between OFF and LOCK before you can turn it to the start (ST)
position again.
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137 Starting and driving
Saab 9-3 Viggen: The Saab 9-3 Viggen has
a high-performance engine which means
that a certain amount of care should be
exercised, in particular when accelerating in
the lower gears. This is especially important
when the road surface is slippery to avoid
the driving wheels losing their grip
Important considerations with cata-
lytic convertersThe catalytic converter is an emission-con-
trol device incorporated in the car’s exhaust
system. It consists of a metal canister with a
honeycomb insert, the cells of which have
walls coated in a catalytic layer (mixture of
precious metals).
To ensure that the catalytic converter con-
tinues to function properly, and also to avoid
damage to the converter and its associated
components, the following points must be
observed:
 Have the car serviced regularly in accor-
dance with the service program. The fuel
and ignition systems are particularly
important in this context.
 Always be alert to any misfiring of the
engine (not running on all cylinders) and
any loss of power or performance. At the
first sign of a malfunction, reduce speed
and take the car to an authorized Saab
dealer as soon as possible.
 If the engine fails to start (in very cold
weather or if the battery is dead), the car
can be push started (manual gearbox
only) or started using jumper cables to a
donor battery. However, as soon as you have started the engine, it is important
that it runs on all cylinders. If it is misfiring,
allow it to idle for up to five minutes to give
it time to settle and run smoothly. If, after
this time, the engine still fails to run prop-
erly, turn off the engine and get in touch
with an authorized Saab dealer for advice.
 Never park the car on dry grass or other
combustible material. The catalytic con-
verter gets very hot and could therefore
start a fire.
 Never drive off if the engine is misfiring.
 If you jump start the car when the engine
is already up to normal temperature, the
engine must start to run on all cylinders.
NOTEIf constant knocking occurs every time a
load is put on the engine, this indicates a
malfunction in the system.
Have the car checked without delay by an
authorized Saab dealer. NOTEIf the engine is being run with the car on a
rolling road or dynamometer, longer than
for a standard state emission inspection,
to ensure adequate cooling, air must be
blown into the engine compartment and
under the car at a rate equivalent to the
ram-air effect that would be obtained at
the corresponding road speed.
NOTEUse only unleaded gasoline. Leaded gas-
oline is detrimental to the catalyst and
oxygen sensor and will seriously impair
the function of the catalytic converter.
IB1315
Engine-management system with catalytic
converter 1 Engine control module
2 Oxygen sensor (lambda probe)
3 Catalytic converter
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140 Starting and drivingommended blend percentages and service
station operators should know if their gaso-
lines contain detergents and oxygenates,
and have been reformulated to reduce vehi-
cle emissions. Nevertheless, if you begin to
notice a problem with the way your car starts
or runs shortly after it has been refueled, try
a different brand of gasoline.
Engine Break-in PeriodPistons, cylinder bores and bearings need
time to obtain uniform, wear-resistant sur-
faces.
If a new engine is driven too hard, this grad-
ual process of bedding-in will not be possi-
ble and the life of the engine will be short-
ened.
During the first 1,200 miles (2,000 km), do
not exceed 5,000 rpm.
In addition, refrain from driving the car at full
throttle, other than for brief instances,
during the first 1,800 miles (3,000 km).Wearing in new brake padsNew brake pads take time to bed in, about
90 miles (150 km) if the car is driven largely
under stop-and-go conditions or about
300 miles (500 km) of highway driving.
To extend the useful life of the pads, avoid
hard braking as much as possible.Wear indicatorsThe outer brake pads on the front wheels
have acoustic wear indicators, When 3 mm
remain on the pads, a scraping or shrieking
noise is heard on braking. When this occurs,
the pads should be changed as soon as
possible.
Changing brake pads should only be
carried out by an authorized Saab dealer.
NOTEHigher concentrations of methanol than
listed above, or the use of methanol-
blended gasoline without suitable
co-solvents and corrosion inhibitors,
can damage your car’s fuel system,
leading to the need for repairs which are
not covered by Saab’s product warranty.
NOTEThe engine control module (ECM) mon-
itoring the engine parameters also
stores fault codes.
Under certain circumstances, this may
cause constant illumination of the
Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)
lamp , thus indicating a fault that
must be checked by your Saab dealer,
see page 57.
NOTE: always observe the following two
measures:
 Make sure that the fuel filler cap is
screwed on correctly before the
engine is started. Screw on the fuel
filler cap until you hear three distinct
clicks.
 Avoid driving with the fuel low level
indicator illuminated. The symbol
illuminates when less than approxi-
mately 2.5 gallons (10 litres) of fuel
remains in the tank.
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143 Starting and driving
provide better grip, and the WINTER indica-
tor appears on the main instrument panel.
When the ignition is turned to OFF, the auto-
matic transmission will automatically revert
to Normal mode (see page 147).
Adaptive gear change pattern is a func-
tion of the Normal and Sport modes. It
allows gear changing to be suited to the pre-
vailing driving conditions. The transmission
control module senses the engine load and
temperature of the transmission and selects
one of the four available gear change pat-
terns. Unnecessary gear changes and
undesired temperature increases in the
transmission are avoided.
The automatic transmission has a special
shift pattern during the first minute after a
cold engine is started so that the catalytic
converter will reach its correct working tem-
perature more rapidlyLock-up functionThe automatic transmission has a lock-up
function, which renders the torque con-
verter inoperative in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears.
The result is reduction in the engine speed
and, hence, fuel consumption.
When the lock-up function comes into oper-
ation, it may give the impression of an over-
drive being engaged.
Shift Lock override1 Apply the parking brake.
2 Make sure the key is in the ON position.
3 Use a small tool such as a screwdriver
and push the lever downwards so that
the detent button can be pressed
approx. 10 mm.
4 Move the selector out of position P to N.
5 Remove the tool.
6 Release the parking brake if the car is to
be moved immediately; otherwise keep
it applied.Check fuse No. 1 (see page 189). If the fuse
is OK, check the battery voltage.
If the problem was cured by changing the
fuse or battery, you do not have to contact a
Saab dealer.
If the fuse blows again as soon as the Shift
Lock feature is activated you should contact
your Saab dealer.NOTEDue to electrical problems it may not be
possible to move the selector out of the
park position, even if the ignition is ON. If
for some reason the selector has to be
moved out of the park position (i.e. to tow
the car a short distance) do as described
below.
IB947
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144 Starting and driving
Automatic transmission
fault indicator
If the symbol appears on the main instru-
ment panel, the system has detected a fault
in the automatic transmission or its control
module (see page 58).
This also means that the Limp-home mode
has been selected, to guard against further
damage being done to the transmission. In
this mode, the automatic transmission
starts in 4th gear, and gear changes (if nec-
essary) will have to be made manually.
It is not possible to select the SPORT or
WINTER mode when the Limp-home mode
is active.
You should have the automatic transmis-
sion checked as soon as possible by an
authorized Saab dealer.
The following gears will be engaged in the
respective selector positions when the auto-
matic transmission is in the Limp-home
mode:
Overheated transmission oilIf the transmission oil becomes overheated
while driving, the following message
appears on the SID: TRANSMISSION
OVERHEATING. In this event, stop the car
in a suitable place, switch off the engine,
open the hood and wait until the message
goes out. When driving subsequent to the
transmission oil overheating, select a
locked gear position in which the engine
speed is about 3,000 rpm.
The transmission oil can become very hot
when the car is driven with a heavy load; for
example, driving with a trailer on hilly roads
when the wrong gear has been selected,
resulting in many extra gear changes.
Select one of the positions 1, 2 or 3. A high
outside temperature or a defective oil cooler
can also cause the oil temperature to
increase. Contact an authorized Saab work-
shop, see also page 156.
Driving in hilly country with a heavy
loadOverheating of the automatic-transmission
fluid can occur when the car is towing a
heavy load, such as a trailer in hilly country,
with the wrong gear selected, resulting in
abnormally frequent gear changing. Try
selecting position 1, 2 or 3. High ambient
temperatures can also increase the temper-
ature of the transmission fluid or the oil
cooler may be faulty. As the transmission
fluid temperature increases, its useful ser-
vice life is reduced. Contact an authorized
Saab dealer (see also page 156).TowingTowing a car with automatic transmission,
see page 162. Position R D 3 2 1
Gear Reverse 4th 4th 3rd 3rd
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, move the
selector lever to position 2.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position 1, 2, or 3) to spare the brakes
when you are driving on a long or steep
downhill slope. Select the same gear as
you would on the corresponding uphill
slope.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
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