warning SAAB 9-3 2001 Owners Manual

2IntroductionThis manual provides practical guidance on
driving and caring for your Saab.
The Saab 9-3 is available with a 2.0l
turbo-engine, 185 hp or 205 hp or a 2.3l
turbo-engine, 230 hp.
Although the manual describes the most
important differences between model vari-
ants, it does not include precise specifica-
tions of the different variants. Some differ-
ences also occur to meet special legal
requirements in different countries.
Importation and distribution of Saab auto-
mobiles, spare parts and accessories are
handled exclusively by General Motors of
Canada Limited in Canada and by Saab
Cars USA, Inc. in the U.S.A.
We recommend that you read through the
manual before taking the car out for the first time and that you keep it in the car for future
reference.
To find a specific item, use the overviews
given on pages 3-6. A list of contents is
given at the beginning of each section of the
manual, and there is also a comprehensive
index at the back of the book.
Supplied with the car is a Warranties and
Service Record booklet and a tire warranty
folder which specifies the regular mainte-
nance to be carried out. The book also con-
tains important warranty conditions: Since the policy at Saab is one of continual
improvement, we retain the right to incorpo-
rate modifications and to alter specifications
during production without prior notice.
If you have any queries concerning your car,
its equipment, the warranty conditions or
the like, your Saab dealer will be pleased to
help.
Best wishes,
Saab Automobile AB
Saab Automobile AB does not accept liability for
any damage caused by the fitting of spare parts,
exchange parts or accessories that are not
approved by Saab Automobile AB.
The specifications, design particulars and illus-
trations included in the manual are not binding.
WARNING
WARNING texts warn against the danger
of injury if the specified instructions are
not followed.
NOTENOTE texts warn of potential damage to
the car if the recommendations are not
followed.
IB730
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3
Instrument panel High/low beam ________________ 75
Parking lights __________________ 75
Daytime running lights ___________ 75
Changing bulbs _______________ 206High/low beam control stalk 75
Direction indicators _______ 76
Cruise Control __________ 169Rear fog light ___________ 77
Front fog lights ___________ 77Instrument lighting ________ 78
Warning and indicator lights _____ 60
Tachometer __________________ 66
Speedometer _________________ 66
Odometer and trip meter ________ 66
Gauge showing turbo pressure ___ 67
Fuel gauge __________________ 68
Temperature gauge ____________ 67
IB731
Ashtrays ___________________ 141
Cigarette lighter ______________ 141
Tr i p c o m p u t e r
(Saab Information Display, SID) __ 69
Night panel __________________ 73
Clock _______________________ 74
Washers and wipers ______ 78
Rear-window wiper _______ 79
Replacing wiper blades __ 204Audio system____________ 94
Cassette player _________ 100
CD player _____________ 103Hazard warning lights _____ 76Climate control system:
manual _______________ 80
Climate control system:
automatic _____________ 84
Car care ______________ 191Seat heating controls ____ 135
Steering-wheel-mounted
controls, Audio System __ 109
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6Engine bayWarning labels ___________ 7
V.I.N. number __________ 253
Engine number _________ 253
Gearbox number ________ 253
Color coding ___________ 253Ignition system _________ 250
Drive belt ______________ 203
Alternator _____________ 203
Spark plugs ____________ 250
Catalytic converter ______ 156
Simple fault tracing
(A/C, ACC) ____________ 232Turbo-compressor ________ 67
Pressure gauge __________ 67
Important considerations
for driving _____________ 154
Technical data: engine ___ 247Manual transmission __________ 197
Automatic transmission ________ 197
Transmission oil ______________ 197
Gearbox: technical data ________ 250
Battery _____________________ 201
Battery charge _______________ 201
Jump starting ________________ 187IB1624
Engine: description ____________ 194
Engine oil, level control
and topping up _______________ 196
Engine oil: changing ___________ 196
Oil grade_____________________ 247
Washer fluid ___________ 205
Topping up with fluid _____ 205
Washer jets ___________ 205
Wiper/washer control stalk _ 78
Steering servo _______________ 201
Fluid checking
and topping up ______________ 201
Coolant, checking
and topping up ________ 198
Coolant, changing ______ 199
Temperature gauge ______ 67
Driving in hot weather ____ 179
Driving in cold weather ___ 177Fuse panels ___________ 212
Changing a fuse ________ 212
Table of fuses __________ 214
Relays _______________ 216
Brake system ________________ 251
Brake fluid __________________ 200
Brake pads __________________ 200
ABS brakes _________________ 170
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7
WL4
Coolant: Never open while engine is hot.
Escaping coolant under pressure can cause
serious injuries.
WL3
Drive belt: Danger! Moving belt
WL2
Radiator fan: The radiator fan can cut in even
after engine has been switched off.
Battery: Contains corrosive sulphuric acid (40%)
 FLAMMABLE GASES formed when car is running and during charging of battery
 Always wear eye and face protection when working on the battery
 Smoking, open flames and sparks can all cause battery to explode
 Consult the manual before using jumper cables.
 Battery acid can cause SERIOUS BURNS
 Keep battery upright
 Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing
 In the event of an accident, flush affected area promptly with water and seek medical help.
KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
Warning labels
WL1
A/C system: Refrigerant at high pressure.
Do not undo or remove any connections in the A/C system
until the system has been emptied. Working the wrong way
may result in injury. Work on the A/C system must be left
to qualified personnel only. For working instructions, see
the Workshop Handbook.
The A/C system complies with SAE J639.
Refrigerant: 770 g of R134a.
Compressor oil: 150 cc PAG Oil SP-10, or
SAAB oil 4759106 SP-10.
WL36
 AVOID SPARKS, AVOID OPEN FLAMES, NO SMOKING
 KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
 SEE MANUAL
 PROTECT YOUR EYES
 FLAMMABLE GAS
 ACID
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8
Long loads Always SECURE LOAD to prevent it from shift-
ing during transport.
An unsecured load could cause passenger
injuries in braking situations or in the event of a
collision.
Cover sharp edges with a protective wrap.
 Max. weight 30 lbs. (15 kg).
 Max. length 6 ft. (2 metres).
See your Owner’s Manual before securing
loads. IB989
Belt beam Warning for pinch risk due to
movable parts when beam is in
unlocked position.
WARNING
WL9
Wheel changing: Intended for the Saab 9-5 and 9-3. Use the jack
only on firm, level ground. Use blocks. Max. jack
load: 2200 lbs. (1000 kg). For further information,
see the manual.
IB994
AIR BAG
WARNING
Flip visor over
50 10 111
WARNING
DEATH or SERIOUS INJURY can occur.
 Children 12 and under can be killed by the air bag.
 The BACK SEAT is the SAFEST place for children.
 NEVER put a rear-facing child seat in the front.
 Sit as far back as possible from the air bag.
 ALWAYS use SEAT BELT and CHILD RESTRAINTS
IB1195
USA CANADA
USACANADA
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12 SafetySafety belts Three-point inertia-reel safety belts are pro-
vided for all seats. Research has established that it is danger-
ous for rear-seat passengers not to wear
their safety belts.
Safety-belt reminder When the ignition is switched on, the ”fasten
belts” reminder will light up for 6 seconds or
until the driver and any passengers are
wearing their belts. An audible alarm will
also sound for six seconds or until the driver
has fastened his belt.
WARNING
Safety belts must be worn at all times by
all car occupants. Child safety, see page
19.
Check that the tongue of the belt lock
engages properly.
To reduce the risk of head injuries in the
event of a collision, the roof pillars and
side edges of the headlining incorporate
cushioning material (Convertible: wind-
screen pillars and upper part of wind-
screen rail). These areas must not be
modified in any way. Work on these areas
must only be carried out at an authorized
Saab dealer.
WARNING
In the event of an accident, the rear-seat
passengers can be thrown forward
against the front-seat backrests, impos-
ing much higher stresses on the
front-seat passengers and belts and
resulting in needless injury to everyone in
the car.
WARNING
For safety reasons, you should adjust
safety belts only while the car is station-
ary.
FASTEN BELTS
IB1302
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13 Safety
Safety-belt pretensionersThe belts of the front seats are fitted with
automatic pretensioners, which are acti-
vated in the event of a severe frontal colli-
sion or very violent rear-end collision. They
serve to reduce the forward movement of
the body by tensioning the belt.
The belt pretensioners do not activate in
less violent frontal or rear-end collisions.
Correct position for safety belt  The lap part of the belt should be pulled
as tightly as comfortable and as low as
possible across the hips, so that it is just
touching the top of the thighs. The shoul-
der belt should be well in on the shoulder
but not touching the neck.
 Check to ensure that the belt is not twisted
or rubbing against any sharp edges.
 There should not be any slack in the belt.
Pull the belt tight – particularly important
when thick outer clothing is worn. Refrain from tilting the backrest more than
necessary, as the safety belt provides
better protection when the seat is in the
more upright position.
 Only one person per safety belt!
 For most of the time a safety belt is worn,
the retractor will allow the wearer freedom
of movement. The retractor locks up auto-
matically if the belt is jerked or withdrawn
sharply, the car tilts, the brakes are
applied hard or a collision occurs.
WARNING
If the car is involved in a collision, the
safety belts, belt pretensioners and other
components must be inspected by an
authorized Saab dealer and replaced as
necessary.
Never make any alterations or repairs to
the safety belt yourself but visit an author-
ized Saab dealer.
WARNING
Proper positioning of the safety belt is
extremely important. An out of position
safety belt can result in the wearer sliding
underneath the belt in a collision (subma-
rining) and injury can result from the lap
portion cutting into the abdomen.
WARNING
If two people share a belt, they risk injury
by being crushed together in the event of
an accident.
IB816
Sit correctly before putting the belt on
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14 Safety Children who have grown out of a child
seat should be restrained by the car’s
standard three-point belts. Make sure that
the shoulder belt is not in contact with the
neck or throat. If it is, a booster seat/cush-
ion may be necessary.
Front seat belts Fasten the belt by pulling the belt and insert-
ing the tongue in the buckle. Check that it is
securely fastened.
Because the lower belt-anchorage points
are on the seat (9-3 5-door), the belt buckle
follows the movement of the seat during
seat adjustment. In the 9-3 Coupé and
9-3 Convertible, the lower outer anchorage
point is in the rear of the sill, which makes it
all the more important that the lap strap is
not slack during use.
Grasp the shoulder belt close to the buckle
and pull the belt towards the shoulder to
tighten the lap belt part.
The belt must be as far in on the shoulder as
possible.To release the belt, press the red button on
the belt buckle, as illustrated.
See page 224 for the checking of belt func-
tion, cleaning etc.
WARNING
Never fasten the safety belt with the
shoulder belt behind the body or pull the
belt off the shoulder and under the arm.
IB1304
To fasten the belt
IB1305
Press the red button to release the belt.
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16 SafetySafety belts, rear seat Three-point safety belts are provided for all
three rear-seat passengers (2 for Convert-
ible model).
Fasten the belts by pulling the belt across
you and inserting the tongue into the buckle.
Check that it is securely fastened.
Grasp the shoulder belt close to the buckle
and pull the belt towards the shoulder to
tighten the lap belt part.
The belt must be as far in on the shoulder as
possible.
Press the red button on the belt buckle to
release the belt.
See page 148 for securing of load.
See page 224 for the checking of belt func-
tion, cleaning etc.
WARNING
 Make sure that the belt does not
become trapped when the backrest is
folded down or raised (see page 144).
 If you must carry an item of luggage on
a seat, ensure that it is held securely
by the safety belt. This will reduce the
risk of injury by flying objects in the
event of an accident.
 Protect the belt from sharp edges.
IB960
Safety belts, rear seat (the central head restraint is an accessory)
IB821
Securing a load on the rear seat
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17 Safety
WARNING
Safety belts are designed to bear upon
the bony structure of the body, and should
be worn low across the front of the pelvis
or the pelvis, chest and shoulders, as
applicable; wearing the lap section of the
belt across the abdominal area must be
avoided.
Safety belts should be adjusted as firmly
as possible, consistent with comfort, to
provide the protection for which they have
been designed. A loose belt will greatly
reduce the protection afforded to the
wearer.
Care should be taken to avoid contamina-
tion of the webbing with polishes, oils and
chemicals, and particularly battery acid.
Cleaning may safely be carried out using
mild soap and water. The belt should be
replaced if webbing becomes frayed,
contaminated or damaged.
It is essential to replace the entire assem-
bly after it has been worn in a severe
impact even if damage to the assembly is
not obvious.
Belts should not be worn with straps
twisted.
Each belt assembly must only be used by
one occupant; it is dangerous to put a belt
around a child being carried on the occu-
pant´s lap.
WARNING
No modifications or additions should be
made by the user which will either prevent
the safety belt adjusting device from oper-
ating to remove slack, or prevent the
safety belt assembly from being adjusted
to remove slack.
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