engine SAAB 9-3 2003 Manual Online

189 Car care
Bi-Xenon headlight, main and dipped beam (certain
variants only)Xenon headlights produce roughly three times as much light as
halogen bulbs and have a significantly longer service life.
The lamp units consist of a gas discharge lamp containing xenon.
When the lights are switched on a very high voltage activates the
xenon gas. The lamps soon reach full intensity.
Cars with Bi-Xenon headlights have automatic levelling. The level-
ling system comprises two sensors, one on the front suspension and
one on the rear suspension, and a control unit by the engine bay fuse
box. Headlight alignment is adjusted automatically to the car’s load
to prevent dazzling drivers in oncoming traffic.
If a fault is detected in the system, the following message will be dis-
played on the SID:
WARNING
Bi-Xenon headlights are high tension. All work on Bi-Xenon head-
lights, including changing bulbs, must be carried out by dealer
personnel.
Headlight levelling
malfunction.
Contact Saab dealer.
Contact a Saab dealer to have a Bi-Xenon
headlight changed
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199 Car care
Fuses
The fuses are housed in three fuse panels:
one behind a hatch on the left-hand end of
the fascia, one in the engine bay (additional
small unit in front of battery) and one on the
left-hand side of the trunk. There is space
for spare fuses in the hatch on the left-hand
end of the fascia.
To check if a fuse has blown, first remove it
from the panel. If the filament is broken, the
fuse has blown.
WARNING
To avoid the risk of short-circuiting and/or
fire breaking out in the electrical system,
the following should be heeded:
 Always consult an Saab dealer before
modifying or adding any electrical
equipment. Failure to do so can result
in the electrical system being
damaged.
 Never replace a fuse with one having
a higher rating than specified (see
page 201). The color of the fuse indi-
cates its amperage.
 If the same fuse blows repeatedly,
have the electrical system checked by
an Saab dealer.
 If a MAXI fuse blows, it means that
there is a major fault in the electrical
system. Have the car checked without
delay by an Saab dealer.
Sound fuse / Blown fuse
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203 Car care
Fuse panel in engine bay
Relays (located on back of fuse panel)
R 1 Electrically adjustable seats without memory
R 2 Ignition +15
R3-
R 4 Rear window heating
R5-
R6-
R 7 Trunk lid earth (ground)
R8-
R9-
R10 -
R11 -
No. Amp. Function
1--
2 10 Engine control module; automatic transmission con-
trol module
320Horn
4 10 Engine control module; battery disconnect switch
5--
6 10 Selector lever, automatic transmission
7--
8--
9--
10 - -
11 - -
12 - -
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205 Car care
Fuse panel in front of batteryNo. Amp. Function
160
MAXISecondary air injection pump (certain models)
2 20 Fuel pump; preheated oxygen sensors (lambda
probe)
310A/C compressor
430Main relay
Relays
1 Secondary air injection pump
2 A/C-compressor
3 Preheated oxygen sensors (lambda probe)
4 Main relay, engine (ECM/EVAP/injectors)
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214 Car careChanging a wheel
WARNING
 The car jack is designed solely for use
in changing a wheel or fitting snow
chains. It must not be used to
support the car during repair work
or servicing.
Never crawl under a car that is
supported only by a jack.
 Special care must be taken if the car is
on a slope - use wedge-shaped wheel
chocks!
 Position chocks, one ahead and one
behind, the wheel that is diagonally
opposite to the one to be changed.
 Switch on the hazard warning lights if
the car is on a road.
 Apply the parking brake and leave the
car in gear (1st or reverse). Automatic
transmission: move the selector lever
to the P position.
 Ensure that everybody is out of the car
before jacking it up.
 Never start the engine while the car is
jacked up.
 If possible, make sure the jack is
standing on a firm, level surface.
 The jack should be stored correctly
under the carpeting in the trunk. If it
lies loose in the car, it could thrown
forward and cause personal injury in
the event of a crash or if the car rolls
over.
 Do not use the jack on a car other than
your Saab 9-3.
 Grit, salt and rust can clog the inner
threads if the car has been driven for
several years exclusively with alloy
wheels.
If steel wheels are now fitted, the bolt
hole threads in the brake hubs should
be cleaned before the thinner steel
wheels are fitted. It may otherwise not
be possible to achieve the correct
clamping force, despite tightening the
wheel bolts to the correct torque.
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218 Car careCleaning and caring for leather
upholsteryThe principal reason for treating leather
upholstery is to maintain its elegant appear-
ance and to provide it with a protective film.
Discolouration caused by dust and wear
mainly affects the lighter shades, although
this is not detrimental to the leather, indeed,
the patina resulting from use is often consid-
ered desirable in leather. But if the leather is
allowed to become too grubby, it can start to
look shabby.
The leather upholstery should be cleaned
and reconditioned twice a year in conjunc-
tion with spring and autumn inspections. In
very warm, dry climates the leather may
need more regular reconditioning. Recom-
mended conditioner – Saab Leather Care
Lotion.
Do not use unknown harsh polishing
agents, cleaning agents, sprays, coarse
soap or hot water.
Textile carpetingTextile carpeting should be vacuum
cleaned regularly. Carpeting can also be
cleaned using a brush or sponge and carpet
shampoo.
For safety reasons, vacuum cleaners that
are not earthed (grounded) must not be
used out of doors.Engine bayThe engine bay should be cleaned with an
engine degreasant and rinsed with hot
water. The headlights must be covered
over. Do not use a pressure washer.
Do not use petrol as a cleaning agent or sol-
vent when carrying out repairs or mainte-
nance. Saab recommends the use of envi-
ronmentally-friendly degreasants.
WashingThe bodywork must be washed frequently.
When the car is new, the body should be
washed by hand using plain cold water and
a clean, soft brush through which the water
flows. Automatic carwashes should be
avoided when the car is new.
After 5–6 months the paintwork will have
hardened. To facilitate cleaning, a suitable
detergent can be added to the water, which
should be lukewarm.
Remove any bird droppings without delay,
as these can discolour the paintwork and
prove difficult to polish out. Lay a wad of wet
paper on the patch of dirt and leave it for a
minute or so. It will then be easy to wash off
the dirt.
Use a soft cloth moistened with white spirit
to remove splashes of tar or asphalt. Do not
use strong cleaners, as these can dry out
the paintwork.
The underside of the car also needs wash-
ing regularly, and this should be done extra NOTICEDo not use alcohol-based cleaners on the
plastic lenses of the front or rear lights, as
these can cause a crackling effect on the
lenses.
The door mirrors should be folded in
before the car enters an automatic car
wash.
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225 Car care
Maintenance The compressor drive belt should be
inspected under the regular service
program.
 Clean away dirt and insects from the
condenser and radiator to prevent clog-
ging. When washing the car, use the hose
to spray the radiator and condenser
(located in front of the radiator) from both
sides (both from the front of the car and
from inside the engine bay). Do not use a
pressure washer.
Caution: Do not hose down the radia-
tor and condenser while the engine is
hot.Other than in extremely cold weather, do not
screen the radiator, e.g. with netting, as this
will greatly diminish its cooling capacity.
 Applicable to the manual climate control
system - During cold months the air condi-
tioning should be switched on once or
twice a month and run for 5–10 minutes
during highway driving once the engine is
warm.
This action saves the gaskets in the
compressor from being spoiled. The
compressor uses a lubricant that circu-
lates with the coolant.
Note:
The A/C system cannot be switched on
when the outside temperature is below 32°F
(0°C). Turn on the A/C system when the car
is standing in a warm place. Simplest is to
always have the A/C button pressed in. The
A/C system will then cut in automatically
when the outside temperature is high
enough.NOTICEDo not use a pressure washer when
cleaning the condenser or radiator due to
the risk of damage.
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226 Car careHeadlight aimingThe vehicle has a visual optical headlight
aiming system equipped with vertical
aiming device. The aim has been preset at
the factory and should normally not need
further adjustments.
If your headlights are damaged in a crash,
the headlight aim may be affected. If you
believe your headlights need to be re-
aimed, we recommend that you take it to
your Saab dealer for service. However, it is
possible for you to re-aim your headlights as
described in the following procedure.To check the aim, the vehicle should be
properly prepared as follows:
 The vehicle shall be placed so that the
headlights are 25 ft (7.6 m) from a light
colored wall or other flat surface. The
aiming area should be darkened, this will
improve your ability to see the beam of the
low beam headlight being aimed.
An optical headlamp aimer can also be
used and will than replace the wall.
 The vehicle must have all four wheels on
a perfectly level surface which is level all
the way to the wall or other flat surface.
 The vehicle should be placed so it is per-
pendicular to the wall or other flat surface.
 The vehicle should be unloaded and fuel
tank full, and one person or 160 lbs.
(75 kg) on the drivers seat.  The vehicle should be fully assembled
and all other work stopped while headlight
aiming is being done.
 The vehicle should not have any snow, ice
or mud attached to it.
 Tires should be inflated to the prescribed
pressure.
 Close all doors.
 Rock the vehicle to stabilize the suspen-
sion.
Headlight aiming is done with the vehicle
low beam lamps. The high beam lamps will
be correctly aimed if the low beam lamps
are aimed properly.
WARNING
Before checking/adjusting the headlight
aiming, switch off the engine to avoid
danger of fingers and hands being injured
by moving parts.
The radiator fan can start up even when
the engine is switched off.NOTICETo make sure that your headlights are
aimed properly read all instructions
before beginning. Failure to follow these
instructions could cause damage to
headlight parts or a not correctly aimed
headlight.
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228 Car care5Cars with Bi-Xenon lights:
Bi-Xenon lights with automatic headlight
levelling system must first do a refer-
ence run before aiming: Start the engine
and let the headlights do a reference
run. Turn off the engine but leave the low
beam on.
Cars with halogen lights:
Turn on the low beam headlights.
Both variants:
Place a piece of cardboard or equivalent
(although not directly on the lens) in front
of the headlight not being aimed. This
should allow the beam cut-off of the
headlight being aimed to be seen on the
flat surface.6 Turn the two vertical aiming screws
simultaneously in the same direction
indicated on the headllight until the hori-
zontal cut-off of the headlight is aligned
with the horizontal line on the wall.
7 If an optical headlight aimer device is
used follow point 1 and 2 and center the
lens of the optical headlight aimer
device at the intersection of the two markers on the headlight lens.
Then follow the instructions in the optical
headlight aimer instruction manual and
point 1, 2, 5, and 6 in this instruction.
NOTICEDo not cover a headlight directly on the
lens to improve beam cut-off when aim-
ing. Covering a headlight may cause
excessive heat build-up that may cause
damage to the headlight.Correctly adjusted low beam Horizontal line on wall or other flat surface
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230 Maintenance and owner assistanceMaintenance scheduleThe Maintenance Schedule prescribes a
service program to the purchaser/operator
of a Saab that is reasonable and necessary
to ensure the proper emission control sys-
tems function, safety and reliability of the
Saab automobile in normal use. Additional
maintenance is recommended for specific
components when the car is operated under
certain severe conditions. Proper mainte-
nance is always a good practice!
Authorized Saab dealers are equipped and
trained to meet your Saab’s service needs.
They regularly receive up-to-date Saab ser-
vice manuals and parts and technical ser-
vice bulletins from Saab and are able,
through their franchise agreement, to attend
Saab service schools, obtain Saab special
tools and technical assistance and pur-
chase original equipment service and
replacement parts.
Today’s complex automobiles should only
be entrusted to the most knowledgeable
service professionals. A Saab dealer is your
best choice.
SERVICE INTERVALSThe maintenance schedule begins with an
Inspection Service at 30 days. A time for
service message will illuminate on the Saab
Instrument Display (SID) when the car is
due for regular maintenance. There are twi
different messages that will appear:
TIME FOR INTERMEDIATE SERVICE
indicates that an oil/filter change is required
along with several inspections. This mes-
sage is set by the engine management
system which calculates service intervals
based on several factors including driving
habits, ambient temperature, number of
cold starts, mileage driven and elapsed time
since the last service. Based on this algo-
rithm, this message may appear at mileage
as low a 8,000 or as high as 15,000 miles.
If mileage accumulation does not occur, the
message will be set, and maintenance
required at a maximum of 2 years.
TIME FOR MAJOR SERVICE will be set
when additional maintenance is necessary,
such as air filter or spark plug replacement.
This message will appear at 30,000 mile
intervals. When either message is dis-
played, contact your Saab Dealer for a ser-
vice appointment.
Failure to perform scheduled maintenance
in a timely manner may result in serious
damage to key components or systems.
.NOTICEThe Check-up will be done by your Saab
dealer at no charge and should be done
as close as possible to the scheduled 30
days.
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