transmission SAAB 9-3 2004 User Guide

142 Starting and drivingSteering wheel lockThe steering wheel lock is electronic. The
lock engages when the remote control is
removed from the ignition and unlocks when
the remote control is inserted. A click can be
heard when the steering wheel lock locks
and unlocks.
If the car is parked with one front wheel
touching the curb, for example, you may
need to turn the steering wheel slightly
when you insert the remote control to allow
the steering wheel lock to unlock. If you do
not succeed on first attempt you must
remove the remote control before trying
again. Turn the steering wheel and insert
the remote control into the ignition switch.
If the steering wheel lock does not disen-
gage it will not be possible to turn the remote
control in the ignition switch.
The following message is shown on the SID:If a fault arises affecting the steering wheel
lock, the following message will be
displayed on the SID:
If the steering wheel lock malfunctions while
the remote control is in the ignition switch,
this may prevent the removal of the remote
control or prevent the car from being
restarted once the engine has been
switched off.
If you have to leave the car, lock the car by
pressing down the lock buttons on the
doors. Lock the front left door from outside
with the traditional key (see page 42). The
car is now locked but the alarm is inactive.
Starting the engine
Steering wheel locked.
Pull out key, turn steering
wheel. Try again.
Steering lock malfunc.
Make a safe stop.
Contact Saab dealer.
WARNING
 When starting the engine:
- Sit down in the driver’s seat.
- Depress the clutch pedal fully. If the
gear lever is not in the neutral position,
the clutch pedal must be fully
depressed or the car will jump
forwards or backwards, which may
cause a crash.
- Never start the car from outside the
vehicle, e.g. through a window that is
down. This could lead to serious
personal injury.
 Cars with automatic transmission:
select position P to remove the ignition
key. The key can only be removed in
this gear position.
 Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless,
odorless, poisonous gas. Be alert to
the danger of CO – always open the
garage doors before starting the
engine in the garage.
 Do not rest or sleep in the car when
parked with the engine running. There
is a risk of depressing the accelerator
which could lead to engine damage.
 There is also a danger of CO poison-
ing if the exhaust system is leaking.
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143 Starting and driving
Starting the engineAvoid racing the engine or loading it heavily
before it has warmed up. Do not drive away
before the warning and indicator lights have
gone out.
The engine has an automatic choke and
should be started as follows:
Cars with manual transmission
To start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.
1 Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2 Depress the clutch pedal but do not
touch the accelerator.
3 Start the engine. Let the remote control
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.Cars with automatic transmission
The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
1 The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
2 Keep your foot on the brake pedal.
Note! Once the engine has started, the
brake pedal will sink. This is perfectly
normal.
3 Start the engine. Let the remote control
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.
Useful tips on starting the engineIf the engine has failed to start after several
attempts in very cold weather, proceed as
follows:
1 Turn the ignition switch to ON (it is
essential that you turn the ignition to
ON before depressing the accelerator).
2 Press the accelerator to the floor and run
the starter motor for 5-10 seconds. This
will prevent the engine being flooded
(fully depressed accelerator cuts off the
fuel supply).
3 Now start the engine in the normal way
- do not touch the accelerator.
If the engine stalls immediately after starting
(e.g. if the clutch was released too quickly),
do not touch the accelerator when restarting
the engine.
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145 Starting and driving
If the diagnosis function detects a fault in the
engine management system, the light
"Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)" in
the instrument panel will come on (see page
75). Have the car checked at a Saab dealer
as soon as possible.
The following message is shown on the SID:
Important considerations with
catalytic 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 (precious
metal alloy).
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 accord-
ance with the service program.
 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 a Saab dealer.
 If the engine fails to start (in severe cold
or if the battery is flat), the car can be
bump started (manual transmission only)
or started using jump leads 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 5 minutes to give it time
to settle and run smoothly. If, after this
time, the engine still fails to run properly,
switch off the engine to avoid serious
damage to the catalytic converter.
Contact a Saab dealer for advice. Reduced engine power.
Contact Saab dealer.
NOTICEIf "Engine malfunction (CHECK
ENGINE)" warning light starts to flash
(indicating that the engine is misfiring and
the catalytic converter can be damaged),
ease off the accelerator slightly. The light
should go out or start to shine constantly.
If the light continues to flash despite
easing off the accelerator, you may
continue to drive the car but at the mini-
mum throttle permitted by the current traf-
fic situation. Have the car checked as
soon as possible at a Saab dealer.
NOTICEUse only unleaded gasoline. Leaded
gasoline is detrimental to the catalyst and
oxygen sensor and will seriously impair
the function of the catalytic converter.
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152 Starting and drivingManual transmissionClutch interlockTo start the car, the clutch pedal must be
depressed.
When changing gear, fully depress the
clutch pedal and then release it smoothly. It
is inadvisable to drive with your hand resting
on the gear lever, as this can increase the
wear on the gearbox.
There are two manual gearbox versions:
a 5-speed gearbox and a 6-speed gearbox.
Reverse gear on the 6-speed gearbox is to
the left of 1st gear. Raise the ring under the
gear knob to engage reverse.
Before reverse (R) can be engaged, you
must lift the ring underneath the gear knob.NOTICEWhen reverse gear is to be engaged,
the car must be at a standstill with
the accelerator fully released.
Gear positions, 5-speed Gear positions, 6-speed
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153 Starting and driving
Automatic transmissionThe automatic transmission has an elec-
tronic control module. The control module
receives information including accelerator
position and road speed. Using this and
other information, it controls the hydraulic
pressure of the transmission to ensure that
gear changing is as smooth as possible.The remote control can only be removed
when the selector lever is in the P position.The engine can only be started when the
selector lever is in the P or N position.
When the car is stationary, the engine must
be idling when you move the selector lever
from one position to another. If not, the
transmission could be damaged.
WARNING
 Depress the brake pedal when shifting
the selector lever from P or N.
 The car must be at a standstill before
P, R or N is selected. You have to have
your foot on the brake pedal to move
the lever out of P. If the car is still
moving when a drive position is subse-
quently selected, this could cause a
crash or damage the automatic trans-
mission.
 Never park the car with the selector
lever in a drive position, even if the
parking brake is on.
 If you want to leave the car with the
engine running, move the selector
lever to P or N and apply the parking
brake.
NOTICEAfter selecting a drive position, pause
briefly to allow the gear to engage (the car
starts to pull a little) before you acceler-
ate.
Selector lever1 Position for manual gear selection
Indication of gear position on main
instrument panel
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154 Starting and drivingPark Brake Shift LockThe transmission has a security function
known as Park Brake Shift Lock. To move
the gear selector lever out of the P or N posi-
tion, the gear selector lever detent (catch)
must be pressed in at the same time as the
brake pedal is held depressed.
The detent button on the selector lever has
to be pressed in before the lever can be
moved between certain positions.
Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock, see page 156.
Adaptive gear change patternsThe adaptive gear change pattern function
adapts gear changing to the prevailing driv-
ing conditions. The transmission control
module senses the engine load, vehicle
speed and temperature of the transmission.
A suitable gear change pattern is then
selected automatically to avoid unneces-
sary gear changes and undesired increases
in transmission temperature.
Certain variants use a special change pat-
tern for the first few minutes after a cold start
so that the catalytic converter reaches its
working temperature more quickly.
Thermal transmission protectionThe transmission has built-in protection
against overheating. This protection is pro-
vided by the control module, which changes
gear change patterns.
1 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 257°F (125°C), the gear
change pattern is changed.
2 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 275°F (135°C), the gear
change pattern is again changed.
3 If the temperature of the transmission
fluid exceeds 302°F (150°C), engine
torque will be limited to 147 ft.lbs.
(200 Nm).
The following message is shown on the SID:
If this message appears, stop the car as
soon as it is safe to do so and allow the
engine to idle until the message has gone
out. The selector lever should be in
position P.Gearbox too hot.
Make a safe stop.
Open hood to cool down.
Selector lever detent
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155 Starting and driving
Lock-upThe transmission’s torque converter has a
lock-up function. This can lock the torque
converter in 3rd, 4th and 5th gears, thus
reducing the engine speed and fuel con-
sumption.Kick-downWhen the accelerator is pressed down fully,
a down change is made to optimize acceler-
ation, e.g. for overtaking.
Following this, the next higher gear will be
selected at the optimum engine speed,
unless you ease off the accelerator before
reaching this. Kick-down works in manual
mode in 4th and 5th gears if the engine
speed is lower than 2,000 rpm.
Driving in hilly country with a heavy
loadThe transmission fluid can overheat when
the gearbox is strained, for example, when
driving with a trailer on hilly roads. To avoid
the transmission fluid overheating, always
drive with the selector lever in the D posi-
tion. The adaptive gear change patterns are
then active.
High air temperatures or a faulty oil cooler
can also cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Overheating reduces the service
life of the fluid.TowingTowing of cars with automatic transmission,
see page 184.
Descending hillsIf the speed of the car increases while
descending a steep hill, despite the acceler-
ator being released, the control module will
change down to 4th gear. If you desire more
powerful engine braking, manually select a
lower gear (see page 158).
WARNING
Remember to use the braking effect of the
engine (1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you
are descending long or steep hills to
spare the brakes.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
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156 Starting and drivingLimp-homeIf the transmission malfunctions, the control
module will activate limp-home mode. In
this mode, only 2nd and 5th gears are avail-
able. Select 2nd gear when driving at low
speeds and 5th gear at higher speeds. 2nd
gear must be selected manually. Select 5th
gear manually or move the selector lever
to D (see page 158).
The following message is shown on the SID:Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock
1 Apply the parking brake.
2 Lift up the rubber mat in the storage
compartment ahead of the selector
lever.
3 Under the floor of the storage compart-
ment is a yellow plastic lever. Use a thin
tool, such as a screwdriver, to press and
hold the plastic lever while moving the
selector lever from P to N.
4 Remove the tool.
5 Release the parking brake if the car is to
be moved immediately, otherwise it
should remain on.
Check fuse 6 in the engine bay fuse box.
If the fuse is OK the battery may be dead.
Contact a Saab dealer to have the problem
checked and rectified. Gearbox malfunction.
Limited performance.
Contact Saab dealer.
NOTICEDue to electrical problems it may not be
possible to move the selector lever out of
the park position, even if the ignition is
ON. If for some reason the selector lever
has to be moved out of the park position
(i.e. to tow the car a short distance) do as
described below.
Temporary override of Park Brake Shift
Lock
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157 Starting and drivingSelector lever positions
P
The selector lever is locked and the transmission
is mechanically blocked.
The engine can be started.
To move the selector lever out of the P position,
depress the brake pedal and press in the detent
(catch) on the selector lever.
Only select the park position (P) when the car is
stationary.
R
Only select the reverse position (R) when the car
stationary. The detent release button must be
pressed before the selector lever can be moved
to R.
Wait until reverse gear has engaged before
touching the accelerator.
N
You must press the brake pedal to move
the selector lever from the neutral position (N).
In neutral, the transmission is disengaged from the
engine. The engine can be started but make sure
the parking brake is on to prevent unexpected
movement.
To prevent the engine and transmission becoming
hotter than necessary, select N for long stops with
the engine running, e.g. when stuck in a traffic jam.
At traffic lights, leave the selector lever in the drive
position (D).
D
The drive position (D) is the normal one for forward
driving. The transmission shifts automatically
between all gears from 1st to 5th, the timing of
which depends on factors such as the current
accelerator position and the speed of the car.
Pause for a moment before applying the acce-
lerator, to allow the gears to engage.
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158 Starting and driving
Certain variants also have steering wheel controls for manual gear
selection. On these models, it is possible to change gear manually
using the selector lever and the steering wheel controls. The steer-
ing wheel controls are only active when the selector lever is in the M
position.
Select a higher gear by pressing the right-hand button and a lower
gear by pressing the left-hand button. Sentronic, manual gear selection
Move the selector lever to the manual position (M)
(to the left position D) to select gear manually.
Select a higher gear by pressing the selector lever
forward or a lower gear by pulling it back. The
selector lever will return to a position adjacent to
the letter M after each gear change.
An example of when you may wish to make
manual gear changes is when overtaking, to
enable you to remain in a low gear for an extended
period of time.
If the road surface is slippery, you may wish to start
off in 2nd or 3rd to reduce the risk of wheel spin.
When descending steep hills you should select a
low gear to increase the braking effect of the
engine and thus spare the brakes.
Manual gear selections are displayed on the main instrument
panel. The letter M and the current gear are displayed.
When the selector lever is in the M position, as opposed to the D
position, the engine is much more responsive to changes in accel-
erator position. The accelerator has a different feel.
Kick-down only operates for 4th and 5th gears (below 2,000 rpm).
When changing down, the desired gear can be selected but the
transmission will not change down until the engine speed is low
enough to avoid overrevving.Steering wheel controls for manual gear
selection (optional on certain variants)
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