instrument panel SAAB 9-3 2004 Owner's Guide

141 Starting and driving
To allow the various systems in the car time
to register that the remote control has been
inserted into the ignition switch, do not turn
the remote control for roughly half a second. LOCK position
The position lights, hazard warning lights and interior lighting can be
turned on.
Cars with automatic transmission: Move the gear lever to P.
The gear lever is locked in position. This is the only position in which the
remote control can be removed.
Cars with manual transmission: The remote control can be removed
regardless of the position of the gear lever.
OFF position
Parts of the electrical system are operative.
Do not leave the remote control in the OFF position with the engine
not running as this could cause the battery to run flat in a matter of
hours.
Cars with automatic transmission: The gear lever is not locked. See
also page 154.
ON position
The entire electrical system is operative.
Do not leave the remote control in the ON position when the engine
is not running.
Turn the remote control to the OFF position to disconnect the electrical
system.
When you turn the remote control to ON, some indicator and warning lights
will come on in the main instrument panel. These should go out after about
3 seconds.
ST - starter position
The starter motor operates (automatic transmission: selector lever must
be in P or N) when the remote control is turned to this position. When
released, the remote control will spring back to the ON position.
The car has an electronic restart lock. If the engine fails to start, the remote
control must first be turned back to a position between OFF and LOCK
before the starter motor can be operated again.
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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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149 Starting and driving
Recommended fuel:For optimum performance we recommend
90 AON for 175 hp engines and 93 AON for
210 hp engines.
Octane rating is determined according to
the formula:
where MON is the Motor Octane Number,
and RON is the Research Octane Number.
The average of these two values is the
octane rating of the gasoline as it appears
on the pump at a retail gas station. This
value is sometimes referred to as the "Anti-
Knock Index" (AKI) or the "Average Octane
Number" (AON).To avoid deposit formation on the fuel injec-
tors which can cause poor driveability, use
only quality gasolines that contain deter-
gents and corrosion inhibitors. Because
gasolines sold at retail gas stations vary in
their composition and quality, you should
switch to a different brand if you begin expe-
riencing driveability and/or hard starting
problems shortly after refueling your car. In
recent years, a variety of fuel additives and
alcohols or oxygenates have been blended
with gasoline. These types of gasolines may
be found in all parts of the United States and
Canada, but particularly in geographic
areas and cities that have high carbon
monoxide levels. Saab approves the use of
such "reformulated" gasolines in its prod-
ucts, which help in reducing pollution from
all motor vehicles, provided that the follow-
ing blending percentages are met by such
fuels:
 Up to 10 % ethanol by volume, with corro-
sion inhibitors.
 Up to 15 % MTBE by volume (methyl
tertiary butyl ether).
Up to 5 % methanol by volume, with an
equal amount of a suitable co-solvent and
added corrosion inhibitors.Other, less common, fuel additives used by
some gasoline dealers are also acceptable,
provided that the resultant gasoline is not
more than 2.7 % oxygen by weight. In many
cases, you may not be able to determine the
exact type or percentage by volume of fuel
additive in the gasoline you purchase for
your car.
Some Canadian and U.S. gasolines contain
an octane enhancing additive called meth-
lycyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT). If such fuel is used, your emission
control system performance may deterio-
rate and the malfunction indicator lamp on
your instrument panel may turn on. If this
occurs, return to your authorized Saab
dealer for service.
However, these blended gasolines are reg-
ulated and should never exceed these rec-
ommended 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. MON + RON
2
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151 Starting and driving
If your vehicle is certified to meet California
Emission Standards (indicated on the
underhood emission control label), it is
designed to operate on fuels that meet Cal-
ifornia specifications. If such fuels are not
available in states adopting California emis-
sions standards, your vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting federal spec-
ifications, but emission control system per-
formance may be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn on and/or your vehicle may fail a
smog-check test. See "Engine malfunction
(CHECK ENGINE)" on page 75. If this
occurs, return to your authorized Saab
dealer for diagnosis to determine the cause
of failure. In the event it is determined that
the cause of the condition is the type of fuels
used, repairs may not be covered by your
warranty.Some gasolines that are not reformulated
for low emissions may contain an octane-
enhancing additive called methylcyclopen-
tadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT); ask
your service station operator whether or not
the fuel contains MMT. Saab does not
recommend the use of such gasolines. If
fuels containing MMT are used, spark plug
life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may be
affected. The Engine malfunction (CHECK
ENGINE) light on your instrument panel
may turn on. If this occurs, return to your
authorized Saab dealer for service.
Engine Break-in PeriodPistons, cylinder bores and bearings need
time to obtain uniform, wear-resistant
surfaces.
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.
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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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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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159 Starting and driving
Cruise control(Cruise control system)For safety reasons (brake system func-
tion), the brakes must be applied once
when the engine has started, before the
cruise control system can be activated.
The following message is shown on the SID:
The system has the following functions:
1 ON: engaged
2 OFF: disengaged
3 SET/+: sets the speed and increases
the set speed
4 SET/ –: sets the speed and decreases
the set speed
5 RESUME: re-engages the system at the
set speed
The CRUISE indicator light in the main
instrument panel comes on when the switch
is slid to ON. If you switch off the engine
while the cruise control is ON, the system
will be ON the next time the engine is
started.
To set the desired speed1 Slide the switch to ON.
2 Move the thumbwheel up to SET/+ or
SET/– when the car has reached the
desired speed (above 15 mph (25 km/
h)).To increase the preset speedYou can increase the speed in any of
the following ways:
 Accelerate to the desired speed. Jog the
control to SET/+ or SET/–.
 Jog the control to SET/+ to increase the
speed by 1 mph (1.6 km/h) (when cruise
control already engaged).
 Hold the control in the SET/+ position until
the desired speed is reached (when
cruise control already engaged).
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control system in
wet or icy conditions, in dense traffic or on
winding roads.
Tap brakes lightly before
using cruise control.
Cruise control switches
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192 Car careHoodThe handle of the hood lock is located on the
left under the instrument panel. Open the
hood in the following way:
1 Pull the release handle.
2 The hood moves to the half-locked posi-
tion and is stopped by a safety catch at
the front edge.
3 Press the lever of the catch upwards and
raise the hood.
When you close the hood you should drop it
from a height of about 12 inches (30 cm),
without slamming it.
Hood release catch plate
Hood release handle
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224 Car care
Fuse panel in end of fasciaNo. Amp. Function
1 15 Steering wheel lock
2 5 Steering column unit; ignition switch
3 10 Hands-free; CD-player/CD-changer in cabin; SID
4 10 Main instrument unit; manual climate control;
automatic climate control (ACC)
5 7.5 Control module in front doors; Park Brake Shift Lock
(automatic transmission)
6 7.5 Brake light switch
7 20 Dash fuse panel; fuel filler door
8 30 Control module in passenger front door
9 10 Dash fuse panel
10 30 Trailer socket; electrical socket in storage compart-
ment between seats
11 10 Data link connection (diagnostics)
12 15 Interior lighting incl. glove compartment
13 10 Accessories
14 20 Radio, sound system I; control panel,
Infotainment System
15 30 Control module in driver’s door
16 - -
17 - -
18 7.5 Manual climate control; fan
19 - -
20 7.5 Headlight levelling switch
21 7.5 Hands-free; brake light switch; manual climate
control; clutch pedal switch
22 30 Cigarette lighter
23 40 Cabin fan
24 7.5 Airbag control module
25 - -
26 5 Yaw sensor (cars with ESP)
27 - -
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285 Index
Important considerations for driving
_ 144
Important information, petrol-engined
cars with catalytic converters
_____ 145
Indicator lights
___________________ 74
Inflation, tires __________________ 231
Instrument illumination, adjusting
____ 92
Interior lighting
_________________ 123
Interior lighting, Convertible
________ 70
Interior rearview mirror
___________ 129
Intermittent malfunctioning, central
locking
_______________________ 42
JJump starting
__________________ 187
KKey
___________________________ 40
Kick-down
_____________________ 155
LLATCH (child safety)
______________ 22
Labeling, tire sidewall ____________ 238
Labels and plates, location
________ 278
Lashing eyes
___________________ 137
Laying the car up
_______________ 169
Leather upholstery, cleaning
_______ 249Lighting in luggage compartment,
Convertible
____________________ 70
Limp-home
____________________ 144
Limp-home, automatic transmission
_156
Load carriers, roof
_______________ 182
Load indices, tires _______________ 239
Loading your vehicle _____________ 240
Load-through hatch ______________ 136
Locking a car with flat battery
_______ 43
Locks
__________________________ 40
Long-term parking
_______________ 169
Luggage compartment
___________ 134
Luggage compartment lighting
_ 124
, 138
Luggage compartment lighting,
Convertible
____________________ 70
Luggage compartment lighting,
changing
_____________________ 219
MMAXI fuses
____________________ 223
Main instrument panel
_____________ 74
Main/dipped beam
_______________ 92
Maintenance schedule ___________ 262
Manual climate control ____________ 98
Manual gear selection ____________ 158
Manual gearbox
________________ 152
Manual tripping of car alarm
________ 50
Materials used in the car, reclamation
255
Memory, driver’s seat
_____________ 19
Messages on SID, Convertible
______ 63Milometer
_______________________ 79
Mug holder ____________________ 124
NNew tires, buying
________________ 233
Night driving
___________________ 184
Number plate lighting, changing
____ 219
OORVR
________________________ 194
Oil capacity, engine
______________ 271
Opening handles
_________________ 40
Opening the soft top, Convertible
____ 56
Outside mirrors
_________________ 128
Owner assistance _______________ 264
PPanic function, car alarm
___________ 50
Park Brake Shift Lock
____________ 154
Park Brake Shift Lock, temporary
override
______________________ 156
Parking
_______________________ 167
Parking aid ____________________ 170
Parking brake __________________ 167
Parking on a hill _________________ 168
Pinch protection, electric windows
__ 118
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