oil SAAB 9-3 2006 User Guide

168 Starting and drivingRefueling1 Switch off the engine.
2 Open the filler cap, located in the right-
hand rear fender.
3 Insert the fuel pump nozzle beyond the
flange on the filler pipe and let the first
mark (a ring, a pimple or the first spring-
coil) rest on the flange. Do not withdraw
the nozzle while filling is in progress.
4 Cease refueling the first time the pump
stops, and wait a few seconds after
you´ve finished pumping before you
remove the nozzle.Filler cap
To remove the filler cap, turn it slowly to the
left (counterclockwise). The filler cap has a
spring in it; if you let go of the cap too soon,
it will spring back to the right.
When you put the filler cap back on, turn it
to the right (clockwise) until you hear three
clicks. Make sure you fully install the cap.
The most effective way to prevent conden-
sation forming in the tank (and thus avoid
possible running problems) is to keep the
tank full.
Refer to page 195 for information regarding
gasoline anti-freeze.
WARNING
If a fire starts while you are refueling, do
not remove the nozzle. Shut off the flow of
fuel by shutting off the pump or by notify-
ing the station attendant. Leave the area
immediately.
NOTICEDo not overfill. Fuel should not come right
up the filler pipe as expansion room is
needed when the temperature rises.
 Fill to maximum filling capacity.
 Stop filling after the first time that the
nozzle trips to shut off the flow of fuel.
 Filling capacity can differ between
different fuel stations and outside
temperature. Fuel tank volume when
nozzle trips to shut off, may vary by
0.5 gal. (2 liters).
 Do not fill fuel all the way up the filler
pipe. The gasoline must be allowed
room for expansion especially during
hot weather.
Filler cap
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171 Starting and driving
whether the fuel contains MMT. Saab does
not recommend the use of such gasolines.
Fuels containing MMT can reduce the life of
spark plugs and the performance of the
emission control system may be affected.
The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized Saab
dealer for service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country out-
side the United States or Canada, the
proper fuel may be hard to find. Never use
leaded gasoline or any other fuel not recom-
mended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto
club, or contact a major oil company that
does business in the country where you will
be driving.
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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175 Starting and driving
Lock-upThe transmission’s torque converter has a
lock-up function. This can lock the torque
converter, thus reducing the engine speed
and fuel consumption.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.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 205.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. If you desire more powerful
engine braking, manually select a lower
gear (see page 178).
Limp-homeIf the transmission malfunctions, the control
module will activate limp-home mode. Driv-
ability will be affected to varying degrees.
The following message is shown on the SID:
In this mode, only 2nd and 5th gears are
available. 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 178).
Cars with 5-speed transmission
In this mode, only 2nd and 5th gears are
available. 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 178.
Cars with 6-speed transmission3
 The car may be totally powerless. If this is
case, have the car transported to a work-
shop to have the problem rectified.
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!
NOTICEDo not tow a trailer if limp-home mode is
engaged.
Gearbox malfunction.
Limited performance.
Contact Saab dealer.
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195 Starting and driving
Driving in cold weatherIn cold weather, special attention should be
paid to the following:
 Before driving off, make sure that the
wiper blades have not frozen to the wind-
shield.
 Remove any snow from the heating
system air intakes between the hood and
the windshield.
 If necessary, inject oil into the locks to
prevent them from freezing. Use molyb-
denum-sulphide oil (MoS
2). If the locks
freeze, exercise care when unlocking the
car (manual unlocking) to avoid breaking
the key. Warm up the key or use a de-icer.
 It is particularly important when the roads
are slippery that the brakes and tires are
in good condition.
 For how to check the level of antifreeze in
the engine coolant, see page 222.
 Add gasoline anti-freeze when refueling
several times before the onset of winter.
This will prevent condensation water in
the fuel tank from freezing and causing
interruptions in the fuel supply. The likeli-
hood of condensation is lowest when the
fuel tank is full.
If the car is parked outside and the
temperature is below zero, gasoline anti-
freeze is of little use as it cannot remove
water that has already frozen. Park the
car in a warm place so that any ice that
may have built up melts, then add gaso-
line anti-freeze when refueling.Condensation is caused by temperature
fluctuations, either in the outside temper-
ature alone or when the car is alternately
parked outdoors and in a garage.
Convertible: Avoid operating the soft top
at temperatures below 23°F (–5°C).
 The car is equipped with tires designed to
provide optimum grip on both wet and dry
roads, although this has been achieved at
the expense of somewhat reduced grip on
snow and ice. For regular driving on snow
and ice, we therefore recommend that
winter tires be fitted. However, winter tires
achieve this extra grip at the expense of
grip on bare road surfaces.
Winter tires, particularly studded tires, gen-
erally make driving safer on snow and ice.
Acquaint yourself with the legal provi-
sions governing the use of different
types of winter tires and snow chains.
Studded tires are not allowed in some
countries. If winter tires are fitted, the same
type must be fitted to all four wheels. Your
Saab dealer will be pleased to advise you on
the best tires for your car.
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207 Starting and driving
Always try to keep the towrope taut by
gently applying the brake of the car on tow,
as necessary. This will avoid the towrope
being jerked violently.
Cars with automatic transmission:
Always observe the speed limit for vehicles
on tow. Whatever the speed limit, the car
must not be towed at speeds exceeding
30 mph (50 km/h) nor for a distance of more
than 30 miles (50 km). If the car needs to be
transported over a longer distance, a tow
truck or flatbed truck must be called out.
The engine cannot be started by towing or
pushing the car. In an emergency, the
engine can be started as described under
"Jump starting" on page 208.
Vehicle recoveryIf the car has to be transported on a flatbed
truck, or similar, it must be securely
strapped down. There are attachment
points for this purpose on the underside of
the car. The attachment points are oblong
hole that have been reinforced to cope with
the stresses that arise during this type of
transport.
Transporting the car
NOTICE The car must be towed front first.
 If the car is to be towed with the front
wheels off the ground, make sure the
parking brake is off, as this acts on the
rear wheels.
NOTICEIf a car with sports (lowered) chassis is
transported, for example on a flat bed
truck, take extra care not to damage the
spoiler and/or underbody.
Attachment points for anchorage straps
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211 Starting and driving
For long tripsBefore starting off on a long journey, it is
advisable to have your car inspected by
your Saab dealer.
Obtain a few important items to take along
on your journey, such as spare bulbs, wiper
blades, fuses, a drive belt (poly-V-belt) and
the like.
You can check some points yourself before-
hand:
 Check that no oil or fuel leaks out of the
engine or gearbox/transmission.
 Check the coolant and power steering
fluid levels. Check also for leaks.
 Inspect the drive belt (poly-V-belt) and
replace if it shows any signs of wear.
 Check the battery charge.
 Check the tires for tread pattern and air
pressure, including the compact spare
tire.
 Take an extra remote control and keep it
separate.
 Check the brakes.
 Check all bulbs.
 Check for the presence of the tool kit and
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213 Car care
Hood ________________ 214
Engine ______________ 215
Engine bay, 4-cyl engine 217
Engine oil ____________ 219
Air filter______________ 222
Transmission fluid ____ 222
Coolant ______________ 222
Brake/clutch fluid and
brake pads__________ 224
Power steering________ 225
Battery ______________ 226
Drive belt ____________ 229
Wipers and washers ___ 230
Wiper blades _________ 230
Changing bulbs _______ 232 Fuses ________________ 247
Automatic tire pressure
monitoring3_________ 254
Tires _________________ 256
Compact spare ________ 270
Changing a tire ________ 273
Safety belts ___________ 276
Upholstery and trim ____ 276
Textile carpeting _______ 277
Engine bay ____________ 277
Washing ______________ 277
Waxing and polishing ___ 279
Touching up the paint___ 279
Anti-corrosion treatment 280
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materials ____________ 282
Air conditioning (A/C) ___ 282
Car care
3Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
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217 Car care
1 Oil filler cap
2 Coolant reservoir
3 Brake and clutch fluid reservoir
4Battery
5 Fuse box
6 Washer-fluid reservoir
7 Power-steering fluid reservoir
8 Engine-oil dipstick
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218 Car care
1 Power-steering fluid resrvoir
2 Coolant reservoir
3 Brake and clutch fluid reservoir
4Battery
5 Fuse box
6 Washer-fluid reservoir
7 Oil filler cap
8 Engine-oil dipstick
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219 Car care
Engine oilChecking the oil levelCheck the engine oil level regularly.
1 Park the car on a level ground.
2 Switch off the engine and wait for
2–5 minutes. The engine should be at
normal operating temperature.
3 Take the dipstick out and wipe it off with
a clean rag before carrying out the
check.
The level must not be below the MIN mark
on the dipstick, but nor should it be above
the MAX mark. Excess engine oil could
result in abnormal oil consumption.
The distance between the MIN and MAX
marks is equivalent to 1.0 qt (1.0 l).2.0 Turbo (210 hk): The engine oil level is
checked each time the engine is started. If
the oil level is low, the following message
appears on the SID:
f this occurs the oil level must be checked
first. If the level is too low then it must be
topped up.V6: The engine has an oil level sensor that
checks the oil level when the engine is
running. If the oil level drops too low, the
following message appears on the SID:
f this occurs the oil level must be checked
first. If the level is too low then it must be
topped up.NOTICEToo high oil level can damage the engine.
Low engine oil level.
Fill oil now.
Low engine oil level.
Fill oil now.
Oil filler cap and dipstick, 4-cyl engine
Oil filler cap and dipstick, V6 engine
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