oil SAAB 9-3 2008 User Guide

163 Starting and driving
gasoline 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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167 Starting and driving
Sport mode3
33 3
Sport mode is selected using the
button, while the word SPORT illuminates
on the SID . Changing up occurs later
and changing down occurs earlier at the
same accelerator pedal position.
Sport mode will be deselected if:
The Sport button is depressed again
the engine is switched off.
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 197.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 170).
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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187 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 212.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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199 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 200.
Cars with manual transmission
Always observe the speed limit for vehicles
on tow. There are no speed limit nor for dis-
tance.
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
NOTEThe 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.
NOTEIf 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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202 Starting and drivingUsing a battery charger3
33 3/starter
unitTo avoid damaging the car’s electrical
system and electronics, the following rules
must be followed when charging the battery
or jump starting the car.
If the charger or starter unit can be set to
different voltages (6 V/12 V/18 V/24 V),
12V must be selected.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions
supplied with the charger or starter unit.
No other apparatus that are grounded or
connected to the mains must be
connected to the car during charging or
jump starting.
The charger or starter unit must under no
conditions produce a voltage greater
than:
16 V continuous
18 V for 60 minutes.
If you are unsure about the charge rating of
the unit, disconnect the battery clamp from
the positive terminal before connecting the
unit to the battery.
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
jack in the car.
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203 Car care
Hood ________________ 204
Engine ______________ 205
Engine bay, 4-cyl engine 208
Engine bay, V6 engine _ 209
Engine oil ____________ 210
Air filter______________ 211
Transmission fluid ____ 212
Coolant ______________ 212
Brake/clutch fluid and
brake pads__________ 214
Power steering________ 215
Battery ______________ 216
Drive belt ____________ 219
Wipers and washers ___ 220
Wiper blades _________ 220
Changing bulbs _______ 222
Fuses _______________ 237 Tires _________________ 244
Automatic tire pressure
monitoring system ____ 257
Compact spare ________ 260
Changing a tire ________ 262
Safety belts ___________ 266
Upholstery and trim ____ 266
Textile carpeting _______ 267
Engine bay ____________ 267
Washing ______________ 267
Waxing and polishing ___ 270
Touching up the paint___ 270
Anti-corrosion treatment 271
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materials ____________ 273
Air conditioning (A/C) ___ 274
Car care
3Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
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208 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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209 Car care
1 Power-steering fluid reservoir
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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210 Car careEngine 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).4-cyl engine: 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:
If this occurs the oil level must be checked
first. If the level is too low then it must be
topped up.V6 engine: 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:
If this occurs the oil level must be checked
first. If the level is too low then it must be
topped up.NOTEToo 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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211 Car care
Make sure you screw on the oil filler cap
properly after topping up the oil to avoid
running problems.
It is normal for an engine to consume a cer-
tain amount of oil. It is therefore often nec-
essary to top up the oil between services.
Check the engine oil level regularly.
During the Break-in Period (approx.
3,000 miles or 5,000 km) and when driving
at high speeds or with a trailer, the oil con-
sumption may be higher than normal.
Air filter
NOTEChange of engine oil and oil filter may be
required more frequently if the car is
being used under certain conditions, see
page 281.
WARNING
Prolonged and repeated exposure of
the skin to engine oil can cause seri-
ous skin disorders. Avoid prolonged
skin contact whenever possible.
Used engine oil contains chemicals
that have caused cancer in laboratory
animals. Always protect your skin by
washing thoroughly with soap and
water.
Keep oil out of reach of children.
Do not touch the turbocharger or
exhaust manifold. These get very hot
when the engine has been running.
Do not spill oil on hot parts of the
engine as this could cause a fire. Used
engine oil is particularly flammable.
Protect the environment. Do not dis-
pose of oil into the ground or down a
drain. Dispose of all used oil and
oil filters at an appropriate disposal
facility.
NOTEDo not run the engine with the oil level
too low.
Change engine oil and oil filter in
accordance with the service pro-
gramme
Only use the recommended type of oil.
Observe the above three points to avoid
serious damage to the engine.
For oil volumes and grades, refer to
page 290.
WARNING
To ensure reliable operation, only use
an air filter recommended by Saab
Automobile AB.
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