warning SAAB 9-3 2009 Owners Manual

184 Starting and drivingto reach its optimum temperature, and
engine wear is at its greatest during this
period. Drive off as soon as possible after
starting the engine and avoid high engine
speeds.
 Drive as smoothly and thoughtfully as
possible. Match your driving to the prevail-
ing traffic conditions.
 Driving in a low gear gives rise to higher
fuel consumption than driving in a high
gear because of the higher engine speed
for any given road speed. Always shift up
as soon as traffic conditions allow and
drive in the highest gear as much as
possible.
 Check the tire pressure once a month.
Incorrect tire pressure increases tire
wear. It is preferable for the tire pressure
to be slightly high than too low. Under-
pressure increases fuel consumption.
 Check the fuel consumption regularly.
Increased fuel consumption can indicate
that something is wrong and that the car
needs to be checked. We recommend
that you contact a Saab dealer.
Practical road tests have demonstrated that
substantial savings in fuel consumption can
be made if the above advice is followed.
Road conditionsWet roads increase fuel consumption, as do
unpaved roads and driving in hilly country
(the amount of fuel saved driving downhill is
less than the additional amount required to
climb the hill).Engine block heater3If block heater is installed the cord can be
found coiled in the engine compartment.
The following are just some of the benefits
to the car and the environment of using an
engine block heater:
 Lower fuel consumption
 Reduced wear on the engine
 Inside of car warms up faster
 Exhaust emissions substantially reduced
over short runs.
The engine heater is effective at outside
temperatures up to 60–70 °F (+15 –
+20 °C). The warmer it is outside, the
shorter the time the engine heater needs to
be connected.
 If the outside temperature is -22 °F
(-30 °C) the heater needs to be
connected at least 3 h.
 If the outside temperature is -14 °F
(-10 °C) the heater needs to be
connected at least 2 h. If the outside temperature is 32 °F (-0 °C)
the heater needs to be connected at least
1.5 h.
To have the heater connected less than
0.5 h is no use but can lead to driveabilitiy
problems.
If the car is equipped with a removable,
electric cabin heater that is not in use, store
this in the trunk.
WARNING
Never switch off the engine while driving
as the effect of the brakes and power
steering will be greatly reduced.93_US_MY09.book Page 184 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
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186 Starting and drivingRemember that tires age: it may therefore
be necessary to change winter tires before
they reach the legal wear limit, as they grad-
ually lose their friction properties with age.
If you get into a front wheel skid and the car
has a manual transmission, the best
response is to freewheel, which means
declutching so that the wheels neither drive
nor brake, and to cautiously steer in the
desired direction.
If the car has automatic transmission, ease
off the accelerator slightly and steer cau-
tiously in the desired direction.
If you get into a rear wheel skid, steer in the
same direction as the movement of the rear
of the car.
Driving with tire chains3Snow chains must only be fitted to the wheel
and tire dimensions that Saab recommends
in "Technical data" on page 283.
We recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer regarding approved tire chains. See
also page 247.
WARNING
 Do not drive at speeds above 30 mph
(50 km/h) when tire chains are fitted.
 Tire chains can reduce directional sta-
bility.
 Do not fit tire chains to the car’s rear
wheels.
NOTICE Check the links frequently for wear.
 Check that the chains do not foul the
wheel arch liner at full lock.
 Refer to the "Technical data" section
on page 283, for information on wheel
and tire dimensions approved for the
fitting of tire chains.
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187 Starting and driving
Driving in hot climatesAlways check the coolant level before start-
ing a journey. When the engine is cold, the
coolant shall lie on or just above the
KALT/COLD mark on the expansion tank
(boundary between the upper and lower
sections of the tank).
At the end of a journey, allow the engine to
idle for 2–3 minutes before switching it off.
If the needle on the temperature gauge
enters the red zone, the following message
will be shown on the SID:
1 Stop the car but do not switch off the
engine. Do not remove the cap on the
cooling system expansion tank, even if
the tank is empty. The engine tempera-
ture should decrease. If the temperature
continues to rise with the engine idling,
the engine must be switched off.2 If the engine is idling and the needle on
the temperature gauge falls, wait until a
normal temperature is shown (about in
the middle of the scale) before switching
off the engine. If the coolant needs to be
topped up, carefully unscrew the
expansion tank cap.
Fill as required with a mixture of 50 %
antifreeze and 50 % clean water. Use an
antifreeze approved by Saab.
3 Have the car’s cooling system checked.
We recommend that you contact a Saab
dealer. Hot engine. Make a
safe stop. Idle engine.
WARNING
 Exercise care when opening the hood
if the engine is overheated. Never
remove the expansion tank cap com-
pletely when the engine is hot.
 The cooling system is pressurized -
hot coolant and vapor can escape.
These can cause injury to your eyes
and burns. Open the cap slowly to
release the pressure before removing
it.
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188 Starting and drivingTowing a trailer3Make sure you are familiar with the legal
requirements regarding speed limits for
towing, maximum trailer weights, trailer
braking requirements, and also any spe-
cial driving licence provisions.
Trailer hitch attachment3Trailer hitch attachments are available as
accessories. These are designed for a max-
imum trailer weight of 3500 lbs (1588 kg),
with trailer brakes.
The towbar must not be installed on certain
models. Contact an authorised Saab dealer
for information.
An electrical connection3 for the towbar
and an electrical unit are provided in the
electrical center on the left-hand side of the
luggage compartment.
If the car has a 13-pin Saab genuine electri-
cal socket then it is possible to supply a
trailer/caravan with rear fog lights and
reversing lights. The caravan can also have
interior and exterior lighting even when the
car’s ignition is switched off. In which case,
remember not to load the battery for too
long so that it is discharged and pre-
vents the car from starting.
There is also access to power in the caravan
during a journey, the caravan battery can be
charged for example.
Also, if the car has SPA, this is deactivated
automatically if a trailer is hitched up and
correctly connected to the Saab genuine
trailer socket.
Saab recommendations:
 Use a genuine Saab trailer hitch that is
designed and tested for your Saab.
WARNING
 Do not drive with a trailer on inclines
steeper than 15 %. The load on the
drive (front) wheels will be so low that
the wheels can start to spin and pre-
vent further progress.
 In addition, the car’s parking brake
may not always be sufficient to hold
the car and trailer securely, as the
wheels may start to slide.
 Always apply the trailer’s parking
brake when unhitching it. There is oth-
erwise a risk of personal injury or
damage to the bumper should the
trailer start to roll.
 When you hitch up the trailer be sure
to attach its safety chains to the holes
by the hitch.93_US_MY09.book Page 188 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
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190 Starting and drivingWhen continuing your journey, manually
select a low gear in which the engine speed
is about 3,500 rpm until the incline eases
(see page 168).
Recommendations for cars with
manual transmissionRises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
When the needle is just outside the red
zone, the A/C compressor will be switched
off and, on certain engine variants, the max-
imum engine torque will be limited.
When continuing your journey, select a low
gear in which the engine speed is about
3,500 rpm until the incline eases.
Trailer hitch loadThe weight distribution on the trailer makes
a lot of difference to the handling properties
of the car and trailer combination. With a
two-wheel trailer, concentrate the load over
the wheels and keep it as low as possible.
The trailer should be loaded so that the load
on the towball is 110–165 lbs. (50–75 kg).
Note that this load must be included in the
total load for the car. If this now exceeds the
specified load capacity, the load in the trunk
may have to be reduced by the correspond-
ing amount.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position M1, M2, or M3) to spare the
brakes when you are driving on a long or
steep downhill slope.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position 1, 2, or 3) to spare the brakes
when you are driving on a long or steep
downhill slope.
Overheating can cause the brakes to
fade!
Distribution of load in trailer
aLight
b Moderate
c Heavy
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192 Starting and drivingDriving with a roof rack
loadThe maximum permissible roof load is
220 lbs. (100 kg). Note that the roof load
must be included in the car’s maximum per-
missible payload and axle load.
Strong, sturdy roof carriers designed spe-
cially for your car are available from your
Saab dealer. Always secure roof loads
securely.
Driving with a loadThe handling characteristics are affected by
how the car is loaded.
WARNING
 A roof load will affect the car’s center
of gravity and aerodynamics. Be
aware of this when cornering and driv-
ing in crosswinds.
 Adjust your speed to the prevailing
conditions.
 Due to higher aerodynamics drag, fuel
economy may suffer when driving with
a roof rack.
NOTICE Place the heaviest load as far forward
and as low as possible in the trunk.
 Secure the load to the lashing eyes
(see page 139).
 Heavy loads mean that the car’s
center of gravity is further back. As a
result, the car will sway more during
evasive steering.
 Never exceed the permissible load of
the roof box, even if there is room for
more.
 Ensure that the tire pressure is correct
– slight overinflation is preferable to
underinflation.
 The braking distance of a loaded car is
always greater. Keep your distance
from the vehicle in front.
 Do not exceed the car’s permissible
gross vehicle weight or axle load (see
page 284).
 Roof loads can negatively affect tele-
communication.
For further information on tires see
page 240.
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193 Starting and driving
Driving with the trunk lid
openIf you must drive with the trunk lid open,
close all windows and the moonroof (if
equipped) and set the cabin fan to its high-
est speed setting.Driving in deep waterTowing the car
WARNING
Avoid driving with the trunk lid partly or
fully open, since exhaust fumes can be
drawn into the cabin.NOTICEDo not drive in puddles or water deeper
than 7 in. (20 cm) and do not drive faster
than 3–4 mph. Water can otherwise be
sucked into the engine. The engine will be
seriously damaged if water enters the
intake system.
WARNING
 Remember that the brake servo does
not operate when the engine is off.
Much greater pressure than normal
will therefore be required to operate
the brake pedal.
 Nor does the steering servo operate
when the engine is off. The steering
will therefore be much heavier than
usual.
 The towing vehicle should always be
heavier than the vehicle on tow.
 Never allow passengers to ride in the
car when it is on tow.
 Always seek professional help if the
car needs to be recovered.
 The ignition switch must be in the ON
position if the car is moved with the
engine not running.
 The steering wheel lock must be dis-
engaged before towing the car.
 The steering wheel lock disengages
when the remote control is inserted
into the ignition switch, if the battery
has sufficient charge.
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194 Starting and drivingFront towing eyeThe front towing eye is stowed by the spare
wheel. On the left-hand side of the bumper
is a cover concealing the attachment point
(tapped hole) for the towing eye.1 Open the cover first at the lower edge
with a screwdriver for example. Watch
out for the paintwork.
2 Screw in the towing eye. The towing
eye has a left-hand thread!
3 Insert the wheel wrench into the eye to
tighten it properly.
To refit the cover: Start by inserting the top
edge of the cover. Then click in the lower
edge.
Rear towing eyeThe car has a permanent towing eye at the
rear under the bumper.
If the car is equipped with a towbar, this can
be used instead of the towing eye.
WARNING
 Make sure that the towing eye is
screwed in tightly. It has a left-hand
thread!
 The towing eye is only designed for
towing the car on roads. It must not
be used to pull the car out of a ditch,
for example.
 Make sure that all bystanders keep a
suitable distance, in case the towing
eye or tow rope should snap. The
towing eye or tow rope could catapult
off and cause seriously injury.
 Never drive with the towing eye fitted
to the front bumper. Return it to its des-
ignated storage space.
Rear towing eye
Front towing eye fitted.
The towing eye has a left-hand thread!
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197 Starting and driving
Jump starting
It is essential when a donor battery is to be
used to jump start the car that the jump
leads be connected correctly to prevent
arcing.
To jump start your vehicle
1 Check the other vehicle. It must have a
12-volt battery with a negative ground
system.2 Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure the
vehicles are not touching each other. If a
poor connection on the negative jumper
cable should exist, it is possible for
damage to be caused to electrical
systems/components of either vehicle
should inadvertent contact be made.
You would not be able to start your car
and bad grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
3 Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Turn off lights that are not needed, and
radios. This will avoid sparks and help
save both batteries and it could save
your radio.
WARNING
 When working on the battery, highly
explosive gas can build up. A spark
could ignite this gas that collects
around the battery. Therefore, always
avoid sparks and open flames in the
vicinity of the battery.
 The battery contains corrosive sulfuric
acid. Always wear a face mask or gog-
gles when working on the battery.
 If battery acid gets into the eyes or
splashes onto skin or clothing, wash
the affected area liberally with water. If
acid gets into the eyes or a large quan-
tity makes contact with the skin, seek
medical help.
NOTICEIgnoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that would not be
covered by your warranty.
Trying to start your car by pushing or pull-
ing it could damage your vehicle, even if
you have a manual transmission. If you
have an automatic transmission, your
vehicle cannot be started by pushing or
pulling it.
NOTICEIf the other system is not a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both vehicles can
be damaged.
WARNING
You could be injured if the vehicles roll.
Set the parking brake firmly on each vehi-
cle. Put an automatic transmission in P
(Park) or a manual transmission in Neu-
tral.
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198 Starting and driving4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (–) termi-
nals on the battery.5 Check that the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock and also the
vehicles could be damaged.
Before you connect the cables, here are
some basic things you should know.
Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and
negative (–) will go to negative (–). Do
not connect (+) to (–) or you will get a
short that could injure you or would
damage the battery and maybe other
parts as well.
6 Connect the red positive (+) cable to the
positive (+) terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.7 Do not let the other end touch metal.
Connect it to the positive (+) terminal of
the good battery. Use a remote positive
(+) terminal if the vehicle has one.
8 Now connect the negative (–) cable to
the good battery’s negative terminal.
9 Attach the cable to the discharged
battery’s negative terminal.
10 Start the vehicle with the good battery
and run the engine for a while.
11 Try to start the vehicle with the
discharged battery. If it does not start
after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
Note. If the current in the low battery is
too low it might be necessary to wait
several minutes with the cables
connected before you can start the
engine with the low battery.
12 Remove the cables in reverse order to
prevent electrical shorting. Take care
that they do not touch each other or any
other metal.NOTICEIf you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
WARNING
An electric fan can start up even when the
engine is not running and can injure you.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any under hood electric fan.
WARNING
Using a match or flame of any kind near a
battery can cause battery gas to explode.
You can suffer burns or be blinded. Use a
flashlight if you need more light.
Be sure the electrolyte in the battery is not
frozen. Discharged batteries will freeze.
When connecting jumper cables to a
frozen battery, gas from the chemical
reaction inside the battery can build up
under the ice and cause an explosion.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you. Do not get it on you. If you acciden-
tally get it in your eyes or on your skin,
flush the area with water and get medical
help immediately.
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