SAAB 9-3 2009 Owners Manual

271
Car care
Anti-corrosion
treatmentThe entire car undergoes a series of
anti-corrosion processes during production.
These include electr ophoretic priming,
PVC-based coating to protect against stone
chip damage and corrosion, and treatment
of body cavities and members with thin,
penetrating rust-proofing oil.
In addition, most body panels, such as the
hood, doors and floor pan are galvanized.
The anti-corrosion treatment on some parts
of the car is constantly exposed to wear and
prone to damage. This applies particularly
to the underside of the car and inside the
wheel arches, where grit, road salt and the
like that are thrown up can give rise to cor-
rosion where the underseal has worn away.
The extent of this obv iously depends on the
conditions in which the car is used.
Accordingly, make it a habit to hose the
underside of the car often and to inspect the
condition of the underseal. The anti-corro-
sion warranty does not relieve the car owner
of the need to carry out normal maintenance
to the rust-proofing and to make good any
damage. Use a hose to clean the underside of the car
thoroughly. After it has dried, use a brush or
spray to apply a viscous anti-corrosion
agent to any worn or damaged areas, to
prevent the onset of corrosion.
Even after the anti-corrosion warranty has
expired, it makes good sense to continue to
maintain the
rust-proofing.
Seams in the body, especially those in the
doors and trunk lid, are particularly vulnera-
ble to corrosion from the outside, caused by
grit and salt thrown up from the road, and to
corrosion from the inside, largely as a result
of condensation. Keep the seams clean and
at the first sign of any rust, apply a thin, pen-
etrating, anti-corrosion oil. Your Saab
dealer will be pleased to give you further
advice.
What causes rust?Steel body panels of automobiles are sub-
ject to rusting whenever air and moisture
manage to penetrate the protective finish.
Body panels may rust through if the process
is unchecked. Rusting can occur wherever
water is trapped or where the car’s panels
are continuously damp.
Damage to paint and undercoating by
stones, gravel and minor crashes immedi-
ately exposes metal to air and moisture.
Road salts used for de-icing will collect on
the bottom of the car and promote rusting.
Areas of the country with high humidity have
a greater potential for rust problems, espe-
cially where salt is used on roads or there is
moist sea air. Industrial pollution (fallout)
may also damage paint and promote rust-
ing.Preventive maintenanceThe following procedures are necessary to
help protect against rusting. Refer also to
the terms and conditions of the Performa-
tion Limited Warranty described in the war-
ranty booklet. 1 Wash the car freque ntly, and wax at
least twice a year. Under adverse
conditions, where there is a rapid
buildup of dirt, sand or road salt, wash
your car at least once a week. After
extreme exposure to salted snow or
slush, evidenced by a white film on the
car, wash the car immediately. Frequent
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272 Car care
washing will prevent paint damage from
acid rain and other airborne contami-
nants such as tree sap and bird drop-
pings. If any of these contaminants are
noticed on the car the finish should be
washed immediately.
 Begin washing by rinsing the entire car with water to loosen and flush off heavy
concentrations of dirt (include the
underbody).
 Sponge the car with a solution of either a good quality car soap or mild general
purpose (dish washing) detergent and
water.
 Rinse car thoroughly with clean water
 After washing, check and clear all drains in doors and body panels
 Wipe the car dry, preferably using a chamois.
2 Clean the underside of the car during
the winter. Use high pressure water to
clean the car’s underside (floor panels,
wheel wells) at least at mid-winter and in
the spring. 3
Inspect the car frequently for leaks or
damage, and arrange for needed
repairs promptly. After washing or after
heavy rain, check for leaks. When wash-
ing the car inspect body surfaces for
paint damage. While checking for leaks,
lift the floor mats and check underneath
them. Water can collect in these areas
and remain for prolonged periods. Dry
any wet areas including the floor mats.
Have leaks repaired as soon as possi-
ble.
Use touch -up paint to repair small
scratches or minor finish damage. Areas
where metal is exposed will rust quickly
and MUST be repaired immediately by
touch-up or professional repainting.
Rust must be removed, the bare metal
primed and painted. Major body
damage should be repaired immediately
and new panels or exposed areas
should be undercoated with anti- corro-
sion material.
Repairs of this type are the owner’s
responsibility and are not covered under
warranty. Inspect the undercoating and touch up if
necessary.
Pay particular attention to the
fenders and wheel housings, which are
exposed to abrasion by flying gravel, etc. If
the composition has worn or flaked off, the
steel must be thoroughly cleaned and dried
before a fresh coat is applied. The cleaning
is best done with a scraper and a steel wire
brush, followed by washing with solvent.
Apply the new coating thinly, otherwise it
may run off or fall off when dry.
Recovery and/or
recycling of automotive
materialsInformation on the scrapping and recycling
of car materials is available on
www.saab.com.
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273
Car care
Air conditioning (A/C)
TroubleshootingIf a fault occurs in the A/C system, there are
a number of checks you can perform your-
self. If the fault persists, however, have the
system checked at a workshop. We recom-
mend that you contact a Saab dealer.
Note
When the A/C system is running, the intake
air is dehumidified. The resultant condensa-
tion that forms on the evaporator is drained
off under the car. When the car is parked,
this may result in a small puddle forming on
the ground. The warmer the air and the
higher the relative humidity, the more con-
densation will be produced.Inadequate cooling1 Check that the condenser (in front of the radiator) has not become clogged with
dirt and insects.
2 Make sure that the compressor drive belt does not slip (see page 215).
3 Check the fuses for the ventilation fans and compressor (see page 235).
Maintenance The compressor drive belt should be inspected under the regular service
program.
 Clean away dirt and insects from the condenser and radiator to prevent clog-
ging. When washing the car, use the hose
to spray the radiator and condenser
(located in front of the radiator) from both
sides (both from the front of the car and
from inside the engine bay). Do not use a
pressure washer.
Caution: Do not hose down the radia-
tor and condenser while the engine is
hot.
Other than in extremely cold weather, do not
screen the radiator, e.g. with netting, as this
will greatly diminish its cooling capacity.
 Applicable to the manual climate control system - During cold mo nths the air condi-
tioning should be switched on once or
twice a month and run for 5–10 minutes
during highway driving once the engine is
warm.
This action saves the gaskets in the
compressor from being spoiled. The
WARNING
 All repairs and adjustments to the A/C system must be carried out at a Saab
dealer authorized for this kind of work.
 The A/C system is pressurized. Do not break any connections or undo A/C
system components.
 Escaping gas can cause eye injury or other personal injury.NOTICE The A/C system is designed for use with R134a refrigerant.
 Refrigerant handling requires special equipment and special procedures for
charging and draining the system.
 Never mix R 134a with other refriger- ants.
NOTICEDo not use a pressure washer when
cleaning the condenser or radiator due to
the risk of damage.
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274 Car carecompressor uses a lubricant that circu-
lates with the coolant.
Note
The A/C system cannot be switched on
when the outside temperature is below 32°F
(0°C). Turn on the A/ C system when the car
is standing in a warm place. Simplest is to
always have the A/C button pressed in. The
A/C system will then cu t in automatically
when the outside temperature is high
enough.
Headlight aimingThe vehicle has a visual optical headlight
aiming system equippe d with vertical
aiming device. The aim has been preset at
the factory and should normally not need
further adjustments.
If your headlights are damaged in a crash,
the headlight aim may be affected. If you
believe your headlights need to be
re-aimed, we recommend that you take it to
your Saab dealer for service. However, it is
possible for you to re-aim your headlights as
described in the following procedure. To check the aim, the vehicle should be
properly prepared as follows:
 The vehicle shall be placed so that the
headlights are 25 ft (7.6 m) from a light
colored wall or other flat surface. The
aiming area should be darkened, this will
improve your ability to see the beam of the
low beam headlight being aimed.
An optical headlamp aimer can also be
used and will than replace the wall.
 The vehicle must have all four wheels on a perfectly level surface which is level all
the way to the wall or other flat surface.
 The vehicle should be placed so it is perpendicular to the wall or other flat
surface.
 The vehicle should be unloaded and fuel tank full, and one person or 160 lbs.
(75 kg) on the drivers seat.
 The vehicle should be fully assembled and all other work stopped while headlight
aiming is being done.
 The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud attached to it.
 Tires should be inflated to the prescribed pressure.
 Close all doors.
 Rock the vehicle to stabilize the suspen- sion.
Headlight aiming is done with the vehicle
low beam lamps. The high beam lamps will
WARNING
Before checking/adjusting the headlight
aiming, switch off the engine to avoid
danger of fingers and hands being injured
by moving parts.
The radiator fan can start up even when
the engine is switched off.NOTICETo make sure that your headlights are
aimed properly read all instructions
before beginning. Failure to follow these
instructions could cause damage to
headlight parts or a not correctly aimed
headlight.
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275
Car care
be correctly aimed if the low beam lamps
are aimed properly.
If you find that the headlight needs adjust-
ment follow these steps:
1 Open the hood and locate the vertical aiming devices.
2 Locate the marker on the lens.
3 Measure the distance from the ground to the aim marker No.1 (see illustration) on
each lens.
Subtract 2 inches.
4 At the wall or other flat surface, measure from the ground to the recorded
distance (see point 4) and draw a hori-
zontal line the width of the vehicle. 5
Cars with xenon lights:
Xenon lights with autom atic headlight
levelling system must first do a refer-
ence run before aiming: Start the engine
and let the headlights do a reference
run. Turn off the engine but leave the low
beam on.
Cars with halogen lights:
Turn on the low beam headlights.
Both variants:
Place a piece of cardboard or equivalent
(although not directly on the lens) in front
of the headlight not being aimed. This
should allow the beam cut-off of the
headlight being aimed to be seen on the
flat surface.1 Wall or garage door.
2 25 ft (7.6 m) between wall and headlight lens.
3 Measurement from the ground to the low beam aiming marker on the headlight lens.
4 Same measurement as (3) but subtract 2 inches.
Vertical aiming device1 Aiming marker on headlight lens
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276 Car care6 Turn the vertical aiming screw until the horizontal cut-off of the headlight is
aligned with the horizontal line on the
wall.
7 If an optical headlight aimer device is used follow point 1 and 2 and center the
lens of the optical headlight aimer
device at the intersection of the two
markers on the headlight lens.
Then follow the instructions in the optical
headlight aimer instruction manual and
point 1, 2, 5, and 6 in this instruction.NOTICEDo not cover a headlight directly on the
lens to improve beam cut-off when aim-
ing. Covering a headlight may cause
excessive heat build-up that may cause
damage to the headlight.
Horizontal line on wall or other flat surface
Correctly adjusted low beam
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277 Customer Assistance and Information
Maintenance schedule __ 278
Owner assistance ______ 280
Reporting Safety Defects
(USA) _______________ 281
Reporting Safety Defects
to the Canadian
government__________ 281
Vehicle Data Collection
and Event Data
Recorders ___________ 282
Customer Assistance and Information
3Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
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278 Customer Assistance and InformationMaintenance scheduleThe Maintenance Schedule prescribes a
service program to the purchaser/operator
of a Saab that is reasonable and necessary
to ensure the proper emission control sys-
tems function, safety and reliability of the
Saab automobile in normal use. Additional
maintenance is recommended for specific
components when the car is operated under
certain severe conditions. Proper mainte-
nance is always a good practice!
Authorized Saab dealers are equipped and
trained to meet your Saab’s service needs.
They regularly receive up-to-date Saab ser-
vice manuals and parts and technical ser-
vice bulletins from Saab and are able,
through their franchise agreement, to attend
Saab service schools, obtain Saab special
tools and technical assistance and pur-
chase original equipment service and
replacement parts.
Today’s complex automobiles should only
be entrusted to the most knowledgeable
service professionals. A Saab dealer is your
best choice.
SERVICE INTERVALSA time for service message will illuminate on
the Saab Instrument Display (SID) when the
car is due for regular maintenance.
There are three different service types:
MAIN SERVICE
Main service is performed at fixed odometer
intervals. These intervals vary between
markets and engine variants. Contact a
workshop for more information. We recom-
mend that you contact an authorized Saab
dealer.
Failure to perform scheduled maintenance
in a timely manner may result in serious
damage to key components or systems.INTERMEDIATE SERVICE
The intermediate service on the other hand,
is performed depending on e.g. number of
cold starts and the climate conditions which
the car is in. Therefore the interval can vary
for this service type.
MAIN AND INTERMEDIATE SERVICE
When the counter for these two service
types is close enough, a combined service
is performed. Time for service.
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279 Customer Assistance and Information
Engine oil and filter changesChanging the engine oil and filter is required
at every service point. Use only a Saab
approved long-life oil filter and engine oils
meeting the classifications stated in the
Warranty and Service Record Booklet. The
use of extra additives in the oil is not neces-
sary and is not recommended, and may be
harmful to turbochargers.
More frequent oil changes are recom-
mended if your vehicle is operated under
any of the following conditions:
 Most trips are less than 5–10 miles (8–
16 km). This is particularly important
when outside temperatures are below
freezing.
 Most trips include extensive idling
(frequent stop-and-go traffic).
 Most trips are through dusty areas (such
as construction zones).
 If the vehicle is used for delivery service,
police, taxi or other commercial applica-
tions.
If your driving habits match this description,
have the engine oil and filter changed in-
between normal services. These conditions
cause the engine oil to break down faster.
The Warranties and Service Record Book-
let has provisions to record extra oil
changes.
Service record retentionIt is the owner’s responsibility to retain ser-
vice records. If possible, you should keep
copies of all shop work orders for all service
and repairs, whenever performed. As indi-
cated in the new car and emission control
system warranties, it is important to docu-
ment that all necessary maintenance has
been done.
HOW THE SERVICE RECORD IS ORGA-
NIZED
The service record is comprised of a series
of coupons on which to record services as
they are performed. There are additional
coupons for documenting extra engine oil
and filter changes, extra automatic trans-
mission fluid services necessary for severe
service conditions, and brake fluid changes.
HOW TO USE THE SERVICE RECORD
COUPONS
When the car is brought to a Saab dealer for
scheduled maintenance, present the War-
ranties & Service Record Booklet to the ser-
vice manager. When the technician has
completed the service, the technician will
sign the maintenance record. The person
responsible for quality assurance at the
dealership will also sign and stamp the
record with the dealer identification stamp.
Service costsDealer pricing practices and labor for ser-
vice work vary. Saab’s recommended ser-
vice times for each service point do not
include the labor required to replace wear
items, such as wiper blades, brake pads or
tires. Nor is labor to perform other service or
repairs found to be necessary as a result of
the inspections included in these times.
Additional labor and parts will be charged
for such work when necessary, except as
covered under an applicable Saab warranty
or any optional extended service contract.
Transmission fluid changes or suspension
alignment, when necessary, are also addi-
tional.
Dealer charges for general shop material,
regulated hazardous waste removal, recy-
cling expenses or other operation costs may
also be applied to service and repair
invoices and are apt to vary by dealer and
location.
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280 Customer Assistance and InformationOwner assistanceWarranties and service problem
assistanceFor complete information about all applica-
ble warranties, including the New Car War-
ranty, Perforation Warranty, Vehicle Emis-
sion Warranty and Emission Perforation
Warranty, consult the Warranties and Ser-
vice Record Booklet which accompanies
this Owner’s Manual. It also contains owner
assistance information including Saab
Roadside Assistance. If the booklet is lost or
misplaced, a new one may be ordered
through a Saab dealer or by contacting
Saab.
In the U.S. there is a national Customer
Assistance Center at Saab Automobile
USA, Inc. The toll-free number to call from
all 50 states is 1-800-955-9007.
In Canada, please call the Saab Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-263-1999.
A list of authorized Saab sales and service
dealers is available for those planning to
travel in the United States and Canada.
Canadian or U.S. travelers may call the
Customer Assistance Center in the country
in which they are traveling.
Change of Address Notification
(U.S. and Canada)Two change of address cards are provided
at the end of the Warranties and Service
Record Booklet. Knowing your current
address allows Saab to contact you in the
event of a recall or service campaign.
Please help us keep our records up to date
for your own peace of mind.
Service informationFactory Service Manuals for the Saab 9-3
and 9-5 car lines can be ordered through
your dealer. These are comprehensive
manuals on CD ROM, geared to use by pro-
fessional technicians. Consult your Saab
dealer for prices for your model.
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