Automatic SAAB 9-3 2009 Owner's Guide

128 Interior equipmentMoonroof3The moonroof is operated by the control in
the roof console. For the moonroof to work,
the ignition switch must be in the ON posi-
tion.
If the car is equipped with windows having
the automatic closing function, the moon-
roof can be opened and closed so long as
the car is unlocked until 20 minutes has
passed since the remote control was
removed from the ignition switch.
To openManually controlled opening
Slide the control rearward to its first position.
The moonroof will halt when you release the
control. If you do not release the control, the
moonroof will open to the comfort position.
To open the moonroof further, release the
control and then once again press it rear-
ward.
Automatic opening
Slide the control rearward to the second
position and release it. The moonroof will
open to the comfort position. To open the
moonroof further, slide the control rearward
a second time.Moonroof without automatic opening
Slide the control rearward to position 1 (see
illustration). The moonroof will stop when
you release the control or once it is fully
open.
WARNING
Bear in mind the pinch hazard when clos-
ing the electric moonroof. Risk of serious
or fatal injuries!
Always remove the remote control
from the ignition switch when you
leave the car. This will prevent per-
sonal injury caused by the activation of
the electric moonroof, for example,
due to children playing.
 The person operating the electric
moonroof is responsible for ensuring
that no one, especially a child, has
their head, hands or fingers in the
opening, before closing the moonroof.
 Do not stick any part of the body or the
head out through an open window
while the car is moving.
Moonroof control1 Manually controlled opening
2 Automatic opening3 Manually controlled closing
4 Automatic closing
5 Ventilation position
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129 Interior equipment
To closeManually controlled closing
Slide the control forward to its first position.
The moonroof will halt when you release the
control.
Automatic closing3
Slide the control forward to its second posi-
tion and release it. The moonroof will close
fully.
The moonroof pinch protection halts closing
and opens the moonroof slightly if some-
thing obstructs closing.
Moonroof without automatic closing3
Slide the control forward to position 3 (see
illustration). The moonroof will stop when
you release the control or once it is fully
closed.Ventilation position (rear edge of moon-
roof open)
 To open – press in the control.
 To close – slide the control forward to the
second position.
It is also possible to select the ventilation
position when the moonroof is open by
pressing in the control. The moonroof will
then close automatically. Press the control
once more to open the moonroof to its ven-
tilation position.
If you wish to open the moonroof fully from
the ventilation position, you must first close
it (slide the control forward). You can then
slide the control rearward to open the moon-
roof.
The moonroof incorporates an interior,
manual, sliding sun blind.
Moonroof without automatic closing3
 To open – press the control up.
 To close – slide the control forward to
position 3.
Comfort opening3Comfort opening is the remote opening of
windows and the moonroof.
Press and hold the unlocking button on the
remote control until the windows and
optional moonroof start to open (approx.
2 seconds).
During comfort opening of the windows,
moonroof (option) and soft top, the range is
reduced by approximately half.
If the moonroof is in the ventilation position,
it will not open.
Convertible: For the remote opening of the
soft top, refer to page 64.
WARNING
Exercise great care when closing the
moonroof to ensure that nothing gets
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131 Interior equipment
Interior lightingThe interior lighting consists of one front and
one rear roof light, floor lighting, and cour-
tesy lights in the doors (certain variants
only). The light switch for the interior lighting
is located on the roof console by the rear
view mirror.When the switch is in the mid-position
(door-activated), the interior lighting will
come on:
 When the car is unlocked
 When a door is opened and the ignition is
OFF
 When the remote control is removed from
the ignition switch.
The lighting goes out:
 When the car is locked
 When the ignition is turned on
 Approx. 20 seconds after closing all
doors.
The lights are dimmed out gradually.If a door is left open and the light switch is in
position 2 or 3 and the ignition is OFF, the
interior lighting will be switched off automat-
ically after 20 minutes to save the battery.
The glove box lighting is switched on and off
automatically when the glove box is opened
and closed.1 Interior lighting always off
2 Interior lighting controlled by the doors
3 Interior lighting on continuously
Rear lighting1 Reading lights
2 Roof light
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132 Interior equipmentSun visorIlluminated vanity mirrors are provided on
the sun visors. The lighting comes on when
the cover is raised.
Trunk lightingThe trunk lighting is switched on and off
when the trunk lid is opened and closed.
If the trunk lid is left open, the lighting will be
switched off automatically after 20 minutes
to prevent the battery from running flat.
Floor matsPress the loose mat down over the two floor
brackets. Then check that the mat is firmly
secured.
WARNING
Secure the loose floor mats into the floor,
otherwise they could slide forward. This is
particularly important on the driver’s side
as the mat could otherwise slide under
the pedals and interfere with driving.
Sun visor with vanity mirror
Fastening the floor mat
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140 Interior equipment
Trunk lightingOn the underside of the parcel shelf is a light
that is switched on and off when the trunk is
opened and closed.
If the trunk lid is left open, the lighting will be
switched off automatically after 20 minutes
to prevent the battery from running flat.
Emergency opening of the
narrow backrest, SportSedanThe narrow section of the backrest can be
opened in an emergency if the car is without
electricity (not possible to open trunk lid)
and you need to access the trunk for a warn-
ing triangle, for example.
 Remove the cover and depress the yellow
lever forward.
Tools and spare wheel, see page 256.  Do not exceed the load capacity of the
car, as this will alter its handling char-
acteristics (see page 284).
 Match your speed and driving style to
how the car is loaded. The handling
characteristics of the car can be
affected since a load in the trunk will
alter the car’s center of gravity.Cover over emergency opening lever, on
parcel shelf
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149 Starting and driving
Ignition switch ________ 150
Steering wheel lock ____ 151
Starting the engine ____ 152
Important considerations
for driving __________ 153
Refueling ____________ 156
Engine Break-in Period _ 160
Manual transmission___ 161
Automatic
transmission3______ 162
Cruise Control ________ 169
Braking ______________ 170
All-wheel drive (XWD)3173
Traction Control System
(TCS) ______________ 173
Electronic Stability
Program ESP
®
______ 175
Parking brake_________ 177 Parking _______________ 177
Saab Parking
Assistance3________ 180
Economical driving _____ 183
Driving in cold weather__ 185
Driving in hot climates __ 187
Towing a trailer3______ 188
Driving with a roof rack
load ________________ 192
Driving with a load _____ 192
Driving with the trunk lid
open________________ 193
Driving in deep water ___ 193
Towing the car _________ 193
Jump starting _________ 197
For long trips __________ 199
Starting and driving
3Asterisk means: equipment not fitted in all cars
(can depend on model variant, engine variant,
market specification, options or accessories).93_US_MY09.book Page 149 Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:30 AM
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150 Starting and drivingIgnition switchThe ignition switch is located on the center
console between the front seats. In cars
with automatic transmission, the remote
control can only be removed when the
selector lever is in position P.
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 positionThe parking 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 positionParts 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 163.
If the ignition switch is turned from ON to
OFF before the car is stationary then turning
to LOCK may not be possible. In which case
turn the ignition switch to the ON position
until the ABS lamp goes out,
NOTICETake care not to spill drinks or to drop
crumbs over the ignition switch. If dirt or
liquid gets into it, the switch may not
operate properly.
If snow from clothing falls into the ignition
switch and melts, the ignition switch can
seize (freeze). Brush snow off clothing
before getting into the car.
WARNING
 Always remove the remote control
before leaving children unattended in
the car.
 Apply the parking brake before remov-
ing the remote control.
 Never remove the remote control
while the car is moving. This will acti-
vate the steering wheel lock and make
it impossible to steer the car.
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151 Starting and driving
approx. 2 seconds. Following which, turn it
back to OFF.ON positionThe entire electrical system is operative.
Do not leave the remote control in the ON
position when the engine is not running.
Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position
to disconnect the electrical system.
When you turn the ignition switch 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 positionThe starter motor operates (automatic
transmission: selector lever must be in P or
N) when the ignition switch is turned to this
position. When released, the ignition switch
will spring back to the ON position.
The car has an electronic restart lock. If the
engine fails to start, the ignition switch must
first be turned back to a position between
OFF and LOCK before the starter motor can
be operated again.
Steering wheel lockThe steering wheel lock is electronic. The
lock engages when the remote control is
removed from the ignition and unlocks when
the remote control is inserted. A click can be
heard when the steering wheel lock locks
and unlocks.
If the car is parked with one front wheel
touching the curb, for example, you may
need to turn the steering wheel slightly
when you insert the remote control to allow
the steering wheel lock to unlock. If you do
not succeed on first attempt you must
remove the remote control before trying
again. Turn the steering wheel and insert
the remote control into the ignition switch.
If the steering wheel lock does not disen-
gage it will not be possible to turn the remote
control in the ignition switch.
The following message is shown on the SID:If a fault arises affecting the steering wheel
lock, the following message will be
displayed on the SID:
If the steering wheel lock malfunctions while
the remote control is in the ignition switch,
this may prevent the removal of the remote
control or prevent the car from being
restarted once the engine has been
switched off.
If you have to leave the car, lock the car by
pressing down the lock buttons on the
doors. Lock the front left door from outside
with the traditional key (see page 50). The
car is now locked but the alarm is inactive.
Pull out key, turn
steering wheel. Restart.
Steering lock malfunc.
Make a safe stop.
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152 Starting and drivingStarting the engine
Starting the engineAvoid racing the engine or loading it heavily
before it has warmed up. Do not drive away
before the warning and indicator lights have
gone out.
The engine has an automatic choke and
should be started as follows:
Cars with manual transmission
To start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.
1 Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2 Depress the clutch pedal but do not
touch the accelerator.
3 Start the engine. Let the ignition switch
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.Cars with automatic transmission
The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
1 The selector lever must be in the P or N
position.
2 Keep your foot on the brake pedal.
Note! Once the engine has started, the
brake pedal will sink. This is perfectly
normal.
3 Start the engine. Let the ignition switch
spring back as soon as the engine has
started and is running smoothly.
Allow the engine to idle for about
10 seconds. Do not apply full throttle for at
least 3 minutes after starting.
WARNING
 When starting the engine:
– Sit down in the driver’s seat.
– Depress the clutch pedal fully (M/T). If
the gear lever is not in the neutral posi-
tion, the clutch pedal must be fully
depressed or the car will jump for-
wards or backwards, which may
cause a crash.
– Never start the car from outside the
vehicle, e.g. through a window that is
down. This could lead to serious per-
sonal injury.
 Cars with automatic transmission:
select position P to remove the ignition
key. The key can only be removed in
this gear position.
 Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless,
odorless, poisonous gas. Be alert to
the danger of CO – always open the
garage doors before starting the
engine in the garage.
 Do not rest or sleep in the car when
parked with the engine running. There
is a risk of depressing the accelerator
which could lead to engine damage.
 There is also a danger of CO poison-
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154 Starting and drivingThe light comes on in the event of an engine
or gearbox fault (cars with automatic gear-
box), which may cause driveability prob-
lems but that does not affect exhaust emis-
sion. The car can still be driven but perhaps
with limited performance.
Contact a dealer whenever an opportunity
occurs. We recommend that you contact a
Saab dealer.
Limp-homeThe engine management system has a
diagnostic feature that checks a number of
internal functions. If a fault is detected in the
throttle valve, the engine management
system will set the throttle system to the
limp-home mode. This means:
 idling control will be poor (uneven idling
since regulated by ignition and fuel
supply)
 engine performance will be reduced
 the cruise control will not function
 the capacity of the A/C compressor will be
limited.
If the diagnosis function detects a fault in the
engine management system, the light
"Service Engine Light also known as
CHECK ENGINE" indicator light in the
instrument panel will come on (see
page 83). Have the car checked at a work-
shop as soon as possible. We recommend
that you contact a Saab dealer.
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).
NOTICE If the engine sounds strange there is a
malfunction. We recommend that you
contact a Saab dealer immediately.
 The use of fuel with too low an octane
rating can cause serious engine dam-
age.
Limited performance.
NOTICEIf "Service Engine Light also known
as CHECK ENGINE" indicator light warn-
ing light starts to flash (indicating that the
engine is misfiring and the catalytic con-
verter 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 minimum throttle permitted
by the current traffic situation. Have the
car checked as soon as possible. We rec-
ommend that you contact a Saab dealer.NOTICEUse only unleaded gasoline. Leaded gas-
oline is detrimental to the catalyst and
oxygen sensor and will seriously impair
the function of the catalytic converter.
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