warning lights SAAB 9-5 2003 User Guide

62 Instruments and controlsAutochecking of lights,
main instrument panel The above warning and indicator lights
should come on when the ignition is
switched on prior to starting. They should go
out after about 3 seconds.
The following lights light up until the engine
is started, presuming that no fault exists:
 Central warning light .
 Oil pressure warning light .
 Warning, charging .
InstrumentsTachometerThe tachometer indicates the engine speed
in thousands of revolutions per minute. The
needle may be allowed to enter the broken
red zone on the dial only for an instant.
A safety cut-out function (in the fuel system)
prevents the engine speed from exceeding
approximately 6,200 rpm.
Odometer and trip meter The odometer records the distance traveled
in miles on U.S. vehicles and on Canadian
vehicles the distance indicated is in kilome-
tres, and the trip meter in miles and tenths
(kilometres and tenths of kilometres on
Canadian vehicles). Reset button The reset button has two functions, deter-
mined by whether the ignition is ON or OFF.
 When the ignition is ON, pressing the
button will reset the trip meter.
 When the ignition is OFF, the display
lights up for 20 seconds enabling you to
read the odometer and trip meter. Press-
ing the button a second time within these
20 seconds will reset the trip meter.
IB1922
IB340
IB341
1 Cars with automatic transmission
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69 Instruments and controls
CHECK messages When the engine is started, CHECKING will
appear on the display for about four sec-
onds, while the SID checks are being per-
formed.
When a CHECK message is generated
while the car is being driven, a chime will
sound, INFO DISPL will illuminate on the
main instrument panel, and the message
will appear on the SID. The number of mes-
sages that can be displayed by the SID
varies with the specification of the car.
If more than one CHECK message has
been generated, the
+ symbol will appear to
the left of the text on the display. The mes-
sages appear in order of priority.
If a new fault occurs while another message
is being displayed, the message relating to
the new one will appear for 10 seconds,
after which the display will return to the ear-
lier one.
Press CLEAR once to acknowledge a mes-
sage, whereupon it will be cleared from the
display. It will not be displayed again before
the ignition has been switched off and then
on again. The following messages may be displayed:
1 This message will be displayed approxi-
mately 600 miles (1,000 km) before the next
scheduled service is due, or when 365 days
have elapsed since the last service. The
message should be cleared at the time of that
service (see the Saab Warranties & Service
Record Booklet).
This message can also be deleted by first
briefly pressing the CLEAR button, then
depressing it a second time for at least eight
seconds until ”SERVICE” appears on the dis-
play and a chime sounds. The message can
only be deleted when it is shown on the SID.
Night panelTo improve night-driving conditions inside
the car, the Night Panel mode can be
selected. In this mode, the amount of infor-
mation displayed is reduced, and only the
most important instruments and displays
will be illuminated.
When the Night Panel button is pressed,
only the speedometer will be illuminated (up
to the 87-mph or 140-km/h graduation), all
the other instruments illumination being
extinguished and their needles moved to
zero. Both the SID and the ACC displays will
be extinguished and the backlighting for
switches and other controls will be dimmed.
Note: All indicator and warning lights,
together with the display of CHECK mes-
sages, will operate as normal, except ”Out-
door temperature (Frost warning)”, see
page 66. Message See
page
FRONT LIGHT FAILURE 215
REAR LIGHT FAILURE 219
FOG LIGHT FAILURE 219
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE 219
WASHER FLUID LEVEL LOW 213
FILL COOLANT FLUID 206
REPLACE KEY BATTERY 45
KEY NOT ACCEPTED 52
SERVICE THEFT ALARM 52
TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING 166
TIGHTEN FUEL FILLER CAP 158
TIME FOR SERVICE
1)
254
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72 Instruments and controlsCourtesy Headlight FeatureA delay function allows the headlights to
remain on low beam for about 30 seconds
after the driver’s door has been closed.
To activate this function,
 Switch off the ignition and remove the key
 Open the driver’s door
 Pull the high/low beam control stalk
towards the steering wheel like you are
flashing the high beam, see page 71. The
low beam headlights will now come on
immediately after the driver’s door has
been closed (within 30 seconds) and will
remain on for about 30 seconds.
The length of time for this function can be
adjusted by your authorized Saab dealer.
Rear fog lightPress the button to switch on the rear fog
light, which will only come on if the head-
lights are on.
The rear fog light will go off automatically
when the engine is switched off. When the
fog light is next needed, it will have to be
switched on manually again.
The rear fog light consists of one light so it
should not be mistaken for brake lights.
Make sure you are familiar with the appli-
cable provincial/state law regarding the
use of rear fog lights.

WARNING
In poor visibility, avoid following the tail
lights of the vehicle in front. If the vehicle
stops suddenly, you may be unable to
avoid a crash and therefore risk injury to
yourself and others.
IB351
Rear fog light
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74 Instruments and controlsFront fog lightsThe front fog lights can be activated in both
low beam headlight and parking light posi-
tions. Fog lights should only be used in poor
visibility conditions.
Make sure you are familiar with the appli-
cable provincial/state law regarding the
use of fog lights. Reversing lightsThe reversing lights come on automatically
when reverse gear is engaged or selected
with the ignition switched on.
Hazard warning lightsWhen this button is pressed, all the turn
signal indicators and a symbol in the button
flash simultaneously. If the ignition is on,
both indicator lights on the instrument panel
will also flash.
If the hazard warning lights are left on for
some time, the flasher frequency will be
reduced to save the battery.
Hazard warning lights should only be used
if the car constitutes a hazard to other road
users.

WARNING
Switch on the hazard flashers if the car
has to be left at the roadside on account
of a crash, engine trouble or a puncture. If
you carry a warning triangle or flares, they
should be set up along the side of the road
300 ft. (100 m) behind your vehicle. If the
car is not clearly visible (e.g. over the
brow of a hill or bridge), place the trian-
gle/flare even further back.
IB355
IB356
Hazard warning lights
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75 Instruments and controls
Wipers and washers There are three intermittent wiper positions.
Moving the control stalk to the
spring-loaded position between 0 and 2 will
produce a single sweep of the wipers.
The wipers are designed for optimal clean-
ing at all driving speeds. At higher speeds,
it may be possible to detect a slight ”sweep-
ing” sound. This may be due to the
increased air pressure on the blades at
higher speeds.Headlight washersIf low beam is on, the headlights are washed
every fifth time the windshield washers are
used or if 2 minutes have elapsed since the
windshield was last washed. The headlight
washers cannot be activated separately.
The headlight washers are of the high-pres-
sure type, which means that other parts of
the car may become wet if you activate the
washers while the car is stationary.Rain sensing wipers (option)
The rain sensor automatically controls the
windshield wipers. The sensor is located on
the windshield beside the rearview mirror.
The system varies between single sweeps
of the windshield and continuous wiping
depending on how much water or snow
there is on the windshield.Activate the system by lifting the control
stalk to position 1. The wipers make one
sweep for reference to see how much water
and snow is on the windshield. In future, the
sensor compares the amount of water and
snow on the windshield with this reference
value.
When the engine has been switched off,
the control stalk must be moved to posi-
tion 0 and back to position 1 to reactivate
the sensor.
Set the sensitivity using the control on the
wiper stalk (the same control as used for
wiper delay on cars not fitted with a rain sen-
sor). The sensor has three sensitivity set-
tings. It is most sensitive when in the upper-
WARNING
Turn the rain sensor off if the ignition is
ON when clearing snow and ice from the
windshield, to avoid personal injury.
NOTICETo avoid damaging the windshield
wipers, turn the rain sensor off before
washing the car in an automatic carwash.
IB359
0
41
2
3
0 OFF
1 Intermittent operation
2 Low speed
3 High speed
4 Washers
12
IB569
Control for setting wiper delay1 Long delay
2 Short delay
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152 Starting and drivingIgnition switchThe combined ignition switch and
gear-lever lock is located in the center con-
sole between the front seats. The ignition
key can only be removed when reverse is
engaged (automatic transmission: selector
in ”P” position).
The key fits all the locks on the car. The key
number is specified on the small plastic
strap that comes with the keys when the car
is delivered. Keep a note of the key number
in a safe place, as you will need to quote it if
ordering a replacement key.
See also page 42.
LOCK position Engage reverse and turn the key to LOCK.
Automatic transmission: select ”P”.
The gear lever is locked. This is the only position in which the key can be
removed.
The parking lights, hazard warning lights and interior lighting all work. OFF position Gear lever no longer locked.
Certain electrical circuits operationalON position All electrical circuits working. Do not leave the key in the ON position
when the engine is not running. Turn the key to OFF to switch off the
electrical circuits. In the ON position certain warning and indicator lights
come on as a check, and they normally are extinguished after about
3 seconds.ST (starter) position The starter operates when the key is turned to this position. When
released, the key will spring back to the ON position. If the engine fails to
start, the key must first be turned back to the position between OFF and
LOCK before the starter can be operated again.
When the starter motor is running, several electrical circuits are
disconnected to facilitate starting.
LOCK
OFFONST
LOCK
OFFONST
LOCK
OFFONST
LOCK
OFFONST
IB1120
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191 Starting and driving
Jump startingIf your battery has run down, you may want
to use another vehicle and some jumper
cables to start your Saab. Follow the steps
below to do it safely.
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 elec-
trical systems.3 Turn off the ignition on both vehicles.
Turn off all lights that are not needed,
and radios. This will avoid sparks and
help save both batteries and it could
save your radio.
4 Open the hood and locate the battery.
Find the positive (+) and negative (–) termi-
nals on the battery.
WARNING
Batteries can cause injury. They can be
dangerous because:
 They contain acid that can burn you.
 They contain gas that can explode or
ignite.
 They contain enough electricity to
injure you.
If you do not follow these steps exactly,
some or all of these things can hurt you.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.NOTICEIf you leave your radio on, it could be
badly damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
+
–
+
–
IB484
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213 Car care and technical information
Use a small screwdriver to adjust the
washer jet on the rear window wiper of the
9-5 Wagon, as illustrated.
WashersThe washer-fluid reservoir holds 6.4 quarts
(6 liters). When "WASHER FLUID LEVEL
LOW" comes up on the SID, the reservoir is
down to about 1 quart (1 liter) of fluid. Add
at least 50 % of washer- fluid to water to pre-
vent freezing and for effective cleaning.
WARNING
Take care not to spill washer fluid
concentrate onto hot surfaces. Washer
fluid concentrate contains flammable
ingredients such as alcohol.
IB1784
Washer-fluid filler cap
IB1783
The headlights have high-pressure
washers
Adjusting the washer jet on the rear
window wiper, 9-5 Wagon
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214 Car care and technical informationChanging bulbsCheck that the new bulb is working when finished.
Use only "Long Life" bulbs.
Headlight aiming, see page 250.
Bi-Xenon headlight (certain models only)Bi-Xenon headlights produce roughly twice as much light as halo-
gen bulbs and have a significantly longer service life.
The lamp units consist of a gas discharge lamp containing xenon.
When the lights are switched on a very high voltage activates the
xenon gas. The lamps soon reach full intensity.
Cars with xenon headlights have automatic levelling. The levelling
system comprises two sensors on the front axle, one on the rear axle
and a control unit under the headlight housing. Headlight alignment
is regulated automatically to prevent dazzling oncoming traffic.
Alignment is also adjusted during braking.
WARNING
Before changing a bulb in the engine bay, 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.
Bi-Xenon headlights are high voltage and must therefore be
changed at an authorized Saab workshop. Work involving
high-voltage components is potentially lethal.NOTICE Since the headlight lenses are made of plastic, rinse dried-on
dirt with water and allow it time to soften up before cleaning
the lenses. Avoid rubbing the lenses when dry and never use
solvents.
 Use de-icer spray instead of scraping the ice off.
NOTICE Do not fit bulbs with a higher rating than 55 W, since the head-
light reflector and the wiring of the car are not designed for a
higher wattage.
 Switch off the ignition before changing a bulb, to avoid possi-
ble short-circuiting.
 Do not touch the glass of the bulbs with your fingers. The oil
on your skin can shorten the life of the bulb.
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217 Car care and technical information
Parking-light bulb (cars with halo-
gen low beam)The parking-light bulb is adjacent to the bulb
for low beam.
1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the
lamp unit.
2 Withdraw the bulb holder.
3 Change the bulb.
Parking-light bulb (cars with
Bi-Xenon low beam)The parking light bulb is adjacent to the
Bi-Xenon lamp.
1 Unscrew the cover from the back of the
lamp unit.
2 Take hold of the lamp leads and pull out
the bulb holder. The lamp leads are rein-
forced to facilitate changing bulbs.
3 Change the bulb. Look through the
headlight lens to help fit the bulb cor-
rectly.
Front fog lights 1 From under the front bumper, grip the
bulb holder and twist counterclockwise.
2 Unplug the connector.
3 Change the bulb.
Refit in the reverse order.
WARNING
 Never crawl under a car that is sup-
ported only by a jack.
 Always use axle stands. Refer to the
information on jacks on page 237.
IB1787
Parking-light bulb (cars with halogen low
beam)
IB1788
Front fog lights
IB1909
Parking-light bulb (cars with Bi-Xenon low
beam)
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