SAAB 9-5 2004 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: SAAB, Model Year: 2004, Model line: 9-5, Model: SAAB 9-5 2004Pages: 288, PDF Size: 16.91 MB
Page 141 of 288

141 Interior equipment and trunk
On the floor of the luggage compartment 
there are two longitudinal aluminium rails 
(CargoTracks™) where special cargo bolts 
can be mounted.
The cargo bolts are mounted by lifting their 
locks and inserting them into the rail. Each 
cargo bolt is moved in the following way: pull 
up its lock and at the same time move it for-
ward or backward to the desired position.Items for load anchoring:
 Cargo bolts (accessory).
 Special load straps (accessory).
Items to keep light objects tidy (accesso-
ries):
 Elastic floor cargo net.
 Elastic side cargo net for the right-hand 
side of the luggage compartment.
The elastic nets may only be used to keep 
light objects tidy, not for anchoring.
The floor net should be attached to the 
cargo bolts that are mounted on the Car-
goTracks™. Place the tie down eyes as far 
forward and as far back as possible on the 
CargoTracks™.The side netting should be attached to the 
two tie down eyes which are included in the 
accessory kit and to two of the eyes 
mounted on the right-hand CargoTrack™ 
on the floor.
The cargo bolts, load straps and elastic nets 
are stored in the two floor lockers on the 
right- and left-hand side of the luggage com-
partment. The lockers are opened by lifting 
the respective fabric loop.
 NOTICEDo not place any objects so that the 
demisting and antenna elements on the 
inside of the window could be damaged.
IB1214
Cargo bolts mounted on the longitudinal 
rails 
IB1216
Example of cargo anchoring 
IB1215
Elastic cargo net for lighter objects. 
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142 Interior equipment and trunkCargo net (accessory)The pull-out cargo net’s storage cassette is 
mounted on the rear of the backrest.
1 Remove the covers near the two rear 
fixing points in the roof. Carefully bend in 
the lower edge of the cover with a screw-
driver.
2 Pull the cargo net out directly back-
wards.
3 Snap the net’s two fasteners into the two 
fixing points on the roof.
4 Make sure that the hooks on the net’s 
own storage cassette fit against the net 
mesh.The pull-out cargo net can also be used 
when the whole rear seat is folded. There 
are two front attachment points in the roof 
for this purpose.
Removing the cargo net storage cas-
sette
1 Fold down the entire rear seat (see 
page 138).
2 Push the cassette to the right.
WARNING
 The cargo in the luggage compart-
ment must be anchored properly, 
even if the cargo net is correctly in 
position. The only purpose of the net is 
to prevent light objects from being 
thrown about in the cabin during heavy 
braking or in the event of a crash.
 Take extra care when tipping the wide 
section of the rear seat forwards if the 
car has a pull-out cargo net on the rear 
of the backrest. Make sure that no one 
is injured by the cargo net’s storage 
cassette on the right-hand side where 
the backrest is already folded.
IB1217
Cover over the fixing point for the cargo 
net 
IB1218
Attaching the cargo net to the roof
IB1219
Hooks on the net’s storage cassette
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Page 143 of 288

143 Interior equipment and trunk
Sliding floor (accessory)
The function of the sliding floor is to facilitate 
loading and unloading.
Securing loads, see page 137.
When the car is parked and the floor is 
pulled out, it can bear the weight of two 
people (maximum 440 lbs./200 kg).Setting up
1 Lift up the floor.
2 Fold out the support wheels.
3 Set the floor down on the support 
wheels.
WARNING
To avoid personal injury take note of the 
following:
 Do not leave children unsupervised 
when the sliding floor is drawn out.
 Be aware of the risk of pinching when 
handling the sliding floor.
 Never drive the car with the sliding 
floor pulled out.
 Always use the car’s regular cargo 
anchoring when transporting a cargo.
 Provide protection on sharp edges to 
prevent damage to the anchoring 
straps.
 The sliding floor must not be changed 
or modified in any way.
 Put the sliding floor in the folded- down 
position when it is not in use.
IB1220
Setting up the sliding floor 
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144 Interior equipment and trunkLoading/Unloading
1 Lift the handle and pull out the sliding 
floor to the outer locking position. Make 
sure that the floor is locked correctly.
2 Put on the cargo, but make sure that it 
does not cover the handle.
3 Lift the handle and push in the floor to 
the inner locking position. Make sure 
that the floor is locked correctly.
4 Tie down the load with Saab’s load 
straps according to the instructions, see 
page 140.When the floor is not in use
1 Lift up the floor.
2 Fold down the support wheels.
3 Lay down the sliding floor and make sure 
that it is locked in its lower position.
Trunk Release HandleThere is a glow-in-the-dark trunk release 
handle located inside the trunk on the latch. 
This handle will glow following exposure to 
light. Pull the release handle down to open 
the trunk from the inside.NOTICEThe trunk release handle was not 
designed to be used to tie down the trunk 
lid or as a an anchor point when securing 
items in the trunk. Improper use of the 
trunk release could damage it.
IB1221
Loading 
IB1222
Folding down the sliding floor 
IB1833
Trunk Release Handle
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145 Interior equipment and trunk
Spare wheel and toolsThe spare wheel, together with the jack and 
jack handle, front towrope attachment eye 
and toolkit, are stowed away underneath 
the trunk. There is also room for a spare 
bulb kit (accessory).
 Driving considerations with compact spare 
wheel/tire fitted, see page 187.
WARNING
Stow all tools carefully away after use, so 
that they cannot get loose and cause 
injury in the event of a crash.
IB1753
Stowage of spare wheel and tools under 
trunk floor 
IB1554
Jack location, between spare wheel and 
sill
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Page 146 of 288

146 Interior equipment and trunkFuel filler door(certain variants only)The fuel filler door is opened by means of a 
button on the driver’s door. The door is 
spring-loaded, so it opens slightly automat-
ically when released.
Refueling, see page 154.
Opening the fuel filler 
door in an emergency(certain variants only)If the fuel filler door fails to open after the 
button on the driver’s door has been 
pressed, it can be opened manually from 
inside the trunk.
9-5 Sedan:
Start by checking fuse 25 (see page 229). 
A thin cable on the right-hand side in the 
trunk is connected to the catch for the filler 
door. To open the door, pull the yellow plas-
tic arrow on the end of the cable. 9-5 Wagon:
Start by checking fuse 25 (see page  229).
On the right-hand side of the luggage com-
partment, in the storage locker, is a thin wire 
that is tied to the locking arm of the filler 
door. To open the door pull the yellow plas-
tic arrow attached to the end of the wire.
IB1231
To open filler door in an emergency,
9-5 Wagon
IB467
To open fuel filler door in an emergency
9-5 Sedan
IB466
Button for releasing filler door 
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Page 147 of 288

147 Starting and driving
Starting and driving 
IB1754
 Ignition switch ________    148 
Starting the engine ____    149 
Important considerations 
for driving ___________    151 
Refueling ____________   154 
Engine Break-In Period _    157 
Gear changing ________    158 
Cruise control ________    167 
Braking ______________   168 
Traction Control System    171 
Electronic Stability 
Program (ESP) _______    172 Economical motoring __    174 
Driving in cold weather_    176 
Driving in hot weather _    177 
Towing a trailer _______    178 
Driving with a roof rack 
load ________________   183 
Driving at night _______    185 
Driving with a load ____    185 
Driving considerations 
with compact spare 
wheel/tire fitted ______    187 Driving with the trunk 
lid/tailgate open ______    188 
Driving in deep water __    188 
Towing the car________    188 
Jump starting ________    191 
Saab Parking Assistance    194 
Parking brake ________    196 
Parking ______________   196 
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Page 148 of 288

148 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 40. 
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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Page 149 of 288

149 Starting and driving
      
If the car does not startIf the text ”Key not accepted. Contact ser-
vice.” is shown on the SID, after a failed start 
attempt, the cause could be a fault in the 
transmitter in the key, or in the receiver in 
the ignition lock. The following should be 
done:
 Turn the key back to the LOCK position.
 Turn the key to ON.
 Press one of the buttons on the remote 
control (the LED stops blinking).
 Start the engine.
Try another key. If this works, then the fault 
is in the first key.
Contact an authorized Saab dealer for 
checking and rectification.
Note:
Certain electronic items, such as cellular 
phones, may affect the starting produce-
dure. Be sure that all devices are clear of the 
key/ignition switch area.
Starting the engine 
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. 
WARNING
 Always remove the key before leaving 
the car. 
 Always apply the parking brake before 
removing the ignition key. 
WARNING
 When starting the engine:
- Sit down in the driver’s seat.
- Depress the clutch pedal fully. 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 wound down 
window. This could lead to serious 
personal injury.
 Engage reverse (R) (position P for 
automatic transmission) 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. 
 There is also a danger of CO poison-
ing if the exhaust system is leaking. 
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Page 150 of 288

150 Starting and drivingIt is possible for air to enter the lubricating 
system in conjunction with an oil or oil-filter 
change, or if the car has been stored for 
some time. This air can cause the hydraulic 
cam followers to emit a ticking noise, which 
can persist for up to 15 minutes after start-
ing. Although this is quite normal and does 
not indicate any malfunction, it is advisable 
not to exceed 3,000 rpm before the noise 
has disappeared. 
The hydraulic cam lifters are completely 
service free; the valve clearance is set up at 
the factory and will not need any subse-
quent adjustment. 
Starting the engineAvoid racing the engine or putting a heavy 
load on it before it has warmed up. Drive 
away as soon as the oil warning light has 
been extinguished to enable the engine to 
attain its normal temperature as quickly as 
possible.
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 Depress the clutch pedal fully but do not 
touch the accelerator.
2 Start the engine. Let the ignition key 
spring back as soon as the engine has 
started and is running smoothly – at very 
low temperatures, you may need to run 
the starter for up to 25 seconds. Wait 
20–30 seconds before running the 
starter again, to give the battery time to 
recover.
Note:
On cars with manual transmission, if the 
starter fails to engage when the ignition key 
is turned to the start position, make sure the 
clutch pedal is full depressed. Misposi-
tioned floor mats or other obstructions 
under the clutch pedal may affect starting.
Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do 
not open the throttle wide for at least 2–
3 minutes after starting. Cars with automatic transmission 
1 The selector lever must be in the P or N 
position. 
2 Keep your foot on the brake pedal. 
3 Start the engine. Let the ignition key 
spring back as soon as the engine has 
started and is running smoothly – at very 
low temperatures, you may need to run 
the starter for up to 25 seconds. Wait 
20–30 seconds before running the 
starter again, to give the battery time to 
recover.
Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do 
not open the throttle wide for at least 
2–3 minutes after starting. 
Useful tips on cold climate starting If the engine has failed to start after several 
attempts in very cold weather, press and 
hold the accelerator down to the floor and 
run the starter for 5–10 seconds. This will 
prevent the engine being flooded (exces-
sively rich fuel-air mixture). 
Now start the engine in the normal way – do 
not touch the accelerator. 
If the engine stalls immediately after starting 
(e.g. if the clutch was released too quickly), 
do not touch the accelerator when restarting 
the engine.   The tail pipe of the exhaust system 
can become very hot during driving. 
Bear this in mind when loading and 
unloading the car.
 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.
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