tow SAAB 9-5 2004 User Guide

132 Interior equipment and trunkCigarette lighters
(accessory/certain markets only)The car is provided with cigarette lighters
next to the front ashtray and in the rear end
of the center console.
The cigarette lighter socket can also be
used as power point, e.g. for a mobile
phone. The ignition should be in the ON
position.
The cigarette lighter sockets can also be
used for accessories (e.g. to charge a
mobile phone) when the ignition is ON.
Glove compartment The glove compartment can be cooled by
the air conditioning (ACC) system. Cold air
can be directed to the glove compartment
for keeping drinks cool, etc.
Slide the cover towards you to admit cold
air.
Additional storage facilities are provided
(see next page).
WARNING
The maximum combined load for the two
cigarette lighter sockets is 240 W (20 A).
WARNING
The glove compartment must be closed
while travelling. An open glove compart-
ment door could cause leg injuries in the
event of a crash.
I B 111 5
1
2
Glove compartment.1To lock
2 To unlock
IB1286
Sliding cover in glove compartment to
admit cold air
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136 Interior equipment and trunk
WARNING
 Place heavy items closest to the backrest and stow smaller
and lighter items on top.
Never overload the cargo net. If the elastic breaks this may
cause personal injury. Do not use a cargo net that shows signs
of wear.
 Secure heavy and bulky items using the tie down points
provided in the trunk. This will avert the danger of luggage
flying around if the car should brake suddenly or be involved
in a crash (see page 137).
 Secure small items if the backrest is folded down or the
load-through hatch is open. Small items can also be thrown
around inside the car and cause personal injury.
 Do not exceed the load capacity of the car, as this will alter its
handling characteristics (see page 270).
 Make sure that the seat cushions and backrests are properly
secured when folding them back to their normal position.
Check that the button (item 3 on page 135) is flush with the
surround before entering the back seat.
The tail pipe of the exhaust system can become very hot during
driving. Bear this in mind when loading and unloading the car so
that children, for example, do not burn themselves.
IB462
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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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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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151 Starting and driving
Limp-home modeThe engine management system has a
diagnostic feature that continually checks a
number of internal functions. If, for example,
a fault is detected in the throttle valve, the
engine management system will go into
Limp-home mode.This limits idling control,
disables the cruise-control system and
limits the capacity of the A/C compressor.
If the limp-home mode is in operation
(”Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)”
light on, see below) and the outside temper-
ature is close to or below freezing, you may
need to use some throttle on starting (some
pressure on the accelerator).
If the diagnostic system has detected a fault
in the engine-management system, the
”Engine malfunction (CHECK ENGINE)”
light on the main instrument panel will
come on (see page 57), indicating that you
should have the car checked as soon as
possible by an authorized Saab dealer.
Important
considerations for
drivingThe engine-management system in the
Saab 9-5 is called Saab Trionic T7. The
system manages the ignition, fuel injection
and turbo boost pressure.
The Trionic T7 system developed by Saab
is an intelligent engine-management
system designed to achieve optimum driv-
ability under differing driving conditions.
The system makes adjustments automati-
cally, for instance, if the car is being driven
at altitude (oxygen-deficient air), for differ-
ent grades of fuel (AON 87–93) and for dif-
ferent load conditions.
1 Starting and driving
 Refrain from using full throttle before
the engine has warmed up (before
needle in mid-range on temperature
gauge).
 A safety function prevents the engine
from revving faster than 6,000 rpm by
limiting the induction air.
2 Stopping the engine
 Do not rev the engine immediately
before switching it off – stop the engine
when it is idling.
3 Regulating the boost pressure
 The system is optimized for fuel with an
octane rating of AON 90. The 2.3 Turbo
and 2.3 T are optimized for AON 93.
NOTICEIf the CHECK ENGINE warning light
starts to flash, ease off the accelerator
slightly. If the light does not cease to flash
within 5 seconds, stop the car in a suit-
able place as soon as possible and turn
off the engine. The car must be towed to
an authorized Saab dealer.
If the CHECK ENGINE warning light
flashes, it indicates that the engine is mis-
firing which can result in damage to the
catalytic converter.
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158 Starting and drivingGear changingManual transmissionTo start the engine the clutch pedal must
be fully depressed.
The gear positions are marked on the gear
lever. Before reverse (R) can be engaged,
you must lift the ring underneath the
gear-lever knob.
To change gear, fully depress the clutch
pedal and then release it smoothly. It is
inadvisable to drive with your hand resting
on the gear lever, as this can increase the
wear on the transmission.
When changing down from 5th to 4th gear,
ease the gear lever straight back, without
applying any lateral pressure. This will pre-
vent 2nd gear being engaged by mistake,
which can result in overreving and possible
damage to the engine.
Before engaging reverse, wait till the car is
at a standstill, release the accelerator and
fully depress the clutch. From neutral, press
the gear lever firmly to the right before
easing it back into reverse.
Towing Towing of cars with manual transmission,
see page 188. NOTICEWhen the reverse gear is to be engaged
the car must be at a standstill with the
accelerator fully released. Lift the reverse
lock-out collar and push the gear lever
firmly to the right in neutral before easing
it into reverse.
IB471
13
25
R
4
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161 Starting and driving
Park Brake Shift lockThe transmission has a security function
known as Park Brake Shift Lock. To move
the gear selector out of the P position, the
brake pedal must be depressed at the same
time as the gear selector catch (detente) is
pressed in.
Shift Lock overrideCheck fuse No. 1 (see page 229). If the
problem was cured by changing the fuse or
battery, you do not have to contact a Saab
dealer.
If the fuse blows again as soon as the Shift
Lock feature is activated you should contact
your Saab dealer.
If the fuse is OK, check the battery regarding
the voltage.
1 Apply the parking brake
2 Make sure the key is in position ON
3 Use a small tool such as a screwdriver
and push the lever (see picture) down-
wards so that the detent button can be
pressed approx. 10 mm
4 Move the selector out of position P to N
5 Remove the tool
6 Release the parking brake if the car is to
be moved immediately; otherwise keep
it applied
Automatic transmission,
fault indicator
If ”Automatic transmission, fault indicator”
light appears on the main instrument panel,
the system has detected a fault in the auto-
matic transmission or its control module
(see page 59).
This also means that the Limp-home mode
has been selected, to guard against further
damage being done to the transmission. In
this mode, the automatic transmission
starts in 5th gear, and gear changes (if nec-
essary) will have to be made manually.
Stop the car in a safe place. Switch off then
restart the engine. If the fault is intermittent,
the transmission will operate as normal
despite the fault indicator being on. Have
the car checked at an authorized Saab
dealer.
It is not possible to select the SPORT,
WINTER or Sentronic mode when the
Limp-home mode is active.
Gear changes must be made manually.
The following gears will be engaged in the
respective selector positions when the auto-
matic transmission is in Limp-home mode:
NOTICEDue to electrical problems it may not be
possible to move the selector out of the
park position, even if the ignition is ON. If
for some reason the selector has to be
moved out of the park position (i.e. to tow
the car a short distance) do as described
below.
Position R D M L
Gear Reverse 5th 5th 2nd
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162 Starting and driving
Overheated transmission fluid If the automatic-transmission fluid should
overheat, the following message will appear
on the SID:
”Gearbox too hot. Make a safe stop.”. In this
event, stop the car in a suitable place,
switch off the engine and open the hood.
Wait for several minutes then turn on the
ignition to check that the message has gone
out. When driving subsequent to the trans-
mission fluid overheating, select a gear in
which the engine speed is about 3,000 rpm.
Overheating of the automatic-transmission
fluid can occur when the car is towing a
heavy load, such as a camping trailer in hilly
country. High ambient temperatures can
also increase the temperature of the trans-
mission fluid or the oil cooler may be faulty.
Contact an authorized Saab dealer (see
also page 178).
Driving on hilly roads with a heavy
loadThe transmission fluid can overheat when
the gearbox is strained, for example, when
driving with a trailer on hilly roads. To avoid
the transmission fluid overheating, always
drive in Normal mode. The adaptive gear
change patterns are then active.
High air temperatures or a faulty oil cooler
can also cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Overheating reduces the service
life of the fluid. Contact an authorized Saab
dealer (see also page 178). Towing Towing of cars with automatic transmission,
see page 188.
NOTICEIf the control module has actuated the
Limp-home function for the automatic
transmission, the car will remain in 5th
gear when D is selected, making it very
sluggish.
Select position L to prevent unnecessary
wear on the transmission. The transmis-
sion then starts in 2nd gear. Once the car
is moving you can select position D.
When the indicator light is on, the car
must not be driven with a caravan or
trailer attached.
WARNING
Remember to use engine-braking (selec-
tor position D or L) to spare the brakes
when you are driving on a long or steep
downhill slope.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
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163 Starting and driving
Descending hillsIf the speed of the car increases while
descending a steep hill, despite the acceler-
ator being released, the control module will
change down a gear when you brake. If you
desire more powerful engine braking, man-
ually select a lower gear.
Sentronic, manual modeMove the selector lever to the M position.
Select a higher gear by flicking the
right-hand paddle towards you. Select
a lower gear by flicking the left-hand paddle
towards you.
An example of when you may wish to make
manual gear changes is when overtaking, to
enable you to remain in a low gear for an
extended period of time.
Changes from 3rd to 4th and from 4th to 5th
can be made when the engine speed is
above roughly 2,000 rpm.
If you select a gear that is judged too high by
the system, the selected gear position will
be shown briefly on the main instrument
panel and then the gear that is actually
engaged.
If the road surface is slippery, you may wish
to pull off in 2nd or 3rd to reduce the risk of
wheel spin.
When descending hills you should select a
low gear to increase the braking effect of the
engine and thus spare the brakes.
Manual gear selections are shown on the
main instrument panel. The selector posi-
tion and the current gear are displayed.When the selector lever is in the M position,
as opposed to the D position, gas engines
are much more responsive to changes in
accelerator position. The accelerator has a
different feel.
When in manual mode, kick-down operates
for 4th and 5th gears (below 2,000 rpm).
Kick-down cannot be activated in 1st, 2nd or
3rd gears.
For optimum performance, gear changes
should be made before reaching 6,000 rpm.
To avoid damaging the engine and trans-
mission, the transmission will shift up a gear
if the engine is in danger of overrevving. You
may feel a slight jolt before this gear change
is effected.
Paddles on the steering wheel for
changing gear manually
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169 Starting and driving

ABS brakes
ABS (antilock braking system) modulates
the brake pressure to the respective
wheels. Wheel sensors detect if a wheel is
about to lock, and the control module
reduces the pressure to that wheel and then
increases it once more until the tendency is
detected again.
The brake system is equipped with an Elec-
tronic Brake-force Distribution device
(EBD), which distributes the brake pressure
between the front and rear wheels, in such
a way as to achieve optimum braking perfor-
mance irrespective of the car’s speed and
load.
WARNING
 It is prudent to try your brakes from
time to time, especially when driving in
heavy rain, through water collected on
the road, in snow, on a wet road sur-
face or in salty slush. In such condi-
tions, the brakes may take longer than
normal to take effect. To rectify this,
touch the brake pedal periodically to
dry the brakes out.
 The same applies after the car has
been washed or when the weather is
very humid.
 Avoid parking the car with wet brakes.
Before parking, and if the traffic condi-
tions allow, brake quite heavily so that
the brake discs and pads warm up and
dry.
 The brakes are power assisted and it
should be kept in mind that the servo
unit only provides the power assis-
tance when the engine is running.
 The brake pressure required when the
engine is off,(e.g. when the car is
being towed) is roughly four times the
normal pedal force required. The
pedal also feels hard and unrespon-
sive.
WARNING
 The additional safety afforded by the
ABS system is not designed to allow
drivers to drive faster but to make
normal driving safer.
 To stop as quickly as possible, without
loss of directional stability, whether
the road surface is dry, wet or slippery,
press the brake pedal down hard-
without letting up (do not pump the
pedal), declutching simulta-
neously, and steer the car to safety.
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