suspension SAAB 9-5 2005 Owners Manual

156 Starting and drivingESP indicator lightThe indicator light in the tachometer
comes on for a short period of time when the
ESP system is operative.
Operation of the ESP indicates reduced
cohesion between the tires and the road,
and that extra care should be taken by the
driver.ESP OFFThe light in the rev counter comes on
if:
 A fault has been detected and the system
has therefore been switched off.
 The system has been switched off manu-
ally.
 When the ignition key is turned to the ON
position, the lamp is lit for about four
seconds while the system undergoes a
self-test.
Turning ESP offThe system can be turned off manually with
the ESP button, whereupon the light
on the main instrument panel will come on.
The ESP system cannot be switched off if
the car is travelling faster than 35 mph
(60 km/h).
The ESP is always operative during brak-
ing, even if it has been switched off manu-
ally.NOTICESuspension modifications, such as
changing the type of wheels, dampers or
springs, can affect the function of the ESP
system.
Always consult a Saab dealer before
changing any suspension components.
IB3051
ProCarManuals.com

164 Starting and drivingRecommendations for cars with manual
gearboxRises in coolant temperature are indicated
by the temperature gauge in the main instru-
ment panel.
The following steps are taken in order as the
temperature of the engine increases:
 A/C compressor is switched off.
 engine torque is reduced.
When continuing your journey, select a gear
in which the engine speed is about
3,000 rpm until the incline eases.
Driving considerations Always take extra care when towing a
trailer, as the car’s handling will be different
and its braking effect reduced. The trailer’s
braking system and suspension also have a
considerable effect on these characteris-
tics, see also ”Driving with a load” page 168.
If the car has automatic transmission, select
position D when ascending steep hills. This
ensures that the adaptive gear change pat-
terns are operational, see page 150. Use
position D or L for steep descents.
Checks before drivingMake sure that the car and camper or trailer
are in good working order. This is essential
since towing a camper or trailer increases
the strain on the car.
 Check and if necessary adjust the tire
pressure of the car and camper or trailer.
 Make sure all wheel bolts are properly
tightened.
 Make sure that the equipment joining the
car and camper or trailer is properly secu-
red and adjusted.
 Make sure the camper or trailer’s electri-
cal cable is properly connected and is not
so long that it drags along the ground.
Also, make sure the cable is not too short
and risks breaking when turning a corner.
 Check all bulbs.
 Check the car and camper or trailer bra-
kes.
 Make sure that all items on or in the cara-
van or trailer are properly secured.
 Make sure that the camper or trailer’s
jockey wheel is raised and locked.
 Check the distribution of the load so that
the car and camper or trailer are well
balanced.
 Check that the rearview mirrors provide
the best possible rearward vision.
 Make sure the camper or trailer’s safety
cable is correctly attached.
WARNING
Utilize the braking effect of the engine
(1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) when you are
descending long or steep hills to spare
the brakes.
Brake failure can result from overheated
brakes!
NOTICEIf the ”Automatic transmission, fault indi-
cator” indicator comes on, cease
towing until the problem has been recti-
fied.
ProCarManuals.com

223 Car care and technical information
Tire Chains
Notice:
If your vehicle does not have
225/45R17 size tires, use tire chains only
where legal and only when you must.
Contact your Saab dealer regarding sui-
table snow chains. Install them on the
front tires and tighten them as tightly as
possible with the ends securely faste-
ned. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions. If you can
hear the chains contacting your vehicle,
stop and retighten them. If the contact
continues, slow down until it stops. Dri-
ving too fast or spinning the wheels with
chains on will damage your vehicle.If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow-out” while
you’re driving, especially if you maintain
your tires properly. If air goes out of a tire,
it’s much more likely to leak out slowly. But
if you should ever have a “blow-out”, here
are a few tips about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a
drag that pulls the vehicle toward that side.
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and
grip the steering wheel firmly. Steer to main-
tain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blow-out, particularly on a curve, acts
much like a skid and may require the same
correction you’d use in a skid. In any rear
blowout, remove your foot from the accele-
rator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently brake to a stop – well off
the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to
use your jacking equipment to change a flat
tire safely.
WARNING
If your vehicle has 225/45 R17 size tires,
don’t use tire chains, there’s not enough
clearance.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can cause
damage to the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts. The area damaged by
the tire chains could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and you or others
may be injured in a crash.
Use another type of traction device only if
its manufacturer recommends it for use
on your vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that manu-
facturer’s instructions. To help avoid
damage to your vehicle, drive slowly,
readjust or remove the device if it’s
contacting your vehicle, and don’t spin
your wheels.
If you do find traction devices that will fit,
install them on the front tires.
ProCarManuals.com

247 Customer Assistance and Information
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
ORGANIZEDThe 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 COUPONSWhen the car is brought to a Saab dealer for
scheduled manitenance, present the Saab
Warranty and Service Record Booklet to the
service manager. When the technician has
completed the service, the technician will
sign the maintenance record. The person
resposible for quality assurance at the deal-
ership 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
locality.
Owner 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 Cars 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 Centre 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.
ProCarManuals.com

251 Specifications
General_______________ 252
Engine _______________ 254
Fuel__________________ 254
Engine oil _____________ 255
Engine variants ________ 256
Electrical system_______ 257
Drive belts ____________ 257
Manual gearbox________ 258
Automatic transmission _ 258
Suspension ___________ 259
Steering ______________ 259
Brake system__________ 259
Wheels and tires _______ 260
Plates and labels _______ 262
IB603
Specifications
ProCarManuals.com

259 Specifications
Suspension
Steering Brake system Spring type, front and rear ___________ Coil springs
Maximum deflection of springs:
Front __________________________ 7.09 in (180 mm)
Rear ___________________________ 7.87 in (200 mm)
Dampers, front and rear _____________ Gas-filled dampers
Steering _________________________ Power-assisted ste-
ering of
rack-and-pinion
type; telescopic ste-
ering-column shaft
with universal joints
Number of turns, lock to lock __________ 2.9
Power-steering fluid ________________ Power-steering fluid
CHF 11S Footbrake (ABS) ____________________ Hydraulic, dual-
circuit brake sys-
tem. Diagonally
split circuit with vac-
uum servo unit.
Disc brakes front
and rear. EBD, see
page 152.
Handbrake ________________________ Acts on rear wheels
Brake fluid _________________________ DOT 4
Brake-fluid capacity _________________ 0.951 qts (900 ml)
Disc diameter:
Front, ventilated ___________________ 11.34 in (288 mm)
Front, ventilated, certain variants * _____ 12.05 in (306 mm)
Rear, solid _______________________ 11.26 in (286 mm)
Rear, ventilated, certain variants * _____ 11.81 in (300 mm)
* 15” wheel must not be used on these
variants.
Total friction area of brake pads:
Front ___________________________ 36.3 in
2 (234 cm
2)
Rear ___________________________ 15.5 in
2 (100 cm
2)
ProCarManuals.com

268 IndexRearview mirrors
________________ 107
Reclamation
___________________ 242
Recommendations for cars with
automatic transmission, towing a
camper or trailer
_______________ 162
Refuelling
_____________________ 138
Relay panel ____________________ 214
Remote control __________________ 38
Remote-control battery, changing
____ 41
Remove the key
________________ 132
Replacement, wheel _____________ 222
Reporting safety defects
__________ 248
Reprogramming of systems _______ 264
Reservoir, power-steering fluid _____ 191
Rev counter
____________________ 58
Reversing lights _________________ 70
Roof load
_____________________ 166
Running-in ____________________ 157
SSDM
_________________________ 249
SID
___________________________ 61
Saab 9-5 Audio System
___________ 83
Saab Information Display (SID)
_____ 61
Saab Parking Assistance
_________ 177
Safety belts
_____________________ 16
Safety belts, care of
_____________ 235
Safety-belt pretensioners
__________ 16
Safety-belt reminder
______________ 16
Seats
__________________________ 12Securing a load
__________________ 42
Selector lever indication, automatic
transmission
___________________ 61
Sentronic, manual mode
__________ 148
Service costs
___________________ 247
Service information
______________ 248
Service intervals
________________ 246
Service record retention
__________ 247
Settings, seats
__________________ 12
Side airbags
____________________ 32
Signalling, horn _________________ 106
Sliding floor, 9-5 SportWagon
______ 129
Snow chains
___________________ 159
Spare wheel ___________________ 230
Spare wheel and tools
___________ 170
Spark plugs
____________________ 257
Speedometer ________________ 58
, 59
Starting in cold weather, ACC
_______ 79
Starting in hot weather, ACC _______ 79
Steering wheel adjustment
________ 106
Steering, technical data
__________ 259
Steps for determining correct load
limit
_________________________ 228
Stone-chip damage, repairing
______ 238
Storage compartments
___________ 118
Sun visors
_____________________ 117
Sunroof
_______________________ 114
Suspension ____________________ 259
Suspension, technical data
________ 259
Switches
_______________________ 67
Symboler ________________________ 9
Systems, adjustment
_____________ 264
TTCS OFF
_______________________ 57
Table of fuses
__________________ 213
Tachometer
_____________________ 58
Tailgate, opening
_________________ 42
Tank gauge
_____________________ 59
Technical data __________________ 251
Temperature control, ACC
_________ 75
Temperature gauge, engine ________ 59
Temperature zones, ACC
__________ 75
Textile carpeting
________________ 236
Through-load hatch ______________ 123
Tie Downs
_____________________ 123
Tightening torque, wheel studs
_____ 231
Tip, driving at night
______________ 168
Tip, to avoid theft
________________ 179
Tire chains
_____________________ 223
Tire date code __________________ 229
Tire inspection and rotation
________ 218
Tire markings
___________________ 225
Tire pressure ___________________ 169
Tire sidewall labeling
_____________ 224
Tire terminology and definitions
____ 226
Tire, compact spare
______________ 230
Tires
_____________________ 217
, 260
Tires, winter
____________________ 260
Tools
_________________________ 170
Touching-in the paintwork
_________ 238
Towbar attachment
______________ 161
Towbar load
____________________ 165
Towing the car __________________ 171
ProCarManuals.com