Saab900cv Owners Manual 92[Opt]

8/20/2019 Saab900cv Owners Manual 92[Opt]

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Saab 9

Owner s Manual M 992


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Switch for patklng lights and headlights

Driver's seBf heater rheostat (somemodels)IHeacJIJght boam -Jongth

adjustment

Switch for adjustment of doormirrors (certain variants)

Rear fog lights (certain markets )

Direction indicators , main /dippedbeam , main bsam flasher

Hom buttons

Gear lever

Main instrument display panelSw Gh for adj'ustmsnt of cJoo1m1rrors c ertain variants)

Windscreen wiper/Washer stalk Fan switch

Handi:Jrake Switches for electri cwindows (cert ain variants)

Air temperature contr ol

Air distribu on control

Hazard wammg lights

C switchessome models )

Sw1tch for sun roofoption)/sw1tch for

convsrtib/8 top

lntenor f1ght1ng Mtch


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© Saab A utom ob il e AB 1 1T


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This manual for the Saab 900 prov 1dessome practica l advice on driving and caringfor your car The manual also describes themost important di fferences between modelversions . When mentioned in the manua l900i 16 = 16-valve engine naturally aspirated and 900 Turbo 16 = 16-valve enginewith turbo charger .Read through the manual before taking the

car out tor the first time and then keep it inthe car for futu re re ference.Th e manual is d1vrded into a number ofsect 1ons and there is also a comprehens iVeindex a t the back .Supplied w rth the car are a Service Bookand impo rt ant information about wa rr anty

cond itions .S1nce the policy a t Saab Automob1 le is one

of continual 1mprovemen t we reta1n therigh t to incorporate modifications and alterspecifications du nn g production withoutprior nottce .

Be st w1shes .Saab Au tomo bile B

The radio shown n some of the pholO }Iaps n this o c ~ lis not inc uded as standard equ1pmenttor the cnr


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Inst rum ents n d contro ls 3

nstrumentsnd n t r o s

Instrument pa n el 4nd icator nd war n ing lights 4

Instrumen ts 5Switc h es 6Heating and ven t illa t ion system 10


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4

Instrument a e

ain instrument display panaf1 Rev counter and clock

lndicatorlwarmng l1ghts3 Dlrect10n lnd1caror repeater l1ght4 Speedometer milometer and lrip meter

Cars with antt·lock braking syst m

uslralia only

5 Pressure gauge6 Temperat ure gauge7 Fuelgauge8 immer switch iflstrument Illumination9 Trip meter reset knob

10 Clock reset knob

Indicator and warninglightsSome of the warning lights come on as theign ition is switche d on. These lights shouldall be extinguished as soon as the enginehas been started.

Fuel Injection systemwarning light

This light indicates a malfunction in the fuelinject ion system . Although an emergencysystem in the electron ic control unit will takeover enabling you to continue your journeywith somewhat diminishe d engine perf or ·mance the car shou ld be taken to yourSaab dealer as soon as possible .

Indicator light for rearwindow heat in g

This light will show when the rear-windowheating is switched on .

11 pressure wa rni ngligh t

This light willcome on if the engine oil pressure should fall too low. If the ligh t flas hesor comes on wh ile you are driving stop thecar immediat ely switch off the engine andcheck the oil level.The car musl not b e dr iven while this lightis on.


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Ch arg in g warni n g ligh tTh is ligh t will come on if the batt e ry is no lbeing cha rge d. If it comes on wni le you aredriving, stop the car immediately and sw itchoff the eng ine . Check the a lternator d rivebelt: rfit is s lack or broken , not on ly willthebattery not be cha rged bu t cooling of thengine will a lso be inadequate .

Main bea m i ndi cat or lightThis ligh t will show when the mam beam ison .

Rear fog la mp indica t o rlight

T his light w ill show when the rear fo g ligh tsare switched on .

Han db rake wa rn i n g l ig h tThis ligh will show wh e n the handbrake is

a pplied.

ABS warn ing ligh t(op ti on )

Th is lig ht ind icates that th e A BS syslem isinopera tive . Conventional b rak ing is stillaval lab te but have the ABS syste m

checked by an author ized Saab deale rwithou t de lay .

Br ake warni n g lig ht

The brake warning light w ill come on if t hebrake ftuid level falls too low. f the lightcomes on wh ile you are driving, stop the carimmediately and chec k the leve l of brakefluid in the reservo ir. On ca rs w ith ABSbrakes , t he light will a lso come on in combina tio n with the ANTI LOCK wa m ing lightif the re is a drop m pressure in the brakeservo sys tem . In such a case the servopressure wi ll be used up afte r braking a fewtimes and powe r assis tance w ill be los t.

WARNING

If pow e r ass istance is los t, brak ing effectis gr ea tly reduc e d , together wi th a big in-crease in require d pressure on the b rakepe da l, and the ca r shou ld on ly be drivenif abso lutely necessary .

Have the car checked and corrected immediate ly by an aulhor ized Saab dea ler .

Fu e l g au ge F U E L )

Fuel warn in g ligh tT his ligh t will show when less than about 7litre s 1 . 5 imp. gal) of fue l rema ins in the

Inst ruments a nd controls 5

tank . 16 va lve engine: I f the fue l tan k hasrun dry at leas t 5 litres of fuel Uust ove r agallon ) will have to be added for the eng •neto be started w hen the car is stan ding onlevel grou nd. If the car is on a s lope . as

much as1 3

litres (approx .3

ga llons mayhave to b e added. ·

In str u ments

Clock

In all mo de ls the clock is inco rpo rated in therev counter.

Rev co u n ter

The rev counter shows the engine speed inthousan ds of revs per minut e. Fo r maximum fue l economy, the needle shoul d b ekept within the g reen zone . The needle maybriefly enter the broken red zone but mustnever be allowed to enter the solid redzo ne.Saab 900 Turbo 16 only: A safety cut-outfunc tion p revents the engine speed exceeding approxima tel y 6 ,0 00 r/min.

Sp eed o me ter , millo meter a nd tripmeterThe milometer records the dis tance ravelled in miles or kilometres and the tripmeter in m il e s /kilomet res and tenths .


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6 Instruments and controls

Temperature gaugeThe tempe ra ture gau ge indica te s the t e m ~p erature of the coo lan t When the needlehas jus t ente red the green zone , it indicatesa tempe ra ture of 5 0°C (12 2=F), which is theb eginning of the normal te mp era tu re rangefor the engine. Wrth the ne e dle in this p o ~s it ion. the engine may be driven at full load(full thrott le ) for short pe riods . Saab 9Turbo 16 mo de ls m us t not b e dr iven at fu llthrott le be fore the needle is we ll insi de thegreen zone1r he tempe ra tur e indicator approaches thered section (this may occur when the ambient te mp era ture is ex treme ly high or at

e r yhigh engine loads) , the h1ghesl possible gear should be selected to reduce theengine spee d as much as possible. Avoidchanging d own. If the point er shou ld mov into the red se-ction in spite of these mea·sures, stop the car and Jet tfle eng ine idle .If the indicator moves into the red sectionrepeatedly, stop as soon as possib le andcheck lhe coolant le ve l.

Pressure gauge (900 Turbo 16)

The pressure gauge indicate s the p ressurein the inlet manifold. When the engine isonly ligh tly loaded and during engine ove rrun (engine braking) a depr es sion will bepresen t in the mlet mamfold and the nee dleon the gauge will be within the white zone.At high e r e ngine speeds and when the engine is under a greater load the turbocharger will boost the pressure m the mletmani fold and the needle will enter the yel ·low zo ne .Under nor ma lcondi tions , tne needle shouldnot en te r the red zone as a safety cut -outsystem will limit the charging pressure toprotect the engine. However, und er certainatmosphenc condi tions. the needle mayjust enter the red zone, which does notmean that the system IS malfunct1onrng inany way. But if the need le repea ted ly enters the re d zone and a loss in enginepower is also exper ien ced (because thesafety cut-out syste m is limiting the cnarging p r e s s u r e ~the car shou ld be taken to anauthorized Saab dealer w ithou t de ay

witches

eadlights and parking lights

The lighting is off.

NotePlea se n ote inst rum e nt Illumina t ion is lit atall t imes when the ign ition is on.

Parking lights

The parking lights can be sw itc hed on irre·spective o f the posi tion of the ignition key.Park ing lights should only b e used whenthe car is stationary.

eadlights

Tl le headlights can be sw itched on whenthe ignition switch is in the drive or pa rkingposition .N.B. The headlights will be extinguishedautomatically when the ign ition switch isturned to the lock ing position l ) . This doesnot apply to the park ing lights; wh 1ch canst ill be used wi th the ignition sw itch in thisposition .

Main/d ipped beamTo change from ma in beam to dipped beamor vice versa, lift the s ta lk towards th e steering whee l. Th is w ill also f lash the headlightson main beam if the headlights are no tswitched on.


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lights

Stalk swttch for mainldtpped beam nd di-rection mdicators

1 Marn/d1oped beam or headlight flasher2 Indicators for left turn3 Indicators for rig ht tu

SG966A

Headlight beam length adjustmentSome variants are equipped with a systemfor adjusting the length of the beam fromthe headlights when this is affected by theway in which the car is load ed. The system

comprises an actuator motor a1either head-light and a sw itctl on the fas c a . The switch,which must not be operated unless the ig·nition is on, has the foltowing four positions:0 Frontseat passenger and/or driver only

no luggage)1 Driver plus 4 passengers only no lug-

gage)· Fu lly laden Driver plus 4 passengers

and max. load in boot or dnver only plusmax . load in boot)

· Max rmum trailer load Dnver only plusmaximum trailer load)

Note

The above is intended as a gUide o suit-able switch p o s i ~ i o n sThis facility is pro ·vided to enable the dnver to use his owndiscretion to choose the selling that willgive optrmum lighting on dipped beam wrth-out dazzling other road users.

Direction Indicato rs

To switch on the direction indicators. movethe stalk up or down. The stalk has a spring-loaded pos tron for use of the indicators forchanging lanes or overtakrng. In the fixedposition, the indicators will remain on until

Instrum ents and controls 7

Switch tor adJUStment o f headlightbeam length

cancelled automatically by the ste e ringwheel.The respective repeater light on the instru·ment panel will flash at the same rate as thedrrect ron ind ic ators .

Reversing ights

The reversing lights come on automatica llywhen reverse gear is selected .

nstrument illumination

The bnghtness of th e Instrument illumina -tion can be varied by means of the dimmerswitch. Rheostat.)


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8 Instruments and contro ls

lntetlor lighting

There are three interio r lights: a dome lighton the ce iling , a light on the rear -view mi r ·ror and a light by the igni tion swi tch Co mb i

Coupe and Sedan) . Saab 900 Conve rtiblehave fou r fn1e rior lights : one on the rearview mirror , one by the ign ition sw itch andtwo courtesy lights for rear-seat passengers . The lights a re operated by a threepos ition swi tch on the console between thefron t seats .Sw itch posi t ion 2: Lighting on continuouslySwitch posr tion 0 : Ligh ting offSw itch posit ion 1 : Light ing comes on whena doo r is openedIn so me models , the lights w ill switc h offau tomat icalry ei the r after a de lay of about

w itch f o r interior lights

ftee n seconds aft er tne last doo r has beenc los ed or wh e n th e igni tion swr tch is movedto the d rive posit ion.

L.uggage compartment light

Th e luggag e com partment tight is sw 1chedon lextmgut s hed automat ically when theluggage c o mpar tment door is opened ·/clo se d. The light can also be swi tch e d offby movmg the sw 1ch to the middle p osit ion .

Rear fog light certa 1nmarkets

The rear fog l igh t is inc or porated rn the rearle ft or righ t light c lust e r d epen ding on left-

SG 879 or r ight -hand t ra ff ic) an d is switc h ed on by

means of a switch on lhe inst rumen t panel.The rea r fog ligh t operates only when thehead lights are on . A light on the inst rumen td isplay pane l will show when the rear foglight 1s switched on. Make sure that youare familiar with the law regarding theuse of rear fog l ights.

Ha.zard warning lightsWhen th1s swi tch 1s dep ressed , all four direc tion ind ica 1o r lights will flash s imu ltaneous ly. An ind ica to r light in the swi tch andboth d irect ion indicator repeate r lights onthe instrument panel w ill a lso flash . Thehazard wa m ing lights should on ly be usedif b ecause o f a collision or breakdown. theca r constitutes a danger or obs t ruc tion toothe r r oad users .

z ard warn ing light sw itch


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Stalk switch for wipers andwashe trsThe stalk switch for the wipers and washers has the following pos itions .

1 Windscreen wipers inte rmitlent opera-han. The wipers will make a doublesweep every few seconds. ThJs functionis pa rl icular1y useful in light ra1n or drizzle .Windscreen wipers low speed.

3 Windscreen wipers higll speed .4 Ufting the stalk switch lowards the

steering wlleel will operate the washersand Wipers for tile headlights and wind

screen .

Stalk switch for wipers and washers

SG 678

B l Heated rear windowThe sw1tch for lleafing ot 1he rear window islocated on the dashboard. A warning lighton the instrument display panel will showwhen the healing is switched onSwitch the heating off as soon as the rearwindow is free from ice or mist. Refram fromplacing sharp or hard objects on the rearpa rcel shelf to avoid damaging the heater

elements.Do not switch on the rear window heating before the engine Is running

Cars for some markets are equ1pped with atime-delay relay which limits to a tew minutes the t 1me during which the rear windowis electrically heated.

Instruments and controls 9

Sw tch for the electncaiJy he teddnver s seal

Heated driving seatOn some varianls the driving seat isequipped with adjustable heating of theseat cush1on and backrest. The control onthe dashboard has three heating settings with pos1tron 3 providing maximum heat.With the control1n position 0 the heating isswitched off altogether.


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eating and ventilationsyst mFr es h a ir is drawn in t h rough a n inlet in thebonnet An efficient filte r removes dus t andother part icles from the a ir befo re il flowsthrough the heat ing and ventilation systeminto tne car . On the Combi Coup e a ir isevacuated fr om the car through an outlet oneithe r s ide a.l the rear of the car . On Seda nand Convertible mode ls , the air evacuationoutl et is locate d un derneath the rea rbumpe r.

He a ting and ventil tton controls1 Fan switch

Tempera ture cont ro l3 Air distributio n cont rol

SG9 8

an

Tne amount ot m admitted to the car iscontrolled by he fan switch. The fan runscont inuou s t except when the air distribu

tion control 1s se to 0 .To increase he air flow, turn th e fan con t rolclockwise .

Temperature controlInfinitely variable co uol of t e tempera tureof lhe suppl , a ir b ~ r . een he hm1ts) 1s pos-

ir vents1 Defroster e r ~ t s2 S de vents3 Central pane l ve IS4 Floor ve s

2 3

sib le by mean s of the tem pera tu re con t rol.Turn the con t rol clockw ise to increase thetempe ratu re .

Air d istribution controlTh e air distribut ion con trol is used to directthe supply o f air to t he def ros te r, pane l andfloor vents .Joyst icks on the panel vents enable the d i ~rection of tt1e air flow to be selected as des ired (for instance , in very cold we a ther itmay be advisable to direct the air flow ontothe s ide windows to enhance the d efrostingeffec t) . The thumb whee ls on the pan elvents enab le the amount ot air admitted tobe adjusted 1or each vent ind ividua lly. Notethat the top sect on of the side vents ispermanently open.

Recommended control settingsCold weather. For rap id defros t ing , tumthe a ir distribution control to pos ition

and select the maximum fan speed .The reafte r, t o keep the ins ide of the car a ta comfortable temperature, turn the air d is b ~ t o n con tro l to position V or

an d select a su itab le ran speed andtemperature.Hot weather. When the car is very ho t andmax imum cooling is requ ired , tu m the ai rdistrib ut ion control to posi t ion andselect the maximum fan .speed .


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Thereafter , to ma intain comfortable ventila -t i ~ turn the control to pos 1ion tt> o r

v and se lect a su itab le fan speed . Foran adequate a r change rate ins ide the ca r.the fan should be used even when the ca r1s travelling at speed . Regu la te the temper-ature of the incoming a ir as requ ired .Note that the central panel vents adm it onlyu nh e d fresh a ir.

Misted windows

For rap id dem is ting tum the air d rstribut1oncon t rol to position and selec t fanspeed 2 o r 3 at h ighspeed d riving .

witches for the ir cond itionmg syst e m1 On/off2 Air red rcu lat ion

Air conditioning when fitted)When fitted . the air conditioning system isinco rporated in the standa rd heating andven tilation system and opera ted by thesame con trols . To sw rtch on the a r condi ·tioning , dep ress the AC switch on the in-strumen t pane l.N.B. Starting of the a ir cond itioner com -pressor is de layed by about 10 secondswhen the engine is started , in orde r to avo idapply ing additiona l load onto the engine .This d elay will be opera tive on ly if the ACswitch has been pressed befo re the ignitionhas been switched on .For rapid coo ling of the air ins 1de the car in

hot weather or to avoid exhaust fumes be-ing draw n into the car in traffic Jams , p ressthe air recirculation sw itch, whereupon thefresh ai r intake w ill be closed and the air in-side the car recirculated through the vent i·lation system . To reduce the likelihood o fthe windows m isting up inside the car , thea ir recirculation iunction w ill on ly ope ratewhen the AC system is switched on . NI.B.Do not use the air rec ircu lat ion fac ility inco ld wea ther as this can resul t in ice andmis t form ing on the windows .When the air distribution contro l is set to 0or XC> the system w ill ove rnde the ai rrecirculation setting . i.e . the fresh a ir mtakewill be closed regard less of whether the ACand ai r recirculation switches are on o r off.N.B. If the engine is running hot , the re is noneed to sw itch off the AC sys tem as ather -mostat in the sys tem w ill sw 1ch off the AC

Instruments and cont rols 11

compressor au tomat ica lly i nece s s a ry . Ifthe a ir cond itiomng sys tem is not workingp rope rly. refe r to the section Air condition-ing • fau lt d iagnosis .

Climate system tipsDefogging windows- Switc h ing on the ACco mpre sso r in comb inat ion with turning upthe temperature con lrol \ lill accele rate de-fogging . The recirculation switch shou ld beoff.Defrosting windshield- Fo r maxim um ef-fe c t. turn the tempe rature cont rol fullyclockw 1se and the a ir d istribut ion control totwe lve o cloc k. Increase the fan s p eed a.sth e a ir b eg ins to wa rm up .Heat plus fresh air- On a long w1n ter drive ,cool air d irected towa rd the face can h e lpfight drowsiness . Select the nine o clockpos t1on on t he ai r distr ibut ion con trol andad jus t the ce nter pa ne l ve nt t o su it.AC modu lation • For m ax imum cooldown,engage the AC swi tch and select th e seveno clock posi tion on t h e air distribution con-tro l (t empera ture co ntro l fu lly counter c lock-WSe to blue spot . As the desir e d comfort

leve l 1s r eached , switc h t he air distribu tionto e 1ght o clock an d ad tus an speed to s u it.To m a inta tn com fo rt on moderate days . addheat to the oute r ven ts by turn ing up thetemperature con trol part wa.y. Direc t thefully co ld air from the center vent toward therea r, between th e f ront seats , o r close itwith t he thumb whee l sw itch on the vent it-sel f.


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Defro s te r ve ntsop er

Floor and de,·ostervents ooen

Floor ven sooen .

Ma Cimum a •r flow forrapid cool ing . Allpanel vents fullyopen . The fan runsautomatica lly at max-imum speed . Carswithout AC : Floo rvents partia lly open .Cars t AC : Floorvents closed .

All pane l ve n ts fully~ Cars withou t

AC: Floor vents par-lially open. Cars withAC: Normal sett ing .Floor vents c losed .

Floo r vents and

tral pane vents fullyopen .


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Interior equ ipment 3

nterior

qui ment

Seats 1 4Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Rear view mirrors . 18Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Electric windows . 20Sunroof 20Convertible top 2

udio equipment . . . . . . . . . 2 7


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14 Interior equipment

S e ats

The backrest and cushion of the front seatsare equipped with electric heattng , which iscontrolled automat ic a lly by a thermostatwhen the ignition is on . In some models, theheating of 1he driver s seat is adjustable.

To adJust the he d restramt - ulll h e head restraint up or push itdown unti l it is in the correct position .For best pro tectio n , the head restraintshou ld be leve l w1th the occupant shead.

The heating wall only operate when the ig· .nition is on and the seat is cold . r ~ g r o o madjustmentBoth front seats can be adjusted for leg· Lift the bar and _ hde theroom and the rake angle of the backrests seat to the desired po s ition .h · f t 1 · bl d . h Release the bar and check. ~ n n e y v ~ n ae a. Justmen .t wrt n the that the seat is locked inhm1ts. The dnvtng seat IS also adJUStable lor the new position.height. In Converible and three-door mod-els, the backrests can be folded forwards.

The seats of cars for the FE- and ME- markets have no electric heating.

ead restral 1nt

The head restraints can be ratsed or lowe re d and to give maximum protectionshould be adjusted to the same height asthe occupant s head .To ra1se the head restraint : grip it on eitherside and pu ll it straight up.To lower the head restramt: press the topstraight down . Hetght adjustment

Pull forward the telescopiC leverand ra1se or lower the lever un hlthe desired reight is oblamed.

To fold the backrest for ·warcf 3-d oor ndConvertible}Release the backrest byra1si ng the lever and thenfold the backrest forward.

Backrest rake angleTo adJust the backrest, turnthe wheel un he backrestIS •n lhe desired pos1tion .

Controls for electri cally adJustable front seats

1 Backrest rake ang le2 Legroom and he1ght adtustment


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Electrically adjustable seatsSome va rian ts a re equipped w ith e lectrically adjustable front seats which are a lsoan option on certain other variants .The top con t rol is fo r adjustment of theback rest. In addr tion to legroom adjustmen t, the lower contro l provides individualheight adjustment t the front thigh su pport) and back of the seat.In the event ot an e lectr ical fau lt. a specialwinder included in the too l kit can be usedto ad just the seat manually for legroom .

eat belts

Always fasten your seat belt . T his a lso applies to back-seat passengers. Research

Locat on o winder

S G1 119

has established that it 1s equally dangerousfor rear-seat passengers not to wear seatbe lts . In the event of a co llis ion , unrestrained rear -seat passengers are thrownviolently forward aga inst the front-seatbackrests . This doubles the force put on thefront -seat occupants and seat belts , frequently resu lting in injury to a ll the occupants . Each bell may on ly be worn by oneperson at a time.Apart from the belt for the m 1dd le rear -seatpassenger nla Convert ible) , the seat beltsare of the inertia reel type . To fasten a seatbe lt, pu ll the strap gentl y out of the reel and1nsert the tongue in the buck le . Make surethat the tongue is proper ly secured .

For maximum protection. the seat beltshould be worn with the hip strap lowacross the h ips and the d1agona l strap well

Taking hold o the front seat belt

S 1129

1 Tongue2 B uck le

Interior equipment 15

1n on the shoulder but not too close to theneck . Make sure that the belt is not twistedor rubb ing aga inst any sharp ,edges andtha t t here is no unnecessary slack in thes traps . T o release the buckle , press the redbutton marked PRESS.Expectan t mothers should take care to fitthe be lt such that it does no t app ly pressureto the abdomen . The h1p strap shou ld be aslow as possible across the hips .Most of the time when the be lt is being wornthe ree l will not be locked , thus allowingfreedom of movement. However , the reelwilt lock if the s trap is jerked or withdrawnsharp ly, if the car is tilted at a steep angle ,or if the car brakes hard or is involved in acollision . The seat belt waming hght on theinstrument panel will show if either of the


18/87


front seat occupants has neglected to fasten his belt.The bett for the middle rear-seat passengeris of the la p-be lt type and can be adjustedmanua lly. If required, lengthen the belt before fastening it by holding the adjuster atright angles to the strap and pulling thestrap out. Tighten the be lt by pulling the freeend until the belt f its snugly against thebody . To release the bett , press the redbutton on the buckle .

CAUTION

Make sure that the belts do not become

trapped when the rear seat ls tipped for·ward or folded back .

djusting the length o the lap belt

WARNING

• Seat belts are designed to bear uponthe bony structure of the body, andshou ld be worn low across the front ofthe pe lvis , or the pelvis, chest andshou lders as applicable: wearing thelap section of the belt across the abdom·inal area must be avoided.

• Seat belts should be adjusted as firmlyas possible. consistent with comfort , toprovide the protection for which theyhave been designed. A slack belt willgreatly reduce the protection afforded tothe wearer .

• Care should be taken to avo d contam·ination of the webbing with polrshes , oilsand chemtcals and particularly batteryacid . Cleaning may safely be carried outusing m ld soap and water. The belt

Correct position o the seat belt

should be replaced i webbing becomesf r y e d ~contaminated or damaged.

• t is essential to replace the entire assembly after it has been worn In a severe impact even if damage to the as·sembly is not obvious.

• Be lts should not be worn with strapslwisted .

• Each belt assembly must only be usedby one occupant; it is dangerous to puta belt around a child being carried on theoccupant s lap.

• No modifications or additions should bemade by the user which either preventthe seat belt adjusting devtces from operating to remove slack , or prevent lheseat belt assembly from being adjustedto remove slack.


19/87

_ _ _ l nt rior equipment 7

SG 766

hild safetyTo travel saf e ly in the car, childre n must b erestra ined m some way . However, the re -st ra int used must be suitab le for the s ize of

the child. For this reason, be fore fitting anytype of sa fety sea or hamess, consu lt yourSaab aea ler, who will be p 1eased to adviseyou on the most suitable type of restraintWhen a chi ld is a ble to sit up by 1self, aoroperly fitte d ch ild seat prov1des the bestprotection. However . these should nolonger be used wh e n a child has outgrownthem . 1.e . when they no longer prov ide ample support fo r the head an d legs.

When a child has outgrown ch1 ld seats . thestandard sea t b elt w ith a booster cushionshou ld be used. Make sure that yo u a refam ili ar with the law regard ing ch ildpassenge rs.

Ch1 d restramt anchorages 9 sG 136Comb i Coupe and Sedan

Chi l d re st r aint ancho rages , 900Comb i Coup e and Seda n ( us tr a liaon ly )

To attach the restra1nts:

1 Remove the cover ing plugs from theho les under the two cross-shaped culsm the luggage compartment floor car ·pet.Fasten the anchor bolts w ith theirshack les 1n the holes, using s pecia llydes1gned spacers.

3 Bolt dimens 1on : UNC 5/16, lenght 25mm. Spacer dimension : 20 mm a (ho le12 mm o , th ickness 10 mm .


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r L

l e J~ ~ ~

t_ , J

Child restraint anchorages so1 19900 Converttble

Child restraint anchorages, 900Convertible (Australia only

To attach the restraints.

1 Raise the convertible top and lower there ar screen.

2 Opera ting from outside of the car. lo -cate the zippers situated in the spacobetween the back seat and the rearscreen, just be low each head restOpen the zipper.

3 Detach the head rest by unscrewtng thewtng screw whtch locks the head restraint. Remove the head rest andretighten lhe screw.

4 After removing ghe head rest, attachtne child restraint to the anchorage byfastening tne anchor bolt in the hole.Bolt dimension UNC 5/16, length 20-25mm (Australia).

WARNING:

Do nol lower the top with passengers inthe rear seat area .

When driving with rhe top lowered and achild restra1nt m t e ba ck seat, do not fitthe cover panels

Child restraint anchorages are designedto withstand only those loads imposed bycorrectly fitted child restraints. Under nocircumstances ar:e tney to be used foradult seat belts or harnesses.

Rear view mirrors

The rear-v iew mirror is ol the anti-dazzletype and can be deflected by means of thelever undernea th the mirror.The door mirrors are ant1-glare trea ted andare adjustable by means of the levers onthe inside of tha fronl doors.

Some models are equip ped withelectrrcally adjustable door mirrors . Theswttches for these are loca ted on the instrument panel , to either side of the steenngwheel. The switches may be moved up,down, left or nght.

oor mtrror


21/87

Catch for door mirrorConvertible)

SG 3.88

900 Convert ible: If subjected to excess1veforce, the door mirrors will fold back Theycan a lso be parked in this position. Care-fully rold the m1rror backwards unt il 1 en-gages the catch . o release the mirror .press il back and push in the catch.

f sub jected to excessive force the mirrorsfitted to Conve rtib les will fold ~ k The mir-rors can also be parked 1n the folded backposition . Carefully fold the mtrror back ·wards until it engages the catch . o re leasethe mirror, push t further Into the foldedpositon to take p ressure off tt le catch . Pushin the catch an d release the mirror.

Front ashtray and cigar lighter• Spring catch2 Cigar ighler

shtraysThe car is fitted with two ashtrays: one isincorporated in the radio conso le and theother a t the back of the centre conso le bet·ween the front seats .To remove the tront ashtray from tts hous·•ng depress the spring catch (as shown)

and pull the ash tray out of th e housting. Toreplace the ash tray, simp ly push it back intothe hOUSing.

o remove the rear ashtray , make sure it isfully open and then press down and pull tforward To refit the ashtray, engage thetwo springs in the correspond ing lugs,press down on the ashtray and push it m.

Interior eq uipment 19


22/87

20 Interio r eq uipme nt

Switches tor electric windows nd S 1 1 16s vitch to render door sw tches forre r

windows inoperative

lectric windows

a The two-position rocker switches forthe electric windows are located onthe sw itch panel on the centre console . Tl 1eswitches for the front-doors w indow have ath1rd pos1tion beyond the spr ing-loaded de

tent position. W ith the swi tch in th1s pos ition. the window will open fully w1thout theneed to keep the switch depressed. Doorswitches are also prov1ded for operation ofthe rear wmdows but these can be rendered inoperat ive by a switch on Ihe cen treconsole marked ONIOFF) to p revent children play1ng with them.

oor sw tch for rear w ndow SG ~ 7

W RNING

Always remove he 1gmt1on key whenleaving the car to avert the risk of injuryarismg from unattended chiloren operating the windows .

Sunroof handle SG 998

Sunroof

To open the sunroof : slide the panel backby means of the handle Release the handle when the sunroof IS open the desiredamount, whereupon at wtll lock in that position . To c lose the sunroo f: sh de the panelforward by means of the handle, makingsure that t clicks shut.

t i i t 21


23/87

n ter io r equipment 21

SG1116

ROOF Some mode ls are equrpped wrthan a lectnc sunroof. The switch lor the sunroof S located a t the front of the centre console.

anuaf operatton o sunroof

A manual win der for emergency operationol the sunroof e.g. in the ev e nt o f a n e lectrical fau lt) is fitte d to the sunroof motor . T hemoto r is loca ted on the right -hand s 1de underneath the luggage compartment floor .

To c lose the sunroof , rotate the wrndern a

c lockwise d irect1on.

onvertible top

GENERAL SA FE TY

PRECAUT IONS• When raising or lowenng the top, keep

hands w e ll clear of the hinges, linkagesand w ind screen frame.• Remove a ll ob jects from the space be

hin d the r e ar s eat before ra ising or low -enng the top Th is space is for stowageof the top only . Loose 1ems left herecould damage the rear screen or the topassemb ly

• Be fore ra is ing or lowering the top , checkthat peop le are standing well clear. Therear seat must not be occupied dur ingope ration of the top .

• Befo re lowering or raising the top, remove any child seats, carrycots, children or infants from the rear seat.

• Do not operate the lop when the outsidetemperature is be low 35 °F 2 JC .

• Before dr 1v.ng off. make sure that thet p is either properly secured to the topof the w indscreen on both sides, or thatit is proper ly stowed behind the rearseat.

• Before operating the ROOF switch ,make su re that the manual va lve isclosed.

• Do no t run the car ttlrough an au1om a iccar wash as this is liab le to damage thetop .

• Do not lower the top when it is wet ordamp as motsture can damage or stainthe inter ior or cause mi ldew to form onthe fabric of the top.

The 900 Convert ib le is designed for a maximum of four occupan ts inc luding the driver,two in the front and two in the back .It is strongly advised that rear-seat passen·ge rs also wea r seat belts at all times.


24/87

22 Interior equ1pment

Lowering the t p

CAUTION

Keep hands well clear of the h1nges andlinkages when lowering lhe top .

Before lowering the top . make sure thatthe rear seats are unoccupied and thatpeople are well clear of the car.

Remove any loose items from the spacebehind the rear seats this space s ~ o u l dnot be used for storage other than forstowage of the top Itse lf).

Note that the rear screen must e1ther beraised and secured with the zipper or lowered entirely into the space b e h ~ n dtherear seats. Never leave it rest ing honzontally g ~ n s tthe rear-seat backrest.

1 Ap p ly the handbrake . The top cannotbe operated unless the handbrake ison.) .

2 Turn the ignition key to the drive position .

3 Lower all side wmdows and the sun visors.

4 Undo the two latching hand les , to release the tlooks trom the strikers.

5 Press the ROOF sw1tch to ra1se the topto the pos ition at which it will remainopen approx. 1 - 2 feet 30 • 6 em)above the windscreen frame) .

Latching h n le1 Hook

2 Slriker

Sw tch for onvert tble top

~ 7 SG1 26

Return the two handles to their originalpositions .

N B

Failure to do so at th is stage can result indamage to the hand les or the car uphol·stery.

7 Press the roof switch to lower the topcomplete ly Switcn off the 1gnation

8 Check that the inner hning of the top hasfolded down proper ty behind and clearof the top edge or the backrest. If not.tuck 1 down by hand .



25/87

Interior equipment 23~

25mm

tttmg the side over p nel sa 767

Fitting t he cover panels

Open Ihe boot , unhook the elastic straps ateither end of the storage bag and take outthe covers .Inspect and , it necessary . clear any d1rtfrom the groove in the black metal rat l a1 theback of the stowage compartment 1 ).Starting with the panel for the rignl-nandside , msert the rea r edge into the groove inthe black metal ra il, pos1t1omng the panel

approximately one inch {25 mm) in from theend of the rail. Press down the front of Ehecover (2) until it snaps into olace and is retained by the spring clip. Slide the back intopos•tion, in line with the black rai l 3).Fit the left-hand cover panel in the sameway.

ecuring straps tor middle panel sa 9 8

N B

Make certain that the inner limng of thetop does not become trapped betweenthe panels and top of the backrest.

W1th the boot lrd open, shde the edge of themiddle cover panel under the metal rail andhne up the studs with the cor respondmgfasteners 1n the side cover panels . Inse rtthe straps on he back of the cover underthe boot lid and close the lid . Push down on

the panel to engage the studs. Hook thestraps onto the studs on the front of thepane l.

CAU TION

Make certain the cover panels are securebefore driving o ff.


26/87

4 Inter ior e q u : : : J i p t : : m ~ e ~ n : _ t - - -

astener for mtddle p nel stud SG 929

To remove the coversOpen the boot, unhook the straps from thefront of the midd le pane l and ease the panelstuds out of the fastene rs . Raise the leadtn edge and remove the panel. To removethe side panels , release the back edgesfirst.Stow the cover pane ls in the bag (seestruct 1ons ins tde the bag .

Raising the top

CAUTION

Keep han ds well clear of the hinges andlinkages when ratstng the top

Before raising the top. mak e sure tha t therear seats are unoccupied an d that people are well clear of the car.

1 Apply the handbrake. (Th e top cannotbe operated unless the handbrake ISon .)

2 Lower all side w indows and the sun visors , and remove the cover panels .

3 Press the ROOF S t\itch and raise thetop to ha lfway . ereafter. ower it gently until1t ts approx . 2 feet 60 em) abovethe windscreen frame to prevent thetop c losing too soon vith ensuing damage to the la lcn ng hoor


27/87

Top limng held in position y Velcro SG969Astrip

8 If necessary, adjust the Ve lcro fastening along the edges of the top liningse e picture) .

9 Switch off the ignition .

aising the top manuallyIf necessary. in the event of a system failure, the top can be raised manually once ahydraulic valve behind a fla p in the lnm atthe back of the boot) has been opened .

C UTION

Keep han ds well clear of the h nges andlinkages when ra is ng the top.

Before raising the top, make sure that therear seats are unoccup ied and that people are well clear of the car.

Valve for manual operation of thetop

1 Aoply £he handbrake.

SG1124

Lower a ll s de windows and the sun vi-sors .

3 Open he manual valve fully by turn ngthe handle a quarter-turn clockwise.

4 Remove the cover panels and stowthem inside the bag. Do not secure thebag in the boot yet.

5 From the rear seat , grip th e grab rail on

the frontof

the top and raise the top tothe halfway position .6 Open the latchmg handles fully7 Pu the top down onto the windscreen

frame.


B With one hand on the grab rail at thefront of the top, hold the top firmlyaga1nst the windscreen frame and lockthe top by pushing the latchmg handlesfully home .

N B

Do not pull the top down by means of thelatching handles.

9 Check that the hooks are proper ly engaged.

1 If necessary . adjust the Velcro faste n-ing along the edges of the top limngsee p1cture) .

Fu lly c ose the manual valve by tumingit a quarter-turn anti-clockwise .

2 Secure the bag in the boot.

atchmg mechanism in locked pos ttOn

26 i


28/87

26 Inter ior . . . : . : . . : . . e . : . . . . : n . . : . . . : t : . . . _ _ __ _ _ _ lowering the top manuallyIf required , in the event of a sys tem failure .the top can a lso b e lowered manua lly, oncethe hy d raulic va lve located beh ind a fla p in

the trim at the back o f the boot has beenopened .

CAUTION• eep hands well clear of the h1nges and

linkages when lowering the top.• Before lowering th,e top, make sure tha t

the rear seat is unoccup ied and thatpeople are well c lear of the car.

• Remove any loose items from the spacebehind the rear seat rh1s space shou ldnot be used for storage otf1er than forstowage of the top itself .

• Note that the rea r screen mu st either beraised and secured w 1h the Zipper orlowered ent irely into the space behindthe rear seats . Never leave 1 restinghorizontally agamst the rear-seat back·rests

Apply the handbrake .2 Lowe r all s ide windows and the sun vi

so rs .

3 Open the manua l va lve fu lly by turningthe handle a quarter -tum clockwise .

4 Open bo th latching handles fully.

Latch ing hand leHoo k

2 Strike r

S G t 7

5 Hold ing the grab ra tl at t he front of thetop, partly ratse the top and then returnth e latching handles to the closed position.

6 From the s ide of the car with the openpalm of the hand unde r the s ide of thetop f rame . lift the top towards the back .Keep hands well c lea r or he linkages .

7 Push lhe lop righ t the way down behin dthe rear seats .

8 Fully c lose the manual valve by turn ingit a quarter-turn ant i-clockw ise . Replacethe trim panel over the valve .

9 Fit the cover pane ls as detailed ear herin th1s section .

Supp ort strap for rea r reen S G 9 4

Opening the rear screenThe rea r sc reen c a n be opened to p rovidea gre a te r flo w o f a1r th rou g h the in te riorwhen the s 1de win dows are down Open therea r sc reen as follows :

1 Su p po rt the screen by secu ring thest rap t o the h ange r.

2 Re lease the limng flaps on either s ideadJacent to the screen .

3 O p en the zipper completely .4 Undo the st rap a n d lower the screen

care fully down behind the rea r seats.Re-secu re the lining flaps .


29/87


30/87

Doors locks and luggage compartment 29


31/87

Doors locksandluggagecompartment

Doors 30Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . 30Luggage compartment . . . . . . 3

onnet . . 32

Glove compartment 33


32/87


33/87

32 Doors loc ks and luggage compartment


34/87

On the 900 Convert ib e . the seal is fixedand cannot be folded.The spare wheel. jack and tool kit ares towed under a panel in the luggage com-partmen t floor.

C UTION

Make sure that the belts do not becometrapped when the rear seat s tipped for-ward or lolded back .

Strap for seat cushiOn

ackrest catch

SG 875

Bonnet

The bonnet release handle is located on thelelt h and s1de . underneath lh mstrumentpanel. To open the bonnet .

1 Pu ll the handle whereupon the leadingedge of the bonnet will spring up pro-VId ing access o th safety catch .

onnet release handle


35/87


36/87

Start ing a nd dr iving 35


37/87

tart·ng anddrivi

Ignition switch and gear leverlock . . . . . • • • • • • • • 36Start ing the engine 36Running in • 38Gear changing . . . . . . . . . . . 39Cruise Control . . . . . . . . • • 40Steering characteristics . . . . . 42

Braking• •

4Economical motoring • • • • • 42Driving in winter weather . . 43Driving in hot climates . . • 44Towing a lrailer or caravan 44Driving with a roof rack load . . 45Driving with a load-carrier900 Convertible) . . . . . . . . . . 45

Driving with the luggagecompartment door open . . . . . 45

Driving with the compact sparewheel fitted . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Boost starting using jumpleads 45Towing the car . . • • • • • • • 46

36 Starting and driving


38/87

gnition switch andge r lever lockThe 1gnltion switch has the following posi ·tlons ·

p_ ~.s

Locking positionTh e ignition key can only be remove d whenthe ge r lever is in reve rse (A) or the selector lever automatic gearbox ) is in the Pposition. In tll is posi tion the gea r lever/selector lever is locked and the parking ligh tsand hazard warning ligh ts can be switchedon. p

I

L•rl '\•sParking position \ .1)The gear lever/selector lever is unlockedand the dipped beam , tail lights and number plate illumination are switched on, provided that the lighting switch IS in the head·hght posit ion .

~l·a·sDrive position LJThe entire electrical system is operative .Never le ave the k ey in the dr ive positionun less the engine is running .Never leave the Ign it io n switched onkey In drive position) without the en

gine running as this can damage the ig -nition system.

Starting positionu ~

This operates the starter motor . When re

leased , the key springs back automaticallyto the drive position. The car is equippedwith a starter inter lock device, which meansthat if the engine ra ils to start the key mus tbe returned to the park ng position before itcan be turned to the start ing position again.

Starting the engine

GeneralThe starter motor shou ld not be run formore than 15 seconds at a time. Wait 2 03 seconds before running th e starter motor aga in to give the battery time to recover.When starting in very cold weather, makesure that all heavy power consumers areswitched off e.g. heated rear window andheadlights) .Avoid racing the engine or putting a heavyload on it while it is cold . Drive off as soonas the oil warning ght has been extln ·guished, to enable the engine to reach itsnormal running temperature as soon aspossible.

WARNING

When starting the car Inside a garage,make sure that the gara ge doors areopen to allow the poisonous exhaustgases to escape.

Starting fuel-injection enginesThe engine has an automatic choke andshould be started as follows :

1 Ma nua l gearbox only) Depress theclutch pedal.Automatic gearbox) Note that the en·

gine can be started only when thes e-lector lever is in the P or N position.

2 Turn the key to the starting position andlet it spring back as soon as the enginehas started in very co ld weather it maybe necessary lo keep the starter motorn.mmng for up to fifteen seconds} . Letthe engine run for about ten secondsbefore touc hing the accelerator pedal.Do not run the engine on full throttleacc ele ra tor hard down) until the engme

has been runn ing for at least two orthree minutes.

In very cold weather , if the engine shouldstall soon after having been started e.g. asa result of the c lu ch having been releasedtoo quickly), ho ld down the accelerator andtum the engine over on the starter motor forabout 5 • 10 seconds to prevent the enginefrom becoming flooded fueVair m xture toorich). Thereafter . start th e car in the normalway .

Note that the engine has hydraulic cam fol Important points to note when

Starting and driving 37

3 Automatic Performance Control APC}


39/87

Note that the engine has hydraulic ca followers wh ich operate the valves ) andthese are comp lete ly serv1ce-free . Thevalve clearance is set up accu rately at thefactory and will not requ ire further ad JUSt·ment.

In certa in conditions the hydraulic cam fol·lowers may emi t a tickmg noise tha t can beheard inside the ca r . For instance , th e no isemay be heard for a few seconds immedi·ate ly after the engine has been s ta rt ed unt ilthe oil pressure has bu ilt up .It IS possible for a1r to enter the lubricat n gsystem when the oil or o il filter is changedor if the car has been lett standing for a pro·longed pe riod . In this case the licking noisemay be heard for as long as f ifteen minutesafter start ing . but , aga 1n . th1s IS normal anddoes not indicate any malfunction . Ho wever , do not exceed 3 000 r min until theno ise has disappeared .

Important points to note whendriving 900 Turbo 16 models)

1 Starting and driv ing

• Never acce lerate at full throttle before there a ding on the temperature gauge is nor ·ma l needle in green zone .

• If the needle on the pressure gauge repeatedly enters the red zone , a loss ofengme power may be expelienced owingto the safety cut -out system lim1tmg thecharging pressure. If th1s happens. takethe car to an authorized Saab workshopWithout de lay. Under certain atmosphencconditions , the need le may br ief ly enterthe broken red zone , but this 1s normaland does not indicate a malfunction.

• The engine is also equ ip ped w1th a safetycut-out to prevent the eng ine exceedmgapprox . 6 ,000 r/min.

Stopping the eng1ne

• o not rev th e engine immediately beforeswitching it off but switch it off only whenit is idling T his is lo ensure that the turbocompressor s not run unnecessarilywithout adequa te o il pressure.

3 Automatic Performance Control APC}

• The APC system is designed to grve optimum engine performance when 9 oc -tane fue l RON) IS being used . When fuelof this or a higher octane rating is usedthe eng 1ne wrll de liver maxrmum powerHowever , one of the advantages of theAPC system is that the eng ine can be runon cheaper grades of low-octane fue lmin imum : 91 octane RON) qurte sa fely

The same performance as that achievedwith 97 octane fue l can also be ach1evedfor short bursts. In gene ral , a h1gh-octanefuel w ill give the best performance and alow-octane fuel the best iu e l economy .The APC system adjusts the boost supplied by the 1urbo to su it the knock ing/p inking tendencies of the engine . Briefspells of knocking n the engine are perfec11y norma l. These can occur when aheavy load 1S pu t on the eng ine at abo ut3,000 r/min and the extent of the knock ·lng wi ll depend on the grade of fuel be ingused.Isolated mstances o l knocking are mo relike ly when low-octane fue l1s be ing used .This contro lled form of knocking followedby a reduction m the charging pressuremere ly indicates that the APC system sworking normally. and is perfectly safefor the eng ine.However , i f constant knocking occu rs e very time a load is put on the eng ine , th1s1nd1cates a ma lfunction in the system .

38 Start ing and driving

ll f li d If l h f f b i h i


40/87

Important considerations for carswith catalytic converter (certainmodels only

The catalyt ic converter IS an exhaus tmission contro l dev ice incorporated in theexhaust system. It consists of a honeycombceram ic nsert . the cells of which have theirwa lls coated with catalytic mat er ia l (plali·num and rhodium).To ensure that the catalyhc converter function s properly and to avoid damage to theactive constrtuents of the catalyst the following po ints must be observed :

• Use on ly unleaded petro l. (Use ot lead edpetrol will damage the catalyst and oxygen sensor and drastically reduce lheperformance or the device.)

• Always keep the car properly serv iced inaccordance with the servic e p rog ra mme.This applies particular ly to t he fuel andignitio n systems .

• Always be alert to any misf iring of theengine (engine not running on all cylinders) , any loss of power or any symplomof reduced performance . At the first sign

of anything be ing wrong , re d uce speedand take the car to an authorized Saabdealer as soon as possible.

• If the car is difficult to start ( in severe coldor if the ba ttery is flat} the car can bestarted with the use of jump leads fromanother ba tte ry (see the sec tion on start·ing assistance} . However . as soon as theengine has started, t is important that it

runs on all four cylinders. If no t. let theengine idle for a maximum of five minutes to give 1 time to run smoothly. If, after this period , the engine s till misfires,the spark olugs musl be replaced. If theengine lai ls to run proper ly even afte rnew plugs have been fitted, get in touchwith an authorized Saab dealer.

• Never drive off If the engine is misfiring• 1 the car s e ~ n gbump started and the

engine is already at about normal tempe ratu re . the engine mu st run on all fourcylinders immediately after starting.

xygen sensor regu ared m ootion system1 Electronic conlro un n2 Oxygen sensor3 Catalytic converter

SGH 02

If after a bumpstarting attempt the enginefails to start Immediately , do no t attemptto start t agam by bump start ing .

• Failure to follow these directions can re-sult n damage to the catalytic converter

and associated components and mayrepresent a breach of the warranty condltons.

unn·ng nPist ons , cy linder walls and bearings needtime to bed in lo obtain uniform, wearresistant surfaces . If a new engine is dr iventoo ha rd , this gradual process of wearing in

will not be possible and the life of the engine will be shortened .According ly. for the lirs l 3,000 km or soneve r drive the car at fu ll throttle other thanmomentari ly.In the case or u r o ~ e n g i n ecars . du ring thefirst 2,000 km do not exceed 5,000 r/min.

Runni n g in of new brake padsThe runn ing-in period for new brake padsis aroun d 150 km or c ity driving or 500 kmof highwa y motoring . To extend the serv icBlife, avo id ha rd braking during this pe riod .

ear changing the car rs sta tion ary and that the eng1ne isStarting and driving 39


41/87

ear changing

Manual gearbox

The gear positions are marked on the gearlever . Before revers e gear can be engaged ,the release ring underneath the gear leverknob must be lirted.To change gear. fully depress the clutchpedal and then release it smoothly . Neveslip or ride the clutch nor use it as a footres tas thrs causes abnormally hrgh wear on therelease b ea ring and clutch : the peda lshou ld be al l the way up or a ll the waydown.Before select1ng reverse make sure that

Gear lever nd ge r positions manual gear-box only)

SG 666

y gat idling speed .For maximum fue l economy it IS recommended that you change up at the following road speeds:

Gear chang e1st - 2nd2nd 3rd3rd - 4th4th • 5th

Road speed15 mph (25 kmlh)

25 mph (40 km /h40 mph (65 km lh

45 mph (75 kmlh)

Automatic gearboxThe selector positions are marked on the

console cover.P = ParkReverse

N NeutralD = 1Sl • 3rd gear }

= 1st - 2nd gear forward speeds1 = 1st gear on ly

To prevent dam age to the gearbox , somegears can only be selected after the buttonrn the top of the selector lever has been d e

pressed (see illustrat ion) . The selector lever wdl move fr ee ly from the R, 2 or 1 po·sition s to the D or N pos1tron.When the car is at a standstill . do not movethe selector lever except when the engineis at idhng speed : moving the selector leverwhrle your fool is on he accelerator will bedetrrmental to the gearbox. Always keepyour foot on the brake pedal when se lect-

O

PR2

Selector lever automatic gearboxonly)

SG1178

ing a drive position to prevent the car from

creeping. Don't drive the car with your handresting on the selector lever, since this maycause wea r of the transmission.

Selector positions

DThis IS the posit ion tor norma l forward driv·ing. The gearbox will automat ically sel ec twhichever of the th ree forward gea rs best

ma tches th e vehicle speed and load on theeng ine .

When this pos ition is se lected , the re will beautomatic changing between first and second gea rs but third gear cannot be selected. If the car is travelling in third gear

40 St a rting and dr iving

ith th l t i lh D iti p i


42/87

with the selector in lhe D position movement of the leve r to position w ill g ive animmediate change-down to second gear forgreater engine braking power . Posilion 2must not be selected at road speeds exceeding 55 mph (90


43/87

Move the switch to ON . Accelerate to therequire d speed (lowest speed . 25 mph r40 km /h) and press SE T SPEED.

To red uce t he se lected speedTouch the brake p e dal un til the requiredspeed is obtain e d a nd then press SETSPEED .

To increase t h e se lected speedAccelerat e to the require d speed and thenpress SET SPEED SPEED . It is also poss ible to increase the s pe ed by means of theSET SPEED control. T he speed w ill increase for as long as S T SPEED is de·pressed .

Tempora ry Increase in speed

The system allows you to increase speedtemporari ly, for instance to acce le rate foroverta king . When the accelerator is released the system w ill then revert to thepreselected speed.

The cruise conrro1 s stem 1s always cancelled by operation of tl 'e brake or theclutch peaa A smoother reducti on inspeed is obtamed by movtng the slidingsw itch to position T Ho Jever , the systemcan be brough ·n·o operation again for thepreselecled speed by nold1ng the sw1tch inthe RESUME posJt lon lo a lew momen ts .

Disengag ing the systemThe cru •se contro l s ys tem will be disengaged (swrtche d oft :

• If e 1her the b ra e pedal o clutch pedal1s depressed

• If the sw itch is moved o T P• If the sw itch is moved to OFF• When the eng 1ne as s cheo off

gWhen dnv.ng in alpane country and sim ilarcondit ions, to avoid the risk of the brakesovertleating o n long descen tS1 always usethe braking effect o f the engine by dr iving

in a low gear. I f your car has an automat 1cgea rbox, pos it1on 1 or 2 should be se lectedIn high-speed motoring, the life of thebrakes car1 be increased : Avo id brakingover long st retches . Instead, brake morefirmly ove r a shorte r pe r iod o f time.

CAUTION

It is good practice to try your brakes pe·

no dically while drivi ng bu t p articu larly soif you have been drivtng through snow ,s lush or de ep puddles or fords; if theb ra kes are wet , the ir effici e ncy may bedras tica lly reduce d un t l they dry out.

Braki n g wi th ABS an ti -lock brake s

To .stop as quickly as poss ible , press lhepedal hard down regardless of the oonditJOnof the road surface (dry, wet, s lippery , etc .).

The ABS system m odulates the brak ingpress ure to the respective wheels to matP ·tain the maximum braking eftect on the car .w1hout loss of directional stability or steering control. A distinctive pulsat ing noise canbe heard when the system is operat1ng .Because operat1on o f the ABS system

42 Starting and driving

will be lmhated by only light pedal pressure with a ro of rack or trai ler attache d and run I I ' < < - ' M l c6n__,. ton


44/87

if the road 1s slippery, you can test the con·ditlon of the road by trying your brakes andthen adapt your driving accordingly.

Steeringcha racte risti sThe car has a built·rn tendency to understeer , i.e. at a given position of the steer ingwheel the turning c1rcle tends to increase asthe speed of the car increases. The car isdeliberately designed this way to improvestability and reduce the likelihood of rearwheel skids. One of the ways in which un

derst e er has been ach ieved is through theweight d is t ribution : including the weighl ofthe driver, about 60% of the veh1cle weigh tis over the front wheels: the correspondingfigure for a tully loaded car is 50 .

conom ical motoringTo keep fuel consump tion down and wearto a minimum, the car needs to be drivensmoothly and gently and serviced regu larfy .Avoid hard acceleration . (Cars with a manual gearbox) avoid racing the engine andobserve the recommended speeds forchanging gear given under Gear changing _

Frequent gear chang1ng (e .g. town drivrng) ,short trips when the engine is cold, driving

ning on studded snow tyres alf increase fuelconsump tion .

Co nditions affecting f ue lconsumption

Fuel consumpt ion is greatly affected by thegeneral dr iving cond itions and the sty le ofdriving, the wea ther , he standard of theroad , the cond 1ion o f the car , the speed alwhich it is driven , etc .

Wea ther conditionsFuel consumptiOn ma y be as much as 10%better .n summer than m w inter . Fuel consumption ts hrgher 1n cold weather becauseof the longer time i1takes for the engine toreach normal temperature and for the transmission and wheel bearings to warm up.Fuel economy 1s a lso affected by the distance driven : short trips no longer than 5 - 8km do not give the engine suffic1ent time toreach its normal runn ing temperature.S trong winds can a lso affect tuel consumption.If the genera l fue l consumption for the carwith the eng ine at norma l temperature 1s1.0 ltr/10 km, then the actual1ue l consumption after the car has travelled 5 km afterstarting from cold will be 1.20 ltr. l 0 km atan a m bien t temperature of 20 oc - an increase of 20 %; 1.60 ltr/ 10 km at ooc -anincrease of 60 : and 2.0 ltr/10 km at anamb ient temperature of 2o c- an increaseof 100 .

1'-1

100

1110

'180

J4()

12

\\

\['\.

~ ~ [ . . . . .1 ---f '

y . ; c : o : ~ ~

0 12 ' 5~ 5 6 7 U 1U 11 12

121. 18 1 IBI ( 101112111 4 ) 11 11181 tlO

J~

Dol ton e t,...1 I

U 0 f IJO IBBDF ( + 20 )

raph showing the increased fuel sG o12consumption t different outdoor tem-peratures on cold starting a s againststarting with the engine t normaltemperature

Wh e n s tart.ng from cold, the d is tance travelled by the car a nd the tempe rature out·side greatly a ffect luel consumpt ion. asshown on the graph . For ins tance, if youuse the car pre dominantly for short trips (5- 8 km), the average fuel co nsumpt ion may

be 60 • 80 hig her than normal.

Road condit ionsWe t roads mcrease fuel consu mpt ion as dogravel roads and d nv1ng in hilly country (theam o unt of fuel saved drivin g downhill is lessthan the additional amou nt requ ire d for drivmg uph ill).

Driving style and technique • Towing a caravan or traile r greatly increases fue l consumption

Starting and driving 43

For driving in these conditions, we therefo rerecommend that special winter tyres be fit·


45/87

Driving at high speed, frequent accele ration, braking and gear changing all in c reasefue l consumption, whereas smooth dr ivingwill reduce it Since engine revolut ions arehigher in the low gears at a given roadspeed, frequen t or prolonged driving in l owg ~ r swill Increase fuel consumption . Forth1s reason, always change up lo a highergear as soon as the traffic conditions allowand drive in high gear fo r as long as possible .Practical trials on the roads have demonstrated that substantial savings in ·fuel consumptioll can be made if these tips are followed .

The condition of the carh e genera l condition of the car is of great

Importance to fuel eoonomy. For econom ical motoring, pay particular attent ion to thefollowing ;

• Make sure tha t the · car is serviced regularly in accordance · with the service pro·gramme .

• Make sure tha i the ty res are correctly inflated: if the ty res are soft their rolling res is tance will be higher and fue l o n s u m p tion will be increas ed .

• roof rack reduces the aerodynamic efficiency of the car and thus increases fuelconsumption. Remove the roof rackwhen not in use.

creases fue l consumption.

riving in winter

we therBefore driving ofl in cold weather, checkthat the Wndscreen and headlight wiperblades have not become frozen to theglass. Brush away any snow from the airintake for the he ating system and, in extremely cold weather, apply suitable lubricant molybdenum disulph ide ) to the doo rlocks to p revent their freezing. Ifa lock hasfrozen , take care not to break the key when

trying to unlock it. Heat the key first or apply some de-icing agent to it.Now and again when refuelling in the win-ter, add a fue l add itiv e to the fuel to preventany condensation in the fue l tank rreezingand disrupting the fue l supply. To keepdown the nsk at condensation, keep thefuel tank fulLIt is panicular1y important when the roadsare slippery that the brakes and tyres are ingood condrt1on The basic version at theSa ab 9 is fftted with radial ty res that alsopertorm well on icy and snow-coveredroads - provided the snow is not too deep.Other models 1n the Saab 9 range areted with tyres which provide exceptiOnalgrip on both wet and dry roads, althoughthis has been achieved at the expense otsomewhat reduced grip on snow and ice .

recommend that special winter tyres be fitted. These provide the bes t grip on icyroads, especially if fitted with studs.Ifwinter tyres are to be used, the same typeof tyr·e must be fitted to all four wheels. Yourloca l Saab dealer will be pleased to adviseyou of suitable lyres.If the car gets into a front -wheer skid, disengage the transmission by depressing theclutch s o that the wheels are freewheeli ng)an d steer the front wheels in the directionyou wish to go At all costs, avoid touchingthe brakes. To contro l a rear-wheel ssteer into t he skid i.e . steer in 1he directionthe rear of the car is moving).

Conventional snow chains may be fitted tothe front wheels bu t drive carefully if theseare fitted as sharp cornenng and excessivemovement ot the suspension may causethe chains to scrape against the body.Before fitting snow chains , you are stronglyadv ised to consult your Saab d e l e r whowill be pleased to give you details of the lega l and safety requ iremen ts involved andalso to advise you of the suitability ol fittingchains to the wheels and tyres on your part icu lar car.

44 Start ing and dnving

Driving in hot climates Towing a trailer or Towing attachment load


46/87

Driving in hot climates Towing a trailer orcaravan

g

1 Always check the coolant level' lbe orastar1ing your journey.

2 Dnve the car in the nighest gear poss•·bte even uo . Ill (this keeps he eng•nerevs down w1th th e resull that the ,en·g1ne does not get so hot) . U your car hasa l automalic gearbox. avoid using thk1ck-down function.

3 At lhe end of your journey, do not stopthe engme imme d iately but let it dle fortwo or three minutes first.

4 H the nee dle on th e te mperature gaugen te r s the red zone wh ile you ere dnv

ing• S t ~ pthe car imme diately but do not

sw1 tch off the engine .• Even f the expansion tank is empty , do

not remove the , fil er cap .• Pour cold water over the radiator until th

n edle on the emperature gauge hasfallen below \tl e rec zone .

• SWitcn off e engme .

• Wa1t until the neeole on the temperaturegauge indicates normal temperature(about midway and then remove I hef1ller cap on tne expansio n tank and topup the coolan t.

• Take the car to an authorized Saab work ·shop as soon as possib le .

Towing attac e nt

A ~ 'ltng atta_9 f i~ su stab e for toWingloaos up to 1 :>00 ·g is avatlab.e as an ac·cessory . ProVISion in . e orm of boll hoi shas already een a o ~to Jac lilate f1thngof the attachment.

Trailer (or caravan) weightOn normal roads with grad ·ents not exceedtng 10 , the maximurr oermiss•b le t r t ~ l l o rwoight is 1 500 kg. On roads with st e epergrad .ients ( 10·12 J , :ne corresponding fig·ure • s 1 200 kg and on roads with steepg r a d e n ~ s(12·15 ) the l g u r eis 850 kg .These f1gures app ly to Lraile s w1th brakes .T h ~ m ~ i m L mpe missib e veight of arailer Without brakes is 500 g .

A trailer should not e ·o ·eo ir gradients of15 % or more are e o oe encountered .Thss s because the :oad on the fronl (dn •tng) wheels will e so lo tnat l e Is

r hke to lose their traction and sptn ,maktng further dri .; 19 imoossible.Make sure you are familiar with the lawregarding speed limits for towing, maxImum trailer weights and trailer brakingrequirements and also any special drivIng licence provisions .

Th we1ghl distribution of the trailer loadmakes a Jot or differenc e to the handlingproperties of the car af'd trailer c o m l ~na·tion . On a srngle-ax e tra er Whenever pos·

•ble concentrate lhe load over the heeand ep it as lo as poss "ble. Tne loadshould e dtslnbuted sucn tha\ the load onhe towing attachment is e 'leen 50 and

75 kg . Note th at lhts load must be ncludedas part of the car"s ca rrying capacily,thereby reducing the load capacity of thelug gage compartm en t by the same amount.If heavie r trailers are to be towed t is re·commende d that pneumat 1c spring boost ·ers ava ilab le as an accessory , b e fitte d .

Driving with a trailer attachedWhen towing a trailer always make allow·ance for Ihe altered handling characfenslicsof 1t1e car and the redu c ed braking effect.The trailer brakes. spnngs and dampersgreatly influence these characterisllcs.To prov1de max1mum cooling for tne eng ine

en towmg a tra1 er up steep hit , se1 theheating system to maximum ano swllch theran to high soeed .~ C a r sWtth an automat ic gearbox ) For driv·1ng on steep upnill or downhill slopes with atrailer attached, move the selector lever topos ition 1.

Driving with a roof-rack Driving with t .he

Startang and driving 45

overheating of the tyre and deterioration ofthe road manners


47/87

gloadThe maximum perm itted load carried on theroo f-rack is 100 kg/220 lb ( n la Convertible) .

Note that roof·rack loads are inc luded in thecar s carrying capacity. The roof·rackmount ings must be robust and able to withstand high stresses and the load must besecurely lashed . In some countries. spec1a lspeed rest rictions app ly to cars carryingroo f-rack loads. A roof -rack des igned specially for the car is ava ilable from your Saabdealer .

Driving with a loadcarrier900 Convertible)

The maximum load permitted on a earnerbar system on the 9 Convertible is 30 kg(60 Ib . Note that the earner load is included

n the car s carrying ca pacity. Carriermount ings must be robust and able to with

s tand h 1ghst

resses , and the load must bet1ed down securely . Avmd high-speed driving when carrying a load-earner , and notethat in some countries special speed restrictions may apply .A load -carri er sy s tem des igned spec 1ally forthe 900 Convertible is obtainable from yourSaab dea ler.

gluggage compartmentdoor open

Owing to the fact that dnv1ng wrth the luggage compartmen t door open enables exhaus t fumes to be drawn into the car. thisshou ld be avoi ded whenever possible.However, if this is unavoidable . close allwtndows. and set the heating and venti lation to maximum vent ilation and the highest defroster se tting.If the car is to be dr iven with the luggagecompartment door open, a lways lash thedoor secure ly to lhe bumpe r.

Driving with thecompact spare wheelfittedPlease observe the following when drivingwith the compact spare whee l fitte d.The tyre on th e compact spare wheel

should be inflated to a p ressure of 420 kPa(4.2 bar).Do not drive any further than is necessaryas the max1mum life of the wheel is 3.500km approx . Reinsta ll a standard unit assoon as possib le.Do not exceed 80 kmlh as th1s ma y cau se

the road manners.Avoid dnv1ng too close to ke rbs , as theground clearance s lower when the compact spa re whee l is t itled.

Sim ilarly , do notit

snow chains . Do not fit atlUb cap, as this would cover the warn1ngtext.The car must nol be driven with more thanone compact spare wh ee l.

oost starting usingjump , le ds

To avo1d arc1ng or flashover that can seriously damage the car s e lectnca l comp onents. jump leads must be connected correctly

1 Switch off the ignition and all powerconsumers (lights. radio, etc.) in thefau lty car .Switch off the engme n the donor car.

3 Start by connecting the posit1ve ( } ter·mina l of the do nor car battery to tnepos1t1ve (+ termina l of the flat batte ry

46 Starting and driv ing

4 Next connect lhe negative ·) term1na lof lhe donor car battery to the engtne owing the car


48/87

of lhe donor car battery to the engtnemounting of the fau lty car , furthest awayfrom the battery do not connect thenegative -) lead from the donor car tothe faulty car battery because a sparkcould ignite the exp los 1ve gas in the battery).

5 Start the donor car and then starl theengine in the faulty car: let it run for awhile before disconnecting the jumplead s in the reverse order .

onnectmg jump leads for boost startmg

gThe car is equipped w1th towrope attachment eyes front and rear. Drive carefullyand never exceed the speed limit for towing. Keep the towrope taut and remembe rthat when the eng1ne s not running, muchgreater press ure will have to be applied tothe brake pedal as lhe servo for the powerass isl ed brakes will be n operat1ve . Thesame applies to the steenng: Wthout powerassistance, the steering will be very heavy.Important points to note before beingtowed It your car has an automatic gear·box:

1 Make sure that the selector lever is in

tne N pos ition.2 II s vitalthal there 1S sufficient oil in the

gearbox . Accordingly, add two litres ofautomat 1c transmission fluid to bring the

Fro nt towrop attachment eye

level approximately 5 em above Ihe Rea r towrope attachment yM X mark.

3 Observe the national speed limit app ll·cable to veh icles on tow but, in anycase, do not exceed 40 km/h.

4 Never tow the car over a greater dis

tance than 40 50 km . If the distance isgrea ter than this, the fron t whee ls mustbe raised off the gro un d .

5 Before the car s dr iven again , check thetransmissi on fluid level and adjust it tothe prescribed level

6 Note that cars with an automatic gearbox canno1 be started by towing orpush ing.

SG 9 1

S 9

Car care and maintenance 47


49/87

ar care andmaintenance

Eng ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Eng ine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Cooling system 49Gearbox oil . . 5Brake fluid and brake pads . . . S

Power stee ring flu id reservo ir 5Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53AUernator 53Spark p lugs a n d Ign itionsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Wipers 54Washers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Headlight aJignment . . . . . . . . 55Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . 56

Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Whee ls and tyres . . . . . . . . . 60Compact spare whee l. . . . . . . 62Changing the whee ls round . . . 62Air condilioning . . . . . . . . . . 63

Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Upholstery and trim 63Textne carpeting 64Engine compartmen t . . . . . . . 64Wash ing ·the car 64Waxing and polishing . . 65Touch ing In the paintwork . . . . 65Anti corrosion treatment . . . . . 66Service Program 66

Fault diagnos is . . . . . . . . . . .67

Accessories . . 68Motoring abroad . . . . . . . . . . 68Additiona l literature on the car . 68

48 Car care and maintenance1 2 3 4 5 6 ng ine


50/87

16 15 4 13

Under the bonnet o the Saab 9 Turbo 61 Power steering flUid reservoir2 Water pump

3 AC compressor4 Alternator5 Clutch and brake flwd reservo ir

Coo la nt expans1on tank7 Eng ine oil dips tick8 Atr clea n er

12 11

9 Elec tron ic control urit , APC-systemTurbo )lelec tronic contro l unit 1gmhon

system injection eng 1n e )

10 Vacuum pump . cru1se contro l system11 lnlercoo ler12 Ignition coi ll 3 Distributor14 Turb o unit15 Battery16 Was he r flwd reservo ir

The car has a four-cylinder-in-line wate rcooled engine w1h twin ove rhead camshafts and the cylinders inc hned at 45 r tothe righ t The engtne is equipped with a nexhaust em ission control system .The clutch 1s moun ed at the front of the en·gine , forming a unit with the gearbox belowi t

ngine o lCheck the 11 leve l in the engine regular ly.Make sure the ca r is on level ground and

allow the engine t coo l from normal tern ·perature for between two and five minu tes .Remove the dipst ick, wtpe 1t on a clean ragand then check the leve l The level mustnever be allowed to drop below the m inimum mark on the dipstick but no r shouldthe level be topped up higher than the max·imum mark as this can result in excess iveoil consumption . The d1stance between theMAX and M IN marks on the dipstick corre·sponds to approximate ly one litre . Top up

as necessary w ith o il of the recommendedgrade ttuough the dipstick tube . Do not addoil if the level 1s higher than m1dway between the MAX and MIN marks . Make surethat the dipstick is screwed down tightlyfinger-tight) after use .

he engine oi shou ld be changed at the in·tervals specifi ed in the service programme .


Coo ing system


51/87

Oil fiHer capldipsrick SG88

£ng ns ot drain plu

N B

Ta e care not to confuse the drain p lugs

for the engme oil and gearbox oil.

o· fi t r

e oil filter must be changed at the inter -•als specilied in the Service Programme .

hen h ing a new filter. lightly lubricate therubber sea w1th engine oil and then t1ghtenthe f ter bv hand.

Expansion tankThe expans1on tank is transpa rent to facil·itate checking of the coolant level. The levelshould be between the M X and MINmarks on the side of the tank. op up asnecessary with equal parts of water andSaab coolant After repl en ish ing an emptyexpansion tank . run the engme to normaltemperature then top up again as required .

CoolantThe cooling sys em s charged at the f ~ c -tory w1th a coolant containing 50 spectalantifreeze and anti corrosion liqu 1d The

mixture should never be weaker than thisowing to the risk of c o r r o s i o ~For pr?tec-hon in extreme weather cond1t10ns a h1gher

Coolant expans on tank

50 Car care and ma1ntenance

concentration will be necessary: for protection at · 5 ~ Ca 60 concentration of anttf ll d


52/87

freeze will be required.The corros•on inhibiting propert ies of thecoolant deteriorate n t•me but aab original coolant must be used a ll the year.Change the coolant as ind icated rn the ser·vice programme. Always use Saab or iginalcoolant, as antif reeze of other makes mayrequire changmg more frequently.N.B. When adding antifreeze to the coolant .always mix it with water in the required pro·port1ons first. If neat antifreeze is added, theengine may still be damaged by frost as theanlifreeze will not be distributed throughoutthe cooling system unti l the thermostat hasopened, a llowing ful circulation

Che ckin g the freezing p o int o f thecoo lant

Check the freezing point of the coolant ingood time before the onset of winter . Thiscan be done at most garages and servicestations.

CAUTIO

The coo ling system is a pressurized sys·tern . Always open the filler cap on the expansion tank carefully, releas ing anyvapour before removing the cap .

Radiator dram cock SG 269

Chang ing the coolant1 Set the heater control (TEMP) to max-

imum.

2 If the engine s hot, open the filler capon the expansion tank carefully to release the pressure in the system. Donot remove lhe filler cap .

3 Place a suitable receptacle under theradiator and unscrew the drain cock nthe bottom left corner , nolding the innernut to prevent its turning.

4 Remove the filler cap on the expans1ontank.

5 Unscrew the dra1n plug in the right-handside of the b lock , underneath the exhaust manifold. Allow the coolant todra1n comp letely .

6 C lose the dra1n cock on the radiator. re·fit the drain plug in the block and make

oolant leed nipple SG1112

sure that the TEMP control1s stil l set to

maximum heat.Open the b lee d nipple for the coolingsystem and a d d coolant to the expanSIOn tank until it starts to flow out of thenipple .

8 Close the bleed nipp le and rep lace thefiller cap on the expansion tank.

9 Start the engine. n m it up to normaltempe ra1ure and then top up the expansion tank as necessary

earbox oil

Manual gearbox

Checking and topping-up of the gearbox oilare part of the Service Programme .

Automatic transmission fluidThe dip s tick for the automatic transm tss1on

3 Top up with automatic transmissionflutd as necessary .

4 Af i l h i



53/87

pfluid ha s different mar kings fo r hot and coldflutd levels. Check the flu id leve l regular yas follows :

1 Apply the han d brake and let lhe eng1neidle for at least fifteen seconds witl1 these ector lev er in the posilion Thereafter move the se lecto r to Ra n d againlet the engine id le for at least f1tteenseconds. Now move the selector to Pand let the eng1ne idle for a furtherteen seconds .

2 With the selector st ill in P and the engine idling check that the level of thetransm is sion fluid is between the MAXand MIN marks on the dipstick.The distance between the MAX anaMIN marks on the dipstick correspondsto a volum e of 0.5 ltr ol transmiSSionfluid.Note that at very low temperatures thefluid le ve l may fall well below the normal min imu m level for a cold gearbox .

4 After topping up leave the eng ine toidle for a few m inutes and then re checkthe level.Wipe the dipstick using a nylon rag lint

free paper or the like - never use ra gsliab le to leave lint or fluff on it.

Always observe scrupulous cleanlinesswhen checking or topping up the trans-mission fluid

utomatic transmiSSIOn ffwd dipstick

utomatic gearboxDrain plug gearbox

2 Drain plug fmal dnve

Flwd level dipstick for automa c gearbox

S7702

52 Car care and mal ntenance

rake fluid and braked

Service Programme . This work should bedone by an authonzed Saab workshop. Power steering fluid

i


54/87

pads

Check ing

The brake fluid reservo ir is transparent tofac11itate check1ng of the fluid lev el. Thelevel should be be twee n the MAX and M INmarks. Note that if the car has ASS brakesthe level must be checked with the igni tionsw1tched on . Top up as necessary withbrake fluid of the recommen ded grade anduse only fluid from a t i g h t l ~l ~ se d ~ n -tainer as fluid exposed to a1r will deteno-rate. In time the brake flUidwill absorb wa-ter and vapour may be formed : it 1stherefore vital that the brak e fluid bechanged at the .nterva ls specif ied in the

Brake lc/utch fluid reservorr

Since the foOlbrake and handbrake haveautomatic adjustment it is not possib le todetect when he bra e pads are wo andneeding replacement by signs of excessivepeda l travel o lever movement Thus it isvital that the lh1ckn ess of the l1n1ngs bechecked regularly as speclf1eo in the Se r-VICe Progra mmeThe work of changing the brake padsmust be carried out by an authorizedworkshop using genuine Saab brakepads.

Brake tclutch fluid reservoir (car s lith ABS)

reservoirThe lev el of the flu1d in the power steeringreservoir must be checked regular ly asspec1fled in th e Service Book . The reserv ? Jrhas graduations tor cold and hot fluidWhen the engine is at normal running t ern ·perature the fluid level should be e t w e~ nthe OT and COLD mar1


55/87

DANGER

The battery emits hydrogen which, whenmixed with the oxygen in the air, for ms thehighly ex plos ive gas oxyhy drog en .The elec trolyte in the batte ry is dilute su lphuric add and therefore highly corrosive . Should the liqui d come mto contactwith the eyes. skin or clothes. wash im ·me diately w1th plen ty of water . In theevent of contact with the eye . or i a largerquant ity of liquid comes into contact w hth e skin, after washing contact a doctorimmed iately.

Heal shreJd bove battery1 W n g nuls

SG 895

venttonal batteries. The electrolyte levelshould come to the bottom of I he filler pipe .Use only dist illed water to top up the battery . Check the charge o f the battery atregular interva ls and more frequently during the wmter when the battery s capacitywill be reduced by low temperatures .If the car Is used repeatedly for only shortjourneys during the winter, th e battery mayneed a boost er charge e 1her by means ofa battery charger or by taking the car for alonger run Never reverse the po lar ity ofthe battery.

If the battery lea ds are connected to thewrong terminals or either of the battery oralternator leads is disconnected while theengtne 1s running, the al te rnator may be irreparably damaged. Always make sure thatyou connect fhe red positive ( + lead to thepositive - ) battery terminal and the bluenegative (·) lead to the negative H batterytermtna. Always disconnect bo th batteryleads before connecting a battery ctlargerto oo

Documents

Saab900cv Owners Manual 92[Opt]