2002 Saab 9-5 Owner's Manual - Page 160

160 NOTE Starting and driving Overheated transmission fluid If the automatic-transmission fluid should overheat, the following message will appear on the SID: "TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING". If this happens, stop the car and wait for the message to be extinguished. Continue driving in a locked gear that produces an engine speed of about 3,000 rpm. Overheating of the automatic-transmission fluid can occur when the car is towing a heavy load, such as a camping trailer in hilly country, with the wrong gear selected, resulting in abnormally frequent gear changing. Try selecting position L, 3 or 4. High ambient temperatures can also increase the temperature of the transmission fluid or the oil cooler may be faulty. Contact an authorized Saab dealer (see also page 173). Driving on hilly roads with a heavy load The transmission fluid can overheat when the gearbox is strained, for example, when driving with a trailer on hilly roads with the wrong gear is selected, resulting in many extra gear changes. To avoid the transmission fluid overheating, always drive in Normal mode. The adaptive gear change patterns are then active. High air temperatures or a faulty oil cooler can also cause the transmission fluid to overheat. Overheating reduces the service life of the fluid. Contact an authorized Saab dealer (see also page 173). If the control module has actuated the Limp-home function for the automatic transmission, the car will remain in 5th gear when D is selected, making it very sluggish. To overcome this, move the selector lever to position L. WARNING Remember to use engine-braking (selector position L, 3, or 4) to spare the brakes when you are driving on a long or steep downhill slope. Brake failure can result from overheated brakes! Towing Towing of cars with automatic transmission, see page 180.