2004 Saab 9-3 Owner's Manual - Page 175

Starting and driving 175 Driving in cold weather In cold weather, special attention should be paid to the following: • Before driving off, make sure that the wiper blades have not frozen to the windshield. • Remove any snow from the heating system air intakes between the hood and the windshield. • If necessary, inject oil into the locks to prevent them from freezing. Use molybdenum-sulphide oil (MoS2). If the locks freeze, exercise care when unlocking the car (manual unlocking) to avoid breaking the key. Warm up the key or use a de-icer. • It is particularly important when the roads are slippery that the brakes and tires are in good condition. • For how to check the level of antifreeze in the engine coolant, see page 199. • Add gasoline anti-freeze when refueling several times before the onset of winter. This will prevent condensation water in the fuel tank from freezing and causing interruptions in the fuel supply. The likelihood of condensation is lowest when the fuel tank is full. If the car is parked outside and the temperature is below zero, carburetor spirit is of little use as it cannot remove water that has already frozen. Park the car in a warm place so that any ice that may have built up melts, then add carburetor spirit when refueling. Condensation is caused by temperature fluctuations, either in the outside temperature alone or when the car is alternately parked outdoors and in a garage. The car is equipped with tires designed to provide optimum grip on both wet and dry roads, although this has been achieved at the expense of somewhat reduced grip on snow and ice. For regular driving on snow and ice, we therefore recommend that winter (snow) tires be fitted. • Convertible: Avoid operating the soft top at temperatures below 23°F (-5°C). The car is equipped with tires designed to provide optimum grip on both wet and dry roads, although this has been achieved at the expense of somewhat reduced grip on snow and ice. For regular driving on snow and ice, we therefore recommend that winter tires be fitted. However, winter tires achieve this extra grip at the expense of grip on bare road surfaces. Winter tires, particularly studded tires, generally make driving safer on snow and ice. Acquaint yourself with the legal provisions governing the use of different types of winter tires and snow chains. Studded tires are not allowed in some countries. If winter tires are fitted, the same type must be fitted to all four wheels. Your Saab dealer will be pleased to advise you on the best tires for your car.