2005 Saab 9-3 Owner's Manual - Page 165

Starting and driving Selector lever positions P The selector lever is locked and the transmission is mechanically blocked. The engine can be started. To move the selector lever out of the P position, depress the brake pedal and press in the detent (catch) on the selector lever. Only select the park position (P) when the car is stationary. R Only select the reverse position (R) when the car stationary. The detent release button must be pressed before the selector lever can be moved to R. Wait until reverse gear has engaged before touching the accelerator. 163 N You must press the brake pedal to move the selector lever from the neutral position (N). In neutral, the transmission is disengaged from the engine. The engine can be started but make sure the parking brake is on to prevent unexpected movement. To prevent the engine and transmission becoming hotter than necessary, select N for long stops with the engine running, e.g. when stuck in a traffic jam. At traffic lights, leave the selector lever in the drive position (D). D The drive position (D) is the normal one for forward driving. The transmission shifts automatically between all gears from 1st to 5th, the timing of which depends on factors such as the current accelerator position and the speed of the car. Pause for a moment before applying the accelerator, to allow the gears to engage.