2001 Saab 9-3 Owner's Manual - Page 154

154 Starting and driving Useful tips on cold climate starting If the engine has failed to start after several attempts in very cold weather, press and hold the accelerator down to the floor and run the starter for 5-10 seconds. This will prevent the engine being flooded (excessively rich fuel-air mixture). Now start the engine in the normal way - do not touch the accelerator. If the engine stalls immediately after starting (e.g. if the clutch was released too quickly), do not touch the accelerator when restarting the engine. Every time the engine is switched off the spark plugs are automatically cleaned. If your attempt to start nevertheless fails, let go of the ignition key and allow it to spring back. This initiates more vigorous cleaning of the sparking plugs which goes on for about 5 seconds. Then start in the ordinary way. Do not touch the accelerator; if the accelerator is pressed to the floor the fuel supply is shut off. Starting the engine The engine has an automatic choke and should be started as follows: Cars with manual gearbox To start the engine the clutch pedal must be fully depressed. 1 Depress the clutch pedal but do not touch the accelerator. 2 Start the engine. Let the ignition key spring back as soon as the engine has started and is running smoothly - at very low temperatures, you may need to run the starter for up to 50 seconds. Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do not open the throttle wide for at least 2-3 minutes after starting. Cars with automatic transmission The selector lever must be in the P or N position. 1 Keep your foot on the brake pedal. 2 Start the engine. Let the ignition key spring back as soon as the engine has started and is running smoothly - at very low temperatures, you may need to run the starter for up to 50 seconds. Let the engine idle for about 10 seconds. Do not open the throttle wide for at least 2-3 minutes after starting. Important considerations for driving The engine-management system in the Saab 9-3 is called Saab Trionic T7. The system manages the ignition, fuel injection and turbo boost pressure. The Trionic T7 system developed by Saab is an intelligent engine-management system designed to achieve optimum driveability under differing driving conditions. The system makes adjustments automatically, for instance, if the car is being driven at altitude (oxygen-deficient air), for different grades of fuel (AON 87-93) and for different load conditions. 1 Starting and driving • Refrain from using full throttle before the engine has warmed up (before needle is in the mid-range on temperature gauge) to avoid unnecessary wear. If the needle of the pressure gauge repeatedly enters the red zone the engine may suddenly lose power, owing to the intervention of a monitoring system which curtails the charging pressure. Get in touch with an authorized Saab dealer at once. • A safety function prevents the engine from revving faster than 6,200 rpm by temporarily shutting of the fuel injectors.