2002 Saab 9-3 Owner's Manual - Page 156

156 Starting and driving When the car is stationary, the engine must be idling when the selector lever is moved. You must have your foot on the brake pedal to move the lever out of park. If the accelerator is depressed while the lever is moved, this will result in abnormal wear in the transmission. Automatic transmission WARNING • Make it a habit to keep your foot on the brake when selecting a drive position, to prevent the car from creeping forward (or backwards if reverse is selected). • The car must be at a standstill before P, R or N is selected. You have to have your foot on the brake pedal to move the lever out of park. If the car is still moving when a drive position is subsequently selected, this could cause a crash or damage the automatic transmission. • Never park the car with the selector lever in a drive position, even if the parking brake is on. • If you want to leave the car with the engine running, move the selector lever to P or N and apply the parking brake. IB865 NOTE After selecting a drive position, pause briefly to allow the gear to engage (the car starts to pull a little) before you accelerate. Selector lever 1 Catch 2 Button for SPORT position 3 Button for WINTER position The electronic control module for the automatic transmission receives information on engine torque and road speed. It also controls the hydraulic pressure in the transmission to ensure that gear changing is as smooth as possible. The position of the selector lever is shown by the symbols adjacent to the lever and also by an indicator on the main instrument panel. The ignition key can only be removed when the selector lever is in the P position.