2003 Saab 9-5 Owner's Manual - Page 163

Starting and driving 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 backward 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 P. 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. 163 Selector lever The electronic control module for the automatic transmission receives information on engine torque and road speed, and 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. If manual mode (M) is selected, the current gear is also displayed on the main instrument panel. The ignition key can only be removed when the selector lever is in the P position. Selector-lever indicator on main instrument panel When the car is stationary, the engine must be at idling speed 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. NOTICE After selecting a drive position, pause briefly to allow the gear to engage (the car starts to pull a little) before you accelerate.