Page 21
Lid
Sunroof
The luggage compartment is locked and unlocked in the same way as the doors.
To facilitate closing a handle is fitted on the
inside of tl,c luggage compartment door on
Saab 99 Combi Coupe.
The spare wheel, jack and tool kit are carried
in the luggage compartment.
The sunroof is opened and closed by sliding
the handle at the front of the panel either backwards or forwards. The roof can be opened
either partially or completely. Once the handle
is released, it will spring back to its central posilion (locking position). To close the roof, push
the handle forward until the panel locks in the
closed position.
m
Luggagecomparcmentdoor, Saab99 CombiCoupe
I. Unlock, 2. Lock. A. Opening handl~.
luggage c:ompu1mcn1lid, S33b 99 Sedan
I. Unlock. 2. Lock.
18 Doors. Luggage Compartment Lid. Bonnet.
Clo~inghandle,Saab99 CombiCoupC
Openinghandle. sunroof
Page 22
Bonnet
The bonnet release handle is le :ated under
the instrument panel, close to tlH !cft wheel
housing,
Opening the bonnet:
I. Pull the handle u nderncath th, ,instrument
Bonnet release handle
panel. The bonnet opens halfway and is stopped
by a safety catch at the front edge.
2. Press the leading edge of the bonnet down
slightly and push back the safety catch. The
bonnet will then spring up and can be tilted forward without effort.
Bagga~~e
and
Cargo:Space.
m
Bonnet safety catch
d
B ggageand Cargo Space. I 9
Page 23
The rear seat can, e converted to extend the
luggage compartmen. .
m
Release the scat catch and tip the scat forward, standing it on edge behind the front scats.
ln 2- and 3-door cars, the front of the scat must
be lifted before it can be tipped forward. Next,
release the backrest catch and drop the backrest
forward.
Catch, be ~krest,Saab 99 Combi Coupe
Extended carg<1space w :.hrear $C'Jldropped, Saab 99
S~dan
Parcel shet.Cremoved, s, b 99 Combi Coupe
Extended cargospace w th back seat dropped, Saab 99
CombiCoupe
20 Baggage and Carr , Space.
Seat cushion catch, 2· and 3.
d<>ormodels
Seat cushioncatch, 4- and 5door mOdels
Catch, backrest, Saab 99 Sedan
Page 24
The luggagecompartment door on Saab 99
Combi Coupe is filled with a catch which locks
the parcel shelf in the raised position, facilitating
loadingand unloading.The shelf returns to its
normal position automaticallywhen the door is
closed.
Starting
and Driving.
Starting the Engine
General
Do not run the starter for more than 20-25
secondsat a stretch; wait 20-30 seconds to let
the battery recoverbefore-attempting to start
the engineagain.Makesure that the lightsand
electricallyheated rear window·areswitched off
before starting in wintertime.
Do not race the engineor make ii work too
hard while it is still cold, and on no account do
so while the oil pressurewarninglight is still lit.
Avoidwarmingthe engineby idlingat a stand•
still. Start drivingas soon as the oil pressure
light has gone out to heat the engineup to its
proper workingtemperatureas quickly as p0S·
sible.
Starting carburetorengines
The carburetor is equipped with a manual
choke lo assist startingwhen the engineis cold.
Pullingout the choke control also adjusts the
throttle to give the enginethe higher idling
speed it needs. Neverpull out the choke when
the engine is warm.
I. Apply the handbrakeand put the gear lever
in neutral (manual transmission)or select P or
N (automatic transmission).
NOTE! Carswith automatic transmission
can only be started when the selector lever is
at P or N.
2. When the engineis cold, pull the choke con•
Pucel shelf catch, Saab 99 Combi Coupe
e
Starting and Driving, 21
m
Page 25
trol right out. Do not touch the accelerator.
When the engine is hot, depress the accelerator
all, or nearly all, the way. Do not touch the
choke.
3. Fully depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission).
4. Turn the ignition key to start (S), letting it
spring back to drive (K) as soon as the engine
starts.
5. The choke control should be pushed-back
gradually as the engine warms up during driving.
It can normally be pushed home completely after a short while.
m
Starting injection engines
The engine has an automatic choke. Start as
follows:
I. Apply the handbrake and put the gear lever
in neutral (manual transmission) or select P or
N (automatic transmission).
NOTE! Carswith automatic transmission
can only be started when the selector lever is
at P or N.
2. Fully depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission).
3. Turn the key to the start position and let it
spring back as soon as the engine has started.
Allow the engine to idle for about 10 seconds
before touching the accelerator. Do not depress
the accelerator for full throttle until the engine
has run for at least 2-3 minutes.
Saab 99 Turbo: If, after a journey, the en-
22 Starting and Driving.
gine is very hot, the radiator fan will cut in. This
will occur even if the engine has been switched
off. The fan will continue to run until the temperature has dropped.
GearChanging
Manual transmission
To change gear, the clutch pedal should be
fully depressed and then released slowly and
smootltly. There are only two clutch positions
during driving: either disengaged(pedal all the
way down (or engaged (pedal all the way up).
It is bad practice to drive with a slipping clutch
or with your foot resting on the clutch pedal, as
this causes heavy wear on the release bearing
and clutch disc. When the car is standing still
with the engine running, the gear lever should
be in neutral and the clutch pedal released. All
gear changing should be done with gentle but
finn movemer11sand with a short, barely perceptible pause in neutral. Before change down
to reverse, make sure that the car is at a standstill and that the accelerator pedal is fully released.
For maximum fuel economy, gear changing
is recommended at the following speeds:
Gear change
1--
2--3
3--4
2
Speed
15 mph (20 km/h)
22 mph (35 km/h)
30 mph (50 km/h)
Automatic transmission
The following basic rules for operation of
the automatic transmission should be kept in
mind:
I. Always have your foot on the brake or the
handbrake engaged before moving the selector
lever if U1ecar is at a standstill with the engine
idling. Otherwise the car will start to creep forward when a dri,•inggear is selected, as the torque converter does not disengage the transmission completely.
2. The engine should be at idling speed if you
move the selector lever while the car is at a standstill. If you race the engine while moving the lever, this is liable to cause abnormal wear on the
transmission mechanism. For the same reason
you should not change to R or P while the car is
in motion.
Selecting gears
D. The D (Drive) position is for normal forward
driving. Whicheverof the three forward gears
best matches the speed and load on the engine
is automatically engaged.
2. Position 2 gives automatic changing between
first and second gears but top gear cannot be engaged. If the lever is moved from D to 2, tltis
•
gives an immediate change-down for more engine
braking power. Position 2 must not be selected
at road speeds above 55 miles per hour (90 km/h). •
I. Position I is used to obtain maximum engine
Page 26
85 km/h) by pushing the accelerator pedal hard
braking power on steep downgrades.Road speed
must be reduced to below about 12 mph (20 km/h) down to the kick-downposition. Changingup
to the next highergear is automatic as soon as
before 1stgear is selected.This position should
also be used for uphill drivingon very steep hills
the enginereachesmaximum revs for the gear
to avoid overheatingthe transmissionoil. Second engaged,or the pedal is ea~d up.
and top gearscannot be engagedwhen the lever
is at I.
Braking
N. In position N (Neutral) no gear is engaged.
The car is deliveredwith a thoroughly tested
The starter contact is operative in this position.
set of brake liningswith very little tendency to
The handbrakeshould be applied when the sefade, i.e. they can tolerate high temperatures
lector lever is in position N to prevent the car
without seriousloss of effe,ct.Alwaysmake sure
from movingif it is standingon a ~ope.
when changingbrake pads that originalSaab
R. Position R (Reverse)must not be selected un- ~-pareparts are fitted. Alwaysuse an authorized
less the car is stationary.
Saab workshop for changing the brake pads.
P. PositionP (Park) is selected when the car is
parked, and the lever must be in this position
[MPORTANT
before the ignition key can be turned to L
It is good policy to check the brakes oc(Locked) and withdrawn. The selector lever is
casionallywhen driving to make sure that
then locked and the transmissionis immQbilized.
they are workingproperly, especiallyif they
Do not select position P when the car is in mohavebeen subjected to heavy splashingwith
tion.
water or when drivingtruough snow or salty
slush,as the brakingeffect may be temporar•
Movingoff
ily reduced in conditions of this kind. The
I. Movethe selector lever to the desiredposibrake system is power a:ssisted,but the adtion (normally D for forward driving).
ded power from this is only availablewhen
2. Releasethe brake and accelerate.
the engineis running. It requiresa considerably greater force on the pedal to brake the
Kick-down
ear when the engine is switched off.
To obtain maxin1umacceleration,e.g. for
overtaking,it is possible to effect an instant
change-downat speeds below 50-55 mph (80-
To avoid subjectingthe brakes to excessively
high temperatures,e.g. when drivingdownhill in
mountainouscountry with descentsof thousands
of feet, you should utiliZethe brakingpower of
the engineby selectinga lower gear.
For cars with automatic transmission,use
position" 1" or "2'\
Steering Characteristics
The car has a built-in tendency to understeer,
i.e. at a givenposition of the steeringwheel the
turning radius tends to increasewith risingspeed.
The car is deliberatelydesignedth.isway to improve its stability and reduce the risk of backwheel skids ("fishtailing"). One of the ways in
wltich understeeringhas been achievedis through
the weightdistribution. Withonly a driver,about
60 % of the vehicleweightis on the front wheels:
the correspondingfigure for a fully loadedcar is
50%.
Runningin
Every new car has a recommendedrunning
in period during which the owner is advisedto
drive with restrainI. Pist0ns,cylinder wallsand
bearingsneed to be in operation for some time
to produce smooth and hard-wearingcontact surfaces.Placingtoo much strain on a new engine
interfereswith this gradualselling-downprocess,
Starting and Driving. 23
m
Page 27
shortening the life of the car and especiallythe
engine.
For the first 2,000 miles (3,000 km) you
should not drive at full throttle except for very
brief periods.
Driving Economy
To obtain the best runningeconomy as re•
gards both fuel consumption and wear on the
car, the car should be driven smoothly and,calm•
ly and should undergo regular servicing.
I. Avoid hard acceleration and revvingthe en•
gine. Recommendedspeeds for gear changing
are givenunder "Gear changing".
2. Use tJ1echoke sparinglyand adjust the position of the choke control to the engine requirement during the warming-upperiod.
3. Drivingin town, cold starts, studded tyres
and drivingwith roof racks or trailers, all contribute to increasedfuel consumption.
m
Winterdriving
Check before drivingoff in cold weather that
the wiper blades on the windshieldand headlights have not frozen fast. Removeany snow
from the air intake for the heating system. The
air intake is located immediatelybehind the bon-
net
It may also be necessaryto use a speciallock
oil to prevent the door and luggagecompartment
locks from freezing.In the event of a lock cylinder havingfrozen, be careful not to damage
24 Starting and Driving.
the key when attempting to turn it in the lock.
To melt the ice, either heat the key or inject
speciallock oil into the lock.
It is recommended that carburetor spirit be
added to the petrol periodically during the winter to prevent the condensation in the fuel tank
from freezingand interrupting the supply of
fuel to the engine.This is particularly important in the case of cars with injection engines.
The risk of condensation is smallestwhen the
fuel tank is full.
When the roads are slippery, it is essential
that brakes and tyres are in good condition. On
icy roads, studded tyres provide the best grip,
provided that they are fitted on all four wheels.
Neveruse a mixed set of tyres, but have the
same kind on all four wheels.
The most effective means of dealing with a
front-wheelskid is to employ the freewheeling
method, i.e. the wheelsare neither braked nor
driven. It is particularly important to avoid
braking.In the event of a rear-wheelskid, steer
in the same direction as that in which the rear
of the car is sliding. In the event of a front-wheel
skid, steer gently into the line you wish to take.
Snap-on links should not be used to prevent
skidding,since they are liable to damage the
disc brakes. Ordinary snow chains can be used
on both the front and rear tyres. However,drive
carefully if these are fitted, since the chains may
scrape against the body when the car hits a large
bump or turns sharply.
Saab 99 EMSand 99 Turbo are equipped
with tyres of size 17S/70 HR I 5. In addition to
havingexcellent high-speedproperties on wet or
dry roads, these tyres have been designedto provide the best-possibleroadholding for the ears.
Unfonunately however, this design impliesa
considerablereduction in the frictional properties of the tyres on icy and snow-coveredsurfaces.Consequently for driving under winter
conditions we recommend that snow tyres or
"all-weathertyres" of size 165 SR IS be fitted.
Drivingwith a Trailer
orCaravan
A special lowingattachment designed for a
maximum trailer weight of3300 lb (I S00 kg) is
availableas an optional accessory for the car.
Bolt holes are already provided to facilitate
mounting of the attachment.
If cars with automatic transmissionare to be
used for towinga trailer or caravan weighing
more than I 700 lb (800 kg), they must be equip·
ped with an air-cooledoil cooler. A suitable oil
cooler is availableas an accessory.
It is inadvisablefor several reasons to hook
an excessivelyheavy trailer to the car, and the
followingpoints should therefore be borne in
mind.
I. Legalrestrictions on towingspeed, trailer
weightand trailer braking equipment in the
Page 28
''
country concernedmust of course be complied
with.
2. For reasonsof road safety the weightof the
trailer should not exceed 3300 lb (I 500 kg) on
roads with normalgradients up to 10 %. On
roads with steeper gradients(10-12 %) the
weightshould not exceed 2650 lb (1200 kg).
In the case of very steep gradients the trailer
weightshould not exceed 1900 lb (850 kg).
These weightsrefer to trailers equipped with
adequate brakes,unbraked trailers should not
weighmore than llOO lb (500 kg).
3. If the car has automatic transmission,position I should be selected for towing up steep
gradienL~.
The same applies to downhillgradients so as to obtain maximumenginebraking
effect.
4. When towing a trailer, avoid gradientsof 15 %
or more, as in such conditions the weighton the
front drivingwheelsis so low that they may lose
traction and stop the car. For the same reason,
the handbrakeeffect may be so reduced that the
car and trailer cannot be held stationary on very
steep uphill gradesby the handbrakealone, without the wheelsstarting to slide. Whendriving
with a trailer on very long hills, you can help
keep the enginecool by turning on the fresh air
heater for a time and running the ventilator fan
at full speed.
5. The load distribution in the trailer is of the
utmost importance. In a two-wheeledtrailer,
the load should be placed low down and concentrated as far as possibleover the wheels.The
trailer should be loaded in such a way that the
downward force on the towing hook of the car
is between I l O lb ( 50 kg) and a maximumof
200 lb (90 kg). The maximumload carried in
the car's luggagecompartment must be reduced
by the same amount.
6. When drivingwith a trailer, always make allowance for the altered handlingcharacteristics
and longer stoppingdistances.The brakes,suspension and shock-absorbingequipment of the
trailer are very important in this respect.
PowerUnit.
D
Driving with Roof Load
Max.roof load is 220 lb (100 kg). Note that
the max. load of the car must obviouslynot be
exceededand that the roof load must be included
in the max. load.
The roof rack must have strong mounting
points which can resist heavy strains and the
load must be properly secured. A roof rack, specially designedfor Saab cars, is availablefrom
your Saab dealer.
Drivingwith an open
LuggageCompartment
Drivingwith the luggagecompartment open
should be avoidedsince exhaust fumes can be
sucked into the car. If it should prove necessary
for some reason to drive with the lid open, close
all windows,ensure that all air vents and defroster controls are in the open position, and that the
ventilator fan is running at full speed.
f
Power Unit. 25
Page 29
D
Engine
Engine oil
The car has a four-in-line liquid cooled engine
with overhead camshaft.
The cylinder block is canted 45o to the right
and the cylinder head is of cross-flow type, i.e.
witl1 inlet ducts on one side and exl1aust ducts
on the other. The crankshaft is supported in five
main bearings. The engine has a separate idler
shaft that drives the oil pump, water pump and
distributor through gears. On carbureted engines,
the fuel pump is also driven by a cam on the idler
shaft.
Check the oil Je,•el at regular intervals. Always switch the engine off first and allow it to
cool for at least one minute. Do not let the level fall below the lower mark on the dipstick,
nor fill beyond the upper mark; this will cause
excessive oil consumption. The distance between the upper and lower marks corresponds
to a volume of approx. I quart (I litre). Top up
with oil of recommended grade as necessary.
(Sec section K.) After checking tl1eoil and topping up as necessary, push the dipstick all the
way down and tighten the cap securely.
CAUTION! Do not confuse the engine and
trnnsmission drnin plugs (see page 29).
The engine has fully enclosed crankcase ventilation.
The clutch is mounted at the front of the engine, fonning a unit with the transmission underneath.
Cooling System
The cooling system is pressurized with a crossflow radiator and expansion tank.
Until the engine has reached its operating
temperature, the radiator inlet is closed by a
thermostat and the coolant circulates through
the engine and the fresh air heater until it
reaches the temperature at which the thermostat opens.
The radiator fan is electrically operated and
is regulated by a thermostatic switch. The fan is
only operative when the temperature of the radiator coolant is higher than the cut-in temperature of the thermostatic switch.
The cooling SYS!emmust not be screened!
NOTE
Always loosen the cap gently and allow
steam to escape before taking the cap off.
The coolant level must not be allowed
to fall below the minimum level marked on
the expansion tank.
Checking the coolant level
Check regularly to make sure that the coolant
is up to the recommended level. When necessary,
top up with equal parts of clean water and
coolant. See recommendations in sec lion K.
After an empty expansion tank has been filled
Oil filler <>p
26 Power Unit.
Oil dipstick, engine
i,
Page 30
up, the engine should be run until warm and the
tank topped up again.
Changing coolant
Draining
I. Set the heater control to maximum heat.
2. Loosen the pressure cap on the expansion
tank 3 (see illustration).
3. Open radiator drain cock I 2 which is located
Filling
2. Fill the system with coolant until the expansion tank is filled. Replace cap.
3. Open the bleeder nipple, start the engine and
let it run at a moderate speed until the coolant
flowing out of the nipple is free from air bubbles.
4. Close the bleeder nipple, stop the engine and
top up the expansion tank if necessary.
I. Close the drain cock andl ensure that the
heater control is set to maximum heat.
Anti-freeze coolant mixtures
towards the bottom of the radiator on the left.
hand side (see illustration).
4. Open engine drain plug n3 located to the
right of the engine, under the exhaust manifold
(see illustration).
•
4 5
7
8 9 15 10
14 3
The cooling system is ftlled with frostfree
coolant mixture.
During the cold season the coolant must be
mixed with anti-freeze, as pure water is liable
to freeze and burst the radiator and the cylin•
der block. For maximum security against freez•
ing and corrosion the glycol dosage should be
3-4 imp quarts (3-4 litres), i.e. 40-50 %. Use
antifreeze suitable for petrol engines with light
alloy cylinder heads.
NOTE! When anti-freeze is added, it must
first be mixed with a suitable quantity of water,
as full circulation cannot take place until the
thermostat opens. If pure anti-freeze is added,
there is still a risk of the engine being damaged
by ice if the anti-freeze does not mix with the
engine coolant quickly enough.
I
2
CooHngand healing system
1. Radiator
2. Radiator ran
3. Expansiontankwith pressurecap
4. Thermostat
S. Temperaturetransmitter
11. Thermostat switeh,radiatorfan
6. Coolant pump
12. Radiator draincock
7. Fan motor
13. Engine drain plug
8. Impeller
14. Blccdea nipple
9. Heat exchanger
10. T11ermostaticaUy
c<>ntroUed
valve 15. Air valve
Power Unit. 27
D