Saab 1987 900 - Towing a Trailer Safely

38 Starting and driving
Driving with the luggage
compartment lid
open
Whenever possible , you should avoid dri-
ving with the luggage compartment lid
open, since the exhaust gases can be drawn
into the car. If, nonetheless, yo u are forced
to drive with the lid open, make sure that all
the windows are closed. Set the ventilation
controls to th e positions for maximum fan
speed and defrosting.
It you drive with the lid open, always tie it
securely
to th e bumper.
WARNING!
Exhaust gases are dangerous if inhaled.
The
engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas
which may be fatal ifinhaled.
Driving with a trailer
A special towing hitch is available as an
optional accessory. Bolt hol es are already
provided to facilitate mounting of the
atta chment.
We recommend you drive your new Saab
beyond the br eak in service (first oil and fil-
ter change) before trailer towing.
It is inadvisable to hook an excessively heavy
trailer to a car, and the following points
should, therefore, be borne in mind:
1 Legal restrictions on towing speed,
trailer weight, and trailer braking
eq uipment in the state concerned must
be complied with. Check your local
laws before towing a trailer.
2 The weight limit of the trailer is 1000
lbs, for a trailer without brakes and
2000 lbs. for a trailer with brakes. Ton-
gue weight should be 5% to 7% of the
trailer weight with a maximum permis-
sible tongue weight of 200 lbs. Tongue
weight is to be considered as vehicle
load and should be deducted from the
permissible trunk load or weight. Al-
ways hook
up the safety chains provided
with the trailer.
3
If the car has an automatic transmis-
sion, position 1 should be selected for
climbing steep grades in order to best
utilize the torque available from the en -
gine.
The same applies for down gra-
dients so as to obtain maximum engine
braking effect.
4 It is recomm ended that heavy load trail-
ers
(campers, etc.) not be towed by a
900 SPG and that light units (light-duty
utility/
sport) be towed with caution.
5
When towing a trailer, avoid grades of
15% or more, as in such conditions the
weight on the front driving wheels is so
low that they may lose traction and stop
the car. For the same reason, the hand-
brake effect may be so reduced that the
car and trailer ca nnot be held stationary
on very step uphill grades by the hand-
brake alone without the wheels starting
to slide. When driving with a trailer on
very long hills, you can help the engine
cooling by turning the cabin fan to full
speed.
6 The load distribution in the trailer is
most important. In a two-wheeled
trailer the load should be placed low
down and concentrated as much as pos-
sible over
the wheels.
7
When driving with a trailer, always
make allowance for the altered handl-
ing characteristics and longer stopping
distance. The brakes, suspension, shock
absorbing equipment, and light system
ofthe trailer are very important in tow-
ing a trailer safely.
8
If heavy trailers are to be towed, we re-
commend that a pneumatic spring-
boosting accessory be used to assist the
rear springs.
9
When towing trailers, inflate tow
vehicle tires to the "Cold tire pressure"
for "Full load" as recommended in the
specifications section ofthis manual.
NOTE! Trailer brakes which require tap-
ping into the vehicle's hydraulic system
are not recommended.