Saab 900 1983 - Fuel and Fluids; Fuel; Gasohol; Engine Oil

cessory be used to assist the rear springs.
8. When towing trailers, inflate tow vehicle
tires to the "Cold Tire Pressure" for "Max
Load" as recommended in the specifica·
tlons section of this manual.
NOTE: Trailer brakes requiring a tap from
the vehicle's hydraulic system are not
recommended.
DRIVING WITH THE LUGGAGE
COMPARTMENT LID OPEN
Whenever possible , you should avoid driving
with the luggage compartment lid open, since
the exhaust gases can be drawn Into the car. If,
nonetheless, you are forced to drive with the lid
open, make sure that all the windows are
closed.
Set the ventilation controls to the posi·
tions for maximum fan speed and defrosting .
If you drive with the lid open, always tie it se·
curely to the bumper .
WARNING! Exhaust gases are danger ·
ous If Inhaled . The engine exhaust con·
talns carbon monoxide, a colorless ,
odorless gas which may be fatal If In·
haled .
FUEL AND FLUIDS
Fuel
The fuel tank holds 16 6 U.S. gallons ( 63 Iit res ).
The fuel warning light will come on when the
amount of fuel left in the tank IS below approxl·
mately 1.8 U.S. gallons (10 litres) .
20
Recommended Fuel:
Use unleaded fuel, minimum octane rating 87
(equivalent to 91 research octane) or higher.
Minimum octane rating is arrived at with the
formula
MON ; RO~ = pump octane . MON is
the in dustry Motor Octane Number. RON is Re·
search Octane Number. The average of these
two is the number that appears on the gas pump
under the current laws. This number is some·
times referred to as the "anti·knock index".
NOTE! Normally aspirated cars: If "ping,
Ing" or knocking Is heard, switch to a
higher octane brand. If knocking per·
slsts, take your car to an authorized
Saab dealer for Inspection.
Use of unleaded Gasohol:
Gasohol
-has sufficient octane rating and Is safe to use
in
Saab engines .
-may cause warm starting problems In hot
weather. Discontinue use if this occurs .
-may require fuel filter replacement soon after
beginning continuous use.
Use
only unleaded gasoho ls blended with
ethanol type alcohols . Methanol blends can
cause damage to
fuel injection system parts
Engine Oil
The oil level should be between the MAX and
MIN marks on the oil dipstick The distance be·
tween the marks corresponds to a volume of
approx. 1 quart (1 litre) Top up with engine oil
conforming to speC ifications listed in this man·
ual. Oil
with a viSCOSity of 10 W 30 can be used
year round in moderate
climates (also see Sec·
tions liE and IV).
Gearbox Oil
Check oil level on the transmission dipstick as
per
Section IIA. Final drive on automatic trans·
mission equipped models must be checked by
removing filler plug in right side of case.
Coolant
Never let the level drop below the MIN mark on
the
expansion tank. Top up with equal parts of
clean water and low phosphate ethylene glycol
antifreeze suitable for engines with light alloy
cylinder heads (also see Section IIA, cooling
system).
WARNING! Always release the cap on
the expansion tank carefully , allowing
any vapor to escape before removing the
cap
completely.
Brake Fluid and Clutch Fluid
Never let the level drop below the MIN mark on
the conta iner. Employ the utmost cleanliness
when topping up. Use a brake fluid to specifica ·
tion DOT 4. Do not use DOT 5 (silicone lIuld).
Washer Fluid
Use clean water , premixed windshield washer
lIuid, or a mixture of clean water and a suitable
antifreeze type washer fluid concentrate.
Container c apacity is 6.5 U.S. quarts (6 IItres).
Power Steering Fluid
Check fluid level with the engine OFF. Use only
GM specification power steering fluid . Never
use
ATF.