Towing A Trailer - Saab 9001994 Owner's Manual

60 Starting and driving
Towing a trailer
A special towing hitch is available as an op-
tional accessory. Bolt holes are already
provided to facilitate mounting of the attach-
ment.
We recommend you drive your new Saab
beyond the "First Service" (first oil and filter
change) before trailer towing.
It is inadvisable to attach a trailer with an
excessively heavy load to a car, aherede to:
Comply with legal restrictions on towing
speed, trailer weight, and trailer braking
equipment. Check your local laws be-
fore towing a trailer.
2 The weight limit of the trailer is 1000 Ibs.
(450 kg), for a trailer without brakes and
2000 Ibs. (900 kg) for a trailer with
brakes. Tongue weight should be 5% to
7% of the trailer weight with a maximum
permissible tongue weight of 200 Ibs.
(75 kg) . Tongue weight is to be consid-
ered as vehicle load and should be de-
ducted from the permissible trunk load
or weight. Always 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 gradi-
ents so as to obtain maximum engine
braking effect.
4 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. When driving with a trailer on
very long hills, you can help the engine
cooling by turning the cabin fan to full
speed with the heater on.
5 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 possible over
the wheels.
6 When driving with a trailer, always
make allowance for altered handling
characteristics and longer stopping dis-
tances. The brakes, suspension, shock
absorbing equipment, and light system
of the trailer are very important in tow-
ing a trailer safely.
7 If heavy trailers are to be towed, we
recommend that a pneumatic spring-
boosting accessory be used to assist
the rear springs of the car.
8 When towing trailers, inflate tow vehicle
tires to the "Cold tire pressure" for "Full
load" as recommended in the specifica-
tions section of this manual.
WARNING!
• Do not connect the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system to a trailer's hydraulic
brake system. Failure to observe this
warning may result in inadequate
braking and personal injury.
• Saab advises against towing a trailer
while the compact spare tire is
mounted to the vehicle. Failure to ob-
serve this warning may result in the
failure of the compact tire and/or a
loss of steering control which may re-
sult in personal injury.