light PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1997 User Guide

Clean and dry the key. Wait about three minutes and try
again. The SECURITY light may remain on during this
time. If the starter still won’t work, and the key appears
to be clean and dry, wait about three minutes and try
another ignition key. At this time, you may also want to
check the fuses (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the
Index). If the starter won’t work with the other key, your
vehicle needs service.
If your vehicle do’es start, the first
ignition key may be faulty. See your Pontiac dealer or a
locksmith who can service the PASS-Key
11.
If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won’t work, and the
SECURITY light will flash. But you don’t have to wait
three minutes before trying another ignition key.
See your Pontiac dealer or
a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key
I1 to have a new key made.
If you’re ever driving and the SECUFUTY light comes on and
stays on, you will be able to restart your engine if you
turn it
off. Your PASS-Key II system, however, is not working
properly and must be serviced by your Pontiac dealer. Your
vehicle is not protected by the PASS-Key
II system.
If
you lose or damage a PASS-Key I1 ignition key, see
your Pontiac dealer or a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key
I1 to have a new key made. In an emergency,
call the Pontiac Roadside Assistance Program at
1-800-ROADSIm or 1-800-762-3743.
Feature Customization (If Equipped)
Your Pontiac’s locks and lighting systems can be
programmed with several different features. The
features you can program depend upon the options that
came with your vehicle. The following list
tells you the
features that can be programmed. Listed next to each
feature is the option you need to have
on your vehicle in
order to be able to program that particular feature.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Exit Lighting (available for all)
Delayed Illumination (available for all)
Last Door Closed Locking (if equipped with power
door locks)
Lockout Prevention
(if equipped with power door locks)
Remote Lock Control Verification (if equipped with
Vehicle and Content Theft-Deterrent System)
Theft-Deterrent Arming Method
(if equipped with
Vehicle and Content Theft-Deterrent System)
Theft-Deterrent Arming Verification
(if equipped
with Vehicle and Content Theft-Deterrent System)
Driver’s Door Alarm Delay (if equipped with
Vehicle and Content Theft-Deterrent System)
Shock Sensor Enable (if equipped with Vehicle and
Content Theft-Deterrent System)

To program features, your vehicle must be in the
programming mode. Follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Put your key in the ignition.
Turn the ignition to the
RUN pos’ition to disarm the
Vehicle and Content Theft-Deterrent System.
Turn the ignition
to the OFF position.
Remove the RADIO
fuse. This fuse is in the main
fuse block, located on the left side of your
instrument panel. See “Fuses and Circuit Breakers”
in the Index.
Put the ignition in the
ACC position:
You should hear
a chime to verify that the system is
in programming mode.
If the chime sounds once,
you will be able
to program Exit Lighting, Delayed
Illumination, Last Door Closed Locking and Lockout
Prevention only.
If the chime sounds twice and your
vehicle is equipped with the Vehicle and Content
Theft-Deterrent System,
you will also be able to set
Remote
Lock Control Verification, Arming Method,
Arming Verification, Driver’s Door Delay and Shock
Sensor Enable.
Exit Lighting and Delayed Illumination
Exit Lighting: Your interior lights will come on for
up to
25 seconds when the key is removed from the
ignition switch.
Delayed Illumination: Your interior lights will stay
on
for up to 25 seconds when entering your vehicle and up
to five seconds when leaving your vehicle.
Your vehicle comes with both features enabled (Mode
4).
To change the factory setting, do the following:
1. Turn the courtesy lamps on by turning the instrument
panel brightness control knob all the way up.
2. Count the number of chimes you hear. The number of
chimes tells you which mode your vehicle is set for.
3. Turn the courtesy lamp switch to off.
4. Turn the courtesy lamp switch from on to off until
you hear the number of chimes that correspond to the
mode selection
you want.
Mode 1: Both Off
Mode 2: Delayed Illumination Only
Mode 3: Exit Lighting Only
Mode 4: Both On
2-18

If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch can’t be turned to
LOCK unless the shift lever is
in the PARK (P) position.
OFF (C): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition and
automatic transmission, but does not send electrical
power to any accessories. Use this position if your
vehicle
must be pushed or towed. A warning tone will
sound if you open the driver’s door when the ignition is
in OFF and the key is in the ignition.
RUN (D): Position to which the switch returns after you
start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in the
RUN position when the engine is running,
But even when the engine is not running, you can
use RUN to operate your electrical power accessories
and to display some instrument panel warning and
indicator lights.
START (E): Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch will return to RUN
€or normal driving.
Note that even if the engine is not running, ACC and
RUN allow you to operate your electrical accessories,
such
as the radio and ventilation fan.
Key Release Button
If you have a manual
transmission, your ignition
lock has a key release
button.
You must press the
button before you can take
your key out
of the
ignition
lock.
On manual transmission vehicles, turn g the key
to
LOCK will lock the steering column and result
in a loss
of ability to steer the vehicle. This could
cause
a collision. If you need to turn the engine
off while the vehicle is moving, turn the key only
to OFF. Don’t press the key release button while
the vehicle
is moving.
2-24

FIRST (1): This position (if equipped) gives you
even more power (but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can use it on very steep hills, or in
deep snow or mud. If the selector lever is put in first
gear, the transmission won’t shift into
FIRST (1) until
the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there
with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transmission. Use
your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your
vehicle in position on
a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
Second-Gear Start (If Equipped)
(3800 Engine)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a second-gear start
feature. Press 2ND GEAR START to provide more
traction when you are starting on ice
or other slippery
surfaces.
A light on the switch will illuminate when the
2nd gear start
is selected. The transmission will be in
SECOND (2) gear when the vehicle begins to move.
After starting
in SECOND (2) gear, the vehicle will
upshift normally.
2-31

This feature is for improved traction only ,when the road
surface is slippery and is not intended for continuous use
or when the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice, snow or
gravel. Always use
NORMAL for normal road
conditions. You may press the 2ND GEAR START
switch again to turn
off this feature. The light on the
switch will
go out. Whenever you start your vehicle, the
transmission is in the NORMAL
mode.
Manual Transmission
5-Speed
1 3 5
2 4 R
This is your shift pattern.
Here’s how to operate
your transmission:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s
hard to shift into FIRST (l), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch, Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal to the floor as
you let up on the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND
(2). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), and FIFTH (5): Shift into
THIRD
(3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you
do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
To Stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL
(N),
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
2-32

Skip Shift
SKIP
SHIFT
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
gear instead of FIRST
(1) to
SECOND
(2) gear. This
helps you
to get the best
possible fuel economy.
FIRST
(1) tQ FOURTH '(4)
This light will come on under these conditions:
0 The engine coolant temperature is greater than
You are going 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h) and
0 You are at 35 percent throttle or less.
170°F (77°C).
When this light is on, the gear shift lever will let you
shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) gear only. Once
you are in FOURTH (4) gear,
you can press the clutch
again and shift into another gear.
Follow the shift speeds in this chart when the
SKIP SHIFT light is on.
Computer Aided Manual Transmission Shift Speeds
1st to 4th: 15 mph (24 kdh)
0 4th to 5th: 25 mph (40 km/h)*
5th to 6th: 40 mph (64 km/h)**
Each time you come to a stop, the engine's Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) determines when to activate the
SKIP SHIFT upshift system. Use SECOND (2) gear
only when you accelerate very quickly from a stop.
You
can then follow the full gear shift pattern.
*30 mph (48 kmh) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
**45 mph (72 km/h) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
2-35

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull up on the parking brake lever.
If the ignition is on,
the brake system
warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until you can push in the
release button. Hold the release button in as you move
the brake lever all the way down.
2-37

Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the,lever all the way up or down.
When the turn
is finished, the lever will return
automatically.
An arrow
on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the turn
or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release
it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on,
a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the
fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit
Breakers” in the Index).
Headlamp High/Low Beam
To change the headlamps
from low beam to high or
high to low, pull the turn
signal lever all the way
toward
you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this light
on the
instrument panel also will
be on.
2-45

Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
with the wiper
symbol on it.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until
the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop
after one cycle. If you want more cycles, hold the
band
on MIST longer.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the band
to choose the delay time. The
closer to LO, the shorter the delay.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the
band away
from
you to the LO position, For high-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to
HI, To stop the wipers, move
the band
to OFF.
Damaged wiper blades may prevent you from seeing
well enough to drive safely.
To avoid damage, be sure to
clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before using
them.
If they’re frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen
or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades
or blade inserts,
Heavy
snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will
stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.
2-46

Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
0
0
rn
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push the button at the end of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now
cruise at the higher speed.
To increase your speed in very small amounts, move
the switch to
WA for less than half a second and then
release it. Each time you do this, your vehicle will
go
about 1 rnph (1.6 kmh) faster.
Move the cruise switch from
ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up
to the speed you want, and
then release the switch.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
0
e
Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll
go 1 mpk (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot
off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills.
When going up steep hills,
you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal
to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes
you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be
too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Out of Cruise Csntrol
There are several ways to turn off the cruise control:
rn Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the clutch
pedal, if
you have a manual transmission ; OR
rn Movk the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
2-50 ~-