light PONTIAC FIREBIRD 2001 User Guide

2-16
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft
-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it's an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don't do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver's door,
you'll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will your
ignition. If you take the key with you, and you have an
automatic transmission, it will be locked. And remember
to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
Even if you park in a lot where someone will be
watching your vehicle, it's still best to lock it up and
take your keys. But what if you have to leave your
ignition key?

If possible, park in a busy, well
-lit area.

Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
trunk or glove box. Be sure to close and lock the
storage area.

Close all windows.

Lock the glove box.

Lock all the doors except the driver's.

Then take the door key and remote keyless entry
transmitter with you.

2-17
Content Theft-Deterrent/Alarm
System (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, it has a theft-deterrent
alarm system. Once armed, the system will sound
the horn and flash the parking lamps if the vehicle is
broken into.
Arming the System
The alarm system can be armed to detect break-ins
by locking your vehicle with the remote keyless entry
transmitter or by locking the doors with the power
door lock switch.
Passive arming is also available if you would like the
system to arm all by itself after the doors have been
closed for a short time. When the system is armed,
a red light located on top of the instrument panel will
flash briefly once every two seconds. If you return
to your vehicle and the red light is flashing two brief
flashes every two seconds, the system is armed and the
shock sensor had triggered a two minute alarm. If the
red light is flashing three times every two seconds, the
system is armed and there was an intrusion that sounded
the alarm. Horn chirps and parking lamp flashes can be
customized to your personal preference. See ªFeature
Customizationº in the Index.
Turning Off the Alarm
If you started the alarm by pressing the panic button
on the remote keyless entry transmitter, you must either
push that button again or turn the ignition to RUN to
stop the alarm.
If the alarm is sounding due to the shock sensor or a
door or hatch opening, it can be turned off by either
turning the ignition to RUN with a proper key or by
pressing any button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter. If you use your remote keyless entry
transmitter to silence the alarm, additional things
will happen depending which button you press.

Pressing the UNLOCK button will turn the alarm
off, unlock the driver's door and disarm the system.

Pressing the panic button or the LOCK button will
turn the alarm off, keep the doors locked and keep
the system armed.

Pressing the REAR 2X button will turn the alarm off
and keep the system armed. A second push of the
button (within five seconds, pausing slightly between
presses) will unlock and disarm the hatch only.
If the alarm is sounding because an incorrect ignition
key was used, press any button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter to turn the alarm off.
The alarm will stop by itself after two minutes.

2-21
If the engine does not start
and the SECURITY light
stays on when you try to
start the vehicle, the key
may be dirty or wet. Turn
the ignition off.
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 ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº in
the Index). If the starter won't work with the other key,
your vehicle needs service. If your vehicle does start,
the first ignition key may be faulty. See your dealer
or a locksmith who can service the PASS
-Key II.If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won't work. The
SECURITY light will flash. But you don't have to
wait three minutes before trying another ignition key.
See your dealer or a locksmith who can service the
PASS
-Key II to have a new key made.
If you're ever driving and the SECURITY 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 dealer.
Your vehicle is not protected by the PASS
-Key II system.
If you lose or damage a PASS
-Key II ignition key, see
your dealer or a locksmith who can service PASS
-Key II
to have a new key made. In an emergency, call the
Pontiac Roadside Assistance Center. See ªRoadside
Assistanceº in the Index for more information.

2-22
Feature Customization (If Equipped)
Your vehicle's content theft-deterrent/alarm system, 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
chart shows the features that can be programmed. To determine which features your vehicle is equipped with, follow
the steps listed for entering the programming mode.

2-23 Entering Programming Mode
To program any feature, your vehicle must be in the
programming mode. Follow these steps:
1. Put your key in the ignition.
2. Turn the ignition to RUN to disarm the content
theft
-deterrent/alarm system.
3. Turn the ignition to OFF.
4. Remove the RADIO fuse. This fuse is in the
main fuse block, located on the left side of your
instrument panel. See ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº
in the Index.
5. Turn the ignition toward you to ACC.
6. Count the number of chimes you hear. You will
hear one or two chimes depending on the features
your vehicle is equipped with. Refer to the chart
shown previously.
You can now program your choices.
To exit the programming mode, follow the steps
listed under ªLeaving Programming Modeº later
in this section.
Exit Lighting and Delayed Illumination
With exit lighting, your interior lamps will come on
for up to 25 seconds when the key is removed from
the ignition.
With delayed illumination, your interior lamps will
come on and stay on for up to 25 seconds when
entering your vehicle and up to five seconds when
leaving your vehicle.
Programmable Modes
Mode 1: Both Off
Mode 2: Delayed Illumination Only
Mode 3: Exit Lighting Only
Mode 4: Both On

2-31
OFF (C): This position 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 off and the key is in the ignition.
RUN (D): This is the position the switch returns to after
you start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in RUN 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): This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition will return to
RUN for normal driving.
Even if the engine is not running, ACC or RUN or
Retained Accessory Power (RAP), when active, allow
you to operate your electrical accessories, such as the
radio and ventilation fan. See ªRetained Accessory
Power (RAP)º in the Index.Key Release Button (If Equipped)
If you have a manual
transmission, your
ignition lock has a
key release button.
You must press the key release button to turn the
ignition key to LOCK before you can take your key out.

2-43
If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 km/h), or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, or if you race the engine when
you downshift, you can damage the clutch
or transmission.
Skip Shift Light (5.7L V8 Engine)
When the SKIP SHIFT light
is on, the gearshift lever
will let you shift from
FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of shifting from
FIRST (1) to SECOND (2).
Once you are in FOURTH (4), you can press the clutch
again and shift into another gear.
This feature helps you get the best possible fuel economy.It will come on under these conditions:

The engine coolant temperature is greater than
170F (77C),

you are going 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h) and

you are at 35 percent throttle or less.
Follow the shift speeds listed below when the SKIP
SHIFT light is on.
Computer
-Aided Manual Transmission Shift Speeds

1st to 4th @ 15 mph (24 km/h)

4th to 5th @ 25 mph (40 km/h)*

5th to 6th @ 49 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. The skip shift upshift system is
bypassed when you accelerate very quickly from a stop.
*30 mph (48 km/h) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
**45 mph (72 km/h) when accelerating to
highway speeds.

2-44
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.

2-52 Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
When the high beams are
on, this light located on the
instrument panel cluster
also will be on.
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or
from high beam to low, pull the turn signal lever all the
way toward you. Then release it.
Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by turning the
band with the wiper symbol on it, located on the turn
signal/multifunction lever.
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, turn
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.
Windshield Washer
There is a paddle with the word PUSH on it at the top
of the turn signal/multifunction lever. To spray washer
fluid on the windshield, push the paddle briefly. The
washer will continue to spray until you release the
paddle. The wipers will clear the window and wipe a
few more times before stopping or returning to the
previous setting. See ªWindshield Washer Fluidº
in the Index.

2-55
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:

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, briefly push
the button. Each time you do this, you'll go about
1 mph (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 Control
There are several ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the clutch
pedal, if you have a manual transmission, or

move 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.