ignition PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1994 User Guide

D
Ignition Switch
With the ignition key in the ignition
switch, you can
turn the switch to five
positions:
Acc (A): Position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories.
Press in the ignition switch as you
turn
the top of it toward you.
LOCK (B): The only position in which
you can remove the key. This locks your
steering wheel, ignition and automatic
transmission.
If you have an automatic transmission,
tht
ignition switch can’t be turned to
“LOCK’ unless the shift lever is in the
“P’ (Park) 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” for 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.
:I
Ley Release Button: If you have a
lanual transmission, your ignition lock
as a key release button.
You must press
le button before you can take your key
ut of the ignition lock.
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Features and Controls
If your key seems stuck in “Lock”
and you can’t turn it, be sure it is all
the way in. If
it is, then turn the steer-
ing wheel left and right while you
turn the key hard. But turn the key
only with your hand. Using a tool to
force it could break the key or the
ignition switch.
If none of this works,
then your vehicle needs service.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
[f you have power door locks, your
vehicle has a feature called Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With
RAP your
power door locks, electric mirrors, power
windows, audio system and remote hatch
release will continue to work up to 10
minutes after the ignition key is turned to
“OW’ and neither door is opened.
[f a door is opened, the audio system and
power windows will shut
off. The power
door locks, electric mirrors and remote
hatch release will work until you shut the
door. Once you have shut the door, these
accessories will continue to work for
approximately
35 seconds. After this
time you will not be able to use these
accessories until the next time you open
a door or turn on the ignition.
Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transmission: Move your
shift lever to
“P” (Park) or “N’ (Neutral).
Your engine won’t start in any other
position
- that’s a safety feature. To
restart when you’re already moving,
use
“N’ (Neutral) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to “P” (Park) if
your Pontiac is moving. If you do,
you could damage the transmission.
Shift to
“P” (Park) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission: The gear select01
should be in neutral. Hold the clutch
pede1 to the floor and start the engine.
Your vehicle won’t start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down
- that’s
a safety feature.
To start your V6 engine:
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal
turn your ignition key to “Start.”
When the engine starts, let go of the
key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
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NOTICE: NOTICE:
Holding your key in “Start” for
longer than
15 seconds at a time will
cause your battery to be drained
much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
2. If your engine won’t start (or starts but
then stops), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing your
accelerator pedal all
the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold
the key in “Start” for about three
seconds. If the vehicle starts briefly
but then stops again, do
the same
thing, but this time keep the pedal
down for five or six seconds. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the
engine Your
engine is designed to work with
the electronics in your vehicle. If you
add electrical parts or accessories,
you could change the way the fuel
injection system operates. Before
adding electrical equipment, check
with your dealer. If you don’t, your
engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle
towed, see the part of this manual
that tells how to do
it without
damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in
the Index.
To start your VS engine:
1. Without pushing the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to “Start.”
When the engine starts, let go of the
key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
Holding your key in “Start” for
longer than
15 seconds at a time will
cause your battery
to be drained
much sooner.. And the excessive heat
2. If it doesn’t start within 10 seconds,
push the accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor, while
you hold the
ignition key in “Start.” When the
engine starts, let go of the key and
let up on the accelerator pedal. Wait
about
15 seconds between each try to
help avoid draining your battery.
1
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Features and Controls
When starting your engine in very cold
weather (below 0°F or
- 18”C), do this:
1.
2.
With your foot off the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition key to “Start”
and hold it there. When the engine
starts, let go of the key. Use the
accelerator pedal to maintain engine
speed, if you have to, until your
engine has
run for a while.
If your engine still won’t start (or
starts but then stops), it could be
flooded with too much gasoline.
Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor and holding it there
as you hold the key
in “Start” for
about three seconds. If the vehicle
starts briefly but then stops again, do
the same thing, but this time keep the
pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears
the extra gasoline from
the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with
the electronics in your vehicle. If you
add electrical parts or accessories,
you could change the way
the fuel
injection system operates. Before
adding electrical equipment, check
with your dealer. If you don’t, your
engine might not perform properly.
If you
ever have to have your vehicle
towed, see the part of this manual
that tells how to do it without
damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Driving through Deep
Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can
come in through your engine’s air
intake and badly damage your
engine. If you can’t avoid deep
puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Performance Mode Switch
(Option)
This switch lets you change from a
normal driving mode to a performance
mode. When you start the engine, the switch will be in normal mode. For
general driving conditions, use the
normal mode. It will remain
in normal
unless you select the “PERFORM”
feature.
For a firmer shift and increased
performance, you may choose the
“PERFORM, mode. The light in the
center
of the switch will light up when
selected. The switch will then remain in
“PERFORMANCE’ mode until the
engine is shut off, when it will go back to
normal mode.
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Ensure the shift lever is fully in “P”
(Park) range before starting the engine.
Your Pontiac has a brake-transmission
shift interlock. You have to fully apply
your regular brakes before you can shift
from
“P” (Park) when the ignition key is
in the “Run” position. If you cannot shift
out of
“P’ (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever
- push the shift lever all the
way into “P” (Park) and also release the
shift lever button on floor shift console
models as you maintain brake application.
Then move the shift lever into the gear
you wish. (Press the shift lever button
before moving the shift lever on floor
shift console models.) See “Shifting out
of
“P” (Park)” in this part.
R (Reverse)
Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to “R” (Reverse) while your
vehicle is moving forward could
damage your transmission. Shift to
“R’ only after your vehicle is
stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice or sand without
jamaging your transmission, see “Stuck:
[n Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow, If You’re”
In the Index.
@ N (Neutral)
[n this position, your engine doesn’t
:onnect with the wheels.
To restart when
You’re already moving, use
“N” (Neutral)
mly. Also, use
“N’ when your vehicle is
Jeing towed.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused
by shifting out of
“P” (Park) or “N”
(Neutral) with the engine racing isn’t
covered by your warranty.
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Your six-speed manual transmission
has a feature that allows you to safely
shift into
“R’ (Reverse) while the vehicle
is rolling (at less than 3 mph). You will be
“locked-out” if you try to shift into “R”
(Reverse) while your vehicle is’ moving
faster than
3 mph.
If you have turned your ignition off and
wish to park your vehicle in Reverse, you
will have to move the shift lever quickly
to the right, “crashing” through the high
load spring and then into gear.
SKIP
SHIFT
;kip Shift Light (5.7L LT1 Engine)
Yhen this light comes on, you can only
hift from
“1” (First) to “4” (Fourth) gear
nstead of “1” (First) to “2” (Second)
gar. This helps you to get
the best
lossible fuel economy.
’his light will come on under these
onditions:
The engine coolant temperature is greater than 170°F (77”C),
You are going
15-20 mph
(24-32
km/h), and
You are
at 35% throttle or less. When this
light
is on, the gear shift lever
will let you shift from
“1” (First) gear to
“4”(Fourth) gears only. Once you are
in
“4” (Fourth) 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 km/h)
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 Electronic Control Module
(EGM) determines when to activate the
“SKIP SHIFT” upshift system. Use
“2”
(Second) gear only when you accelerate
very quickly from’a stop.
You can then
follow the full gear shift pattern.
*30 mph (48 km/h) when accelerating
to highway speeds.
**45 mph (72 km/h) when accelerating
to highway
speeds.
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Parking
Parking Brake
The parking brake uses the brakes on the
rear wheels.
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.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on
can cause your rear brakes to over-
heat. You may have to replace them,
and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on any hill:
See “Towing a
Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from
moving.
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Features and Controls
Shifting into P (Park)
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your
right foot and set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into T“ (Park)
position like this:
Hold in the button on the lever,
and push the lever all the way
toward the front of your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to “LOCK.”
4. Remove the key and take it with you.
If you can walk away from your
vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in
“P’ (Park).
Leaving Your Vehicle with the
Engine Running
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
If you have to leave your vehicle with the
engine running, be sure your vehicle is
in
“P’ (Park) and your parking brake is
firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
“P’
(Park) position, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever away from
“P’ (Park)
without first pushing the button. If you
can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t
fully locked into
“P” (Park).
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Torque Lock
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t
shift your transmission into “P” (Park)
properly, the weight of the vehicle may
put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of “P” (Park)
This is called “torque lock.” To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into “P’7 (Park) properly before
you leave the driver’s Seat. To find out
how, see “Shifting Into “P” (Park)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of
“P” (Park) BEFORE you
release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of the pressure
from the transmission,
so you can pull the
shift lever out of “P” (Park).
Shifting out of P (Park)
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
Your Pontiac has a brake-transmission
shift interlock. You have to fully apply
your regular brake before you can shift
from “P” (Park) when the ignition is in
the “Run” position. See “Automatic
Transmission” in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of
“F”’ (Park), ease
pressure on the shift lever
- push the
shift lever all the way into
“P” (Park) and
release the shift lever button as you
maintain brake application. Then press
the shift lever button and move the shift
lever into the gear you wish.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but
still can’t shift out of
“P” (Park), try this:
1. Turn the key to “Off.”
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end
3. Shift to “N’ (Neutral).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the
drive gear you want.
of
Step
4.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you
can.
Parking Your Vehicle
(MANUAL TRANSMISSION)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put
your manual transmission in
“R’
(Reverse) and firmly apply the parking
brake.
If your vehicle is equipped
to tow a
trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the
Index.
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Features and Controls
The switch for the driver’s window has an
5xpress Down feature. Quickly press and
aelease the switch for the driver’s window
md the window will lower completely.
fou can also open the driver’s window
my amount by pressing the switch again
while the window is in the Express Down
node when it has lowered to the position
IOU want.
Power Windows (Option)
With power windows, switches on the
door control each window when the
ignition is on or when RAP is present.
(See “Retained Accessory Power” in
the Index.)
You can
also open the passenger window
any amount by pressing the switch and
releasing it when the window has
lowered to the position you want.
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Horn
ro sound the horn, press either horn
;ymbol on your steering wheel.
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