ESP PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1994 Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems
Q: Why don’t they just put in air bags
so people won’t have to wear safety
belts?
A: Air bags, or Supplemental Inflatable
Restraint systems, are in some vehicles today and will be in more
of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only
- so they
work
with safety belts, not instead of
them. Every air bag system ever offered for sale has required the use
of safety belts. Even if you’re in a
vehicle that has air bags, you still
have
to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s
true not only in
frontal collisions, but especially
in
side and other collisions.
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never
drive far from home, why should
I
wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but
if you’re in an accident
- even one
that isn’t your fault
- you and your
passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things
beyond your control, such as bad
drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles
(40 km) of home. And the greatest
number of serious injuries and deaths
occur at speeds of less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
Safety Belt Reminder
Light
When the key is turned to “Run” or
“Start,” a chime
will come on for about
eight seconds to remind people to fasten
their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is already buckled. The safety
belt light will also come on and stay on
until the driver’s belt is buckled.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
types of collisions, including rollovers
and rear and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion is not
toward the air bag. Air bags should
never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belt
protection in moderate to severe frontal
and near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag
inflation?
After the air bag has inflated, it will then
quickly deflate. This occurs
so quickly
that some people may not
even realize
that the air bag inflated. Some
components
of the air bag module in the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s air
bag or the instrument panel for the
passenger’s bag may be hot for a short
time, but the portion of the bag that comes
into contact with you will not be hot to
the touch. There will be small amounts
of
smoke and dust coming from vents in the
deflated air bags. The air bag will
not
impede the driver’s vision or ability to
steer the vehicle, nor will it hinder the
occupants from exiting the vehicle.
In many crashes severe enough
to inflate
an air bag, windshields are broken by
vehicle deformation. Additional
... 26
windshield breakage may occur in
vehicles with passenger air bags because
the windshield acts as a reaction surface
for the inflating air bag.
The air bags are designed to inflate only
once. After they inflate you’ll need some
new parts for your air bag system. If you
don’t get them, the air bag system won’t
be there to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include air bag
modules and possibly other
parts. The
service manual has information about the
need to replace other parts.
0 Your vehicle is equipped with a
diagnostic module, which records
information about the air bag system if
the air bag deploys in a crash. The
module records information about the
readiness of the system, which sensors
activated the deployment, and whether the
driver’s safety belt was in use.
Let only qualified technicians work on
your air bag system. Improper service can
mean that your air bag system won’t work
properly. See your dealer for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the
driver’s or the right-front passenger’s
air bag, they may not work properly.
You may have to replace the air bag
on the steering wheel or both the air
bag and the instrument panel for the
passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
1s the smoke from an air bag inflation
harmful?
The particles emitted during air bag
inflation are not harmful to most people.
Some people with respiratory ailments
may experience difficulty breathing if
they stay in the vehicle with the windows
closed after air bag inflation.
So, if your
air bag inflates, you and any passengers
should exit the vehicle if and when it is
safe to do
so. If you or your passengers
can’t get out
of the vehicle, try to get
fresh air by opening a window, turning
on the fan, or opening a door.
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Features and Controls
NOTICE:
If you put things in the hatchback
area, be sure they won’t break the
glass when you close it. Never slam
.the hatch down. You could break the
glass or damage the defogger grid
(if equipped).
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in
some cities. Although your Pontiac 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 walk away
from your vehcle with the keys inside,
it’s an easy target for joy riders or
professional thieves
- so don’t do it.
When you park your Pontiac and open
the driver’s door, ydu’ll heai a tone
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
have an automatic transmission, taking your key out also locks your transmission.
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.
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Features and Controls
Operation of Lights
Although your vehicle’s lighting system
(headlights, parking lights, fog lamps,
side marker lights and taillights) meets
al
applicable federal lighting requirements,
certain states and provinces may apply
their own lighting regulations that may
require special attention before you
operate these lights.
For example, some jurisdictions may
require that you operate your fog lamps
only when your lower beam headlights
are
also on, or that headlights be turned
on whenever
you must use your
windshield wipers. In addition, most
jurisdictions prohibit driving solely with
parking lights, especially at dawn or dusk.
It is recommended that you check with
your own state or provincial highway
authority for applicable lighting
regulations.
Main Light Control
The main light control is a knob that
works these lights:
Headlights
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Sidemarker lights
Instrument panel lights
Turn the knob to
-v to turn on your
headlights and okbpoperating lights.
Turn the knob to
p$ to turn on your
parking lights without your headlights.
Turn the knob to “OFF” to turn
off the
lights.
‘I
’
II
Crightness Control
’his switch controls the brightness of
‘our instrument panel lights.
Turn the
witch to brighten or dim the lights. If you
~rn the switch all the way up to .w ,
‘our courtesy lights will come on.
Lights On Reminder
f you turn the ignition “Off’ and leave
he lights on, you will hear a chime when
IOU open the driver’s door.
ieadlight Doors
The headlight doors are designed to open
vhen
you turn the headlights on and close
vhen you turn the headlights off. The
leadlight doors can be opened without
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Shutting Off the Theft-Deterrent
Feature
If your audio system is secured (“SEC”
shows on display) and you wish to disable
it, enter your security code as follows,
pausing no more than
15 seconds between
steps:
1. Turn the ignition on. Make sure the
audio system is
off. The time will
show
on the display.
together until “SEC” shows on the
display.
3. Press “MIN.” “Oi>O,’ will appear on
the display.
4. Press “MIN’ again and hold until the
last two digits of your code appear.
Release
the button.
5. Press “HR’ until the first one or two
digits of your code appear.
6. Press “AM/FM.” If “---” shows, you
have shut off the theft-deterrent
feature. If “SEC” shows, your aud
system is still secured.
NOTE: If you lose or forget your security
code, see your dealer for assistance.
2. Press pushbuttons “1” and “4”
4
Unlocking the Audio System after a
Power Failure
If power is disrupted to the audio system
while in the “SEC” mode, the unit will
not work and “LOC” will show on the
display whenever the ignition is on. To
unlock the unit:
1. Press “MIN.” “000” will appear on
the display.
2. Press “MIN’ again and hold until the
last two digits of your code appear,
Release the button.
3. Press “HR’ until the first one or two
4. Press “AM/FM.” “SEC” will appear
digits
of your code appear.
on the display and the unit will work.
If “LOC” shows, the numbers did not
match and the unit is still locked.
How to Change Your Security Code
You can change your security code by
following these steps:
1. Using your old code, follow the
directions given under “Shutting
Off
the Theft-Deterrent Feature.”
2. Repeat directions of “Setfing Your
Security Code” with your new
security code.
Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound.
But FM signals will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). And, tall
buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals, causing the sound to come
and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater
than for FM, especially at night. The
longer range, however, can cause stations
to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and
power lines. Try reducing the treble to
reduce this noise if you ever get it.
AM Stereo
This means the Delco@ system can
receive C-QUAM@ stereo broadcasts.
Many AM stations around the country
use C-QUAM@ to prodyce stereo, though
some do not. (C-QUAM@
is a registered
trademark
of Motorola, I&) If your
Delco@ system can get C-QUAM@, your
“STEREO” light will come on when
you’re receiving it.
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Your Driving and the Road
There’s something else about drinking
and driving that many people don’t know.
Medical research shows that alcohol
in a
person’s system can make crash injuries
worse. That’s especially true for brain,
spinal cord and heart injuries. That means
that if anyone who has been drinking
-
driver or passenger - is in a crash, the
chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than
if that person had
not been drinking. And we’ve already
seen that the chance of a crash itself is
higher for drinking drivers.
I‘
I Control of a Vehicle
ou have three systems that make your
2hicle go where you want it to go.
hey are the brakes, the steering and the
xelerator. All three systems have to do
teir work at the places where
the tires
teet
the road.
ometimes, as when you’re driving on
IOW or ice, it’s easy to ask more of those
mtrol systems than the tires and road
an provide. That means you can lose
mtrol of your vehicle.
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1
1
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1
4
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Braking
3ralung action involves perception time
md reaction time.
%st, you have to decide to push
on the
)rake pedal. That’s perception time.
rhen you have to bring up your foot
md do it. That’s reaction time.
4verage reaction time is about
3/4 of a
;econd. But that’s only an average. It
might be less with one driver and as
long as two or three seconds or more
with another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and eyesight all
play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second,
a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h)
travels 66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot
of distance in an emergency, so keeping
enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances
vary greatly with the surface of the road
(whether it’s pavement or gravel); the
condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition of your brakes.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some
people drive in spurts
- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
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Your Driving and the Road
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say
the road is wet. You’re driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out in front
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what
happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are
slowing down. If one of the wheels is
about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front
wheel and at the rear wheels.
The anti-lock system can change the
brake pressure faster than any driver
could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road
conditions.
of you.
. . .I30
You can steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps
receiving updates
on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the
time you need to get your foot
up to the
brake pedal. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you won’t have
time to apply your brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down and let anti-lock work for
you. You may feel the system
working, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal. When your anti-lock system is adjusting brake pressure to help
avoid a braking skid, the “LOW TRAC”
light will come on. See “Low Traction
Light” in the Index.
Traction Control System (Option: LT1
V8 Engine)
Your vehicle may have a traction control
system that limits wheel spin. This is
especially useful in slippery road
conditions. The system operates only
if
it
senses that one or both of the rear wheels
are spinning or beginning to lose traction.
When this happens, the system works the
rear brakes and reduces engine power (by
closing the throttle and managing spark)
to limit wheel spin.
The “LOW TRAC” light will come on
when your traction control system is
limiting wheel spin. See “Low Traction Light” in the Index.
You may feel the
system working, or you may notice some
noise, but this is normal.
The traction control system may operate
on dry roads under some conditions, and
you may notice a reduction
in acceleration
when this happens. This is normal and
doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle. Examples of these conditions
include a hard acceleration in a turn, or
an abrupt upshift or downshift.
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TCS
OFF
If your vehicle is in cruise control when
the traction control system begins to
limit wheel spin, the cruise control will
automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it
again, you may re-engage the cruise
control. (See “Cruise Control”
in the
Index.)
The “TCS
OFF” warning light will come
on when you turn the traction control system off. When the system is on, this
light will come on to let you know if
there’s a problem with your traction
control system. See “Traction Control System Warning Light”
in the Index.
When this warning light is on, the system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
F
TRACTION
’he traction control system automatically
omes on whenever you start your vehicle
’0 limit wheel spin, especially in
lippery road conditions, you should
lways leave the system on. But you can
urn the traction control system off if you
ver need to. (You should turn the system
Iff if your vehicle ever gets stuck in sand.
mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your
[ehicle” in the Index.)
’0 turn the system off, press the button
.ear the center of the console behind the
hift lever. The light on the button will
;o off, and the “TCS OFF” warning light
Jill come on and stay on. If
the traction
ontrol system
is limiting wheel spin
{hen you press the button, the system won’t
turn off
right away. It will wait
until there’s no longer a current need to
limit wheel spin.
You can
turn the system back on at any
time by pressing the button again. The
light on the button should come on, and
the “TCS
OFF” warning light should go
off.
If your car
is equipped with P245/50ZR16
tires, the traction control system will
automatically turn off at speeds above
108 mph ( 173 km/h). (The “TCS OFF”
warning light will not come on.) When
the vehicle speed drops below
103 mph
(165 km/h), the system will automatically
turn on again.
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Your Driving and the Road
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass
another on a two-lane highway waits for
just the right moment, accelerates, moves
around the vehicle ahead, then goes back
into the right lane again. A simple
maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle
on a two-lane highway is a potentially
dangerous move, since the passing
vehicle occupies the same lane as
oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A
miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a
brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to
face with the worst of all traffic accidents
- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road,
to the sides, and to crossroads for
situations that might affect your
passing patterns. If you have any
doubt whatsoever about making a
successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement
markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your
pass.
A broken center line usually indicates
it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid line
on your side
of the lane or a double solid line, even
if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you
want to pass while you’re awaiting an
opportunity. For one thing, following
too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a
larger vehicle. Also, you won’t have
adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is
coming up, start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t get too
close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to
move into the other lane. If the way is
clear to pass, you will have a “running
start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping
back. And if something happens to
cause you to cancel your pass, you
need only slow down and drop back
again and wait for another
opportunity. 0
0
0
If other cars are lined up to pass a
slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take
care that someone isn’t trying to pass
you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over
your shoulder and check the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and start your left lane
change signal before moving out of
the right lane to pass. When you are
far enough ahead of the passed vehicle
to see its front in your inside mirror,
activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that your right outside
mirror is convex. The vehicle you just
passed may seem to be farther away
from you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle
at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider
before passing the next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be
slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy
for the following driver
to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you can ease
a little to
the right.
. . .I34
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Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what
the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep
trying to steer and constantly seek an
escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the
vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most
skids by taking reasonable care suited
to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to
your Pontiac’s three control systems. In
the braking skid your wheels aren’t
rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid,
too much speed or steering in a curve
causes tires to slip and lose cornering
force. And in the acceleration skid too
much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by
Easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
[f you have the traction control system,
remember:
It helps avoid only the
acceleration skid. If you do not have
traction control, or if the system is
off,
then an acceleration skid is also best
handled by easing your foot
off the
accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your
bot off the accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the vehicle to
go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other material is on
the road. For safety, you’ll want to slow
down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important
to slow down
on slippery surfaces because stopping
distance will be longer and vehicle
control more limited. While
driving
on a surface with reduced
traction,
try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration, or braking
(including engine braking by shifting to
a lower gear). Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You may not
realize the surface is ‘slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recqgnize
warning clues
- such as enough water,
ice or packed snow
on the road to make a
“mirrored surface”
- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid.
*:p? ’
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