headlights PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1994 Owners Manual

Features and Controls
A green 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 green arrow start
to flash. Hold it there until you complete
your lane change. The lever will return b!
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 green arrows
don’t go on at all when you signal a turn,
check the fuse (see “Fuses” in the Index)
and for burned-out bulbs.
feadlight High/Low Beam
’0 change the headlights from low beam
3 high or high to low, pull the turn signal
:ver all the way toward you. Then
:lease it. When the high beams are on,
lis blue light on the instrument panel
lso will be on.
Windshield Wipers
fou control the windshield wipers by
urning the band
with the wiper symbol
In it.
;or a single wiping cycle, turn the band to
‘MIST.” Hold it there until the wipers
;tart, then let go. The wipers will stop
ifter one cycle. If
you want more cycles,
lold the band on “MIST” longer.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or
;hort delay between wipes. This can be
iery useful in light rain or snow. Turn the
>and to choose the delay time. The closer
:o “LO,” the shorter the delay.
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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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turning on the headlights by turning the
headlights on, then turning the switch
back to the parking lights position.
The headlight doors should be open when
driving
in icy or snowy conditions to
prevent the doors from freezing when
closed and when washing the vehicle to
help clean the headlights.
You can open the headlight doors
nanually
:
1. Turn on the headlights.
2. Open the hood.
3. Remove the plastic cover from the
#. Turn the retractor motor knob
retractor motor
knob.
counterclockwise until the headlight
door is fully open. The knob will get
harder to turn when the headlight do01
is all the way up.
retractor motor knob.
5. Replace the plastic cover on the
ro manually close the headlight doors,
:urn the lights off and turn the knob
:lockwise.
If the headlight doors aren’t working properly,
see
your Pontiac dealer
for help.
Daytime Running Lights (Canada)
The Canadian Federal Government has
decided that “Daytime Running Lights”
(DRL) are a useful feature,
in that DIU
can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during
daylight hours. DRL are required on new
vehicles sold in Canada.
Your DRL work with a light sensor on top
of the instrument panel. Don’t cover it up.
The front
turn signal lights will come on
in daylight when:
0 The ignition is on
The headlight switch is off, &d
The parking brake is released.
At dusk, the exterior lights will come
on
automatically and the front turn signal
lights will go out. At dawn, the exterior
lights will go out and the front turn signal
lights will come on (if the headlight
switch
is off).
Of course, you may still turn on the
headlights any time you need to.
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Your Driving and the Road
. .. ..._ .., , . . . .. ..
Dyz’ving ut Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day
driving. Oqe reason is that some drivers
are likely to be impaired
- by alcohol or
drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher
speed roads. Your headlights can
up only
so much road ahead. light
0 In
remote areas, watch for animals.
0 If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase. A 50-year-old driver
may require at least twice as much light to
see the same thing at night as a
20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also
affect your night vision. For example, if
you spend the day in bright sunshine you
are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night.
But if you’re driving, don’t wear
sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching lights. It can take a second or
twQ, or even several seconds, for your
eyes to readjust to the dark. When you are
faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlights), slow
down
a little. Avoid staring directly into
the approaching lights.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on
your vehicle clean
- inside and out.
Glare at night is made much worse by dirt
on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty
glass makes lights dazzle and flash more
than clean glass would, making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlights light up
far less of a roadway when you are in a
turn or curve.
Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s
easier to pick out dimly lighted objects.
Just as your headlights should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so
should your eyes be examiqed regularly. Some drivers suffer from night blindness
- the inability to see in dim light - and
aren’t even aware of it.
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Your Driving and the Road
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much
water can build up under your tires that
they can actually ride on the water. This
can happen if the road is wet enough and
you’re going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little
or no
contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your tires haven’t much tread or if
the pressure in one or more is low. It can
happen if a lot of water is standing on the
road. If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface,
there could be hydroplaning. Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
speeds. There just isn’t a hard and fast
rule about hydroplaning. The best advice
is to slow down when it is raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlights -
not just your parking lights - to help
make
you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some
extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to
have your view restricted by road
spray.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city
streets is the amount of traffic on them.
You’ll want to watch out for what the
other drivers are doing and pay attention
to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in
city driving:
Know the best way to get to where
you are going. Get a city map and plan
your trip into an unknown part of the
city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the next
section, “Freeway Driving.”)
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Your Driving and the Road
You can run the engine to keep warm, but
be careful.
Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run the
engine, make it
go a little faster than just
idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly.
This uses less fuel for the heat that you
get and it keeps the battery charged.
You
will need a well-charged battery to restart
the vehicle, and possibly for signaling
later on with your headlights. Let the
heater run for awhile. Then, shut the engine
off and close the
window almost
all the way to preserve-the
heat. Start the engine again and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little
as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you
can. To help keep warm, you can get out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous
exercises every half hour or
so until help
comes.
Towing a Trailer
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Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement bulb,
see “Replacement Bulbs” in the Index.
Halogen Bulbs
1
1.
2.
Headlights
To
replace a headlight:
Open the headlight door by hand. See
“Headlight Doors” in the Index.
Unscrew the bezel with a screwdriver
and remove it.
3
. .. I
1. Remove the screws and pull out the
bulb housing.
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I
P
a
it
fi
'I
C'
V
I Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
'he wiring circuits in your vehicle are
rotected from short circuits by
a
ombination of fuses, circuit breakers,
nd fusible thermal links in the wiring
self. This greatly reduces the chance of
ires caused by electrical problems.
'here are two fuse centers on your ehicle. One is in the left side of your
lstrument panel.
The other is in the engine compartment.
3pen the cover on either of the boxes to
:xpose the fuses.
>oak at the silver-colored band inside the
'use. If the band is broken or melted,
.eplace the fuse. Be sure you replace a
)ad fuse with a new
one of the correct
rize.
f you ever have a problem on the road
md don't have a spare fuse, you can
)orrow one. Just pick some feature
of
Jour vehicle that you can get along
without
- like the radio or cigarette
ighter
- and use its fuse, if it is the size
IOU need. Replace it as soon as you can.
Headlights
The headlight wiring is protected by a
circuit breaker. An electrical overload
will cause the lights to go
on and off, or in
some cases to remain
off. If this happens,
have your headlight wiring checked right
away.
Windshield Wipers
The windshield wiper motor is protected
by a circuit breaker and a fuse. If
the
motor overheats due to heavy snow, etc.,
the wiper will stop until the motor
cools. If the overload is caused by some
electrical problem and not snow, etc.,
be sure to get it fixed.
Power Windows and Other Power
Options
Circuit breakers protect the power
windows and other power accessories.
When the current load is too heavy,
the circuit breaker opens and closes,
protecting the circuit until the problem
is fixed or goes away.
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ABS ........................ 129
Accessory Power. Retained
....... 52
Add-on Electrical Equipment
..... 228
Adding Coolant
................ 202
Additives. Engine Oil
............ 194
AirBags
...................... 23
How the System Works
........ 24
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Pontiac
................... 27
Readiness Light
.............. 24
Air Cleaner
.................... 195
Air Conditioner Controls
......... 106
Air Control
Knob ............... 104
Air Filter Replacement
........... 196
Alignment and Tire Balance.
Wheel
...................... 220
Aluminum Wheels
.............. 225
A"M Stereo
With Cassette Tape Player
...... 109
With Cassette Tape Player and
Graphic Equalizer
.......... 1 12
With Compact Disc Player
...... 115
With Compact Disc Player and
Graphic Equalizer
.......... 1 18
Antenna. Fixed Mast
............ 123
Anti-Lock Brakes
.............. 129
To Use ..................... 130
System Warning Light ......... 91
Appearance Care
............... 221
Appearance Care and Materials
.... 227 Appearance Care.
Service and
..... 183
Ashtray and Lighter
............. 85
Ashtray. Front
................. 85
Audio Systems ................. 108
Audio Systems. Comfort
Controls and
................. 103
Automatic Transmission
................ 56
Transmission Fluid
............ 198
Axle. Limited-Slip Rear
.......... 62
Axle. Rear
.................... 201
Babies. Smaller Children
and (Safety Belts)
............. 30
Balance. Wheel Alignment
and Tire
.................... 220
Battery
....................... 208
Battery Replacement. Remote Lock
Control
..................... 45
BBB Auto Line
- Alternative Dispute
Resolution Program.
GM Participation in
......... 261
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
.... 140
Belt Routing
................... 237
Belt. Lap-Shoulder
.............. 19
Bi-Level Heating
............... 105
Blizzard. If You're Caught in a
... 143
Box. Glove
.................... 83
Brakes Adjustment
.................. 208
Anti-Lock
(ABS) ............. 129 Brakes
Fluid
....................... 207
Master Cylinder
.............. 206
Parking
..................... 63
Pedal Travel ................. 207
System Parts. Replacing
........ 208
System Warning Light
......... 90
Trailer ...................... 147
Wear
...................... 207
Braking (Control of a Vehicle)
..... 128
Braking
in Emergencies ........... 132
"Break.In,
.. New Vehicle ........ 50
Brightness Control .............. 76
Bulb Replacement .............. 209
Center High-Mounted
Stoplight
.................. 210
Front Turn Signal
............. 211
Headlights
............. .' .... 209
Rear Lights
.................. 211
Rear Sidemarker
.............. 212
Bulbs, Halogen
................. 209
Bulbs. Replacement
............. 232
Canadian Roadside Assistance
... 263
Capacities and Specifications
...... 233
Carbon Monoxide
.............. 48
Care
Appearance
................. 221
Cassette Tape Player
.......... 122
Compact Discs
............... 122
Safety Belts
................. 224
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Front Fuel
......................... 185
Towing Hook-ups
............. 158
Fuel Gage
..................... 90
Fuels
in Foreign Countries ........ 186
Fully Articulating Sport Seat
...... 9
Fuse Block. Main
............... 230
Fuse Block. Underhood
.......... 231
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
....... 229
Gages Engine Coolant Temperature
.... 93
Engine Oil Pressure ........... 95
Fuel
....................... 90
Warning Lights and Indicators
... 89
Gasolines for Cleaner
Air ........ 186
Glass
......................... 224
GloveBox
.................... 83
GM Participation in BBB Auto Line
-
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Program
.................. 261
Halogen Bulbs
............... 209
Hatch Release
.................. 47
Hatch Release. Remote
.......... 47
Hazard Warning Flashers
......... 152
Head Restraints
................ 12
Headlight Doors
................ 76
Headlight High/Low Beam
....... 70
Heater Controls
................ 104
... 272
Headlights .................... 209 Heater.
Engine Coolant (Block)
.... 56
Heating
....................... 104
Highway Hypnosis
.............. 140
Hill and Mountain Roads
......... 141
Hitches
....................... 147
Hood Release
.................. 188
Hood. Checking Things under the
. . 188
Kook.Ups. Front Towing
......... 158
Kook.Ups. Rear Towing
......... 160
Horn ......................... 68
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Recovery Tank
. . . . 164
How to Add Coolant to the
Radiator
................ .165. 167
Hydraulic Clutch
............... 201
Hydroplaning
.................. 138
Hypnosis. Highway
............. 140
Identification Number. Vehicle
.... 228
Identification. Engine
............ 228
If a Tire Goes Flat
.............. 170
If You’re Stuck: In Sand. Mud. Ice
or Snow
.................... 180
Ignition Switch
................. 51
Inflatable Restraint System.
Supplemental
................ 23
Inflation
- Tire Pressure .......... 216
Inside Daymight Rearview
Mirror
...................... 79
Instrument Cluster
.............. 88
Instrument Panel
............. 87 Instrument Panel. Cleaning the
Topof
..................... 223
[nterior Lights
................. 78
Jump Starting
............... 153
Key Release Button
. .
Keys .............
Label. Service Parts
Lane Change Indicator.
Lap-Shoulder Belt (Safety Belts)
. e . 19
Larger Children (Safety Belts)
. . . e 38
Leaving Your Vehicle with the
Identification
...........
Turn Signal and .............. 69
Leaving Your Vehicle
............ 44
Engine Running
.............. 64
Lighter. Ashtray and ............. 85
Lighter. Cigarette
............... 85
Lights Air Bag Readiness
.... ..... 24
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
.................. 91
Brake System Warning ......... 90
Bulb Replacement
.......... 232
Daytime Running
............. 77
Front Map
................... 79
Check Gages
........ 96
Courtesy
............ 78
Fog ........................ 78
... 51
42
... 228
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