service PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1994 Owners Manual

How to Use This Manual
Important Notes about This
Manual
Please keep this manual in your Pontiac, so
it will be there if you ever need it when
you’re on the road. If you sell the vehicle,
please leave this manual in it
so the new
owner can use it.
This manual includes the latest information
at the time it was printed. We reserve the
right to make changes in the product after
that time without further notice. For
vehicles fist sold
in Canada, substitute the
name “General Motors of Canada Limited”
for Pontiac Motor Division wherever it
appears in this manual.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual
Aux proprihires canadiens: Vous pouvez
vous procurer un exemplaire de ce guide
en frangis chez votre concessionaire
ou au
DGN Marketing Services Ltd., 1500
Bonhill Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5T
1C7. Published by:
Pontiac Motor Division
General Motors Corporation
Pontiac Motors,
GM and the GM
emblem,
Pontiac and the Pontiac emblem,
and
Firebird and the Firebird emblem are
registered trademarks of General Motors
Corporation.
@Copyright 1993 General Motors
Corporation, Pontiac Motor Division.
All Rights Reserved.
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How to Use This
Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual
from beginning to end when they first
receive their new vehicle. This will help you learn about the features and controls
for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll
find that pictures and words work
together to explain things quickly.
~ Index: A good place to look for what
you need is the Index
in back of the
manual. It’s an alphabetical list of all
that’s in the manual, and the page
number where you’ll find it.
Parts 1-8: Each part of this manual
begins with a brief list of its contents,
so
you can often find at a glance if a part
contains the information you want.
How to Use This Manual: This part
tells you how to use your manual and
includes safety and vehicle damage
warnings and symbols.
Part 1 - Seats & Restraint Systems:
This part tells you how to use your seats
and safety belts properly.
It also
explains the air bag system.
Part 2 - Features & Controls: This
part explains how to start and operate
your Pontiac.
Part 3 - Comfort Controls & Audio
Systems:
This part tells you how to
adjust the comfort controls and how
to
operate your sound system.
Part 4 - Your Driving and the Road:
Here you’ll find helpful information
and tips about the road and how to drive
under different conditions.
Part 5 - Problems on the Road: This
part tells you what to do if you have a
problem while driving, such as a flat
tire or engine overheating, etc.
Part 6 - Service & Appearance
Care:
Here the manual tells you
how to keep your Pontiac running
properly and looking good.
Part 7 - Maintenance Schedule:
This part tells when to perform vehicle
maintenance and what fluids and
lubricants to use.
Part 8 - Customer Assistance
Information:
This part includes
important information about reporting
safety defects and gives
you details
about the “Roadside Assistance” program.
You will also find customer
satisfaction phone numbers (including
customer satisfaction numbers for the
hearing and speech impaired), as well
as the mediatiodarbitration procedure.
We’ve also included ordering
information for service publications in
this part.
Service Station Information: This is
a quick reference of service
information.
You can find it on the last
page of this manual.
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This vehicle has AIR BAGS for front occupants.
A CAUTION: YOU NEED YOUR SAFETY BELT, EVEN WITH AN AIR BAG.
AND HERE’S WHY
Air bags are not designed to inflate in rollovers or in rear, side or low-speed frontal crashes.
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. If you’re too close to an inflating
air bag, it could seriously injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position for air bag inflation
in a crash.
An inflating air bag can seriously injure small children. Follow t\
he instructions on the passenger
safety belt Caution label.
REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM IS NOT REQUIRED. If the
air bag readiness light comes on while you are driving, or doesn’t come on when you first start
your vehicle, see your dealer for service.
PRINTED IN USA. See your Owner’s Manual for more information. PART NO C20-30-355
Supplemental Inflatable
Restraint System
(Air Bags)
Here are the most important things to
know:
rhis section explains the Supplemental
[nflatable Restraint (SIR), or “air bag,”
system. Your Pontiac has an air bag
For both the driver and the right-front
Jassenger.
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Seats and Restraint Systems
AIR
BAG
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on
the instrument panel, which shows
“AIR BAG” on it. The system checks
for electrical malfunctions, and
the light
tells you
if there is a problem.
You will see this light flash for a few
seconds when you turn your ignition to
“Run” or “Start.” Then the light should
go out, which means the system is ready.
Remember, if the air bag readiness light
doesn’t come on when you start your
vehicle, or stays on, or comes on when
you are driving, your air bag system may
not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
How the Air Bag System Works
Where
is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle
steering wheel. of th
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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
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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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Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Pontiac
Air bags affect how your Pontiac should
be serviced. There are parts of the air bag
system
in several places around your
vehicle.
You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your
vehiele. Your Pontiac dealer and the
1994
Firebird Service Manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the air
bag system. The air bag system does not
need regular maintenance.
Safety Belt Use during
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including
pregnant women. Like all occupants, they
are more likely to be seriously injured if
they don’t wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion
should be worn as low as possible
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to
protect the mother. When a safety belt
is
worn properly, it’s more likely that the
fetus won’t be
hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key
to making safety belts effective is wearing
them properly.
’assenger Positions
tight Front Passenger Position
:he right front passenger’s safety belt
vorks the same way as the driver’s safety
belt. See “Driver Position,” earlier
in this
kart.
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Should interference to this system occur,
try this:
0 Check to determine if battery
replacement is necessary. See the
instructions on battery replacement.
0 Check the distance. You may be too
far from your vehicle. This product
has a maximum range.
Check the location. Other vehicles or
objects may be blocking the signal.
0 See your Pontiac dealer or a qualified
technician for service.
Changes or modifications to this system
by other than an authorized service
facility could void authorization
to use
this equipment.
Operation
The driver’s door will unlock automatically when “UNLOCK’
is
pressed. If “UNLOCK” is pressed again
within five seconds, the passenger door
will also unl‘ock. All doors will lock when
“DOQR’ is pressed. The hatch will
unlock when the opened trunk symbol is
pressed, but only when the ignition switch is
not in “Run”, and the transmission is
in
“P” (Park) if you have an automatic
transmission. If you have a manual
transmission, the parking brake must
be set.
The system will turn on the interior lights
for about
40 seconds, or until the ignition
switch is turned to “Run”, when you
unlock the doors or hatch. The interior
lights
will come on for about two seconds
when you lock the doors.
Matching Transmitter(s) to Your
Vehicle
Each key chain transmitter is coded to
prevent another transmitter from
unlocking your vehicle. If a transmitter
is lost or stolen, a replacement can be
purchased through your dealer.
Remember to bring any remaining
transmitters with you when you go to
your dealer. When the dealer matches the
replacement transmitter to your vehicle,
the remaining transmitter must also be
matched. Once the new transmitter is
coded, the lost transmitter will not unlock
your vehicle. You
can match a transmitter to as many
different vehicles as you own, provided
they are equipped with exactly the same
model system. (General Motors offers
several different models of these systems
on their vehicles.) Each vehicle can have
onlv two transmitters matched to
it.
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Features and Controls
I rl SECUIITY
The ignition key must be clean and dry
before it’s inserted in the ignition or the
engine may not start. 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
will 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
does start, the first ignition key may be
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Faulty. See your Pontiac dealer or a
locksmith who can service the
PASS-Key@II.
[f you accidentally use a key that has a
Jamaged 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@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@ I1
system, however, is not working properly
and must be serviced by your Pontiac
dealer. Your vehicle is not protected by
the PASS-Key% system.
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key@ I1
ignition key, see your Pontiac
dealer or a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key% to have a new key made.
In
an emergency, call the Pontiac Roadside
Assistance Program on
1-800-ROADSIDE
or 1-800-762-3743.
New Vehicle
“Break-Zn”
NOTICE:
Your modem Pontiac doesn’t need an
elaborate “break-in.” But it will per-
form better in the long run if you fol-
low these guidelines:
Keep your speed at
55 mph (88
km/h) or less for the first 500
miles (804 km).
Don’t drive at any one speed
-
fast or slow - for the first 500
miles (804 km). Don’t make
full-throttle starts.
Avoid malung hard stops for the
first 200 miles (322 km) or
so.
During this time your new brake linings aren’t yet broken in. Hard
stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
“brealung-in” guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
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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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If the light comes on while you are driving, pull
off the road and stop
carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may
go
closer to the floor. It may take longer to
stop. If the light is still on,
or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is
flashing, have the vehicle towed for
service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light” and “Towing Your
Vehicle” in
the Index.) The brake
system warning light will also
come on when you set your parlung
brake, and it will stay on if your parking
brake doesn’t release fully. If
it stays on
after your parking brake
is fully released,
it means
you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With anti-lock, this light will come on
when you start your engine and it will
stay on for three seconds. That’s normal.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light flashes when you’re driving,
you don’t have anti-lock brakes and
there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. Pull
off the road and stop
carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go
closer to the floor. It may take longer to
stop. Have the vehicle towed for service.
(See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the
Index.)
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