warning PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1994 Owners Manual

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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How to Use This Manual
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions
in this book. We use a box with a gray
background and the word CAUTION to
tell you about things that could hurt you if
you were to ignore the warning.
In the gray caution area, we tell you what
the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do
to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please
read these cautions. If you don’t, you or
others could be. hurt. You
will also find a circle with a slash
through it in this book. This safety symba
means “Don’t,’’ “Don’t do this,’’ or “Don’
let this happen.”
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that
could damage your vehicle.
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these
notices.
In the notice area, we tell you about
something that can damage your vehicle.
Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be
costly. But the notice will tell you what to
do to help avoid the .damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in
different colors
or in different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your
vehicle. They use yellow for cautions, blue
for notices and the words CAUTION or
NOTICE.
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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you will
find on your vehicle. For example, these
symbols are used on
an original battery:
Caution Possible Injury A
Protect Eyes by Shielding
@
Caustic Battery Acid
Could Cause Burns
Avoid Sparks or Flames
8
Sparks or Flame Could \\b
Explode Battery m
These symbols are important for you and
your passengers whenever your vehicle is
driven:
Fasten Safety Belts
Door LocWUnlock Window Up/Down
a
These symbols have to do with your lights:
Master Lighting Switch
Turn Signal Direction
Hazard Warning Flashers
A
A
Headlight High Beam
Parking Lights
Courtesy Lights
Fog Lamps
These symbols are on some of your
controls:
Windshield Wiper
Windshield Washer
Windshield Defroster
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How to Use This Manual
Rear Window Defogger
Y
Ventilating Fan
Bi-
L e vel
Vent
Heater Blend
These symbols are used on warning and
indicator lights:
Engine Coolant
Temperature
Battery Charging System
1-7
Fuel
Engine
Oil Pressure w,
Brake (Canada) (0) (8)
Anti-Lock Brake System
(Canada) Low Coolant
m
Here
are some other symbols you may see:
Hatchnrunk Release a
Hood Release
Lighter
Horn
Speaker Convertible Top Switch
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Here you can learn about the
many standard and optional
features on your Pontiac.
And
information on starting. shifting
and braking
. Also explained are
the instrument panel and the
warning systems that tell you
if
everything is working properly
- and what to do if you have a
problem
.
Keys .......
Door Locks . .
Part 2
Features & Controls
....................................................
....................................................
Theft and Theft Deterrents ...........................................
New Vehicle “Break-In” ............................................
Ignitionswitch ....................................................
Automatic Transmission ............................................
ManualTransmission ...............................................
Limited-Slip Rear Axle .............................................
Parking ..........................................................
EngineExhaust ...................................................
Windows ........................................................
Horn ............................................................
Tiltwheel ........................................................
The Turn Signal/Headlight Beam Lever ................................
Mirrors ..........................................................
Twin Lift-off Roof Panels ...........................................
Storage and Compartments ..........................................
SunVisors .......................................................
AshtrayandLighter ................................................
Instrument Panel and Cluster .........................................
ConvertibleTop ...................................................
Starting Your Engine ...............................................
Operation of Lights ................................................
42
43
48
50
51
52
56
59
62
63
66
67
68
69
69
76
79
SO
83
85
85
89
98
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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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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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Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far
your vehicle has been driven since you
last set the trip odometer to zero.
To set the trip odometer to zero, press the
knob.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in thousands of revolutions per minute
(rpm).
I NOTICE:
I
Do not operate the engine with the
tachometer in the red area, or engine
damage may occur.
Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This section describes the warning lights
and gages that may be on your vehicle.
The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that
something is wrong before
it becomes
serious enough to cause
an expensive
repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also
save you or others from injury.
Warning lights go on when there may be
or is a problem with one of your vehicle’s
functions.
As you will see in the details
on the next few pages, some warning
lights come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key just to let you know they’re
working. If you are familiar with this
section, you should not be alarmed when
this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem with one of your vehicle’s
functions. Often gages and warning lights
work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehcle. When
one of the warning lights comes on
and stays on when you are driving, or
when one
of the gages shows there may
be a problem, check the section that tells
you what to do about it. Please follow the
manual’s advice. Waiting to do repairs
can be costly
- and even dangerous. So
please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
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Features and Controls
Fuel Gage
four fuel gage shows about how much
bel is in your tank. The fuel gage works
mly when the ignition switch is in the
‘Run” position. When the gage pointer
‘Irst indicates
“E,” you still have a little
uel left (about one to two gallons), but
IOU need to get more right away.
3ere are four concerns some owners
lave had about the fuel gage. All these
iituations are normal and do not indicate
:hat anything is wrong with the fuel gage.
,..go
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts
off before the gage reads “E”
It takes more (or less) gas to fill up
than the gage reads. For example, the
gage reads
1/2 full, but it took more
(or less) than half of the tank’s
capacity to fill it.
The gage moves
a little when you
turn, stop or speed up.
When you turn the engine
off, the
gage doesn’t go back to
“E.”
Brake System Warning Light
Your Pontiac’s hydraulic brake system is
divided into two parts. If one part isn’t
working, the
other part can still work and
stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both pws working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could
be a brake problem. Have your brake
system inspected right away.
This light should come on as you start the
vehicle. If it doesn’t come on then, have
it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if
there’s a problem.
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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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