engine PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 User Guide

Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position
to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
-
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roII.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is
running unless you have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You
or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t
move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)’% in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer’’ in
the Index.
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Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range
before starting the engine. Your Ponti’ac has
a
brake-transmission shift interlock. You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key is in the RUN position.
If YOU cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever -- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) and also release the shZt 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 PARK” (P) in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to BEVERSE (R) while your vehicle
’is moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to
REVERSE (R) only
after
your vehicle is stopped,
To rock YOW vehicle back and f~~th to get out of snow, ice
or
sand without damaging your transmission, see “Stuck
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow, If You’re” -in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARI( (B) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine
is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could
lose control and hit people or
objects, Don’t shift out ofPARK (P) or
NEUTBAL (N) while your engine is racing.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): This position is
for normal driving.
If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
- Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have
more power.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower
fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@),
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a):
- When driving on hilly, winding roads.
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
- When going down a steep hill.
between gears.
SECOND (2): This
position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you
go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want
to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 25 miles
(40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h),
or you can damage your transmission. Use
AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (a) or THIRD (3)
as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than 65 mph (105 M), or you can
damage your engine.
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FIRST.(l): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy)
than SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hiils,
or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST (11, the transmission
won't
shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
I If your rear wheels can't rotate, don't try to, I..
NOTICE: (Continued)
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don't hold
your vehicle there with
only the accelerator
pedal. This couEd overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes
or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position on
a hill.
drive. This might happen if you were stuck
in- Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
very deep sand or mud or were up agaht'a s&d
NOTICE: (Continued)
components from improper operation.
, object. You could damage your transmission.
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SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal to the floor as
you let up on the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND
(2). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
THIRD(3),FOURTH(4)andF'IFTH(5): Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the. clutch
pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal. ...
To Stop:Let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and
shift to
NEUTRAL (N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when ym start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while
pressing the accelerator pedal.
L ~~ ~
NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving could damage your
transmission.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
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6-Speed
1 3 5 R
2 4 6
This is your shift pattern.
Here’s how to operate
your transmission:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 M). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to shift into FIRST
(1) put, the shift
THIRD(3),FOURTH(4),FIFTH(5),and SIXTH
(6): Shift into THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), FIFTH (5) and
SIXTH (6) the same way you do for SECOND (2).
Slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
To Stop: Let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
$rake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to neutral.
‘NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE (R). Let
up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
If you
shift from SIXTH (6) into REVERSE (R) the shift lever
must be first placed in the
ITl3UTRAL (N) position
centered between
SECOND (2) and THIRD (3) prior to
shifting into REVERSE (R).
Your six-speed manual transmission has a feature that
’ ’ idle your engine.
lever in NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch. Press allows
you to safely shift into REVERSE (R) while the
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST (1). vehicle is rolling (at less than 5 mph). You will: be
locked-out if you try to shift into REVERSE (R) while
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on your vehicle is moving faster than 5 mph (8 km/h).
the accelerator pedal and shift into SECOND (2). Then,
slowly
let up on the clutch pedal as you press the If you have turned your ignition to the OFF position
accelerator pedal.
and wish to park your vehicle in, REVERSE (a), you will have to move the shift lever quickly to the right,
“crashing”through the high load spring and then into gear.
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Skip Shift Light (5.7L LT1 Engine)
SKIP
SHIFT
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
FIRST (1) to
FOURTH (4)
gear instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2) gear. This
helps you to get the best
possible fuel economy.
This light will come on under these conditions:
0 The engine coolant temperature is greater than
You are going 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 kdh), ana
You are at 35 percent throttle or less.
When this light is on, the gear shift lever will let
you
shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) only. Once you
are in
FOURTH (4) , 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.
170°F (77°C)’
Computer Aided Manual Transmission Shift Speeds
1st to4th ...... 15 mph (24 km/h)
4th to 5th ...... 25 mph (40 km/h)*
5th to 6th ...... 40 mph (64 M)**
Each time you come to a stop, the engine’s Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) determines when to activate the
SKIP
SHIFT upshift system. Use SECOND (2) 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.
Shift Speeds
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle.
And you could injure yourself or others.
Don’t
shift from SIXTH (6) to THIRD (3), or FIFTH (5)
to SECOND (2) or FOURTH (4) to FIRST (1).
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This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear for
best fuel economy.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION RECOMVENDED SHIFT SPEEDS, IN MPH (kdh)
Acceleration Shift Speed
1to2 I 2to3 t 3to4 I 4to5 I St06 Engine
3800 L36 13-16 21-28 32-37 45-47 (Code K) (21-25) (34-35) (51-59) (72-75) WA
NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you
downshift, or if you race the engine when you
downshift,
you can damage the clutch or
transmission.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like a standard axle most
of the time, but when
one
of the rew wheels has no traction and the other does,
the limited-slip feature will allow the wheel with'
traction to move the vehicle.
If your speed drops below 20 mph (30 km/h), or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear.
You may have to downshift two or
more gears
to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
.~
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NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. 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.
Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission
Models Only)
r CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You
or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re
on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index.
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1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
I
2. Move the shift lever into' PARK (P) position by
holding in
the button on the lever, and push the lever
all the way toward the front
af your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK,
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (PI.
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine
running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle
with the engine running, it could
overheat and ev'en catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don't
leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running,
be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking
brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved
the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold, the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button. If you can, it means
that the shift lever wasn't fully locked
into PARK (P).
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