stop start PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 User Guide

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ABS
INOP
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will
come on when you start
your engine and it will
stay on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
,4 :._ :< If he fight flashes when driving, fbu ~~$~~~~e
anti-lock brakes and there could be 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
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing
Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
, may go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop.
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly
if the anti-lock brake system warning
light is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock
brake system warning light flashing can lead
to an accident. After you’ve pulled
off the road
and stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition
off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset
the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Pontiac needs service.
If the
light is on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
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If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your s&ide:
Reduce vehicle speed.
Avoid hard accelerations.
Avoid steep uphill grades.
If towing a trailer, reduce the amount of cargo being
hauled
as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, whenit is safe to do so, ’
stop the vehicle. Put your vehicle in PARK (P). Turn the
key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light Is On
Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing follow the
previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your dealer or
*qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steaay
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering
the following:
Did you just put
fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. This will
dow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A few
driving trips
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your el’ectrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually
be corrected when the electrical system
dries
out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine
starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not bun as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
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NOTICE:
The oil level monitoring system only checks the oil level when you are starting your engine. It does not
keep monitoring the level once your
engine is running.
Also, the oil level check only
works when the engine has been turned
off long
enough for the oil to drain back into the oil pan.
Check Gages Light
CHECK GAGES
This warning light will
come on briefly when you
are starting the engine. If
the light comes on and stays
on while you are driving,
check your gages to see if
they are
in the warning
areas.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage shows about
how much fuel is in your
tank. The gage works only
when the ignition switch is
in the RUN position.
I I
When the gage pointer first indicates EMPTY (E), you
still have a little fuel left (about one to two gallons), but
you need
to get more right away.
Here are four concerns some owners have had about the
fuel gage. All these situations are normal and do not
indicate that anything is wrong with the fuel gage.
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
It takes more (or less) gas to fill up than the gage
gage
reads
FULL (F).
reads. For example, the gage reads half full, but it took
more (or less) than half of the tank’s capacity to fill it.
a 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 EMPTY (E).
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NEXT (2): Press this button or the SEEK up arrow to
go to the start of the next track if more than eight
seconds have played.
If you hold the button or press it
more than once, the player will continue moving
forward through the disc.
RDM (3): Press this button to hear the tracks in a
random order. It will change tracks in a random, rather
than sequential order. Press
RDM again to turn off
random play.
REV (5): Press and hold this button to quickly reverse
within a track (song). Release it to play the passage. YOU
will hear sound at a reduced volume. The display will
show elapsed time.
FWD (6): Press and held this button to quickly advance
within a track (song). You will hear sound at a reduced
volume. The display will show elapsed time.
AM-FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc
is playing. The disc will stop but remain in the player.
CDPLAY. Press this button to change to the disc
function when the radio is
on.
EJECT Press this button to remove the disc or stop the
disc and switch to the radio. EJECT will work with
the
radio off.
AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player
and Equalizer
Playing the Radio
VOL: Push this knob to turn the system on or off. Turn
it clockwise to increase volume and counterclockwise to
decrease volume.
RECALL: Press this button briefly to recall the station
being played or
to display the clock. If you press the
knob when the ignition is off, the clock will show for a
few seconds.
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If you’re driving on a very rough road or if it’s very hot,
the disc may not play and E (error) and a number may
appear on the radio display. If the disc comes out, it
could be that:
The disc is upside down.
It is dirty, scratched or wet.
The air is very humid. (If so, wait about an hour
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can’t be
corrected, please contact your dealer.
If your radio
displays
an error number, write it down and provide it to
your dealer when reporting the problem.
RECALL: Press this button to see what track is playing.
Press it again within five seconds to see how long
it has
been playing (elapsed time). The track number also
appears when the disc is inserted, the volume is changed
or when a new track starts playing.
PREV (1): Press this button or the SEEK down arrow to
go to the start of the current track if more than eight
seconds have played.
If you hold the button or press it
more than once, the player
will continue moving back
through the disc.
’ NEXT (2): Press this button or the SEEK up arrow to
go
to the start of the next track if more than eight
and
try again.) seconds
have played. If you hold the button or press it
more than once, the player will continue moving
forward through the disc.
RDM (3): Press this button t’o hear the tracks in a
random order. It will change tracks
in a random, rather
than sequential order. Press
RDM again to turn off
random play. The radio will play during this operation.
REV (5): Press and hold this button to quickly reverse
within a track (song). Release it to play the passage. You
will hear sound at a reduced volume. The display will
show elapsed time.
FWD (6): Press and hold this button to quickly advance
within a track (song). You will hear sound at
a reduced
volume. The
display will show elapsed time.
AM-FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc
is playing. The disc will stop but remain in the player.
CDPLAY Press this button to change to the disc
function when the radio is on.
EJECT Press this button to remove the disc or stop the
disc and switch to’ the radio. EJECT will work with the
radio
off.
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Avoid needless heavy bralung. Some people drive in
spurts --.heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool b’etween
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate
a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops,
you will still. have some power brake assist. But
you will use
it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, It may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder
to push. , ,.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will
help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your
anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test
is going on, and you ,may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little.
This is normal.
ABS
INOP
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on or
flash, See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light”
in the Index.
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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:
0
0
Trive 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.
0 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 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.
. . .I . ,.
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Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a’wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
cautious
if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your
windshield wiper blades
are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road and even
people wallung.
,
It’s wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer fluid. Replace your windshield wiper
inserts when tbey
show signs of streaking or missing
areas
on the windshield, or when strips of rubber start to
separate from the inserts.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different ‘turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Pontiac dealer.
The arrows
on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind you
are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
1 ’ Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On
a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transmission overheating.
If YOU are towing a trailer and you have an automatic
transmission with Overdrive, you may prefer to drive in
THIRD (D) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0)
(or, as you need to, a lower gear). Or, if you have a
manual transmission with
FJFTH (5) (or SIXTH (6)) gear
and you are towing a trailer, it’s better not to use FIFTH
(5) (or SIXTH) (6) gear. Just drive in FOURTH (4) (drive
in
FIFTH (5) if you have a six-speed manual transmission)
or,
as you need to, a lower gear.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load..
’
4. Reapply the regular brakes, Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to
PARK (P), or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
PARK (P) yet, or into gear for a manual transmission.
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.. ' When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a €Till
' ' 1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let .up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you're
pul1ing.a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation
are automatic: transmission fluid (don't
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belts,
cooling system
and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this
manual, and the Index will heip you find them quickly.
If you're trailering, it's a good idea to review these
sections befcn-e
you start yam trip.
Check;periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts .
are tight.
.. 1
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