transmission PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 User Guide

Second-Gear Start
TRANSMISSION
2NDGEARQ START
Your vehicle may be equipped with a second-gear start
feature. Press 2ND GEAR START to provide more
traction when you are starting on ice or other slippery
surfaces. The transmission will be in SECOND
(2) gear
when the vehicle begins to move. After starting
in
SECOND (2) gear, the vehicle will upshift normally.
This feature is only for improved traction only when the
road surface is slippery
and is not intended for continuous
use
or when the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice, snow
or gravel. Always use NORMAL for normal road conditions.
You may press
2ND GEAR START again to
turn off this feature. Whenever you start your vehicle, the
transmission is in the NORMAL mode.
Manual Transmission
5-Speed
1 3 5
2 4 R
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
km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop
and it’s hard to shift into FIRST (l), put the shift
lever
in NEUTRAL (N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into
FIRST (1).
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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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Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission) Shifting Out of PARK (P)
If you are parlung on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK
(P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P),. This is called “torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then
shift into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into
PARK (P)”
in the Index.
When you
are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
(Automatic Transmission)
Your Pontiac has a brake-transmission shift interlock.
You have to fully apply your regular brake before
you can shift from PARK (P) when the ignition
is in
the
RUN position. See “Automatic Transmission” in
the Index.
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 release the shift lever button as you
maintain brake application. Then press the shift lever
button and ‘move the shift lever into the gear you wish.
If torque lock does occur, you may need
to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill
to take some of the
pressure from the transmission,
so you can pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P). 1. Turn the key to the OFF position.
If
you
ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
Parking Your Vehicle 2. Apply and hold the brake.
(Manual Transmission) 3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual
transmission in REVERSE
(R) and firmly apply the
parking brake.
5. .Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
If your vehicle is equipped to tow a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
4. Start the engine and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
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Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked (Automatic Transmission)
,.
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have
to, here are some things to know.
- -
A CAUTION:
-
Idling the engine with the air system control
off could anow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen
is a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO
-- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
I
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.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have
.to. If you’ve 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).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer,
also see “Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index.
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When you apply your brakes, or push the clutch pedal, If
your vehicle is in cruise control when the optional
if you have a manual transmission, the cruise control traction control system
begins to
limit wheel spin, the
shuts off. cruise control will automatically disengage. (See
“Traction Control System’’ in the Index.) When road
conditions allow you to safely use
it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
0 Cruise control can be dangerous on If you leave your cruise control switch on when
yodre not using
cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch
OFF until you want to use it.
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