light PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 Owner's Manual

Ashtray and Lighter
Lift up the cover to open the ashtray. To remove it, lift
up
on either side of the ashtray. If you have an automatic
transmission, the ashtray is near the front of your
console.
If you have a manual transmission, the ashtray
is
near your cupholder.
NOTICE:
Don’t put papers and other things that burn into
your ashtray.
If’ you do, cigarettes or other
smoking materials could set them on fire, causing
damage.
To use the lighter, push it in all the way and let go.
When it’s ready, it. will pop b’ack bv itself.
NOTICE:
Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while
it is heating. If you do, it won’t be able to
back away from the heating element when
it’s
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
If you plug accessories into your cigarette lighter, such
as heating devices or air compressors, these accessories
should have a rated current of less than
15 amps.
Exceeding
this limit will result in a blown fuse.
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1. Fog Lamp Switch (if equipped)
2. Main Lamp Control
3. Side Upper Air Vent
4. Instrument Cluster
5. Horn
6. Center Upper Air Vent
7.
Audio System
8. Glove Box
9. Comfort Controls
10. Cigarette Lighter .
1 1. Parking Brake Lever
12. Cupholder
13. Storage Console
14. Shift Lever
15. Ashtray (Automatic Transmission)
16. Rear Window Defogger Switch
17. Steering Wheel Controls
18. Remote Hatch Release
19. Convertible Top Switch (Option)
20. Traction Control System Switch (Option)
21. Second Gear Start (V6 Automatic only)
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Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per how (mph) and kilometers per hour
(krnh). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
in either
miles (used in the United States) or kilometers
(used in Canada).
Your Pontiac's odometer is tamper-resistant. If you can
see.silver lines between the numbers, probably someone
has tried to turn
it back. The numbers may not be true.
You may wonder what happens if your Pontiac needs
a new odometer installed. If possible, the new one has
to be set to the same rkading the old one had.
If it can't
be, then it's set at zero, but a label on the driver's door
must show the old reading and when the new one
was installed.
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: 1
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area, or engine damage may occur.
Warning Lights, Gages
and Indicators
This part 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. Ptiying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
., '/-.
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Warning lights come on when there my be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As YQU
will see in the details on the next fay pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine
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 md
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one o’f the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to
do about it. Please follow this 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.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on
for about eight seconds to remind people t~
fasten their safety belts.
The safety
belt light will
also come on and 2tay.m
for about 70 seconds. If the
driver’s belt is already
buckled, neither
the chime
nor the light will come on.
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Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR
BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there
is an electrical problem. The system
check includes
the air bag sensors, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, sed “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR
BAG
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. This means
the system is ready.
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.
Voltmeter
I p4
You can read battery
voltage on
your voltmeter.
If it reads less than 11 volts
or more than 16 volts while
your engine
is running,
and it stays there, you may
have
a problem with the
electrical charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone could drain your battery.
If you idle your engine for a while, the voltmeter
reading might move into the yellow zone, If the reading
stays in the yellow zone while you are driving, you may
have a problem with the electrical charging system.
Have it checked. While the voltmeter reads in the
yellow
zone, your battery may not be able to power certain
electrical accessories,
like ABS. (If this happens, your
ABS INOP light will come on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in this
part.)
If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone,
turn off all your accessories,
including your comfort control and audio system.
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Brake System Warming 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 parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key
to RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then,
have it-fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
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.
11 may take longer to stop. IE 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.)
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing
after you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light 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. ?>- ?-L,- .‘ ., : . . <, ., > .> . , . , :. - > , ._”
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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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Traction Control System Warning Light (Option)
T’CS
OFF
This warning light should
come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the warning
light doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to
warn you if there’s
a problem.
I. . . -,.L-,-
If it stays on, or comes‘0n’’when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with
your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is
OW, the system will not lifnit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
If your brakes begin to overheat, the brake portion of the
traction control system will shut down, but the throttle
and engine spark control wiil continue to work. The
warning light will not
come on when this happens.
The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the button
located on the center of the console behind the shift
lever (Automatic Transmission) or in front of the
shiftboot (Manual Transmission), the warning light
will
come on and stay on. To turn the system back
on, press the button again. The warning light should
go
off. (See “Traction Control System’’ in the Index
for more information.)
If the temperature of the throttle control begins
to rise, the system will turn off and the warning
light will come on until the system cools down.
The system,does this
to prevent damage from
overheating.
If the tmchan CQII~XQ~ system warning light comes on
and stays on
for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
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Low Traction Light
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on.
If you have the traction control system, this light will
also come on when the system is limiting wheel spin.
Slippery road conditions may exist if the low traction
light comes
on, so adjust your driving accordingly. The
light will stay on for a few seconds after the anti-lock
system stops adjusting brake pressure or the traction
control system stops limiting wheel spin.
The low traction light also comes
on briefly wlien you
turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the light doesn’t come
on then, have
it fixed so it will be there to tell you
when the anti-lock brake system or traction control
system
is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If ’
‘the gage pointer moves
into the red area, your
engine is too hot! It means
that your engine coolant
has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road”, this section
shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Low Coolant Light (V8 Engine)
LOW
COOLANT
I
This warning light should
come on while
you are
starting your engine. If the
light doesn’t come on, have
it repaired.
Your Firebird
is equipped with a LOW COOLANT
indicator which is designed to detect when the coolant
level
drops below set limits. If the low coolant level
sensor (on the radiator)
drops while the engine is
running, ‘the LOW COOLANT indicator will light
and remain lit until the ignition switch is turned to
the
OFF position. Check coolant level and add coolant
as needed. The LOW COOLANT light might stay on
after filling the radiator., Turn the ignition switch to the
OFF position, then restart the engine to verify that the
LOW COOLANT light goes out. See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index.
~
NOTICE:
Driving with the LOW COOLANT light on could
cause your Pontiac to overheat. See “Engine
Overheating’’
in the^ Index. Your Pontiac could be
damaged md it wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
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