key PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 Owner's Guide

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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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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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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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a natiQna1 tragedy. It's the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands
of victims
every year.
I
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
@- Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half
0f all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths
are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, some 18,000 annual motor
vehicle-related
deaths have been associated with the use
of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured.
Many adultp
-- by some estimates, nearly half the
adult population -- choose-never to drink alcahol, so
they never drive der drinking. For persons under 2 1,
it's against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There
are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons
for these laws.
The obvious way to solve this hghway safety problem
is far people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But
what if people
do? How much is "too much" if the
driver plans to drive? It's
a lot less than many might
hnk. Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is
drinking depends upon four things:
The mount of alcohol consumed
The drinker's body weight
e The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
consume the alcohol.
e The length of time it has taken the drinker to
According to the American
Medical Association, a
180-lb. (82 kg)fperson who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same
BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-112 ounces
.(45 ml) of a liqudr like whiskey, gin or vodka.
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v Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your‘front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
Press the button in to make
your front and rear turn
signal lamps flash on and
Off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even
if the key isn’t in.
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A CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it
is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edgeswderneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
key turned #to the
OFF position. The steering wheel
should be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with
a clamping device designed for towing service. Do not
use the vehicle’s steering column lock
for this. The
transmission should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels
unless you must. If the
vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section
or your transmission will
be damaged. If these limits must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
5-8
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Find the plastic screw heads in the trim panel over the
spare tire. (See “Compact Spare’ Tire” later in this
section for more information about the compact spare.)
Use
a coin or a key to turn the screw heads until the
slots point front and back. Gently lift the trim panel and
move
it out of the way.
If you have speakers in the trim panel, you may have to
disconnect the wire form the speaker. The speaker wire
may be long enough to remove the trim panel without
disconnecting the wire.
Tu remove the jack and wheel wrench, loosen and
remove the bolt and remove the plastic cover.
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Each wheel has one locknut in place of the standard
wheel nut.
A special wheel lock key (removal tool) and
instructions are located in the center console. Attach
the wheel lock key to the socket
of the wheel wrench.
Remove the locking wheel nut by turning
counterclockwise.
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At Least Twice a Year
Restraint System Check
Make sure the safety belt reminder light and all your
belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and anchorages are
working progerly. Look for any other loose or damaged
safety belt system parts.
If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have it
repaired. Have any tom or frayed safety belts replaced.
Also- look for any opened or broken air bagtcovers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Manual Transmission Check
Check the transmission fluid level; add i,f nkeded. See
“Manual Transmission” in the Index. A fluid. loss
may indicate a problem. Check the system and repair
if needed.
Automatic TransmisBiion Check
Check the transmission fluid level; add if needed. See
“Automatic Transmission” in the Index. A fluid loss
may indicate a problem. Check the system and repair
if needed.
Hydraulic Clutch System Check
Check the fluid lev’el in the clutch reservoir. See
“Hydraulic Clutch
Fluid” in the Index. A fluid loss in
this system could indicate a problem. Have the system
inspected and repaired at once.
At Least Once a Year
Key Lock Cylinders Service
Lubricate the key lock cylinders with the lubricant
specified-
in Part D.
Body Lubrication Service
Lubricate all body door hinges. Also lubricate all hinges
and latches, including those for the hood, ,headlamp door
assemblies, rear compartment, console doors and any
folding seat hardware.
Part D tells you what to use.
More frequent lubrication may be required when
exposed to a corrosive environment.
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