light PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 Service Manual

TREBLE: Slide the lever to the right or left to increase
or decrease treble. If a station is weak or noisy, slide the
lever down to reduce the noise.
Adjusting the Speakers
BAL: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn it to
move the sound to the left or right speakers. Use the
middle position to balance these speakers. Push the
knob
back in when you're not using it.
FADE: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn it to
move the
sound to the front or rear speakers. Use the
middle position to balance these speakers. Push the knob
back in when you're not using it.
Playing a Compact Disc
The integral CD player can play 8 cm "single"
mini-discs.
Insert a disc partway into
the slot, label side up. The
player will pull it in. The compact disc symbol
will
appear on the display. If the ignition is on, but the radio
is off, the disc will begin playing. CD will appear on the
display.
If you want to insert a disc when the ignition is
OFF, fist press EJECT.
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, you change the
volume 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.
and try
again.)
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Finding a Station Setting the Tone
AM-FM:
Press this button to get AM, FM1 or FM2.
The display shows your selection.
TUNE: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn it to
choose radio stations. Push the knob back in when
you're not using it.
SEEK: Press the up or d,own arrow to go to the next
higher or lower station.
PUSHBUTTONS: The six numbered pushbuttons let
you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to
18 stations (six AM, six FM1 and six FM2).
1. Press AM-FM to select the band.
2. Find the station you want by using TUNE or SEEK.
3. Press and hold one of the six numbered buttons until
SET appears on the display. Whenever you press that
numbered button, the station you set will return.
7
4. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.
EQUALIZER: A seven band equalizer is part of your
audio system. Slide the levers up to
boost or down to
reduce frequency range.
Adjusting the Speakers
BAL: Press this knob lightly so it extends. Turn it to
move the
sound to the left or right speakers. Use the
middle position to balance these speakers.
Push the knob
back in when you're not using it.
FADE: Pressthis knob lightly so it extends. Turn it to
move the sound to the front or rear speakers. Use the
middle position to balance these speakers. Push the
knob
back in when you're not using it.
Playing a Compact,Disc
The integral CD player can play 8 cm "single"
mini-discs.
Insert a disc partway into the slot, label side up. The
player
will pull it in. If the ignition is on, but the radio is
off, the disc will begin playing. If you want to insert a
disc when the ignition is off, first press EJECT.
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Care of Your CasAte 'I - r1;
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. 'Cassette tapes should be stored
in their
cases
away from *contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat.
If they aren't, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the
tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that you have used your tape player
for 50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer.
If you notice a reduction in
sound quality, try a known good cassette to see if the tape
or the tape player is at fault. If this other cassette has no
improvement in sound quality, clean the tape player.
Cleaning may be done with a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette with pads which scrub
the tape head as the hubs
of the cleaner cassette turn. It
is normal for the cassette to eject while cleaning. Insert
the cassette at least three times to ensure thorough
cleaning. A scrubbing action cleaning cassette is
available through your Pontiac dealer.
,. I . E-.. . . ;, -. ' __ '.c.l . : .. -. .. j .-:,,;n '.;- ';. .. ~, _:
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to clean
the tape head. This type
of cleaning cassette will not
eject. €t may not clean
as thoroughly as the scrubbing
type cleaner.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound
quality may
degrade over time. Always make sure that the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your Compact Discs ,
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust.
If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen a
clean, soft cloth
in a mild, neutral detergent .solution and
clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the signal surface when handling
discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer edges or the
edge of the hole and the outer edge.
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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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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance.
If you get too close to the vehicle in
front
of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle sudd’enly slows or stops. Alwayssleave
enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel
the system working,
or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come
on.
See ‘‘L’ow Traction Light”
in the
Index
naction Control, System
(Option: LTl VS Engine) I
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This is especially usefulin slippery
road conditions.
The system operates only if it senses that
one or both of
the rear wheels are spinning or beginning
to lose traction. When
this happens, the system works the
rear brakes and reduces engine, power (by closing the
throttle and managing engine spark) to limit wheel spin.
LOW
TRAC
This light will come on
when YQLU traction control
system is limiting wheel
spin. See “Low Traction
Light”
in the Index. You
may feel or hear the system
working, but this is normal.
The traction control system may operate on dry roads
under some conditions, and you may notice a reduction in
acceleration when this happen,€, This is normal and doesn’t
mean there’s
a problem with your vehicle. Examples of
fhese conditions include a hard acceleration in a turn, or an
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abrupt upshift or downshft. Also, when the compact spare
tire is on the rear axle,
the traction control system will
cycle and limit acceleration for about
the first 15 seconds
of driving after each engine start.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. (See “Cruise Control”
in the Index.)
TCS
OFF
When the system is on,
this warning light will
come on to let you know
if
there’s a problem with your
traction control system.
See “Traction Control
System Warning Light”
in the Index.
When this warning light is
on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions,
you should
always leave the system on. But you
can turn the
traction control system
off if you ever need to.
(You should turn the system off if your vehicle ever
gets stuck in sand, mud, ice
or snow. See “Rocking
Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
Automatic Transmission Manual Transmission
To turn the system off, press the button located on
the center
of the console behind the shift lever
(Automatic Transmission) or in front
of the shift
boot (Manual Transmission).
The light on the button will go off, and the traction
control system warning light will come on and stay on.
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. If the traction control system is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button, the light on the button will
.go off and the warning light will come on -- but the
_. ._ ,system won't turn off right away. It will wait until
gathere's
no longer a current need to limit wheel spin. I
You can turn the system back an at any time by pressing
the button
again. The light on the button should come
on, and the traction control system w'arning light should
go off.
If your car is equipped with P245/50zR16 tires, the
traction control system will automatically
turn off at
speeds above 108 mph (1 74 km/h). (The traction, control
system waning light will not corn on.) When the
vehicle
speed drops below 103 mph (1 66 km/h) the
system will automatically come on again.
- Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even
the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much
more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the "driver lost control" accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us
is subject to
the same laws
of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand
this.
i ., _. .I ..
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding
the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer
quickly, and
just
as quickly straighten the wheel once you’have
’ avoided the object,
The fact
that such emergency situations are always
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
YOU may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front
tire contacts the pavement edge. Then tum your
steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind
you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the same
thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your,night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine
you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But
if you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make
a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
It can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as from
a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or
a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep
your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
‘worse by dirt on the glass. Eventhe inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a
turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier
to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blind,ness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and aren’t
even aware
of it.
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I
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to one
side.
You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving
through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
!.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through
some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes., Try to avoid puddles.
But
if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
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