towing capacity PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 Owners Manual

Your car can tow a trailer if it is equipped with proper
trailer towing equipment.
To identify what the vehicle
trailering capacity
is for your vehicle, you should read
the infrwmakion in “Weight of the Tr~ler” that appears
later in this section. But trailering
is different than* just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful,
safe trailering takes correct equipment, and it has
to be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In it are
many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that
of
your passengers. So please read this section carehlly
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine,
transmission, rear axle, wheel assemblies and tires
are
forced to work harder against the drag of the added
weight. The engine is required
to operate at relatively
higher speeds and under greater loads, generating extra
heat. What’s more, the trailer adds,considerably to wind
resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here,are some important points:
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There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will
be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using
a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway
controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 1,000 miles
(1 600 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your eng-k,
axle or 0ther.part.s could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive ov’er 50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts
at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive faster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle’s parts.
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