weight PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1996 Owners Manual

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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I NOTICE:
Don’t lower the top if it is damp or wet. When
the top is down, trapped water can cause stains,
mildew and damage to the inside of your vehicle..
Be sure to dry off the top before you lower it.
I NOTICE:
It is not recommended to lower the top if your
car is out in cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or lower.
NOTICE:
Before lowering the convertible top into the
storage area, be sure there are no objects in
the
way of ,the folded, stored top. The weight of a
stored top
on items in the storage area will cause
the convertible top back glass to
break.
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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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It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis
(3 ounces
or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who
consumes food just before or du.ring drinking will have a
somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have
a lower relative percentage
of body water than men.
*
Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a
woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a
man of her same body weight when each has the
same
number of drinks.
The law in many U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC
of 0.10 percent. In a growing number of
U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, the limit is 0.08 percent. In some
other countries, it’s even lower. The
BAC limit for all
commercial drivers in the United States is
0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over
0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour).
Of course, as we’ve seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how
quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving
skills of
many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers
are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance
of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level
of 0.10 percent, the chance of
this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is
25 times greater!
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater
run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your Vehicle
'@I OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
FRT. CTR.
RR. TOTAL LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING & GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY
WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PS1/28KPa
SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
( INFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
found on the driver's door tells you the proper size,
speed rating and recommended inflation pressures for
the tires on your vehicle.
It also gives you important
information about the number of people that can be in
your vehicle and the total weight
that you can carry.
This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and
includes
the weight of all occupants, cargo and aLI
nonfactory-installed options.
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MFD BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP
DATE GYWR GAWR FRT GAWR RR
THIS VE~HICCE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE U.S. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE .
SAFETY, BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS
IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge of the driver's
door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo. Never
exceed the GVWR for your vehicle,
or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do a,heavy had, you should spread it out.
Don't
carry more than 100 lbs. (45 kg) in your rear area.
rn
A C UTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, or it can change
the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause
you to lose control.
Also, overloading can shorten the life of
your vehicle.
A
I
If you put things inside your vehicle -- like suitcases,
tools, packages
or anything else -- they will go as fast as
the vehicle
goes. If you have to stop or turn quickly, or
if there is a crash, they'll keep going.
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Towing a Trailer
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or
in
a crash.
0 Put things in the rear area of your vehicle.
0 Never stack heavier things, like suitcases,
Try to spread the weight evenly.
inside the vehicle
so that some of them are
above the tops of the seats.
0 Don't leave an unsecured child restraint in
your vehicle.
When you cdrry something inside the
vehicle, secure it whenever you can.
0 Don't leave a seat folded down unless you
need to.
If you don't use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control when you pull a
trailer. For example,
if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well
9- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull a trailer only
if you have followed all the
steps in this section. Ask your Pontiac dealer for
advice and information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by
your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your Pontiac
dealer
for important information about towing a
trailer with your vehicle.
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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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_. . , _, -i .. :
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here,are some important points:
0
0
0
0
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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Three important considerations have to do with weight:
the weight
of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the total weight on your vehicle's tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,500 lbs. (680 kg)
under normal driving conditions. It should never weigh
more than
1,000 lbs. (450 kg) when driven on long
grades at high ambient temperatures. But even that can
be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan
to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull B
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle. You
can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Pontiac Division
Customer Assistance Center
One Pontiac Plaza
Pontiac, MI 48340-2952
In Canada, write to:
General Motors
of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center
1908 Colonel
Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
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Weight of the Trailer T0ngu.e
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because
it affects,the total capacity
weight
of your vehicle. The capacity weight includes the
curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo’ you may carry in
it, and the people who will be riding in the
vehcle. And
if you will tow
a trailer, you must subtract the tongue
load from your vehicle’s capacity weight because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in the Index for more information about
your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
-
A B
If you’re using a weight-carrying hitch, the trailer
tongue
(A) should weigh 10%. of the total loaded trailer
weight
(B). If you have a weight-distributing hitch, the
trailer tongue (A)-should weigh 12% of the total loaded
trailer weight
(B).
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately,
to see if the weights are
proper.
If they aren’t, you may be able to get them right
simply by moving some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s, Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated’to the
recommended pressure for cold tires. You’ll find these
numbers
on the Certification label at the rear edge of the
driver’s door
‘or see “Loading Your Vehicle” in the
Index. Then be sure you don’t
go over the GVW
limit for your vehicle, including the weight of the
trailer tongue.
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