ESP PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1997 User Guide

Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
In Canada, a light sensor on top of the instrument
panel automatically turns the headlamps on,
so be
sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system will make your front turn signal lamps
come on when:
The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is OFF and
0 The parking brake is released.
When
the DRL are on, only your front turn signal lamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
For Canadian vehicles when it’s dark enough outside,
your front turn signal lamps will go out and your
headlamps will come on. The other lamps that come on
with your headlamps will also come on. When it’s bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and your
front turn signal lamps will come on. On a non-Canadian vehicle the headlamps have
to be
turned on manually when you need them. When the
headlamps are turned
on, the front turn signal lamps
will go out. When you use your turn signals, the front
turn signal lamp and the taillamp on the desired side
will flash.
As with any vehicle, you should turn OM the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Fog Lamps (If Equipped)
Use your fog lamps for better vision in foggy or misty
conditions. Your parking lamps must be on or your fog
lamps won’t work.
0s To turn the fog lamps on, push the right side of the
fog lamp switch. Push the left side of the switch to turn
the fog lamps
off. A light on the switch will come on
when the fog lamps are on.
Fog lamps will go off whenever your high beams come
on. When the high beams
go off, the fog lamps will
come on again.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Vehicle and Content
Theft-Deterrent System and your fog lamp switch is on,
the fog lamps may flash to indicate operation of the
Vehicle and Content Theft-Deterrent System. See “Vehicle
and Content Theft-Deterrent System” in the Index.
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Understanding Radio Reception
FMSterw
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about 10 to
40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings
or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other.
AM can pick
up noise
from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble
to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until
it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions
by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before
your hearing adapts to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
Increase volumk slowly until you hear comfortably
an’d clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can add
what you want. If you can, it’s very important to
do it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere
with the operation of your vehicle’s
engine, Delco radio or other systems, and even
damage them. Your vehicle’s sys$ems may
interfere with the operation
of sound equipment
that has been added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
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There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have
a lower relative percentage of body water than men.
Si= akobol 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. Ira some
other countries, it’s even lower. The BAC limit for all
commercial drivers in
the United States is 0.04 percent,
The
B’AC 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 impaire’d 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!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What
if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking
and driving that
many people don’t
know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart.
This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- drives or pas,senger == is in a crash, that
person’s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not b’een drinking.
4-4

The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
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 suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
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.
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a
braking skid, this light will come on.
See
“Low Traction Light” in the Index.
Traction Control System
(Option: LTI V8 Engine)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This
is especially useful in 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 your 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.
TCS
OFF
When the system is on,
this warning light will
come on to let you how
if
there’s a problem with your
traction control. system.
See “Traction Control
System Warning Light”
in the Index.
The traction control system may operate on dry roads
under some conditions, and you may notice a reduction
in acceleration when this happens. This is normal and
doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard acceleration
in
a turn, or an abrupt upshift or downshift. 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.)
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.)
4-9

Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway
is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane
as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
0
0
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might
affect your passing
patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate
a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(praviding the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of the
lane or a double solid line,
even
if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.
0 Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area
of vision,
especially if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space
if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back
a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don’t get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying
to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
4-13

Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle
you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps
are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to
the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are
always possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to your Pontiac’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in
the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid
is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If
you have the traction control system, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
4-14

Here are some tips on night driving.
a
e
0
m
e
e
e
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.
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
keadlamps), 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. Even the 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
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of it.
4-16

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can
if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot
of water is standing on
the road.
If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles
or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddies or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared
to have your view restricted
by road spray.
“Tires” in the Index.)
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
4-19

A CAUTION: ..
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see
it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle
that’s away from the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
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.
4-29