warning PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1997 User Guide

The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the switch
located at the front
of the console the warning light
will come on and stay on and the light on the switch
will
go out. To turn the system back on, press the
switch again. The warning light should go off.
(See “Traction Control System” in the Index
for more information.)
If the temperature of the throttle control b’egins to
rise, the system will turn off and the warning light
will come
on until the system cools down. The
system does this to prevent damage from
overheating.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period
of time when the
system
is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Low Traction Light
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid
a braking skid,
this light will come on.
LOW
TRAC
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 a’djusting brake pressure or the traction
control system stops limiting wheel spin.
The low traction
light also comes 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 there to tell you when
the anti-lock brake system or traction control system
is active.
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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.
Low Coolant Light (VS Engine)
This warning light should
come on while you are
starting your engine.
If the
light doesn’t
come on, have
it repaired.
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 manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index. Your
Firebird is equipped with
a LOW COOLANT
indicator which is designed to detect when the coolant
level drops below set limits. If the low coolant level
sensor (on the radiator) drops while the engine is
running,
the LOW COOLANT indicator will light and
remain lit until the ignition switch
is turned to the OFF
position. Check coolant level and add coolant as needed.
The LOW COOLANT light might stay on after filling
the radiator. Turn the ignition switch to the
OFF
position, then restart the engine to verify that the LOW
COOLANT light goes out. See “Engine Coolant” in
the Index.
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Low Oil Light
LOW
OIL
Your vehicle is equipped
with an oil level monitoring
system. When you start
your engine, the warning
light will come on briefly. If
the light doesn’t come on,
have it repaired.
If the light stays on after starting your engine, your
engine
oil level may be too low. You may need to add
oil. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTICE:
The oil level monitoring system only checks the
oil level when
you are starting your engine. It
does not keep monitoring the level once
your
engine is running. Also, the oil level check only
works when the engine has been turned off long
enough for the oil to drain back into the oil pan.
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Check Gages Light When the gage pointer first indicates EMPTY (E) you
need to get more right away.
CHECK
GAGES
Fuel Gage
I
This warning light will
come on briefly when
YOU
are starting the engine. If
the light comes on and
stays on while you are
driving, check your gages
to see if they are in the
warning areas.
Your fuel gage shows about
how much fuel is in
your
tank. The gage works only
when the ignition switch is
in the RUN position. Here are four concerns some owners have had
about the
fuel gage. All these situations are normal and do not
indicate that anything
is wrong with the fuel gage.
0
0
0
0
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads FULL
(F).
It takes more (or less) gas to fill up than the gage
reads. For example, the gage reads
1/2 full, but it
took more (or less) than half
of the tank's capacity to
fill it.
The gage moves
a little when you turn, stop or
speed up.
When you turn the engine off, the gage doesn't go
back to
EMPTY (E).

Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
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.
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road
is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with
ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to st,op rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
the
rear wheels.
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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.)
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To turn the system off, press
the button located at the
front
of the console.
The light on
the switch will go off, and the traction
control system warning light will come on and stay on.
If the traction control system is limiting wheel spin
when
you press the switch, the light on the switch will
go off and the warning light will come on -- but the
system won’t turn
off right away. It will wait until
there’s
no longer a current need to limit wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the switch again. The light
on the button should come
on, and the traction control system warning light should
go off. If
your car is equipped with P245/5OZR16 tires, the
traction control system will automatically turn
off at
speeds above 108 mph
(174 km/h). (The traction control
system warning light will not come on.) When the
vehicle speed drops below
103 mph (166 kmh) the
system will automatically come on again.
Braking in Emergencies
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.
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If you do not have traction control, or if the system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It
is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration
or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
I
.A
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely
to be
impaired -- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time
and energy. (See the
next part,
“Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner
is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection
or mav be running the
red light.
One
of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them, You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to
traffic signals.
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Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a
small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires
and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have
a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
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