tires PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1997 Owner's Manual

Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Pontiac. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check imDortant fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your I
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6-2 Service
6-3 Fuel
6-5 Fuels in Foreign Countries
6-6 Filling Your Tank
6- 8 Checking Things Under the Hood
6- 12 Engine Oil
6-18 Air Cleaner
6-22 Automatic Transmission Fluid 6-27 Manual Transmission Fluid
6-29 Engine Coolant
6-3
3 Power Steering Fluid
6-35 Windshield Washer Fluid
6-36 Brakes
6-40 Battery
6-4
1 Bulb Replacement 6-49
6-58
6-5
8
6-6 1
6-63
6- 64
4-65
6-66
6- 67
6-68
6-68
6-68
6-73
6-73
Tires
Appearance Care Cleaning the Inside
of Your Pontiac
Care
of Safety Belts
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Pontiac
Aluminum
or Chrome Wheels
Tires
Underbody Maintenance
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Service Parts Identification Label
Electrical System
Replacement
Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
6-1

Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
See
“Brake System Inspection” in Section 7 of this
NOTICE: axle sets.
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
Inspections”. could result in costly brake repair.
manual under Part C “Periodic Maintenance
Same driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are. first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
See “Caliper/Knuckle Maintenance Inspection’’ in
Section
7 of this manual under Part C “Periodic
Maintenance Inspections.”
If you have rear drum brakes, they don’t have wear
indicators, but
if you ever hear a rear brake rubbing
noise, have the rear brake linings inspected. Also, the
rear brake drums should
be removed and inspected each
time the tires are removed for rotation or changing.
When
you have the front brakes replaced, have the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel.
This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your disc
brakes adjust for wear.
If you rarely make a moderate or
heavier stop, then your brakes might not adjust correctly.
If you drive in that way, then -- very carefully -- make
a few moderate brake stops about every 1,000 miles
(1 600 km), so your brakes will adjust properly.
If your brake pedal goes down farther than normal, your
rear drum brakes may need adjustment. Adjust them by
backing up and firmly applying the brakes
a few times.
6-39

3.
4.
Hold the wiper blade assembly with one hand and
pull
the element gently with the other hand.
(Replacement blade elements have
three plastic caps
which retain two metal flexor strips.
Do not remove
these caps before the element
is installed.)
At
the heel end of the blade assembly, notched end
of blade element last, slide the blade element into the
blade claw sets.
The plastic retainer caps will be
forced off as the element is fully inserted. Make sure
that all the claw sets
are properly engaged in the
slots of the blade element.
Install wiper blade assembly on wiper arm.
For information on windshield wiper blade replacement
type
and length, see “Capacities and Specifications” in
the Index.
Headlamp Aiming
Your vehicle has the headlamp system. These headlamps
have horizontal and vertical aim indicators. The
aim
has been pre-set at the factory and should need no
further adjustment.
If your vehicle is damaged in an accident and the
headlamp aim seems to be affected, see your Pontiac
dealer. Headlmps on damaged vehicles may require
recalibration of
the horizontal aim by your Pontiac dealer.
To check the aim, the vehicle should be properly
prepared
as follows:
a The vehicle must have a11 four tires on a! perfectly
level surface.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
There should not be any ‘cargo or loading of the
attached tu it.
vehicle, except it should have a full tank of gas and
one person or
160 lbs. (75 kg) on the driver’s seat.
e Tires should be properly inflated.
The horizontal indicator should read “0.”
NOTICE:
To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read
all the instructions before
beginning. Failure to follow th’ese instructions
could cause damage to headlamp parts.
State inspection stations will allow a vertical reading of
plus
0.76 degrees or minus 0.76 degrees fr0m the center
of the bubble.
6-48

It is recommended that the upper limit not exceed plus
0.4 degrees from the center of the bubble. Other drivers
may flash their high beams at you if your adjustment
is
much above plus 0.4 degrees.
Tires
Your new Pontiac comes with high-quality tires made
by a leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have
questions about your tire warranty and where to obtain
service, see your Pontiac Warranty booklet for details.
Pa - - ly maintained and imp1 ,derly L,Ld tires
are dangerous.
Overloading your tires can cause overheating
as
a result of too much friction. You could have
an air-out and
a serious accident. See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION:
(Continued,
0 Underinflated tires pose the same darlger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
impact
-9 such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
See “Inflation
-- Tire Pressure” in this section
for inflation pressure adjustment for higher
speed driving.
Overinflated tires are more likely to be
6-49

Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the
driver’s door, shows the correct inflation pressures for
your tires when they’re cold. “Cold” means your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no
more than 1 mile ( 1.6 km).
If you’ll be driving at speeds higher than
100 mph
(160 kdh) where it is legal, raise the cold inflation
pressure
of each tire to 35 psi (240 kPa). When you
end this very high-speed driving, reduce the
cold
inflation pressures to those listed on the Tire-Loading
Information label.
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or
overinflation is all right. It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underinflation), you can
get the following:
Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 B,ad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
6-50

When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
uon’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure.
You can’t tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may
look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s
Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel Replacement’’ later in this section for
more information. The
purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation
is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
If you don’t have P245/5OZR16 or P275/40ZR17
Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires, use the rotation pattern
shown above for your tires.
6-51

If you have P245/50ZRl6 or P27940ZR17 Goodyear
Eagle
GS-C tires, they must roll in a certain direction
for the best overall performance. The direction is shown
by an arrow on the sidewall. Because these tires are
directional, they should be rotated
as shown here. These
tires should
only be moved from front to rear and rear to
front on the same side of the vehicle.
Don’t include the compact spare tire in your tire
rotation.
After the tires
have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make
certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut Torque” in
the Index.
I
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the pa; cJ to which
it is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after a time.
The wheel could come off and caus’e
an accident.
When you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt frolm places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can
use
a cloth or a paper towel to do this; but be
sure
to use a scraper or wire brush later, if you
need to,
to get all the rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.)
6-52

When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires
is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when your tires have
only
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to show cord
or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.

Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of dif€erent sizes or types
(radi,al
and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and
you could have a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may also cause
damage to
your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all wheels.
It's
all right to drive with your compact spare,
though. It was developed for use 0n your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance, (This
applies
only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded
on the sidewalls of most passenger car
tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system
does not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary
use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters
of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some lirnited-pro'duction tires.
While the tires available
on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
performance Criteria
(TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the gov'esnrnent course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics
and climate.
6-54

Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B,
and C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on
wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and
concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on braking (straightahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature -- A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required
by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire
is
established for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation,
or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If
you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.