brake PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1997 Workshop Manual

If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to ‘‘blow out’’ while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and
grip the steering wheel firmly,
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a st,ot, well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control
by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go, It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake
to a stop -- well off the road if possible,
If
a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly t,o a level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
Cham- ng a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can
slip off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly,
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transmission tu
FIRST (1) or REWRSE (R).
3. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle wan? move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would
be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle, at the opposite ~ end,
5-26

Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel
to become loose
and even come
off. This could lead to an accident.
Be sure to use the correct wheel nuts.
If you have
to replace them, be sure to get new
GM original
equipment wheel nuts.
Stop somewhere as
soon as you can and have the
1 nuts tightened with a torque wrench to 100 lb-ft
(140 N.m).
--
NOTICE:
Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead to
brake pulsation and rotor damage.
To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the
wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specification.
Don’t try to put a center cap on your compact spare
tire. It won’t fit. Store the center
cap in the rear area
until you have the flat tire repaired or replaced.
NOTICE:
Center caps won’t fit on your compact spare. If
you try to put a center cap on your compact
spare, you could damage the cover or @he spare.
Sto-5g a Flat or Spr-s Tirp --d To&
Storing a jack, a tire or other equipment in the
passenger compartment
of the vehicle could
cause injury.
In a sudden stop or collision, loose
1 equipment could strike someone. Store all these
~ in the proper place.
5-36

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

When you put the cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make
sure you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system
can determine
if the fuel cap has been left off or
improperly installed. This would allow fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere. See “Malfunction
Indicator
Lamp” in the Index.
1~ NOTICE: I
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer can get one for you. If you get
the wrong type, it may not fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and emissions
system
might be damaged.
Checkinr Things Under the Hood
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure
you even when the engine is not running, i
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
Things that burn can get on hot
engine parts a:
start
a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil,
coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber.
You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to
drop or spill
things that will burn onto a hot engine.

When you open the hood of the 3800 engine you’ll see:
A, Engine Coolant Reservoir E. Engine Fan I, Brake Fluid Reservoir
B. Battery F. Windshield Washer Reservoir J. Clutch Fluid Reservoir
C. Oil Fill Cap G. Power Steering Reservoir
D. Automatic Transmission H. Engine Oil Dipstick (if
equipped) K. Air Cleaner
Dipstick (if equipped)
6-10

When you open the hood of the 5.7L engine you'll see:
A
ti
A, Engine Coolant Reservoir
B. Power Steering Reservoir
C. Engine Oil Dipstick
D. Battery
E. Engine Oil Fill Cap
F. Fan
G. Windshield Washer Reservoir
H. Automatic Transmission
Dipstick (if equipped)
I. Brake Fluid Reservoir
J. Clutch Fluid Reservoir
K. Air Cleaner
(if
equipped)

Checking the Fluid Hot or Cold
I) Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
engine running.
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in
PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
3800 Engine Transmission Dipstick
6-24

Brakes
Brake Fluid
of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake
system fixed, since
a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak. If you add fluid
when your linings are worn, then you’ll have too
much
fluid when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is
done on the brake hydrwlic system.
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here.
It is filled
with
DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why
the brake fluid level in the
reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake fluid
goes down to
an acceptable level during normal brake
lining wear, When new linings are put in, the fluid level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill
on the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine
is hot enough. You ‘or others could be burned,
and your vehicle could be damaged. Add brake
fluid only
when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
check your brake fluid.
See “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections” in the
Index.
6-36

Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake fluid without taking off the cap.
Just look at the brake fluid reservoir. The fluid level should
be above the plastic seam
in the reservoir. If it isn’t, have
your brake system checked
to see if there is a leak.
After work
is done on the brake hydraulic system, make
sure the level is above the plastic seam, near the base of
the filler neck.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3
brake fluid -- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 12377967). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing
it. This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
6-37

NOTICE:
Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just a few
drops
of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced.
Don’t let someone put in the
wrong
kind of fluid.
0 If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint finish can
be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake
fluid
on your vehicle. If you do, wash it
off immediately. See “Appearance Care’’
in the Index.
Brake Wear
Unless you have the four-wheel disc brake option, your
Pontiac has front disc brakes and rear
drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that
make a high-pitched warning sound
when the brake
pads are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound
may come
and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing
on the brake
pedal firmly).
I
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When
you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have
your vehicle serviced.
6-38