clutch PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1997 Owners Manual

Manual Transmission
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL (N). Hold the
clutch pedal to the floor and start the engine. Your
vehicle won’t start if the clutch pedal
is not all the way
down
-- that’s a safety feature.
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three to five seconds at a time until
your engine starts. Wait about 15 seconds between
each try to help avoid draining your battery.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing
your accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and
holding it there as you hold the key
in START for about
three seconds.
If the vehicle starts briefly but then stops
again,
do the same thing, but this time keep the pedal
down for five or six seconds. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. After waiting about
15 seconds, repeat the normal starting procedure.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check
with your dealer. If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
2-26

This feature is for improved traction only ,when the road
surface is slippery and is not intended for continuous use
or when the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice, snow or
gravel. Always use
NORMAL for normal road
conditions. You may press the 2ND GEAR START
switch again to turn
off this feature. The light on the
switch will
go out. Whenever you start your vehicle, the
transmission is in the NORMAL
mode.
Manual Transmission
5-Speed
1 3 5
2 4 R
This is your shift pattern.
Here’s how to operate
your transmission:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST (1). Then slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST (1) when you’re going less
than
20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s
hard to shift into FIRST (l), put the shift
lever in NEUTRAL
(N) and let up on the clutch, Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1).
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal to the floor as
you let up on the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND
(2). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), and FIFTH (5): Shift into
THIRD
(3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you
do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
To Stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL
(N),
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
2-32

REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator pedal.
NOTICE:
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is
stopped. Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle
is moving could damage your transmission.
1 3 5
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
This is your shift pattern. Here’s how to operate
your transmission:
FIRST (1): Press the clutch and shift into FIRST (1).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you’re going less
than 20 mph (32 km/h). If you’ve come to a complete
stop and it’s hard to shift to FIRST
(l), put the shift
lever
in NEUTRAL (N) and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into FIRST
(1).
2-33

SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up on
the accelerator pedal and shift into
SECOND (2). Then,
slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), FIFTH (5) and
SIXTH (6): Shift into THIRD (3), FOURTH (4),
FIFTH (5) and SIXTH (4) the same way you do for
SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch pedal as you
press the accelerator pedal.
To Stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal and shift to
NEUTRAL
(N).
NEUTRAL (N): Use this position when you start or
idle your engine.
REVERSE (R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and shift into
REVERSE (R). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the accelerator
pedal. If you
shift from SIXTH (6) into REVERSE (R), the shift lever
must
be first placed in NEUTRAL (N) position centered
between
SECOND (2) and THIRD (3) prior to shifting
into REVERSE (R).
Your six-speed manual transmission has a feature that
allows
you safely to shift into REVERSE (R) while the
vehicle is rolling at less than
5 mph (8 km/h). You will
be locked-out
if you try to shift into REVERSE (R)
while your vehicle is movins fa ’ :r than 5 mph
(8 km/h).
If you have turned your ignition off and want to park
your car
in REVERSE (R), you will have to move the
shift lever quickly to the right, then forward into gear.
2-34

Skip Shift
SKIP
SHIFT
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
gear instead of FIRST
(1) to
SECOND
(2) gear. This
helps you
to get the best
possible fuel economy.
FIRST
(1) tQ FOURTH '(4)
This light will come on under these conditions:
0 The engine coolant temperature is greater than
You are going 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h) and
0 You are at 35 percent throttle or less.
170°F (77°C).
When this light is on, the gear shift lever will let you
shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) gear only. Once
you are in FOURTH (4) gear,
you can press the clutch
again and shift into another gear.
Follow the shift speeds in this chart when the
SKIP SHIFT light is on.
Computer Aided Manual Transmission Shift Speeds
1st to 4th: 15 mph (24 kdh)
0 4th to 5th: 25 mph (40 km/h)*
5th to 6th: 40 mph (64 km/h)**
Each time you come to a stop, the engine's Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) determines when to activate the
SKIP SHIFT upshift system. Use SECOND (2) gear
only when you accelerate very quickly from a stop.
You
can then follow the full gear shift pattern.
*30 mph (48 kmh) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
**45 mph (72 km/h) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
2-35

Windshield Washer
At the top of the turn signal lever, there’s a paddle with
the word
PUSH on it. To spray washer fluid on the
windshield, just push the paddle for less than a second.
The washer will continue to spray until you release the
paddle. The wipers will clear the window and wipe
a
few more times before stopping or returning to the
previous setting. See “Windshield Washer Fluid” in
the Index.
n freezing weather, don’t I : your was1 r until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can
form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of ab’out
25 mph (40 kmh) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips. Cruise
control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph
(40 kmh).
When you apply your brakes, or push the clutch pedal,
if you have a manual transmission, the ‘cruise control
shuts
off.
2-47

1. Move the cruise control switch to ON. Resuming a Set Speed
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Push in the SET button at the end of the lever and
release
it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal. Suppose
you set your cruise control at
a desired speed
and then apply
the brake or clutch pedal. This, of course,
shuts off the cruise control. But you don't need to reset
it. Once you're going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from ON to'
R/A (Resume/Accelerate) for about half a second.
You'll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.

Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
0
0
rn
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push the button at the end of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now
cruise at the higher speed.
To increase your speed in very small amounts, move
the switch to
WA for less than half a second and then
release it. Each time you do this, your vehicle will
go
about 1 rnph (1.6 kmh) faster.
Move the cruise switch from
ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up
to the speed you want, and
then release the switch.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
0
e
Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll
go 1 mpk (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot
off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills.
When going up steep hills,
you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal
to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes
you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be
too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Out of Cruise Csntrol
There are several ways to turn off the cruise control:
rn Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the clutch
pedal, if
you have a manual transmission ; OR
rn Movk the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
2-50 ~-

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)