fuel PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1997 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
.i)
AIR BAG p
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS 6
TURN
PARKING
PC LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you
may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
1
HORN )cT
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3

Top Strap
If your child restraint has a top strap, it should be
anchored. If you need
to have an anchor installed, you
can ask your Pontiac dealer to put it in for you.
If you
want to install an anchor yourself, your dealer can tell
you how to do it.
If you have a convertible, don’t use a restraint that has a
top strap
in your vehicle because the top strap anchor
cannot be installed properly.
--
The place where the anchor has to go is quite
close to your fuel tank.
If the anchor isn’t
installed correctly, it can make a hole in the
fuel tank
-- either then, or in a later collision.
Gasoline could leak
out and be ignited, and
people in the vehicle
or outside it could be badly
burned. Don’t install the anchor yourself unless
you know you can do it correctly.
Far cars first sold in Canada, child restraints with a top
strap must be anchored according to Canadian law.
Your dealer can obtain the hardware kit and install it for
you, or you may install it yourself using the instructions
provided in the kit.
Use the tether hardware kit available from the dealer.
The hardware and installation instructions were
specifically designed for this vehicle.
1-33

PASS-Key’ I1
Your vehicle is equipped
with the PASS-Key
11
(Personalized Automotive
Security System)
theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key
I1 is a passive
theft-deterrent system.
It
works when you insert os
remove the key from
the ignition.
PASS-Key I1 uses a resistor pellet in the ignition key
that matches a decoder
in your vehicle.
When the PASS-Key I1 system senses that someone is
using the wrong key, it shuts down the vehicle’s starter
and fuel systems. For about three minutes, the starter
won’t work and fuel won’t go to the engine. If someone
tries to start your vehicle again
or uses another key
during this time, the vehicle will not start.
This
discourages someone from randomly trying different
keys with different resistor pellets
in an attempt to make
a match.
The ignition key must be clean and dry before it’s
inserted
in the ignitio’n or the engine may not start. If the
engine
does not start and the SECURITY light stays on
when you try to start the vehicle, the key may be dirty or
wet,
Turn the ignition off.
2-16

Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped) 3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause
an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won't reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
In very cold weather, 0°F (- 18 "C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You'll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in
a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away from
hot pipes, manifold or any moving engine parts. If
' you don't, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Pontiac dealer in the area where you'll be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice
for
that particular area.
2-27

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): This position is for
normal driving.
If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph (56 kdln), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to
the next gear and have
more power.
- Going about 35 mph (56 kdh) or more, push the
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it
offers more power and lower fuel
economy than
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0);
- When driving on hilly, winding roads.
- When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
- When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower
fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It
can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and 0n.
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more
than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transmission.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) or
THIRD (3) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECUND (2) unless you are going
slower than 65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
2-30

FIRST (1): This position (if equipped) gives you
even more power (but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can use it on very steep hills, or in
deep snow or mud. If the selector lever is put in first
gear, the transmission won’t shift into
FIRST (1) until
the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there
with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transmission. Use
your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your
vehicle in position on
a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components from improper operation.
Second-Gear Start (If Equipped)
(3800 Engine)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a second-gear start
feature. Press 2ND GEAR START to provide more
traction when you are starting on ice
or other slippery
surfaces.
A light on the switch will illuminate when the
2nd gear start
is selected. The transmission will be in
SECOND (2) gear when the vehicle begins to move.
After starting
in SECOND (2) gear, the vehicle will
upshift normally.
2-31

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

Shift Speeds
If pull skip more than one gear waien you
downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle.
And
you could injure yourself or others. Don’t
shift from SIXTH (6) to THIRD (3), or FIFTH (5:
to SECOND (2) or FOURTH (4) to FIRST (1).
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy.
I MANUAL TRANSMISSION RECOMMENDED SHIFT SPEEDS, IN MPH (kmfh) ,
Engine Acceloratlen Shlft Speed
it02 I 2to3 I 3to4 I 4to5 I St06
(72-75) I N’A 45-47
If your speed drops below 20 mph (30 km/h), or if the
engine is
not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like
a standard axle most of the time, but when
one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
the limited-slip locking feature will allow the wheel
with traction to move the vehicle.
2-36

Instrument Panel Cluster
Your instrument cluster is designed to let you know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll know how fast you’re
going, about
how much fuel you have lee and many other things you’ll need to know to drive safely and economically.
2-76

NOTICE:
Driving with the LOW COOLANT light on could
cause your Pontiac
to overheat. See 66Engine
Overheating”
in the Index. Your Pontlac could
be damaged and
it wou1dn”t be covered by
your warranty.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your Pontiac is equipped with a computer which
monitors operation
of the fuel. ignition and emission
control systems. This
system is called
OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels
for the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment.
(In Canada, OBD 11 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The SERVICE ENGINE SOON
light comes on to indicate that there is a problem and
service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated
by the system before any problem is apparent. This may
prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This
system is also designed to assist your service technician
in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after
a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty,
2-84