inflation pressure PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1997 Owners Manual

Loading Your Vehicle
cm OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION -.
FRT. CTR. RR. TOTAL LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING & GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PS1/28KPa
SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
I'NFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly
carry. The Tire-Loading Information l'abel
found on the driver's
door tells you the proper size,
speed rating and recommended inflation pressures for
the tires on your vehicle. It also gives you important
information about the number of people that can be in
your vehicle and the total weight that you can carry,
This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
MFB BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP
DATE GVWW GAWR FRT GAWR RR
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLI-
CABLE U.S. FE:DERAL MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY,
BUMPER, AND THEFT PREVENTION
STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF
MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge of the driver's door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle,
called GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo. Never
exceed
the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out. Don't ca more than 100 lbs. (45 kg) in your
rear area.

Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare tire was fully inflated when
your vehicle was new, it can lose air after a time. Check
the inflation pressure regularly. It should be
60 psi
(420 kPa).
After installing the compact spare on your vehicle, YOU
should stop as soon as possible and make sure your
spare tire is correctly inflated. The compact spare is
made to perform well at speeds
up to 65 mph
(105 km/h) for distances up to 3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish your trip and have your full-size tire
repaired or replaced where you want. (When the
compact spare
is used on the rear axle, see Notice
below.) Of course, it’s best to replace your spare with a
full-size tire as soon as you can. Your spare will last
longer and be in good shape in case you need it again. When the compact
spare is on the rear axle, the optional
traction control system will cycle and limit acceleration
for about the first 15 seconds of driving after each
engine start.
NOTICE:
If the compact spare is used as a rear tire, do not
drive faster than
50 mph (SO km/h). Damage to
the rear axle may occur
if the compact spare is
driven faster than 50 mph
(80 kmh).
5-38

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

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

Part B: Owner Checks and Services Engine Coolant Level Check
Listed below are owner checks and services which Check the engine co’olant level and add DEX-COOL@
should be performed at the intervals specified to help coolant mix if necessary, See “Engine Coolant” in the
ensure the safety, dependability and emission control Index for further details.
performance of your vehicle.
Be sure any necessary repairs
are completed at once.
Whenever any fluids or lubricants are added to your
vehicle, make
sure they are the proper ones, as shown in
Part D.
At Each Fuel Fill
If is importunt for you or a sewice statim attendant tu
peqfiorm these underhood checks ut eachfielfill.
Engine Oil Level Check
Check the engine oil level and add the proper oil if
necessary.
See “Engine Oil” in the Index €or
further details.
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check
Check the windshield washer fluid level in the
windshield
washer tank and add the proper fluid if
necessary. See “Windshield Washer Fluid” in the Index
for further details.
At Least Once a Month
Tire Inflation Check
Make sure tires are inflated to the correct pressures. See
“Tires”
in the Index for further details.
Cassette Deck Service
Clean cassette deck. Cleaning should be done every
50 hours of tape play. See “Audio Systems” in the
Index for further details.
7-44

Specmcauons ana Capacities ...................... 6-73
Specifications. Engine ........................... 6-93
Speech hpaired. Customer Assistance ............... 8-5
Sportscat ...................................... 1-4
Stains, Cleaning ................................ 6-59
Standard Differential. Rear Axle ................... 6-29
Starter Switch Check ............................ 7-46
Starting Your Engine ............................ 2-25
Steering ...................................... 4-10
Column Lock Check .......................... 7-47
In Emergencies ............................... 4- 11
Tips ........................................ 4- 10
Wheel. Tilt .................................. 2-44
Wheel Touch Controls ......................... 3-21
Storage Areas .................................. 2-58
Storage. Vehicle
................................ 6-40
Stuck: In Sand. Mud, Ice or Snow .................. 5-39
Sunshades. T-Top ............................... 2-66
Supplemental Restraint System .................... 1-21
Symbols. Vehicle .................................. v
S~~dometer ................................... 2-77
SRS ......................................... 1-21
Steam ........................................ 5-14
Power ...................................... 4-10
Sunvisors
.................................... 2-60
Synchronization ................................. 2-8
Tachometer .................................. 2-77
Temperature Control. Climate Control System ......... 3-2
TapePlayerCare ............................... 3-23
Theft ......................................... 2-12
Arming Verification ........................... 2-21
DisarEning ................................... 2-15
Feature,
CD Player ............................ 3-19
Third Gear, Automatic Transmission ................ 2-30
Third Gear, Manual Transmission ............. 2-32, 2-34
Tilt Steering Wheel ............................. 2-44
Time, Setting the ................................ 3-6
Tire , Storing Tire and Tools ...................... 5-36
Tire Chains .................................... 6-57
Tire Loading ................................... 4-30
Tire-Loading Information Label ................... 4-30
Alignment and Balance ........................ 6-55
Buying New ................................. 6-53
Changing a Flat .............................. 5-26
Compact Spare ............................... 5-38
Inflation Check ............................... 7-44
Inspection and Rotation ........................ 6-51
Pressure .................................... 6-50
Temperature ................................. 6-55
Traction .................................. 6-55
Theft-Deterrent
ArmingMethod
.............................. 2-20
THEFTLOCK”” ................................ 3-19
Thermostat ..................................... 6-33
Tires ......................................... 6-49
Chains ..................................... 6-57
Cleaning
..................................... 6-65
Inflation .................................... 6-50
Loading
.................................... 4-30
9-10