warning PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1998 Owners Manual

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle.
If you
do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back
of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s in
the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a
box and the word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
for othye. - 1
These mean there is something that could hurt
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then
we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions.
If you don’t, you or
others could be hurt.
You will also find
a circle
with a slash through it
in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’
“Don’t do this’’ or “Don’t
let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings In the notice area, we tell you about something that can
I i But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid
damage your vehicle.
Many times, this damage would
Also, in this book you will find these notices: not
be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
NOTICE:
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you
might see CAUTION
I
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle. l
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in
different words.
I I You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
iv

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
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD
FLAUE
EXPLODE BAllERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
e?
AIR BAG p
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS @ 9
TURN
PARKING
pf
LAMPS
RUNNING
' 0
DAYTIME * 0
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WIPER 9
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
'*
FAN '-d
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT
TEMP
-
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
P
LIGHTER -
HORN )d.
SPEAKER
k
FUEL la
V

Section 2 Features and Controls
Here you can learn about the many standard and optional features on your vehicle, and inform\
ation on starting,
shifting and braking. Also explained are the instrument panel a\
nd the warning systems that tell you if everything
is
working properly -- and what to do if you have a problem.
2-2
2-4
2-6
2-11
2-13
2- 14
2-17
2-18
2-23
2-24
2-26 2-29
2-30
2-35
2-39
2-4 1
Keys
Door Locks
Remote Keyless Entry System
Hatch Theft
Content Theft-Deterrent System
(If Equipped)
PASS-Key@
I1
Feature Customization (If Equipped)
New Vehicle “Break-In”
Ignition Positions Starting Your Engine
Engine Coolant Heater (Canada Only)
Automatic Transmission Operation
Manual Transmission Operation
Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission Only)
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission)
2-4 1
2-42
2-42
2-43
2-44
2-45
2-46
2-46 2-52
2-55
2-57
2-58
2-62
2-69
2-76
2-79
Parking Your Vehicle (Manual Transmission)
Parking Over Things That Burn
Engine Exhaust
Running Your Engine While You’re Parked
(Automatic Transmission)
Parking Brake
Windows
Tilt Steering Wheel
Turn SignalMultifunction Lever
Exterior Lamps Interior Lamps
Mirrors Storage Compartments
%in Lift-off Roof Panels
(If Equipped)
Convertible
Top
Instrument Panel
Waming Lights, Gages and Indicators
2-1

Ignition Positions
C
1
A i E
With the ignition key in the ignition, you can turn the
switch to five positions.
ACC (A): Position in which you can operate your
electrical power accessories. Push in the ignition switch
as you turn
it toward you.
LOCK (B): The only position from which you can
remove the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition
and automatic transmission.
If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch can’t be turned to
LOCK unless the shift lever is
in
PARK (P).
OFF (C): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition and
automatic transmission, but does not send electrical
power to any accessories. Use this position if your
vehicle must be pushed or towed.
A warning tone will
sound
if you open the driver’s door when the ignition is
off and the key is in the ignition.
RUN (D): Position to which the switch returns after you
start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays
in RUN when the engine is running. But even
when the engine
is not running, you can use RUN to
operate your electrical power accessories and to display some instrument panel warning and indicator lights.
START (E): Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition will return to RUN for
normal driving.
2-24

Limited-Slip Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your limited-slip 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,
this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
Parking Brake
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until you can push in the
release button. Hold the release button
in as you move
the brake lever all the way
down.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light
will come on.
NOTICE: I
~~ ~
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat.
You may have to
replace them, and
you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
2-44

Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour
(km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
in either miles (used
in the United States) or kilometers
(used in Canada).
You may wonder what happens
if your vehicle needs a
new odometer installed. If possible, the new one has to be
set to the same reading the old one had. If it can’t be, then
it’s set at
zero, and a label on the driver’s door must show
the old reading and when the new one was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has
been driven since you last set the trip odometer to zero.
To set the trip odometer to zero, press the knob on the
instrument panel cluster.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in thousands
of revolutions per minute (rpm).
NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area,
or engine damage may occur.
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help
you
locate them.
Warning lights
and gages can signal that something is
wrong before
it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could alsa save YOU QT
others from injury.
2-79

Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one
of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see in the details
on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly
when you start the
engine just to let you know they’re working.
If you are
familiar with this section,
you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages
can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to
let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to
do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to
do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or STMT, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
70 seconds. If the
driver’s belt is already
’ nor the light will
come on.
buckled, neither
the chime \I
2-80

Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR
BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes
the air bag sensors, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR
BAG
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should
go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays
on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The air bag readiness light should flash for
a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
Voltmeter
You can read battery
voltage on your voltmeter.
If it reads less than 11 volts
or more than 16 volts while
your engine is running, and
it stays there, you may have
a problem with the
electrical charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone could drain your battery.
If you idle your engine for a while, the voltmeter
reading might move into
the yellow zone. If the reading
stays in the yellow zone while you are driving, you may
have a problem with the electrical charging system.
Have
it checked. While the voltmeter reads in the yellow
zone, your battery may not be able to power certain electrical accessories, like
ABS. (If this happens, your
ABS INOP light will come on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in the Index.
2-81

If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading
in a warning zone, turn off all your accessories,
including
your air conditioning and audio system.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
briefly when you
turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it
doesn’t come
on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to
warn you if there’s
a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road
and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push.
Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing
Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
I A CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released,
it means you haye 3 bg,&e problem.
2-82