PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1998 Owners Manual

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. 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.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
0 Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfiie increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
2-86

If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left off
or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through
a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air
are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light
off.
2-87

Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
“Fuel” in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Gage
\*
0
/
0 120
3800 V6 Engine 5.7L VS Engine
One of these gages may tell you there could be a
problem with
your engine oil pressure.
The engine oil pressure gage shows the engine oil pressure
in psi (pounds per square inch) in the United States, or kpa
(kilopascals)
in Canada, when the engine is running. On
the 5.7L V8 engine, oil pressure should be 20 to 80 psi
(140 to 550 Pa). On the 3800 V6 engine, the oil pressure
should be between 20 and 120 psi (140 to 827 Wa). It
may vary with engine
speed, outside temperature and oil
viscosity, but readings above the red area show the normal
operating range. Readings
in the red area tell you that the
engine is low
on oil, or that you might have some other oil
problem. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.

A CAUTION:
Don’t keep driving if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I Low Oil Light
I NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered
by
your warranty.
LOW
OIL
Your vehicle is equipped
with an oil level monitoring
system. When you start
your engine, the warning light will come on briefly.
If
the light doesn’t come on,
have it repaired.
If the light stays on after starting your engine, your
engine oil level may be too low. You may need to add
oil.
See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTICE:
The oil level monitoring system only checks the
oil level when you are starting your engine.
It
does not keep monitoring the level once your
engine
is running. Also, the oil level check only
works when the engine has been turned
off long
enough for the oil to drain back into the oil pan.
2-89

Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
This warning light will
come on briefly when you
are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your gages to see
if they are in the warning areas.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage shows about
how much fuel is in your
tank.
The gage works only
when the ignition is
in
RUN.
When the gage pointer first indicates empty (E) you
need to get more fuel right away.
Here
are four concerns some owners have had abut the
fuel gage. All these situations are normal and do not
indicate that anything is wrong with the fuel gage.
0
0
0
0
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads full
(F).
It takes more (or less) gas to fill up than the gage
reads. For example, the gage reads
1/2 full, but it
took more (or less) than half
of the tank’s capacity to
fill it.
The gage moves
a little when you turn, stop or
speed up.
When
you turn the engine off, the gage doesn’t go
back to empty
(E).
2-90

Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you’ll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle. Be
sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your v\
ehicle.
3-2
3-3
3-4
3-4
3-5
3-6
3-7
3-7
3-8 3-11 Comfort Controls
Air Conditioning
Heating
Defogging and Defrosting
Rear Window Defogger
Ventilation System
Setting the Clock
AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape Player and
Equalizer (If Equipped)
Monsoonm
AM-FM Stereo with Cassette
Tape Player and Equalizer (If Equipped)
AM-€34 Stereo with Compact Disc Player and
Equalizer (If Equipped)
3-12
3-14
3-17
3-19
3-20
3
-20
3-21
3-22
3-22
3-22
MonsoonTM AM-FM Stereo with Compact
Disc Player and Equalizer
(If Equipped)
Trunk Mounted CD Changer (If Equipped)
Theft-Deterrent Feature
Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
Understanding Radio Reception
Tips About Your Audio System
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
Care of Your Compact Discs
Care of Your Compact Disc Player
Power Antenna Mast Care
3-1

Comfort Controls
With this system, you can control the heating and
ventilation in
your vehicle. If you have the air
conditioning option, you can also control cooling.
Your vehicle also has the flow-through ventilation
system
described later in this section.
Fan Control Knob
Turn the fan knob to select the force of air
you want.
Temperature Control Knob
Turn the center knob to change the temperature of the
air flowing from the heating system. Turn it toward the
red area (clockwise) for warmer air and toward the blue
area (counterclockwise) for cooler
air.
Air Control Knob
OFF’: The system is off.
2 VENT: Air flows through the upper air vents.
12 BI-LEVEL: Air is directed through the upper air
vents and the heater ducts.
ld HEATER: This setting directs most of the air
through the heater ducts and some of the air through the
windshield defroster vents.
‘3 BLEND: Air is directed through the windshield
defroster vents and the heater ducts.
DEFROST: This setting directs most of the air
through the windshield defroster vents and some of the
air through the heater ducts.

Air Conditioning
The air conditioning system uses the same controls as
the heating system, except that the air control knob has
two extra settings, described below.
MAX: Provides maximum cooling or quick cool-down
on very hot days. This setting recirculates most
of the air
inside your vehicle. If it is used for long periods of time,
the
air may become dry. This setting directs air through
the upper
air vents.
A/C: Use for normal cooling on hot days. This
setting cools outside air and directs it through the
upper air vents.
The
air conditioner compressor operates in MAX, NC,
bi-level, blend and defrost when the outside temperature is above
freezing. When the air conditioner is on, you may
sometimes notice slight changes in your vehicle's engine
speed and power. This is normal because the system is
designed to cycle the compressor on and off to keep the
desired cooling and help fuel economy.
Cooling
The air conditioner works best if you keep your
windows closed. On very hot days, open the windows
just long enough for the hot air to escape.
1. Turn the air control knob to A/C for normal cooling.
2. Turn the temperature control knob to a
For faster cooling move
the knob to MAX.
comfortable setting.
3. Move the fan control knob to the desired speed.
3-3

Heating Ventilation
The heater works best if you keep your windows closed
while using it.
1. Turn the air control knob to heater.
2. Turn the fan control knob to the desired speed.
3. Turn the temperature control knob to a
comfortable setting.
During initial start-up only, if your vehicle
is equipped
with
an optional engine coolant heater, you can use it in
cold weather (around
2OoF/-8 “C or lower) to improve
heater performance
on start up. See “Engine Coolant
Heater” in the Index.
Bi-Level Heating
You may want to use bi-level heating on cool, but sunny
days. This setting directs cool air toward your body and
warmer air toward your feet.
1. Turn the air control knob to bi-level.
2. Turn the temperature control knob to a
comfortable setting.
3. Turn the fan control knob to the desired speed. For mild outside temperatures when little heating
or
cooling is needed,
you can still direct outside air through
your vehicle.
1. Turn the air control knob to vent.
2. Turn the temperature control knob to a
comfortable setting.
3. Turn the fan control knob to the desired speed.
Defogging and Defrosting
1. Turn the air control knob to defrost.
2. Turn the temperature control knob to the
desired setting.
3. Turn the fan control knob to the desired speed.
3-4

Rear Window Defogger (If Equipped)
0
The rear window defogger
uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the
rear window.
Press the button to
turn on the defogger. An indicator
light
will come on to remind you that the defogger
is
on. The defogger will turn off automatically after
about
10 minutes of use. If you turn it on again, the
defogger will operate for about five minutes only.
You can turn the defogger off by pressing the
button again.
Do not attach anything like a temporary vehicle license
or
a decal across the defogger grid on the rear window.
NOTICE:
Don’t use a razor blade or something else sharp
on the inside
of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut
or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
3-5