service PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1998 Owner's Manual

0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a
hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet, or into gear for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes, Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift to
PARK (P) for an
automatic transmission, or
REVERSE (R) for a
manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while
you:
0 Start your engine;
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on
this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation
are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, drive belts, cooling
system and brake adjustment. Each of these is covered
in
this manual, and the Index will help you find them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
this information before you start your trip.
Check periodically to
see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
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9. Attach the cable at least
18 inches
(45 cm) away
from the dead battery,
but not near engine
parts that move. The
-
electrical connection is
just as good there, but
the chance
of sparks
getting back to the
battery
is much less.
10.
11.
12.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
the engine for a while.
Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably
needs service.
Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting.
Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your vehicle.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether
you can still move the shift lever.
If there was
an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want
to see them.
-
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
fully secured.
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
been lifted
by the tow truck.
Always secure the vehicle on each side with
separate safety chains when towing it.
0 Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being
towed.
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I A CAUTION:
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle. Always use
T-hooks inserted in the T-hook slots. Never use
J-hooks. They will damage drivetrain and
suspension components. When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition
key turned to the
OFF position.
The steering wheel
should be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with
a clamping device designed for towing service.
Do not
use the vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The
transmission should be in NEUTRAL
(N) and the
parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow the speed and distance
restrictions later in this section or your transmission will
be damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the
drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign
of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@)
or DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions. If you
no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two
or three minutes while you’re parked, to see if
the warning stops. But then,
if you still have the
warning,
turn ofthe engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to
lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans
are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running.
If
they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at
FULL COLD add a 50150 mixture of clean water
(preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@ engine coolant
at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant” in
the Index for more information.)
a CAUTION:
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Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water,
or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch
fire and you or others could be burned.
Use
a 50/50 mixture of clean water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
5-19

7. Shut the engine off and replace the pressure cap. Be
sure the arrows on the cap line up like this.
8. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to the
For a complete drain, flush
and refill, see your Pontiac
dealer
or a Pontiac Firebird Service Manual. To
purchase a service manual, see “Service and Owner
Publications’’ in the Index. proper level.
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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle. This section begins with service and fuel information,
and then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about
your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
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6-33
Service
Fuel
Fuels
in Foreign Countries
Filling
Your Tank
Filling a Portable Fuel Container Checking Things Under the Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Air Filter Replacement
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Manual Transmission Fluid Hydraulic Clutch
Engine Coolant
Power Steering Fluid
Windshield Washer Fluid Brakes 6-37
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6-68
6-70 Battery
Bulb
Replacement
Tires
Appearance Care
Care of Safety Belts
Cleaning Glass Surfaces
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Cleaning Aluminum
or Chrome Wheels
(If Equipped)
Underbody Maintenance
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Capacities and Specifications
Air Conditioning Refrigerants

Service
Your dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you to
be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM parts and
GM-trained and supported service people.
We hope you’ll want
to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine
GM parts have one of these marks:
Genuine
GM
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to use
the proper Pontiac Service Manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your vehicle than
this manual can. To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle” in the Index.
You should keep a record with
all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
6-2 I

You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you
try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
0
0
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and ‘5netric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the
airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside
of
your vehicle.
Fuel
The 8th digit of your vehicle identification number
(VIN) shows the code letter for your engine. You will
find the VIN at the top left of your instrument panel.
(See “Vehicle Identification Number” in the Index.)
If you have the 3800 engine (VIN Code K), use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher.
If you have the
5.7L engine (VIN Code G), use
premium unleaded gasoline rated at
91 octane or
higher for best performance. You may use middle
grade or regular unleaded gasolines, but your vehicle
may not accelerate as well.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use should meet specifications ASTM
D48 14 in the United States
and CGSB
3.5-M93 in Canada. Improved gasoline
specifications have been developed by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) for
better vehicle performance and engine protection.
Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification could
provide improved driveability
and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines.
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