warning PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1998 Owner's Manual

Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
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5-3
5-8
5-15
5-17
5-21
Hazard Warning Flashers Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
Cooling System
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
(3800 V6 Engine) 5-24
How to
Add Coolant to the Radiator
(V8 Engine Only)
5-27 If a Tire Goes Flat
5-27 Changing a Flat Tire
5-40 Compact Spare Tire
5-4 1 If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
5-1

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off.
Press the button in to
make your front and rear
turn signal lamps flash
on and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in, or even if the key isn’t in.
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To turn off the flashers,
pull out on the collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your
turn
signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of
the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and some jumper cables to start
your vehicle. But please use the following steps to
do
it safely.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or a]
of these things can hurt you.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Trying to start your vehicle
by pushing or pulling
it won’t work, and it could damage your vehicle.
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5-3

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:
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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.
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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.
5-8

Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. You may also
find a low
coolant warning light on your vehicle’s instrument panel
(5.7L V8 engine only).
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
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Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine
is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or others could be badly burned. Stop
your engine if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle
can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered
by your warranty.
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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.
5-16

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.
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When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at
FULL COLD start your vehicle.
If the overheat
warning continues, there's one more
thing you can try. You can add the proper coolant
mixture directly to
the radiator but be sure the cooling
system
is cool before you do it.
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A CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it
will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don't spill coolant on a hot engine.
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A CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system
can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if
you turn the radiator
pressure cap
-- even a little -- they can come out
at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap
to cool if you ever have to
turn the pressure cap.
5-20

If a Tire Goes Flat Changing a Flat Tire
It’s unusual
for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the
flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to
go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely. If
a tire goes flat, avoid further
tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place.
Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
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A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever in
PARK (P), or shift a manual transmission to
FIRST (1) or REVERSE (R).
3. I’urn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other
side of the
vehicle, at the opposite end.
5-27

Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your dealer is ready to
advise if you think something should be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
If any one of these is true for you, use the short tripjcity
maintenance schedule:
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Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures
are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
Most trips are through dusty areas.
You frequently tow a trailer or use
a carrier on top
of your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police,
taxi or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine oil to
break down sooner. If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your oil and filter every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first. If
none of them is true, use the long triphighway
maintenance schedule. Change the oil and filter every
7,500 miles (1 2 500 km) or 12 months -- whichever
occurs first. Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed
engine under highway conditions causes engine
oil to
break down slower.
What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used
oil stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat
to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing
oil from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose
of oil by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground,
into sewers,
or into streams or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle it by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing
of your used oil,
ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
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