engine PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1998 Repair Manual

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
5-7

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
I
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.
5-15

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

Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Electric Cooling Engine Fans
A CAUTION: I
An electric engine cooling fan under the hood can
start up even when the engine is not running and
can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from any underhood electric fan.
I I
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything else until it cools down.
5-17

When it is cool, remove the coolant recovery tank cap
and look at the dipstick.
The coolant level should be at
FULL COLD.
If it isn't, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine
fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
I
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered
by your warranty.
5-18

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:
-1
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

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.
'
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.
F
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

1
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
(3800 V6 Engine)
I NOTICE:
Your engine has a specific radiator fill procedure.
Failure to follow this procedure could cause your
engine to overheat and be severely damaged.
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure cap
and upper radiator hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the
pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until it first
stops. (Don’t press down while turning the
pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there is still some pressure left.
5-21

2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap. 3.
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.
4.
After the engine cools, open the coolant air
bleed valve.
There is one bleed valve. It
is located on the
thermostat housing.
Fill the radiator with the proper
DEX-COOL@
coolant mixture, up to the base of the filler neck.
(See "Engine Coolant"
in the Index for more
information about the proper coolant mixture.)
If you see a stream of coolant coming from an air
bleed
valve, close the valve. Otherwise, close the
valve after the radiator
is filled.
5-22

5. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to FULL COLD.
6. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave the radiator pressure cap off.
I
7.
8.
Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for
the
engine cooling fans.
By
this time, the coolant level inside the filler neck may
he lower. If the level is lower, add more of the proper
DEX-COOL@ coolant mixture through the filler neck
until the level reaches the base of the filler neck.
r
9. Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure
if coolant begins to flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows on the pressure cap line up like this.