mirror PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1998 Owners Manual

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.
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Keys
Door Locks
Remote Keyless Entry System
Hatch Theft
Content Theft-Deterrent System
(If Equipped)
PASS-Key@
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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)
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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
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Front Map Lamps
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Your inside rearview mirror includes two map lamps.
Each lamp has its own switch. Use the switch closest to
the lamp to turn it on. The
lamps will also go on when a
door
is opened.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
Your vehicle is equipped with a Retained Accessory
Power
(RAP) feature which will allow certain features
of your vehicle to continue to work up to
10 minutes
after the ignition key is turned to
OFF.
Your convertible top, power windows and audio system
will work when the ignition key
is in RUN or ACC.
Once the key is turned from RUN to OFF, these features
will continue to work for up to
10 minutes or until either
door is opened.
Your power door unlock and remote hatch release
features will work when the ignition key is in
RUN or
ACC or if either door is open. Once the key is turned to
OFF, these features will continue to work for up to
10 minutes. If either door is open and the ignition key is
off, these features will continue to work until both doors
have been closed
for about 30 seconds or until the
theft-deterrent system
arms. At that time, both the
power door unlock and remote hatch release features
will be disabled to enhance the security of the vehicle.
The power door lock function will work at all times
except when Lockout Prevention is enabled. See
“Lockout Prevention” in the Index.

Mirrors
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror Manual Remote Control Mirror Adjust the driver’s side outside mirror with the lever on
the door. Adjust the mirror so that you
just see the side
of your vehicle when you
are sitting in a comfortable
driving position.
Power Remote Control Mirror (If Equipped)
An inside rearview mirror is attached to your windshield.
The mirror has pivots
so that you can adjust it.
You can adjust the mirror
for day or night driving. Pull
the tab for night driving to reduce glare. Push the tab for
daytime driving.
Outside Manual Adjustable Mirror
Adjust the passenger’s side outside mirror by hand so
that you can just see the side of your vehicle when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position. The
power mirror control is on the driver’s door. To
adjust
either mirror, move the center switch to the
left (L) or to the right (R). The center position is OFF.
Then use the touchpad to adjust the mirror.
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Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex. A convex
mimr’s surface is curved so you can see more from the
driver’s seat.
I /1 CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really
are.
.If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle
on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance
over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
To open the glove box, lift up on the lever. Use your
door
key to lock and unlock it. The glove box has a
lamp inside.
Front Console
To use the storage area, push on the tab and pull up on
the console cover. It will open to the right. The console
will have a storage area for cassette tapes or compact
discs
if equipped.
Map Pocket
Each door has a map pocket. There may also be a map
pocket
on the back of the seats.
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NOTICE:
Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand while it is heating.
If you do, it won’t be able to
back away from the heating element when it’s
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
If you plug accessories into your cigarette lighter, such as heating devices
or air compressors, these accessories
should have a rated current
of less than 15 amps.
Exceeding this limit will result in a blown fuse.
Sun Visors
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To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can
also swing them to the side.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Pull down the sun visor and lift the cover to expose the
vanity mirror.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your
left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right
lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror
is convex. The vehicle YOU
just passed may seem to be farther away from YOU
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn,
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when
the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep tryins to steer and
constantly seek
an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive
drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”
those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
The
three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering
in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If
you have the traction control system, remember: It
helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
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If you do not have traction control, or if the system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the
way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material
is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize
the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a
“mirrored surface” -- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems,
or by fatigue.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t
drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since
you can’t see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you
and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially
on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same
thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime
can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will have
less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they
also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It
can take a second or two, or even several
seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced
with severe glare (as from a driver who
doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of
your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a
turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of it.
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of
all roads. But they have their own special rules. The
most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that
leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic.
Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or
is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than u second, and you could crash and be injured.
What
can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably
cool interior.
Keep
your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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