light PONTIAC FIREBIRD 1999 User Guide

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2-18 Feature Customization (If Equipped)
Your vehicle's locks and lighting systems can be
programmed with several different features. The
features you can program depend upon the options that
came with your vehicle. The following list tells you the
features that can be programmed. Listed next to each
feature is the option you need to have on your vehicle in
order to be able to program that particular feature.

Exit Lighting (available for all)

Delayed Illumination (available for all)

Last Door Closed Locking (if equipped with power
door locks)

Lockout Prevention (if equipped with power door locks)

Remote Keyless Entry Verification (if equipped with
Content Theft
-Deterrent System)

Theft
-Deterrent Arming Method (if equipped with
Content Theft
-Deterrent System)

Theft
-Deterrent Arming Verification (if equipped
with Content Theft
-Deterrent System)

Driver's Door Alarm Delay (if equipped with
Content Theft
-Deterrent System)

Shock Sensor Enable (if equipped with Content
Theft
-Deterrent System)Entering Programming Mode
To program features, your vehicle must be in the
programming mode. Follow these steps:
1. Put your key in the ignition.
2. Turn the ignition to RUN to disarm the Content
Theft
-Deterrent System.
3. Turn the ignition to OFF.
4. Remove the RADIO fuse. This fuse is in the main
fuse block, located on the left side of your
instrument panel. See ªFuses and Circuit Breakersº
in the Index.
5. Turn the ignition to ACC.
You should hear a chime to verify that the system is
in the programming mode. If the chime sounds once,
you will be able to program Exit Lighting, Delayed
Illumination, Last Door Closed Locking and Lockout
Prevention only. If the chime sounds twice and your
vehicle is equipped with the Content Theft
-Deterrent
System, you will also be able to program Remote
Keyless Entry Verification, Arming Method,
Arming Verification, Driver's Door Delay and
Shock Sensor Enable.

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Exit Lighting and Delayed Illumination
With Exit Lighting, your interior lamps will come on
for up to 25 seconds when the key is removed from
the ignition.
With Delayed Illumination, your interior lamps will come
on and stay on for up to 25 seconds when entering your
vehicle and up to 5 seconds when leaving your vehicle.
Your vehicle comes with both features enabled
(Mode 4). To change the factory setting, do
the following:
1. Turn the courtesy lamps on by turning the instrument
panel brightness control knob all the way up.
2. Count the number of chimes you hear. The number of
chimes tells you which mode your vehicle is set for.
3. Turn the courtesy lamp switch off.
4. Turn the courtesy lamp switch from on to off until
you hear the number of chimes that correspond to the
mode selection you want.
Mode 1: Both Off
Mode 2: Delayed Illumination Only
Mode 3: Exit Lighting Only
Mode 4: Both OnLast Door Closed Locking and Lockout Prevention
Your vehicle comes with this feature set in Mode 2.
To change the factory setting, do the following:
1. Press the LOCK switch on the door.
2. Count the number of chimes you hear. The number of
chimes tells you which mode your vehicle is set for.
3. Press the LOCK switch on the door until you hear
the number of chimes that correspond to the mode
selection you want.
These features are designed to help prevent your keys
from being locked in your vehicle.
Mode 1: Both Off (Doors will lock and unlock when
you press the power door lock switch.)
Mode 2: Lockout Prevention Only (If you leave your
keys in the ignition and leave through the driver's door,
you won't be able to lock the doors with the power door
lock switch.)
Mode 3: Last Door Closed Locking Only (If the power
door lock switch is used to lock the vehicle while any
door is open, you will hear three chimes. The doors will
not lock until after all doors are closed.)
Mode 4: Both On (This combines Mode 2 and 3.)

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Ignition Positions
CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons. A child or
others could be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. Don't
leave the keys in the vehicle with children.
With the ignition key in the ignition, you can turn the
switch to five positions.
ACC (A): Position in which you can operate your
electrical power accessories. Push in the ignition switch
as you turn it toward you.
LOCK (B): The only position from which you can
remove the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition
and automatic transmission.
If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch can't be turned to LOCK unless the shift lever is
in PARK (P).
OFF (C): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition and
automatic transmission, but does not send electrical
power to any accessories. Use this position if your
vehicle must be pushed or towed. A warning tone will
sound if you open the driver's door when the ignition is
off and the key is in the ignition.
RUN (D): Position to which the switch returns after you
start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in RUN when the engine is running. But even
when the engine is not running, you can use RUN to
operate your electrical power accessories and to display
some instrument panel warning and indicator lights.

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If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 km/h), or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you downshift,
or if you race the engine when you downshift,
you can damage the clutch or transmission.
Skip Shift Light (5.7L V8 Engine)
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2).
This helps you get the best possible fuel economy.The light will come on under these conditions:

The engine coolant temperature is greater than
170F (77C),

you are going 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h) and

you are at 35% throttle or less.
When the skip shift light is on, the gearshift lever will
let you shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) only. Once
you are in FOURTH (4), you can press the clutch again
and shift into another gear.
Follow the shift speeds listed below when the
SKIP SHIFT light is on.
Computer
-Aided Manual Transmission Shift Speeds

1st to 4th @ 15 mph (24 km/h)

4th to 5th @ 25 mph (40 km/h)*

5th to 6th @ 49 mph (64 km/h)**
Each time you come to a stop, the engine's Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) determines when to activate the
SKIP SHIFT upshift system. The SKIP SHIFT upshift
system is bypassed when you accelerate very quickly
from a stop.
*30 mph (48 km/h) when accelerating to highway speeds.
**45 mph (72 km/h) when accelerating to highway speeds.

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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until you can push in the
release button. Hold the release button in as you move
the brake lever all the way down.

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As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don't
flash but just stay on as you signal a turn or lane change,
a signal bulb may be burned out and other drivers won't
see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don't go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse (see ªFuses and Circuit
Breakersº in the Index).
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel also
will be on.
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or
from high beam to low, pull the turn signal lever all the
way toward you. Then release it.
Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
with the wiper symbol on it, located on the turn
signal/multifunction lever.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after one cycle. If you want more cycles, hold the
band on MIST longer.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes. This can be very useful in light rain or
snow. Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to LO, the shorter the delay.
For steady wiping at low speed, turn the band away
from you to the LO position. For high
-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to HI. To stop the wipers, turn the
band to OFF.
Damaged wiper blades may prevent you from seeing
well enough to drive safely. To avoid damage, be sure to
clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before using
them. If they're frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers. A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.

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Ending Out of Cruise Control
There are several ways to turn off the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal or push the clutch
pedal, if you have a manual transmission; or

Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
The main lamp control is a knob that works these lamps:

Headlamps

Taillamps

Parking Lamps

License Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights
This setting turns on your headlamps and other
operating lamps.
This setting turns on your parking lamps and other
operating lamps without your headlamps.
Turn the knob to OFF to turn off the lamps.
Headlamps On Reminder
If you turn the ignition off and leave the lamps on, you
will hear a chime lasting up to five seconds. If the lamps
are still on when you open the driver's door, the chime
will sound again.

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2-50 Headlamp Doors
The headlamp doors are designed to open when you turn
the headlamps on and close when you turn the
headlamps off. The headlamp doors can be opened
without turning on the headlamps by turning the
headlamps on, then turning the switch back to the
parking lamps position.
The headlamp doors should be open when driving in icy
or snowy conditions to prevent the doors from freezing
closed, and when washing the vehicle to help clean
the headlamps.
To open the headlamp doors manually:
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the plastic cover from the retractor
motor knob.
3. Turn the retractor motor knob counterclockwise until the
headlamp door is fully open. The knob will get harder
to turn when the headlamp door is all the way up.
4. Replace the plastic cover on the retractor motor knob.
To manually close the headlamp doors, turn the lamps
off and turn the retractor motor knob clockwise. If the
headlamp doors aren't working properly, see your dealer
for help.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
For Canadian vehicles, a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel automatically turns the headlamps on,
so be sure it isn't covered.
The DRL system will not activate if the park brake is
engaged prior to turning the ignition on.
The DRL system will make your front turn signal lamps
come on when:

the ignition is on,

the headlamp switch is OFF,

the parking brake is released and

it is bright enough outside (on Canadian vehicles).
When the DRL are on, only your front turn signal lamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won't be on. Your instrument panel won't be lit up
either. When you use your turn signals, the front turn
signal and the taillamp of the desired side will flash.

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For Canadian vehicles, when it's dark enough outside,
your front turn signal lamps will go out and your
headlamps will come on. The other lamps that come on
with your headlamps will also come on. When it's bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and your
front turn signal lamps will come on.
On a non
-Canadian vehicle, the headlamps have to be
turned on manually when you need them. On Canadian
and non
-Canadian vehicles, when the headlamps are
turned on, the front turn signal lamps will go out. When
you use your turn signals, the front turn signal lamp and
the taillamp on the desired side will flash.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Fog Lamps
Use your fog lamps for better vision in foggy or misty
conditions. Your parking lamps must be on or your fog
lamps won't work.
Your fog lamp switch is
located on your console.
To turn the fog lamps on, push the right side of the fog
lamp switch and a light on the switch will come on
indicating that the fog lamps are on. Push the left side of
the fog lamp switch to turn the fog lamps off.
The fog lamps will go off whenever your high
-beam
headlamps come on. When the high
-beam headlamps go
off, the fog lamps will come on again.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Content
Theft
-Deterrent System and your fog lamp switch is on,
the fog lamps may flash to indicate operation of the
Content Theft
-Deterrent System. See ªContent
Theft
-Deterrent Systemº in the Index.

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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
The thumbwheel controls the brightness of your
instrument panel lights. Move the thumbwheel to
brighten or dim the lights. If you move the thumbwheel
all the way up, your courtesy lamps will come on.
Courtesy Lamps
When either door is opened, several interior lamps go
on. These lamps are courtesy lamps. They make it easier
for you to enter and leave your vehicle.
Courtesy lamps include two map lamps on the inside
rearview mirror and other lamps throughout the interior
of your vehicle.
To prevent battery rundown, your interior lamps will be
disabled about 10 minutes after the ignition is turned to
OFF. The 10
-minute timer will be restarted if you do
any of the following:

Turn the ignition on.

Open either door.

Press any button on your remote keyless entry
transmitter (if equipped).

Turn the interior lamp switch from off to on.

Open the hatch.