light PONTIAC FIREBIRD 2002 Owner's Manual

2-58 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.
Fully functional daytime running lamps are required
on all vehicles first sold in Canada.
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 parking brake
is engaged prior to turning the ignition on.
The DRL system will make your front turn signal lamps
come on when the following conditions are met:

The ignition is on,

the exterior lamp control 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 on the desired side will flash.
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.

2-59 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 instrument
panel to the left of the
steering wheel.
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/alarm system and your fog lamp switch
is on, the fog lamps may flash to indicate operation of the
content theft
-deterrent/alarm system. See ªContent
Theft
-Deterrent/Alarm Systemº in the Index.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
This feature controls the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
The thumbwheel for this feature is located on the
instrument panel to the left of the steering column.
Move the thumbwheel up or down to brighten or dim
the lights. If you move the thumbwheel all the way up,
your courtesy lamps will come on.

2-60 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 for 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 lamps from off to on.

Open the hatch.
Delayed Illumination
With delayed illumination, the courtesy lamps will
come on and stay on for 25 seconds after you enter
the vehicle and close the doors. They will also stay on
for five seconds after you exit the vehicle and close the
doors. Delayed illumination will be shortened if the
ignition is turned to RUN or if the power locks are
activated. To turn this feature on or off, see ªFeature
Customizationº in the Index.
Exit Lighting
With exit lighting, the interior lamps will come on when
you remove the key from the ignition to help you see
while exiting the vehicle. To turn this feature on or off,
see ªFeature Customizationº in the Index.
Front Map Lamps
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 come on
when a door is opened.

2-64
Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter
Lift up the cover to open the ashtray. To remove it, lift
up on either side of the ashtray. If you have an automatic
transmission, the ashtray is near the front of the console.
If you have a manual transmission, the ashtray is in front
of the cupholder.
NOTICE:
Don't put papers and other things that burn
into your ashtray. If you do, cigarettes or
other smoking materials could set them on fire,
causing damage.
To use the lighter, push it in all the way and let go.
When it's ready, it will pop back out by itself.
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.

2-83
The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Fog Lamp Switch
B. Exterior Lamp Control
C. Air Vents
D. Instrument Panel Cluster
E. Horn
F. Audio System
G. Glove Box
H. Remote Hatch Release
I. Audio Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)
J. Rear Window Defogger ButtonK. Convertible Top Switch (If Equipped)
L. Traction Control System Switch (Option)
M. Ashtray
N. Shift Lever (Automatic Transmission Shown)
O. Cupholders
P. Front Console
Q. Parking Brake Lever
R. Cigarette Lighter
S. Accessory Power Outlet
T. Comfort Controls

2-86
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you know they're working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They're a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about 70 seconds.
If the driver's belt is
already buckled, neither
the chime nor the light
will come on.

2-87 Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows AIR BAG or the air bag symbol.
The system checks the air bag's electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. The system check includes the air bag
modules, the wiring and the crash sensing and
diagnostic module. For more information on the
air bag system, see ªAir Bagº in the Index.
United States Canada
This light will come on when you start your vehicle, and
it will flash for a few seconds. Then the light should go
out. This means the system is ready.If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to RUN.
If the light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.

2-88 Voltmeter
You can read the battery
voltage on your voltmeter.
If it reads less than 11 volts
or more than 16 volts while
your engine is running, and
it stays there, you may
have a problem with the
electrical charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone could drain your battery.
If you idle your engine for a while, the voltmeter reading
might move into the low voltage zone (indicated by
red dots). If the reading stays in the low voltage zone
while you are driving, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. Have it checked. While the
voltmeter reads in the low voltage zone, your battery
may not be able to power certain electrical accessories,
like ABS. (If this happens, the ABS INOP light will
come on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake System Warning Lightº
in the Index.)If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone, turn off all your accessories,
including your air conditioning and audio system.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it doesn't come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.

2-89
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See ªTowing Your Vehicleº in
the Index.
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake.
The light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't
release fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
United States Canada
With the anti
-lock brake system, the light will come on
when your engine is started and may stay on for several
seconds. That's normal.
If the anti
-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you've started your engine,
turn the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays
on when you're driving, stop as soon as possible and
turn the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset
the system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you're driving, your vehicle needs service. If the
light is on and the regular brake system warning light
isn't on, you still have brakes, but you don't have
anti
-lock brakes.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.

2-90 Traction Control System Warning
Light (Option)
This warning light should
come on briefly as you start
the engine. If the warning
light doesn't come on then,
have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there's
a problem.
If it stays on, or comes on when you're driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
The traction control system warning light will come on
if you turn the system off by pressing the TCS button
located in front of the console, the warning light will
come on and stay on. To turn the system back on,
press the button again. The warning light should go off.
See ªTraction Control Systemº in the Index for
more information.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Low Traction Light
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on.
If you have the traction control system, this light will
also come on when the system is limiting wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. Slippery road conditions may exist if the
low traction light comes on, so adjust your driving
accordingly. The light will stay on for a few seconds
after the traction control system stops limiting
wheel spin.
The low traction light also comes on briefly when you
turn the ignition key to RUN. If the light doesn't come
on then, have it fixed so it will be there to tell you when
the anti
-lock brake system or traction control system
is active.