Pontiac 1993 Sunbird User manual

I ss4
SUNEIRD OWNER'S MANUAL

Pontiac Sunbird
IS94 Owner's Manual
Table of Contents
lntr0ductiot-1 How to Usethis ~anual .............................. 3
Part 1 Seats & RestraintSystems ......................... 9
Part 2 Features & Controls .................................... 39
Part 3 Comfort Controls & AudioSystems ........ 89
Part 4 YourDrivingand the Road ~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~..~~ 101
Part 5 Problemson the Road ........................... 121
Part 6 Service & Appearance Care .................. 147
Part 7 Maintenance Schedule .......................... 197
Part 8 CustomerAssistanceInformation ............ 219
Part 9 Index....................................................... 231
Includes "Reporting Safety Defects" on page 222
Service Station Information .......... Last Page
Printed in USA
10234006 A
FirstEdition . .

Important Notes About this Manual
Please keepthis manual in your Pontiac, so it will bethere if you ever needitwhen you’re on the road. If you sellthe
vehicle, please leavethis manual in it so the new ownercan use it.
This manual includesthe latestinformation at the time it wasprinted.We reserve the rightto make changes
in the product
afterthat time without furthernotice.
Note to Canadian Owners
For vehiclesfirst sold in Canada, substitute thename “GeneralMotors of Canada Limited” for Pontiac Division
whenever itappears in this manual.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer aFrench Language Manual:
Aux proprietaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurerun exemplaire de ce guide en francais chez votre
concessionaire
ou au DGN Marketing ServicesLtd., 1500 Bonhill Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7.
Published by Pontiac Division
General Motors Corporation
General Motors, GM and the GM emblem,the worG
Pontiac, the Pontiac emblem and the name Sunbird
are registered trademarks
of General Motors
Corporation.
Theword Delco is a registered trademark of General
Motors Corporation.
0 Copyright 1993 General MotorsCorporation,Pontiac Division. All rights reserved.

How to Use this Manual
Using Your 1994 Pontiac Owner’s
Manual
Many people readtheir owner’s
manualfrom beginningto end when
they first receivetheir new vehicle.This
will help youlearn about the
features andcontrolsfor your vehicle.
In this manual, you’ll findthat
pictures and words work together
to explain things quickly.
There are nineparts with thumb-tabbed
pages inthis manual.
Each part beginswith a brief listof
contents,
so you canusually tellat a
glance if that part containsthe
information youwant.
You can bendthe manual slightlyto
reveal the tabs that help you find apart.
Part 1: Seats & Restraint Systems
Thispart tells you how to use your seats
and safetybelts properly.
Part 2: Features & Controls
This part explainshow to start and
operateyour Pontiac.
Part 3: Comfort Controls & Audio
Systems
This part tells you howto adjust the
ventilationand comfortcontrolsand
how to operateyour audiosystem.
Part 4: Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpfulinformationand
tips about the road and how to drive
under differentconditions.
Part 5: Problems on the Road
Thispart tells youwhat to do if you
have a problem while driving,such as a
flat tire or engineoverheating.
Part 6: Service & Appearance Care
Here the manualtells you howto keep
your Pontiacrunningproperly and
looking good.
Part 7: Maintenance Schedule
Thispart tells youwhen to perform
vehicle maintenance and what fluids
and lubricantsto use.
Part 8: Customer Assistance
Information
Thispart includesimportant
informationabout reporting safety
defects and gives youdetails about the
“RoadsideAssistance”program.
You
will alsofind customer satisfaction
phone numbers (includingcustomer
satisfactionnumbers for thehearing
and speechimpaired)aswell as the
mediation/ arbitration procedure. We’ve
also includedorderinginformation for
servicepublicationsin this part.
Part 9: Index
Here’san alphabeticallisting of almost
every subjectin this manual.You can
use it to quickly findsomethingyou
want to read.
Service Station Information
Thisis a quickreference of service
information.You canfind it on thelast
page of this manual.
c

How to Use this Manual
II
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will finda number of safety
cautions in thisbook. We use a box
with gray backgroundand the word
CAUTION totell youabout things that
could hurt you
if you wereto ignore the
warning.
In thegray caution area,we tell
you what the hazard is.Thenwe tell
you what to do tohelp avoidor reduce
the hazard. Please readthese cautions.
If you don’t,you orothers could be
hurt.
4
You will also finda circle witha slash
through it in thisbook. This safety
svmbol means:
Y
Don’t
Don’t
do this
Don’t/et this happen
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find
these notices:
NOTICE:
These meanthere is something
that could damage your vehicle.
In the notice area,we tell you about
something that can damage your
vehicle. Many times,this damage would
not be coveredby your warranty, andit
could be costly. But the notice
will tell
you what to dotohelp avoid the
damage.
When you readother manuals,you
might see CAUTION and NOTICE
warnings in different colors or in
different words.
~0~~11 also see warning labels on your
vehicle. They use yellow forcautions,
blue for notices andthewords
CAUTION or NOTICE.

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you will
find on your vehicle. For example,these
symbols are used on an original battery:
CautionPossibleInjury A
ProtectEyes by Shielding
Q
Caustic Battery Acid
Could Cause Burns
Avoid Sparks or Flames
0
Spark a Flame
Could Explode Battery
These symbolsare important for you
and your passengers whenever your
vehicle is driven:
Fasten Safety Belts
Door LocklUnlock
These symbols haveto do with your
lights:
Master Lighting Switch
Turn Signal Direction
Hazard Warning Flashers
Headlight HighBeam
Parking Lights
Fog Lights

How to Use this Manual
controls:
Windshield Wipers
WindshieldWasher
Windshield Defroster
Rear Window Defogge
VentilatingFan
Power Window
These symbols are on some of your
w
a
w
3f
!r Qj-J
Thesesymbolsare used on warningand
indicatorlights:
Engine Coolant
Temperature
Battery Charging
System
Fuel
Engine OilPressure
Brake
Anti-Lock Brakes
Here are some other symbols you may
see:
Fuse
Trunk Release
Lighter
Horn
Speaker
Hood Release

Notes
U
7888

Notes
I
8

Hereyou’ll find informationabut
the seats in your Fontiac and how to
use your safety belts properly . You
can also learn about some things
you should not
do with safety belts .
Part 1
Seats & Restraint Systems
Seats and Seat Controls ............................................................................................ 10
Safety Belts ................................................................................................................ 12
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .......................................................................... 17
Driver Position
.......................................................................................................... 18
Safety Belt UseDuring Pregnancy ........................................................................... 22
Right Front Passenger Position
................................................................................ 22
Rear Seat Passengers
................................................................................................ 23
Rear Safety Belt
Comfort Guides ............................................................................. 25
Center PassengerPosition ........................................................................................ 27
Children
..................................................................................................................... 28
Smaller Childrenand Babies
.................................................................................... 28
Child Restraints
......................................................................................................... 29
Larger Children ......................................................................................................... 36
Safety Belt Extender .................................................................................................. 38
Replacing Safety Belts Aftera Crash ........................................................................ 38

Seats & Restraint Systems
I
Seats and Seat Controh
This section tells yourabout the seats-
how toadjust them-and also about
reclining seatbacksand head restraints.
10
Manual Front Seat
Move the leverunder the front seat to
unlock it. Slidethe seat towhere you
want it. Then.releasethe lever and try
to move the seat with your body,to
make sure the seat is lockedinto place.
Reclining Front Seatback
To adjust the seatback, liftthe lever on
the outer side of the seat and move the
seatbackto where you want it. Release
the lever to lock the seatback. Pullup
on the lever andthe seat will goto an
upright position.
Don’t have a seatback reclined,
however,
if your vehicle is moving.

Head Restraints
Head restraints are fixed on some
vehicles and adjustable on others. Slide
an adjustablehead restraint up or down
so that thetop of the restraint is closest
to the topof your ears.
This position reducesthe chance of a
neck injury ina crash.
On some models,the head restraints tilt
forward and rearward also.
11

SeatsRestraint Systems
Front Seatback Latches
(2-DOOR MODELS)
In 2-door Pontiacs,the front seatback
folds forwardto let people getinto the
back seat.Your seatbackwill move
back and forth freely, unless you come
to a sudden stop. Then it will lockin
place.
There’s onetime the seatback may not
fold without some help from you.That’s
if your vehicle is parked facingdown a
fairly steephill.
To fold afront seatbackforward,push
the seatbacktoward the rear as you lift
this latch. Then the seatbackwill fold
forward.The latch must be down for
the seat towork properly.
Easy-Entry Seat
(2-DOOR MODELS)
The right front seat of your vehicle
makes it easyto get in and out of the
rear seat.
When you push down on therear
latch and tilt the right front seatback
fully forward,the whole seat will slide
forward.
After someonegets into the rear seat
area, move the right front seatbackto
its originalposition.Then move the
seat rearward until it locks.
To get out, again tilt the seatback fully
forward.
Split Fold-Down Rear Seat (OPTION)
To Open:
Pull forwardon the seat tab.
To Close:
Push the seatback up toits original
position.
Push seatback solidly up against the
back plateto ensure inertid latch will
hook.
I Safety Bebs: Ilzey’be For
Everyone
This partof the manual tellsyou howto
use safety belts properly.It also tells
you some things
you should not do with
safety belts.
I2

I
This figure lightsup asa reminderto
buckle up. (See
Safety Belt Warning
Light in the Index.)
In many states and Canadianprovinces,
the law saysto wear safetybelts. Here’s
why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll bein a crash.
If you do have acrash,you don’tknow
if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some
crashes can be
so serious that even
buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between.In
many of them, peoplewho buckle up
can survive and sometimeswalls:away.
Without belts they could havebeen
badly hurt orlulled.
After more than 25 years of safety belts
in vehicles,the facts are clear. In most
crashesbuckling up does matter
... a lot!
r

Seats & Restraint Systems
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you
go as fast as it goes.
1. For example, if the bike is going 10
mph (16 km/h), so is the child.
14
2. When the bike hits the block, it
stops. But the child keeps going!
3. Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose
it's just a seat on wheels.

4. Put someone on it.
_. ..
5. Get it upto speed.Then stop the
vehicle. The rider doesn’t stop.
6. The person keeps going until
k
stopped by something.
In areal vehicle,
it could be the
windshield
...

Seats & Restraint Systems
I
7. or the instrument panel ...
16
8. or the safety belts!
With safetybelts,you slow downas the
vehicledoes.You getmoretime to stop.
You stop over more distance, and your
strongestbones take theforces.That’s
why safetybelts make such good sense.
HereAre Questions Many
People
Ask About Safety
Belts
- and the Answers
Q: Won’t I be trapped inthevehicle
after an accident if I’m wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be -whether you’re
wearing a safety belt ornot. But you
caneasily unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And
your chanceof being conscious
during and afteran accident,
so you
can unbuckle. andget out,is much
greater if you are belted.
Q: Why don’t theyjust put in airbags
so people won’t haveto wear safety
belts?
A: Air bagsare in some vehicles today
andwill be in moreof them inthe
future.But they are supplemental
systems only
- so they work with
safety belts,not instead of them.
Every airbag system ever offered for
salehas required the use of safety
belts.Even
if you’re in a vehiclethat
has air bags,you still haveto buckle
up to get the most protection. That’s

truenot onlyin frontalcollisions,but
especiallyin sideand other
collisions.
drive far from home, why should I
wear safety belts?
A You may bean excellent driver,but if
you’rein an accident - even one
that isn’t your fault
- you and your
passengerscanbe hurt. Being
a good
driver doesn’tprotect you
from
things beyond your control,suchas
bad drivers. Most accidents occur
within
25 miles (40 km) of home.
And the greatest numberof serious
injuriesand deaths occur at speeds
of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety beltsare for everyone.
Q: If I’m a good driver,and I never
!Safety Belt Warning Light
When the key is turned to Run or Start,
a chime will comeonfor about eight
secondstoremind people tofasten their
safetybelts, unless the driver’ssafety
belt is alreadybuckled.The safetybelt
light will
also come on and stay on for
20 seconds,then itwill flashfor an
additional 55 seconds.If the driver’s
belt is alreadybuckled,neither the
chimenor thelight will come
on.
4 How To Wear Safety Belts
Properly
Adults
This sectionis only for people of adult
size.
Be awarethat there are specialthings to
know about safetybelts and children.
And there aredifferentrules for smaller
childrenand babies. If
a child willbe
riding inyour Pontiac, see the section
afterthis one,called
Children. Follow
thoserules for everyone’sprotection.

Seats & Restraint Systems
First,you’llwant to laowwhich
restraint systems your vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
‘vehicles First Sold In
Ci2nada
Was your Pontiac first sold,when new,
in Canada? (If it was, a stickeron the
driver’s door will say “conformsto all
applicableCanada motor vehicle..
.”
etc.) If so, then therest of Part 1 does
not applyto your vehicle.
To learn how touse your safety belts,
please readthe her’sManual Safety
Belt Supplement.
It comes with every
new Pontiac first soldin Canada.
DriverPosition
rhis section describes the driver’s
:estraint system.
Automatic Lap-Shoulder Belf
This safety belt is called “automatic”
becauseyou don’t have to buckle
up
when you get intoyour vehicle.

And you don’t haveto unbuclde when
you get out.
Justget intoyour vehicle. Then close
and lock the door. Adjustthe seat (to
see how, see Seats in the Index) so you
can sit
up straight.
The lapbelt should beworn as low on
;hehips as possible. In a crash, this
ipplies forceto the strongpelvic bones.
Idyou’d be less likelyto slide under
;helapbelt. If you slidunder
it, the belt
would apply forceat your abdomen.
rhis could cause
serious or evenfatal
njuries. The shoulderbelt should
go
lver the shoulderand across the chest.
rhese parts
of the body arebest able to
lake belt restrainingforces.
The safety belt locks if there’s a sudden
stop
or a crash.
It’spossible that an automaticbelt
could keep you
from fully opening a
door.That canhappen
if the door was
slammedshutvery hard. Justclose the
door
all the way, then slowly open it.If
that doesn’t
fix it, then your Pontiac
needs service.
We hope you’ll alwayskeep your
automaticbelt buckled. However, you
may need to unbuckle it
in an
emergency.
r
,.
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