Pontiac 1994 Firebird User manual

... - ..._
..
. . ..
. ...
PONTIAC
. . . .
.. . .
.'i
~,.,. -

Firebird
1994 0wn:er’s Manual
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 9
Part 8
Part 9
How toUseThisManual ,, 3
Seats
& Restraint 6 Systems 7
Features & Controls m 41
ComfortCoqtrols
& AudioSystems 103
Your Drivingand the
Road m 125
Probiems
on the Road = 151
& AppearanceCare m =. 183
MaintenanceSchedule
A = 239
CustomerAssistanceInformation
m 259
Including “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 261.
hdeX smmmm=m.====mmmmm==.mm=mmmmm==m=mmm 269
Servi.ceStationInformation Last Page
Printed in U.S.A.
Part No. 10260939 A
Second Edition
1 ...

How to Use This Manual
Important Notes about This
Manual
Please keep thismanualin your Pontiac, so
it will be there if you ever need it when
you’re on the road. If yousell the vehicle,
please leave this manual init
so the new
owner can useit.
Thismanual includesthe latestinformation
at the time it was printed. We reserve the
right to make changes in the product after
that time without further notice. For
vehicles fistsold
in Canada, substitutethe
name “GeneralMotorsof CanadaLimited”
for Pontiac Motor Division wherever it
appears in thismanual.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual
Aux proprihires canadiens: Vous pouvez
vous procurer un exemplairede ceguide
en frangischezvotreconcessionaire
ou au
DGN Marketing ServicesLtd., 1500
Bonhill Rd.,Mississauga,Ontario L5T
1C7.
Published by:
Pontiac Motor Division
General Motors Corporation
Pontiac Motors,
GM and theGM
emblem,
Pontiac and the Pontiac emblem,
and
Firebird and the Firebird emblem are
registered trademarksof General Motors
Corporation.
@Copyright1993General Motors
Corporation, Pontiac Motor Division.
All Rights Reserved.
... 2

How to Use This
Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual
from beginning to end when theyfirst
receive their new vehicle. This will help
you learn about the features and controls
for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll
find that pictures and words work
together to explain things quickly.
~ Index: A good place to look for what
you need is the Index
in back of the
manual. It’san alphabetical list of all
that’s in the manual, and the page
number where you’ll find it.
Parts 1-8: Each part of this manual
begins with a brief list of its contents,
so
you can often find at a glance if a part
contains the information you want.
How to Use This Manual: This part
tells you how to use your manual and
includes safety and vehicle damage
warnings and symbols.
Part 1 - Seats & Restraint Systems:
This part tells you how to use your seats
and safety belts properly.
It also
explains the air bag system.
Part 2 - Features & Controls: This
part explains howto start and operate
your Pontiac.
Part 3 - Comfort Controls & Audio
Systems:
This part tells you how to
adjust the comfort controls and how
to
operate your sound system.
Part 4 - Your Driving and the Road:
Here you’ll find helpful information
and tips about the road and howto drive
under different conditions.
Part 5 - Problems on the Road: This
part tells you whatto do if you have a
problem while driving, such as a flat
tire or engine overheating,etc.
Part 6 - Service & Appearance
Care:
Here the manual tells you
how tokeep your Pontiac running
properly and looking good.
Part 7 - Maintenance Schedule:
This parttells when to perform vehicle
maintenance and whatfluids and
lubricants to use.
Part 8 - Customer Assistance
Information:
This part includes
important information about reporting
safety defects andgives you details
about the “Roadside Assistance”
program.
You will also find customer
satisfactionphone numbers(including
customer satisfaction numbers for the
hearing and speech impaired), as well
asthe mediatiodarbitration procedure.
We’ve also included ordering
information for service publications in
this part.
Service Station Information: This is
a quick referenceof service
information.
You can find it on the last
page of this manual.
3...

How to Use This Manual
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions
in this book. We use a boxwith a gray
background and the word CAUTION to
tell you about things that could hurt you if
you were to ignore the warning.
In the gray caution area, we tell you what
the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do
to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please
read these cautions. If you don’t, youor
others could be. hurt.
You will also find a circle with aslash
through it in this book. This safety symba
means “Don’t,’’ “Don’tdothis,’’ or “Don’
let this happen.”
NOTICE:
These mean thereis something that
could damage your vehicle.
Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these
notices.
In the notice area, we tell you about
something thatcan damage your vehicle.
Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be
costly. But the notice will tell you what to
do to help avoid the .damage.
When you read other manuals, you might
see CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in
different colors or in different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your
vehicle. Theyuse yellow for cautions, blue
for notices and the words CAUTION or
NOTICE.
... 4

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbolsyou will
find on your vehicle. For example,these
symbols are used on
an original battery:
CautionPossibleInjury A
Protect Eyes by Shielding
@
Caustic Battery Acid
Could Cause Burns
Avoid Sparks or Flames
8
Sparks or FlameCould \\b
ExplodeBattery m
These symbols are importantfor you and
your passengers whenever your vehicle is
driven:
Fasten Safety Belts
Door LocWUnlock
Window Up/Down
a
These symbolshave to do with yourlights:
Master Lighting Switch
Turn Signal Direction
HazardWarningFlashers
A
A
Headlight High Beam
Parking Lights
Courtesy Lights
Fog Lamps
These symbolsare on some of your
controls:
Windshield Wiper
Windshield Washer
Windshield Defroster
5..

How to Use This Manual
Rear Window Defogger
Y
Ventilating Fan
Bi-
L evel
Vent
Heater
Blend
These symbolsare used on warning and
indicator lights:
Engine Coolant
Temperature
Battery Charging System
1-7
Fuel
Engine
Oil Pressure w,
Brake (Canada) (0) (8)
Anti-Lock Brake System
(Canada)
Low Coolant
m
Here are some other symbolsyou may see:
HatchnrunkRelease a
Hood Release
Lighter
Horn
Speaker
Convertible Top Switch
... 6

Here you’ll find information
about the seatsin
your
Pontiac and howto 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 ............ ........... 8
Safety Belts: They’refor Everyone
........ ..................... 14
Why Safety Belts Work ............................................. 15
Here Are Questions Many People
Ask about SafetyBelts - and the Answers . . 17
SafetyBelt Reminder Light
.......................................... 18
How
to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................................... 19
Children ................................. ..................... 30
Child Restraints
...... .............. ..................... 31
Larger Children
........................... ..................... 38
SafetyBeltExtender
............................................... 39
CheckingYour Restraint Systems
..................................... 40
Replacing Safety Belts after a Crash ................................... 40
c
?..-

Seats and Restraint Systems
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you aboutthe seats -
how to adjust them, and also about
reclining front seatbacks, seatback latches
and the folding rear seatback.
Manual Front Seat
Move the lever under the passenger’s
front seat to unlockit. Slide the seatto
where you want it. Then release
the lever
and try to move the seat with your body,
to make sure the seat is lockedinto place.
Be sure the lever returns to its original
position after moving the seat.
rour-Way Manual Seat
?o move the driver’s seat forwardor
backward, lift the lever under the left
ront of the seat. Slide the seat to where
rou want it. Then release the lever and
ry to move the seat with your body to
nake sure the seatis locked into place.
:o tilt the entire seat, lift the lever under
he right frontof the seat.
...a

Six-Way Power Seat (Option)
The driver’s seat has threecontrolson thc
eft side.
rhe front control makes the front of the
;eatgo up anddown.
The back control makes
the back of the
;eat
go up anddown.
The center control makes the whole seat
;o up and down orforward and
Jackward.
Fully Articulating Sport Seat
(Option)
If your Pontiac has these seats, the
driver’sseat has the four-way manual seat
adjuster. See “Four-Way Manual Seat”
earlier
in this part. The passenger seat has
the two-way manual seat adjuster. See
“Manual FrontSeat”earlier in this part.
9...

Seats and Restraint Systems
To adjust the thighsupport,pull up on the
front
of your seatcushion and move the
support to the position you want.
To
release the support, continuepulling up.
To engage it again, push down firmly.
The switchpads on the outer sides
of the
seats “inflate” and “deflate” parts
of your
seatback.
The two buttons that have “dots” inflate
md deflate the outer parts
of the seatback.
To inflate, push the raised button. To
leflate, push the indented button.
. . .IO

The two buttons without“dots”inflate
and deflate the lumbar (lower
part of the
seatback) support.To inflate, push the
raised button.
To deflate, push the
indented button.
To adjustthe seatback,lift the lever on
the outerside of the seat. Release the
lever
to lock the seatbackwhere you
want it.Pull up on the lever, and the
seat will-goto its originalupright
position. But don’thavethe seatback
reclined if
your vehicle is moving.
If you have fullyarticulating sport seats,
your recliner lever looks like this,,
I1
II ...

Seats and Restraint Systems
Head Restraints
Slide the head restraintsup or down so
that the top of the restraintis closest to
the top of your ears.
This position reduces the chanceof a
neck injury ina crash.
If you have the fully articulating sport
seat, you have a six-way head restraint.
It can be adjusted up and down, forward
and rearward, or tilted.
To adjust it forward, pull the restraint
forward.
To adjust it rearward, pull the
restraint forwardall the way to release
it. Then move it to the position you
want.
.. .12

The front seatbackfoldsforward tolet
people getinto the back seat.To fold a
seatback forward, push the seatback
toward the rearas you lift this latch.
Then the s'eatback will fold forward.
When you return
the seatback to its
original position, make sure the seatback
is locked. Thelatch must be downfor
the
seat to work properly.
Folding Rear Seatback
The rear seatback in your Pontikc folds
down
to provide more storageSpace. :.
To fold the seatback down: , :i :
1. Pull forward on both levas$
2. Fold the seatback down. ..!!
To raise the seatback:
1. Pull it up to the locked, up6ght
2. Be sureboth latches hold the seatback
.-/ 1
position.
in place. Have them fixed itithey
don't
.
\< I
Id...

Seats and Restraint Systems
Safety Belts: They’re
for Everyone
This part of themanual tells you howto
use safety belts properly. Italso tells you
some things youshould not do with safety
belts. And it explainsthe Supplemental
Inflatable Restraint, or “air bag” system.
’his figure lights up as a reminderto
uckle up. (See “Safety Belt Reminder
.ight” in the Index.)
n many states and Canadian provinces,
he law saysto wear safety belts. Here’s
vhy: They work.
You never knowif you’ll be in a crash. If
you do have a crash, you don’t know
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. Inmany of them,
people who buckle up can survive and
sometimes walk away. Without belts they
could have been badly hurt or killed.
After more than
25 years of safety belts in
vehicles, the facts are clear.In most
crashes bucklingup does matter
... a lot!
.. .I4

Why Safety Belts' Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go
as fast as it goes.
For example, if the bike is going 10 mph
(16 kmk), so is the child.
When the bike
hits the block, it stops. But
the child keeps going! Take the simplest vehicle.
Suppwe it's
just aseat on wheels. -. I' .

Seats and Restraint Systems
Put someone on it. Get itup to speed. Then stop the vehicle.
The rider doesn't stop. The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In
a real vehicle, it could be the
windshield
.. .
.. .I6

or the instrument panel ...
x- the safety belts!
With safety belts,
you slow down as the
vehicle does.
You get more time: to stop.
You stop'overmore distance,and your
gtrongest bones take theforces. That's
why safetybelts make such good sense.
H&e &e Questions
Many People Ask about
Safety Belts - and the
Amswers
'Q: Won't I be trapped in tlie vehicle
after an aecidemt if I'm wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be - whether you're
wearing a safety belt or not. But you
can easily unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you're upside down. And
your
chance.of being conscious during and
after an accident,
so you can unbuckle
and get out,
is much greaterif you are
belted.
17.. .

Seats and Restraint Systems
Q: Why don’t they just put in airbags
so people won’t haveto wear safety
belts?
A: Air bags, or SupplementalInflatable
Restraint systems, are in some
vehicles today and will be in more
of them inthe future. But they are
supplemental systems only - so they
work
with safety belts, not instead of
them. Every air bag systemever
offered for sale has required the use
of safetybelts. Even if you’re in a
vehicle that has air bags, you still
have
to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s
true not only in
frontal collisions, but especially
in
side and other collisions.
Q: If I’ma good driver, and I never
drive farfrom home,why should
I
wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but
if you’re in an accident
- even one
that isn’t your fault
- you and your
passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things
beyond your control, such as bad
drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles
(40 km) of home. And thegreatest
number of serious injuries and deaths
occur at speeds of less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are foreveryone.
Safety Belt Reminder
Light
When the keyis turned to “Run” or
“Start,” a chime
will come on for about
eight secondsto remind people to fasten
their safety belts, unless the driver’s
safety belt is already buckled. The safety
belt light willalsocome on and stay on
until the driver’s belt is buckled.
.. .I8

How to WearSafety
Belts Properly
Adults
This section is onlyfor people of adult
size.
Be aware that there are special thingsto
know about safety belts andchildren.And
there are different rulesfor smaller
children and babies.
If a child will be
riding in your Pontiac, see the section
after this one, called“Children.” Follow
those rulesfor everyone’s protection.
I
First, you’ll want to know which restraint
systems your vehiclehas.
We’ll start with thedriver position.
Driver Position
This section describes the driver’s
restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s
how to wearit properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see
“Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up
straight.
19 ...