Pontiac 1997 Firebird User manual

The 1997 Pontiac Firebird Owner’s Manual
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Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Pontiac.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tireor overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Pontiac running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Pontiac for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information
on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-10.
9-1 Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual.You can use it to quickly find
something
you want to read.

I
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
PONTIAC,
the PONTIAC Emblem and the name
FIREBIRD areregistered trademarks of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latestinformation at the time it
was printed.
We reserve theright to make changes inthe
product after that time without furthernotice. For
vehicles first sold inCanada, substitutethe name
“General Motors
of Canada Limited” forPontiac
Division whenever it appears inthis manual.
Please keep thismanual in your Pontiac,
so it will be
there if you ever need itwhen you’re on the road. If you
sellthe vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new
owner can
use it.
Lithoin U.S.A.
Part No. 10293226 B First Edition
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
AUTOMOTIVE
National institute for
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propri6taires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en frangais chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1C7
@CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation 1996
All Rights Reserved

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to endwhen they first receive theirnew vehicle. If you
do this, it will helpyou learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work togetherto explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to look for wh,atyou need is the Index in
the backof the manual.It’s
an alphabetical listof all
that’s in the manual,and the page number where you’ll
find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions inthis book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tellyou
aboutthings that could hurtyou if youwere to ignor;e
the warning.
I A CAUTION: I
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell youwhat the hazard is. Then
we tellyou what to do to help avoid or reducethe
hazard. Please read these cautions.If you don’t,you or
others couldbe hurt.
You
will also finda circle
with a slash throughit in
this book. Thissafety
symbol means“Don’t,’’
“Don’t
do this,” or “Don’t
let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings In thenoticearea,wetell YOU aboutsomethingthat lean
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damagewould
But the notice will tell you what t’o do to help avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warningsin different colors or in
different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Also, in this bookyou will findthesenotices: not becovered by your warranty, anditcouldbe costly.
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
iv

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
originalbattery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYESBY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
.i)
AIR BAG p\
These symbols
have to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS 6
TURN
PARKING PC
LAMPS
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicatorlights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (0)
COOLANT
a
ENGINEOIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you
may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER 1
HORN )cT
SPEAKER
b
FUEL p3

b NOTES
vi

v Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
Here you’ll find information about the seats inyour Pontiac andhow to use your safety beltsproperly. You can also
learn about some things youshould not do with air bags and safety belts.
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Seats and Seat Controls
Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
Here Are QuestionsMany People
Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Driver Position
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Right Front Passenger Position
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
1-27RearSeatPassengers
1-30Children
1-32ChildRestraints
1-38 LargerChildren
1-41SafetyBeltExtender
1-41Checking Your RestraintSystems
1-41 ReplacingRestraintSystemParts After a
Crash

Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust
them and also about reclining front s’eatbacks, seatback
latches and the folding rearseatback.
M-rual Front +at
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicleis
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you,
or make you push a pedal when you
don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when
the vehicle isnot moving,
Move the lever under the passenger’s front seat to
unlock it,
Slide the seat to whereyou want it. Then release the
lever and
try to move the seat with yourbody to make
sure the seat is locked into place. Be sure the lever
returns
to its original position after moving the seat.

4-Way Manual Seat
6-Way Power Seat (If Equipped)
There are two levers at the frontof the seat. The left
lever adjusts the seat forwardand back. The right lever
adjusts the angleof the front
of the seat.
To adjust the seats forwardandrearward, lift the lever
under
the left frontof the seat. Slide the seat to where
you want it. Then release the lever and try to move the
seat withyour body to
make sure the seat is locked
into place.
To raise or lower the entire seat, lift the lever underthe
right front
of the seat and lean forward or backward.
The driver’s seat has three controls on the left
side.
A. The front control makes the frontof the seat go UP
and down.
B. The center control makes the whole seat go up and
down or forward and backward.
C. The back control makes the back of the seat go up
and down.
1-3

Fully Articulating Sport Seat (If Equipped)
If your Pontiac has these seats, the driver’s seat has the
four-way manual seatadjuster. See
“4-Way Manual
Seat” earlierin this
part. The passenger seat has thetwo
way manual seat adjuster.See “Manual Front Seat”
earlierin this part.
The two buttons without dot inflate
and deflate the
lumbar (lower back area
of the seatback) support. To
inflate, press the raised button. To deflate, press the
indented button.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
I
The switch pads on the outer side of the seats “inflate”
and “deflate”
parts of your seatback.
The two buttons that have
“dots” inflate and deflate the
sidebolster
of the seatback. To inflate, press the raised
button.
To deflate, press the indented button.
To adjust the seatback, lift the leveron the outer side of
the seat. Release the lever to lock the seatback where
you want it. Pull up on the lever and the’seatwill go to
its original upright position.
1-4

If you have fullyarticulating sport seats, yourrecliner
lever looks likethis.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.
I
/r\ CAC JON:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is
inmotion can
be dangerous. Even if you buckle
CAUTION: (Continued)
1-5

r
-
up, your safety beltscan’t do their job when
you’re reclined like this.
Theshoulder belt can’t do
its job. In a crashyou
could
go intoit, receiving neck orother injuries.
Thelap belt can’t
do its job either. In a crash the
belt could
go up over your abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
Thiscould
cause seriousinternal injuries.
For properprotection whenthevehicle isin
motion, have
the seatback upright. Then sitwell
back in the seatand
wear your safety belt properly.
Head Restraints
Slide thehead restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraintis closest to the
top of your ears. This position
reduces
the chance of a neck injury ina crash.
On some models, the head restraintstilt forward and
rearward also.
Front Seatback Latches
The front seatbacks fold
forward to let people get
into the back seat, To fold a
seatback forward, lift the
latch locatedon the lower
backside of the seatback.
Then
the seatback will
fold forward.
When youreturn the seatback to its original position,
make ,surethe seatback
is locked. The latch must be
down for the seat towork properly,
If the seatback isnlt locked, it could move
forward ina suddenstop
or crash. That could
causeinjury to the person sittingthere.
Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
1-6

Folding Rear Seatback
The rear seatback in your Pontiac folds down to provide
more storage space.
To fold the seatback down:
1. Pull forwardon both levers.
2. Fold the seatback down.
To raise the seatback:
1. Pull it up to the locked, upright position.
2. Be sure both latches hold the seatbackin place. Have
them fixedif they don’t.
SafetyBelts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tellsyou how to use safetybelts
properly. It also tellsyou some things
you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS),
or air bag system.
Don’t letanyoneride wherehe orshecan’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you’re not wearing a safety belt,your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things inside the
vehicleorbe ejected from
it. You can be seriously
injured or killed.
In the samecrash, you might
not be
if you arebuckled up. Alwaysfastenyour
safety belt,and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastenedproperly too.
1-7

I
It is extremelydangerousto ride in a cargo area,
insideor outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding intheseareas aremorelikely to
be
seriouslyinjured orkilled. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehiclethat is not
equippedwith seats and safety belts,Be sure
everyonein your vehicle is in
a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
I
comes on as a reminder to
buckle up.
(See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light”in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law saysto
I wear safetybelts.Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be abad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckledup a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many
of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimeswalk
away. Without belts they could havebeen badly hurt
or killed.
After more
than 25 yt;ars of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts areclear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
1-8

Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on mydung, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on wheels.
I
Put someone on it.
1-9

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
The person keeps goinguntil stopped by something.
In a real vehicle,it could be the windshield ...
1-10

or the instrument Dane1 ...
or the safety belts!
With safety belts,
you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over moredistance,
and your strongestbones take the
forces. That’s why
safety belts make
such good sense.
1-11

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
QZ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. Butyou can unbucklea safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down.And your chance of
being conscious during and after anaccident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are inmany vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. Butthey are
supplementalsystems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for salehas required the use of
safety belts.
Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle upto get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but esp’eciallyin side and other collisions.
If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
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 behurt. Beinga 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. Andthe greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds
of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-12

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about safety
belts and children. And there are different rules for smaller
children and babies.
If a child will be riding in your
Pontiac, see
the part of this manual called “Children.”
Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll startwith the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt.Here’s howto wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock thedoor.
2. Adjust the seat (to seehow, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can situp straight.
3.
4.
Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
On convertible models, the shoulder beltmay lock if
you pull the belt acrossyou very quickly.
If this
happens, let the belt go back slightly tounlock
it.
Then pull the belt acrossyou more slowly.
Push
the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
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