Pontiac 1997 Sunfire User manual

The 1997 Pontiac Sunfire Owner’s Manual
1-1
2-1
3-1
4-1
5-1
6-1
7-1
8-1
9-1
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 howto adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and theRoad
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 tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and AppearanceCare
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.
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.

v
PONTIAC I I
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem and the
name
SUNFIRE are registered trademarks of General
Motors Corporation.
This manualincludesthe latest info’rmationat the time it
was printed.We reserve theright to makechanges
in the
product afterthat time without further notice. For
vehiclesfirst soldin Canada, substitutethe name
“GeneralMotors of CanadaLimited” for Pontiac
Divisionwhenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this
manual in your Pontiac, so it will be
there if
you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle,please leave this manual in it so the new
owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 10273367 B First Edition
LA=; CERTIFIED
-
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We supportvoluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propri6Mres canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire dece guide en frangais chez
votre concessionaire
ou au:
DGN Marketing ServicesLtd.
1500B~nhillRd.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5T 1C7
0 Copyright General Motors Corporation1996
All Rights Reserved
ii
II

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual frombeginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you
do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controlsfor your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words worktogether to explain
things quickly.
Index
A good place to look for what you needis the Index in
the back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’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 in this book.
We use a
box and the word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
I A CAUTION:
These mean thereis something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the 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, you or
others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with
a slashthrough it in
this
book. This safety
symbol means
“Don’t,”
“Don’t do this,” or “Don’t
let this happen.’’
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings In the notice area, we tell you about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
But the notice will tell you whatto
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. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Also, in this book you will find these notices:not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.
These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.

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
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
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
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have
to do with
your
lamps:
SIGNALS e e
TURN
PARKING p$
LAMPS
RUNNING * 0
DAYTIME a
LAMPS *
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used
on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE (a)
COOLANT
ENGINEOIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may
see:
FUSE *
t
LIGHTER a
HORN kT
SPEAKER
b
FUEL B
V

NOTES
vi

Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
~ ~~~~
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your Pontiac and howto use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some things you should not dowith air bags and safety belts.
1-2 Seats and Seat Controls 1-29 Rear Seat Passengers
1-8 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
1-36 Children
1-13 HereAre Questions Many People
Ask About 1-34 Center Passenger Position
Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
1-49 Checking Your Restraint Systems1-22 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy 1-49 Safety Belt Extender1-14 Driver Position 1-46 Larger Children
1-14 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly 1-38 Child Restraints
1-23 Right Front Passenger Position
a Crash
1-23 SupplementalRestraint System (SRS) 1-49 Replacing Restraint System
Parts After
1-1

Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about the seats -- how to
adjust them -- and also about reclining seatbacks
and head restraints.
Manual Front Seats
,k!, CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust
a manual driver'sseatwhile the vehicle is
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
is not moving.
Lift the lever under the driver's seat to unlock it. Slide
the seat
to where you want it. Then release the lever and
try
to move the seat with your body, tomake sure the
seat
is locked into place.
Your Sunfire will be equipped with one of the following
passenger
seat adjusters.
1-2

Slidethe lever under the passenger’s seat to the right to
unlock it. Slidethe seat to where you wantit. Then
release the lever and try tomove the seat with your
bodv. to make sure theseat is locked into place.
If your Sunfire is equipped with easy-entry seats, this is
your front passenger seat adjuster. Pull up on thelever
at the front
of the seat to unlock it. Slidethe seat to a
comfortableposition. Release the lever and
try to move
the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked
into place.
1-3

Manual Lumbar Support (If Equipped) Reclining Front Seatbacks
Themanual lumbar support control is located at the
front of the driver's seat,toward the right. Turn the knob
clockwiseor counterclockwise to increase or decrease
the amount
of support to your lower back.
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of
the se'atand move the seatback to where you want it.
Release the lever
to lock the seatback. Pull up on the
lever
and the seat will go to an upright position.
1-4

But don’t have a seatbackreclined if your vehicle
is moving.
Sitting in a reclined position whenyour vehicle is
in motioncan be dangerous. Evenif you buckle
up, your safety belts can’t
do theirjob when
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do itsjob because it
won’t beagainst your body. Instead, it will bein
front
of you. In a crashyou could gointoit,
receiving neckor otherinjuries.
The lap belt can’t do its
job either. In a crash the
belt could go up over yo’ur abdomen. The belt
forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.
This could causeseriousinternal injuries.
For properprotection whenthe vehicle is in
motion, havethe seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat
and wear your safety
belt properly.

Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top of your ears. This position
reduces the chance
of a neck injury in a crash.
Seatback Latches (2-Door 1 Models)
In two-door models, the front seatback folds forward to
let people get into the back seat.
To fold a front Seatback forward, lift the latch located
on the lower backside of the seatback. Then the seat
will fold forward.
When
you return the seatback to its original position,
make sure the seatback is locked, The latch must be
down for the seat to work properly.
1-6

Easy Entry Seat (2-Door Models)
I
If an easy entry right front seat isn’t locked, it
can move. In a suddenstopor crash, the person
sitting there could be injured. After you’ve used
it, be sure to push rearward on an easy entryseat
to be sure
it is locked.
The right front seat of two-door vehicles makes it easy
to get in andout
of the rear seat.
0 Tilt the right front seatback completely forward and
0 Move the right front seatback to its originalposition
the whole seat will slide forward.
after someone gets into the rear seat area. Then move
the seatrearward until it locks.
Tilt the seatback completely forward againto get out.
Rear Seats
Folding the Rear Seat
To open thefold-down rear seat, pull forward on the
seat tab.
1-7

Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
Thispart of the manual tells you howto use safety belts
properly.
It alsotells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS), or air bag system.
. .. . .. .
A
To close the seat,push the seatbackup to its
originalposition.
Check
to ensure the seatback is in itsoriginal
position
and securelylatched by pulling forward
on the top of the seatback.Move any obstructions
in the trunkcompartment.
r=-
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she ca: : wl
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
vehicle
or be ejected from it. You can be seriously
injured orkilled. In the
same crash, you might
not
be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts
are fastened properlytoo.
r

A CAUTION:
I
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of
a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are morelikely to
be
seriously injured orkilled. Do not allow people to
ride in any areaof your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and safetybelts. Be sure
everyone inyour vehicle is in
a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has alight
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
(See “Safety Belt Reminder
Light” in the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
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 a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
seriousthat even buckled up a person wouldn’t
survive.But most crashes are inbetween.
In many
of them, people who buckle up can surviveand
sometimes
walk away. Without belts they couldhave
been badly hurt or killed.
After more than
25 years of safetybelts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes bucklingup does
matter
... a lot!
1-9

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

Get it up to speed.Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop. Theperson keeps going until stopped
by something.
In a real vehicle, itcould be the windshield ...
1-11

or the safetybelts!
With safetybelts, you
slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over moredistance,
and yourstrongestbones takethe forces.
That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
1-12