1994 PONTIAC FIREBIRD tires

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Here you will find information
about the care of your Pontiac
.
This part begins with service and fuel information. and then
it
shows how to check important
fluid and lubricant levels
. There
is also technical information
about your vehicle. and a section devoted
to its
appearance care
.
Part b
Service 8t Appearance Care
Service .........................................................
Fuel ...........................................................
Checking Things under the Hood ....................................
HoodRelease ..................................................
184
185
188
188
Engineoil
.................................................... 191
Aircleaner
.................................................... 195
Automatic Transmission Fluid
..................................... 198
Manual Transmission Fluid
....................................... 200
Hydraulic Clutch
............................................... 201
RearAxle
..................................................... 201
Enginecoolant
................................................. 201
Power Steering fluid
............................................ 204
Windshield Washer Fluid
......................................... 205
Brake Master Cylinder
........................................... 206
Bulb Replacement
................................................ 209
Battery
....................................................... 208
LoadingYourVehicle
............................................. 213
Tires
........................................................... 215
Appearance Care
................................................. 221
Appearance Care and Maintenance Materials
.......................... 227
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
................................. 228
Service Parts Identification Label
.................................... 228
Add-on Electrical Equipment
....................................... 228
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
......................................... 228
ReplacementBulbs
............................................... 232
Capacities and Specifications
........................................ 233
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What to Add:
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake fluid - such as Delco-
Supreme ll@
(GM Part No. 1052535).
Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only, and always clean the
brake fluid reservoir cap before
removing it.
NOTICE:
Don’t let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid. For example,
just
a few drops of mineral-based
oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll
have to be replaced.
Brake fluid can damage paint,
so
be careful not to spill brake fluid on your vehicle. If you
do, wash it
off immediately. See “Appearance
Care”
in the Index.
Brake Wear
Unless you have the four-wheel disc
brake option, your Pontiac has front disc
brakes and rear drum brakes. Disc
brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The
sound may come and
go or be heard all
the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing on the brake pedal
firmly).
I NOTICE:
I
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair. Some driving conditions
or climates may
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something is wrong with your
brakes.
If you have rear drum brakes, they don’t
have wear indicators, but if you ever hear
a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear
brake drums should be removed and
inspected each time the tires are removed
for rotation or changing. When you have
the front brakes replaced, have
the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does
not return to normal height, or if there is a
rapid increase in pedal travel.
This could
be a sign
of brake trouble.
I.
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1. Turn counterclockwise and pull out
I. Pull out the bulb.
i. Reverse the steps with a new bulb.
the socket and
the bulb.
r ~~
~~ ~~~
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
FRT. CRT.
RR. TOTAL LBS KG 3 3 2 MAX. LOADING @ GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE 8 1199 544
OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE SIZE
In 0
0
INFORMATION l-
< d
I Loading Your Vehicle
wo labels on your vehicle show how
luch weight it may properly carry. The
ire-Loading Information label found on
le driver’s door tells you the proper size,
Jeed rating and recommended inflation
ressures for the tires on your vehicle. It
so gives you important information
)out
the number of people that can be in
3ur vehicle and the total weight that you
in carry. This weight is called the
ehicle Capacity Weight and includes the
eight of all occupants, cargo, and all
onfactory-installed options.
MFD BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
DATE GVWR GAWRFRT GAWRRR
01/91 5713LB 2503LB
Y) In
0 2
c d
he other label is the Certification label,
Iund on the rear edge of the driver’s
oor. It tells you the
gross weight
apacity of your vehicle, called the
WWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).
he GVWR includes the weight of the
shicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
’ever exceed the GVWR for your
zhicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating
3AWR) for either the front or rear axle.
.nd, if you do have a heavy load, you
lould spread it out. Don’t carry more
Ian
100 pounds (45 kg) in your rear area
213. ProCarManuals.com

Tires
We don’t make tires. Your new vehicle comes with high quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. These tires are warranted by the tire manufacturers and
their warranties are delivered with every new Pontiac. If your spare tire is a
different brand than your road tires, you will have a tire warranty folder from each
of these manufacturers.
215. ProCarManuals.com

Service and Appearance Care
[dation - Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label
which
is on the driver’s door shows the
correct inflation pressures for your
tires, when they’re cold. “Cold” means
your vehicle has been sitting for at
least three hours or driven
no more
than
a mile.
If your vehicle is equipped with
P245/50ZR16 tires and you’ll be
driving at speeds higher than 100 mph
(160
km/h) where it is legal, raise the
“cold” inflation pressure of each tire
to
35 psi (240 Pa). When you end this
very high speed driving, reduce the
“cold” inflation pressures to those
listed
on the Tire Loading Information
label.
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation overinflation is all right. It’s not.
If your tires don’t have enough air (underinflation) you
can get:
Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
a Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you can get:
0 Unusual wear
Bad handling
0 Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
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When to Check: Check your tires once a
month or more. Don’t forget your
compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi
(420 kPa).
How to Check: Use a good quality
pocket-type gage to check tire pressure.
Simply looking at the tires will not tell
you the pressure, especially
if you have
radial tires
- which may look properly
inflated even if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to
put them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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Tire Inspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have them
inspected and rotated at the mileages
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule. See “Scheduled Maintenance
Services” in the Index.
If you don’t have P245/50ZR16 size tires:
use the rotation pattern shown above for
your size tires.
I1
II
0
SI
B
SI
e:
b
’ fl
A
tl
SI
12
P:
T
4-
-I-
4-
-a4
F you have P245/50ZR16 size tires, they
lust roll in a certain direction for the besl
vera11 performance. The direction is
hown by an arrow on both sidewalls.
lecause these tires are directional, they
hould be rotated as shown in the
xample above. These tires should only
e moved from front to rear and rear to
-ont on the same side of the vehicle.
Lfter the tires have been rotated, adjust
le front and rear inflation pressure as
Sown
on the Tire-Loading Information
lbel. Make certain that all wheel nuts are
roperly tightened. See “Wheel Nut
orque” in the Index.
217.
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Service and Appearance Care
When It’s Time for New Tires
he way to tell when it’s time for new
ires is to check the treadwear indicators,
vhich will appear when your tires have
Inly
2/32 inch (1.6 mm) or less of tread
emaining.
r‘ou need a new tire if:
D You can see the indicators at three or
more places around the tire.
through the tire’s rubber.
or snagged deep enough to show corc
or fabric.
B You can see cord or fabric showing
B The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut
D The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other
damage that can’t be repaired well
because of the size or location of the
damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you
need, look at the Tire-Loading
[nformation label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it
was new had a Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec) number on
each tire’s sidewall. When you get
new
tires, get ones with that same TPC Spec
number. That way, your vehicle will
continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling,
speed rating, traction, ride and other
things during normal service on your
vehicle. If your tires have an all-season
tread design, the TPC number will be
followed by a
“MS” (for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those
not having a TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size, load range,
speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted
or radial) as your original
tires.
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Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature
performance.
(This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well
on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest are: A,
B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement
as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does
not include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation of heat and its
3bility to dissipate heat when tested under
:ontrolled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No.
109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance
on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately ,,or
in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
Those grades are molded on the sidewalls
of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or
optional equipment on General Motors
vehicles may
vary with respect to these
grades, all such tires meet General Motors
performance standards and have been
approved for use on General Motors
vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric)
tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements in addition to these grades.
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