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Problems on the Road
When your vehicle is being towed, have
the ignition key off. The steering wheel
should be clamped in a straight-ahead
position, with a clamping device designed
for towing service. Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this.
The transmission should be in “Neutral”
and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the rear
wheels, unless you must. If the vehicle
must be towed on the rear wheels, don’t
go more than 35 mph (55 km/h) or farther
than
50 miles (80 km) or your
transmission will be damaged. If these
limits must be exceeded, then the rear
wheels have to be supported on a dolly. Front Towing Hook-Ups
Attach T-hook chains to slots in frame
rearward
of front wheels on both sides.
NOTICE:
Do not attach winch cables or “J”
hooks to suspension components
when using car carrier equipment.
Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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I
I
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equiment
or fascia/fog light damage will occur.
Use wheel lift or car carrier equip-
ment. Additional ramping may be
required for car carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps. Attach a
separate safety chain around
outboard end of each lower control arm.
~TICE:
I
Take care not to damage the brake
pipes and hoses or the
ABS sensor
and wiring.
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces
could damage a vehicle. Damage can
occur from vehicle-to-ground
or vehicle-to-wheel-lift-equipment
contact.
To help avoid damage,
install a towing dolly and raise
vehicle until adequate clearance is
obtained between the ground and/or
wheel-lift equipment.
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Problems on the Road
c
Rear Towing Hook-Ups
Attach T-hook chains in front of rear
wheels in bottom of frame
rail on both
sides.
NOTICE:
Do not attach winch cables or “J”
hooks to suspension components
when using car carrier equipment.
Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slgts.
b
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equip-
ment or rear bumper valance will be
damaged.
Use wheel lift or car carrier equip-
ment. Additional ramping may be
required for car carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps. Attach a separate safety chain around
outboard end of the rear axle.
I NOTICE:
I
Take care not to damage the brake
pipes and cables.
c
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I NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces
could damage a vehicle. Damage
can occur from vehicle-to-ground
or vehicle-to-wheel-lift-equipment
contact.
To help avoid damage, install
a towing dolly and raise vehicle until
adequate clearance is obtained between
the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Engine Overheating
I
If Steam Is Coming from Your Engine:
You will find a coolant temperature gage
on your Pontiac’s instrument panel.
You may also find a low coolant warning
light
on your Pontiac instrument panel.
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Problems on the Road
9. Shut the engine off and replace the
pressure cap. Be sure the arrows
on
the cap line up like this.
I
0. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to
;or a complete drain, flush and refill, see
‘our Pontiac dealer or a Pontiac Firebird
Iervice Manual. To purchase a service
nanual, see “Service Publications’’ in
he Index. the proper
level.
If a Tire Goes Flat
[t’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while
you’re driving, especially
if you maintain
your tires properly. If air goes out of a
;ire, it’s much more likely to leak out
jlowly. But if you should ever have a
‘blowout,” here are a few tips about what
:o expect and what to do:
[fa front tire fails, the
flat tire will create
3 drag that pulls the vehicle toward that
side. Take your foot off the accelerator
pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position,
then
gently brake to a stop well out of the
traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like a
slud and may require the
same correction you’d use in a skid. In
any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle
under control by steering the way you
want the vehicle to go.
It may be very
bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer.
Gently brake to a stop, well
off the road
if possible.
[f a tire goes flat, the next section shows
how to use your jacking equipment to
change a flat tire safely.
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Changing a FIat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving s’lowly to a level
place. Turn on your hazard warning
flashers. The
following steps will tell you how to
use the jack and change a tire.
The equipment you’ll need is
in the rear
area.
First you must remove the clcse-out
panel. See “Close-Out Panel” in the
Index.
On convertible models, you must also
remove the trunk access panel. It’s at the
upper back of the trunk. Turn the two
screw knobs under the trunk
edge a
quarter
turn counterclockwise to remove
lhe panel.
Find the plastic screw heads in
the trim
?anel over the spare tire. Use a coin or a
tey to turn the screw heads until the slots
mint front and back. Lift the
trim panel
md move it out
of the way.
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Problems on the Road
If you have speakers in the trim panel,
you will have to disconnect the speaker
wire before completely removing the
trim panel.
:o remove the jack and wheel wrench,
Dosen and remove the bolt and remove
he plastic cover. Remove the wing nut and adapter and
pull out the spare.
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Start with thejack (A) and wheel wrench
(B).
The jack has a bolt at the end. Attach the
wheel wrench to the jack bolt.
Turn the wheel wrench to the right to
raise the lift head
a little.
If your wheel has a bolt-on center cap,
loosen the plastic caps using the wheel
wrench.
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