1994 PONTIAC FIREBIRD engine overheat

How to Use This
Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual
from beginning to end when they first
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’s an 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 how to 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 how to drive
under different conditions.
Part 5 - Problems on the Road: This
part tells you what to 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 to keep your Pontiac running
properly and looking good.
Part 7 - Maintenance Schedule:
This part tells when to perform vehicle
maintenance and what fluids and
lubricants to use.
Part 8 - Customer Assistance
Information:
This part includes
important information about reporting
safety defects and gives
you details
about the “Roadside Assistance” program.
You will also find customer
satisfaction phone numbers (including
customer satisfaction numbers for the
hearing and speech impaired), as well
as the mediatiodarbitration procedure.
We’ve also included ordering
information for service publications in
this part.
Service Station Information: This is
a quick reference of service
information.
You can find it on the last
page of this manual.
3...
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Features and Controls
@ Automatic Overdrive
This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power far passing, and you’re:
- Going less than about 35 mph
(56 kdh), push your accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
- Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way
down.
You’ll shift down to the
next gear and
have more power.
D (Third Gear)
This is like @ , but you never go into
Overdrive.
Here are some times you might choose
“D’ instead of @ :
- When driving on hilly, winding roads
- When towing a trailer, so there is less
shifting between gears
- When going down a steep hill
2 (Second Gear)
This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use “2” on
hills. It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but
then you would also want to use your
brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in “2” (Second Gear)
for more than
5 miles (8 km), or at
speeds over
55 mph (88 kmh), or
you can damage your transmission.
Use
(EJ or “D” as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
“2” unless you
are going slower than
65 mph
( 105 km/h), or you can damage
your engine.
1 (First Gear)
This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
“2.” You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep
snow or mud. If the selector lever is put
in
“I,” the transmission won’t shift into
first gear until fhe vehicle is going slowly
enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t
try to drive. This might happen if you
were stuck in very deep sand or mud
or were up against a solid object.
You
could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill,
don’t hold your vehicle there with
only the accelerator pedal. This could overheat and damage the transmission. Use your brakes or
shift into
“P” (Park) to hold your
vehicle in position on a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited
to
protect driveline components from improper operation.
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Features and Controls
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1:
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1
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... 92
ABS
INOP
f the anti-lock brake system warning
ight stays on longer than normal after
rou’ve started your engine, turn the
gnition
off. Or, if the light comes on and
tays on when you’re driving, stop as
oon as possible and turn the ignition
off.
rhen start the engine again to reset the
‘ystem. If the light still stays on, or
:omed on again while you’re driving,
rour Pontiac needs service. If the light is
In but not flashing and the regular brake
,ystem warning light isn’t on, you still
lave brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock
wakes.
TCS
OFF
kaction Control System Warning
,ight (Option)
men the traction control system is off,
he “TCS OFF” light will come on. This
ight will also come on for three seconds
:ach time you start your vehicle as a bulb
:heck and if there’s a system failure. See
‘Traction Control System” in the Index.
The traction control system will shut
lown partially due to brake overheating
)ut the “TCS OFF” light will not come
m. If there is throttle relaxer overheating,
he “TCS
OFF” light will illuminate
md the system will shut down. Once
werything cools
off, the system will
)perate normally again.
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9
!I LOW
COOLANT
Low Coolant Light (4% Engine)
This light should come on while you are
starting your engine.
If the light doesn’t
come on, have it repaired. The light also
comes on when the coolant in your
radiator
is low. You may need to add
coolant. See “Engine Coolant”
in the
NOTICE:
Driving with the “LOW COOLANT”
light on could cause
your Pontiac to
overheat. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index. Your Pontiac could
be
damaged, and it wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Convertible Top
The following procedures explain the
proper operation of your convertible top.
To Lower Your Convertible Top
NOTICE:
Don’t leave yoqxconvertible out with
the top down for any long periods
of time. The sun and the rain can
damage your seat material and other
things inside your vehicle.
97. .
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Your Driving and the Road
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move
your hand to the right. Always back up
slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making 7hms
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal.
Do this so your
trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Thrn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lights will also
flash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn, change lanes or stop. When
towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you
have an automatic transmission with
Overdrive, you may prefer to drive in
“D”
instead of Overdrive (or, as you need to, a
lower gear). Or,
if you have a manual
transmission with fifth (or sixth) gear and
you are towing a trailer, it’s better not to
use fifth (or sixth) gear. Just drive in
fourth gear (fifth gear if you have a six-speed manual transmission) or, as you
need to, a lower gear.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
-
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured, and
both your vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a
hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
“P” (Park) yet, or into gear
for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chxks under the
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load. trailer wheels.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake, and then shift to
“P” (Park), or “R” (Reverse)
for a manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
. . .I48
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Here you’ll find what to do
tbout some problems that can
)ccur
on the road.
Part 5
Problems on the Road
3azard Warning Flashers ............................................
..................................................... lump Starting
rowingYourVehicle
...............................................
Engineoverheating ................................................
[faTireGoesFlat ................................................. [f You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow .............................
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151 ...
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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.
161 .
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Problems on the Road
If your engine catches fire because
you keep driving with no coolant,
your vehicle can be badly darhaged.
The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming from Your
Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see
or hear
no steam, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine can gel
a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
0 Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer. If you
get the overheat warning with
no
sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
off.
highest
fan speed and
open the
window as necessary.
3. Try to keep your engine under load
(in a drive gear where the engine runs
slower).
If you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about
ten minutes. If the
warning doesn’t come back
on, you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop,
and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam,
you can
idle the engine for two or three minutes
while you’re parked, to see if the warning
stops. But then, if you still have the
warning, TURN
OFF THE ENGINE
AND GET EVERYONE OUT
OF THE
VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to
get service help right away.
Cooling System
When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood,
here’s what you’ll see on the V6 engine:
1. Coolant recovery tank
2. Radiator pressure cap
3. Electric engine fan
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