1995 PONTIAC FIREBIRD instrument panel

A green arrow on the instrument panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the green arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until
you complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the green arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check the fuse (see“Fuses” in the Index).
Headlamp High/Low Beam
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
to low,
pull the turn signal lever all the way toward you.
Then release
it. When the high beams are on, this blue
light on the instrument panel also
will be on.
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To Erase Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cniise control set speed memory
is erased.
Main Lamp Control
L-’
-7
The main lamp control is a knob that works these lamps:
Headlamps
Taillamps
0 Parking lamps
License lamps
Sidemarker lamps
Instrument panel lights
’ I ’ This setting turns on your headlamps afid dther
operating lamps.
Pg This setting turns on your parking lamps without
your headlamps.
Turn the
knob to OFF to turn off the lamps.
-‘pJ-
Brightness Control
)t/.I This switch controls the brightness af YOU
instrument panel lights. Turn the switch to brighten or
dim the lights. If you turn the switch all the way up your
courtesy lamps will come on.
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Daytime Running Lamps (Canada)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) make it easier to see
the front
of your vehicle during the day. DIU can be
helpful when it’s raining and in the short periods after
dawn and before sunset. Several countries, including
Canada, require DRL.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work,
so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system.wil1 make your front turn signal lamps
come on when:
The ignition is on
0 The headlamp switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your front turn signal lamps
will be on. The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps
won’t be on. Your instrument panel won’t
be lit up either.
When it’s dark enough outside, your front turn signal
lamps will go out and your headlamps will come on.
The other lamps that come on with your headlamps will
also come on.
When it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps will
go off, and your front turn signal lamps come on.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system any time you need it.
Lamps On Reminder
If you turn the ignition OFF and leave the lamps on, you
will hear a chime when you open the driver’s door.
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Instrument Panel
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Instrument Panel and Cluster
CHECK LOW GAUGES OIL
Your instrument cluster is designed to let you know at a Speedometer and Odometer
glance how your car is running. You’ll know how fast
you’re going, about how much fuel you have left and
many other things you’ll need to know to drive safely
and economically. Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and lulometers per hour
(km/h). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
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Safety Belt . . ,.. Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come
on €& about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten
their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled. The safety belt light will also come on
and
I Ctiy .. on until the driver’s belt is buckled.
Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there
is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the
air bag sensors and modules, the
wiring and the diagnostic module. For more information
on the air bag system, see “Air Bag” in the Index.
AIR
BAG
You will see this light flash for a few seconds when you
turn your ignition to RUN or START. Then the light
should go out. This means the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light doesn’t come on when you
start your vehicle, or stays on, or comes on when you
are driving, your
air bag system may not work properly.
Have your vehicle serviced right away.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster
if you
do a lot
of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake
life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Pontiac has an advanced electronic braking system
that will help prevent a braking skid.
INOP
This light on the
instrument panel will
come on briefly when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle, or when you begin to drive
away, you may hear a momentary motor or clicking
noise. And you may even notice that your brake pedal
moves a little while this is going on. This is the ABS
system testing itself. If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, the anti-lock brake system
warning light will stay on or flash.
See “Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light’’ in the
Index.
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Turn 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 lamps 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 driving
in THIRD
(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 (drive in FIFTH if you have a
six-speed manual transmission) or, as you need to, a
lower gear.
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