1995 PONTIAC FIREBIRD service

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
PARK (P) yet, or into gear for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes, Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK (P), or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transmission.
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more on this. Things that
are especially important in trailer
operation
are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling
system, and brake adjustment. Each
of these is covered
in this manual, and the Index will help you find them
quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review
these sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are
tight.
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10.
11.
12.
Attach the cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away
from the dead battery, but not near engine parts that
move. The electrical connection is just as good there,
but the chance
of sparks getting back to the battery is
much less.
Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run the engine for a while.
Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery.
If it won’t start after a few tries, it probably needs
service.
13. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
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Towing Your Car
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing
service tow your Pontiac. The usual towing equipment is
a sling-type
(A) or a wheel-lift (B) or car carrier (C) tow
truck.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new
by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment.
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow'operator.
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
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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 car’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.
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~ ~. ~~~ .
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 get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1.
2.
3.
If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (03)
or DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.
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 oflthe engine and get everyone out of the
vehide
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get 'service
help right away.
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r
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, check to see if the electric
engine fans are running.
If the engine is overheating,
both fans should be running.
If they aren’t, your vehicle
needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at
FWLL COLD, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze at the
coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant”
in the
Index for more information about the proper coolant
mix.)
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9. Shut the engine off and replace the pressure cap. Be
sure the arrows on the cap line up like this.
10. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to the proper
level.
For a complete drain, flush and refill, see your Pontiac
dealer or a Pontiac Service Manual. To purchase a
service manual, see “Service Publications” in the Index.
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Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your
Pontiac. This section 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 part devoted to its
appearance care.
Service
Your Pontiac dealer knows your vehicle best and wants
you to be happy with it. We hope
you’ll go to your
dealer
for all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM
parts and GM-trained and supported service people. We
hope you’ll want to keep
your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
GM I
-- I
I
..
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