1996 PONTIAC FIREBIRD battery

Starting Your 5.7 Liter LT1 Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts,
let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn't start wihn 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal
all the way to the floor, while you
hold the ignition key in START. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and let up on the accelerator
pedal. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to
help avoid draining your battery.
When starting your engine in very cold weather (below
0°F or -18"C), do this:
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START and hold it there. When the
engine starts,
let go of the key. Use the accelerator pedal
to maintain engine speed, if you have to, until
your engine
has run for a while.
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal
all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
2. If your engine still won't start (or starts but then
I NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accepsories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don't,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do
it
without damaging your vehicle. See 4'Towing
Your Vehicle" in the Index.
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Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
This switch controls the brightness of your
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.
Courtesy Lamps
When any door is opened, several interior lamps go on.
These lamps are courtesy lamps. They make it easier for
you to enter and leave your vehicle.
Courtesy lamps include the dome lamp and other
lamps
throughout the interior of your vehicle.
To prevent battery rundown, your interior lamps will be
disabled about
10 minutes after the ignition is turned to
OFFm The 10 minute timer will be restarted if you do any
of the following:
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Open either door.
3.
4.
5.
Press any button on your Remote Lock
Control transmitter.
Turn the interior lamp switch from off to on.
Open the hatch.
Delayed Illumination (Option)
With delayed illumination, when you open a door, your
courtesy lamps will come
on and stay on for 25 seconds
after the doors
are closed. The 25 seconds is shortened
if the ignition is turned to
the RUN position or if the
power locks
are activated. To turn this feature on or off,
see “Feature Customization” in the Index.
Exit Lighting (Option)
With exit lighting, the interior lamps will come on when
you remove the key from the ignition to help you see
while exiting the vehicle. To turn
this feature on or off,
see “Feature Customization” in the Index.
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Sun Visors
I
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also swing them to the side.
The elastic bands on
your visor provide extra storage for maps or papers.
Covered Visor Vanity Mirror
Pull down the sun visor and lift the cover to expose the
vanity mirror.
Accessory Plug
This plug is located inside the front section ahead of the
shift lever in the console. The plug can be used to
connect electrical'equipment such as a cellular phone or
CB radio. Be sure to follow the installation instructions
included with the equipment.
The plug has three separate wires:
The orange wire'connects to the battery.
0 The pink wire connects to the ignition. Power is only
available in RUN.
The black wire connects to the ground.
When using the accessory plug:
The maximum load of any electrical equipment
should not exceed
3 amps.
Be sure to turn off any electrical equipment when not
in use. Leaving electrical equipment on for extended
periods
can drain your battery.
We recommend that you see a qualified technician
or your dealer for the proper installation of
your equipment.
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5. Push and hold the top
of the convertible
top switch.
6. Pull down on center opening and align hooks with
holes. Push forward on the larger part of the latch until
it clicks.
Do not force the latch. If it is hard to
lock, the top is not properly aligned.
If
your vehicle suffers a power loss, such as a dead
battery, you can still raise or lower the top manually by
rotating the valve in the left side
of the trunk.
Open the
trunk and find the tab along the left side trim
panel. Lift up the tab and turn the valve clockwise to
release the hydraulic pressure. Turn the ignition
key to
the LOCK position. You can now raise or lower your top
manually. Be sure to close
the valve after installing your
top
so you can raise or lower it electronically later.
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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, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, sed “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.
Voltmeter
I p4
You can read battery
voltage on
your voltmeter.
If it reads less than 11 volts
or more than 16 volts while
your engine
is running,
and it stays there, you may
have
a problem with the
electrical charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone could drain your battery.
If you idle your engine for a while, the voltmeter
reading might move into the yellow zone, If the reading
stays in the yellow zone while you are driving, you may
have a problem with the electrical charging system.
Have it checked. While the voltmeter reads in the
yellow
zone, your battery may not be able to power certain
electrical accessories,
like ABS. (If this happens, your
ABS INOP light will come on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in this
part.)
If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone,
turn off all your accessories,
including your comfort control and audio system.
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Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK" is designed to discourage theft of your
rabio. It works by using a secret code.to disable all radio
functions whenever battery power is removed.
The THEFTLOCK feature for the radio may be used or
radio
is not protected by the feature. If THEFTLOCK is
activated, your radio will not operate
if stolen.
When THEFTLOCK is activated, the radio will display
LOC to indicate a locked condition anytime battery
power is removed.
If your battery loses power for any
reason, you must
unlock the radio with the secret code
before-it will operate.
+ ignored. If ignored, the system plays normally an'd the
Activating the Theft-Reterrent Feature
The instructions which follow explain how to enter your
secret code to activate the
THEFTLOCK system. It is
recommended that
you read through all nine steps
before starting the procedure.
NOTE: If you allow more than 15 seconds to elapse
between any
steps, the radio automatically reverts to
time and you must start the procedure over at Step 4.
1. Write down any wee or four-digit number from
000 to 1999 and keep it in a safe place separate from
the vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition to the ACC or RUN position.
3. Turn the radio off.
4. Press the 1 and 4 buttons together. Hold them down
until
--- shows on the display. Next you will use the
secret code number which you have written down.
5. Press MIN and 000 will appear on the display.
6. Press MIN again to make the last two digits agree
7. Press PElR to make the first one or two digits agree
8. Press AM-FM after you have confirmed that the
with
your code.
with
your code.
code matches the secret code
you have written down.
The display will show REP to let you know that you
need to repeat Steps 5 through 7 to confirm your
secret code.
9. Press AM-FM and this time the display will show
SEC to let you know that your radio is secure.
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Unlocking the Theft-Deterrent Feature After a Power
Loss
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1. LOC appears when the ignition is on.
2. Press MIN and 000 will appear on the display.
3. Press MIN again to make the last two digits agree
4. Press HR to make the first one or two digits agree
with
your code.
with your code.
code matches the secret code you have written down.
The
display will show SEC, indicating the radio is
now operable and secure.
5. Press AM-FM after you have confirmed that the
If you enter the wrong code eight times, INOP will
appear
on the display. You will have to wait an hour
with the ignition on before you can
try again. When you
try again, you will only have three chances to enter the
correct code before INOP appears.
If
you lose or forget your code, contact your dealer.
Disabling the Theft-Deterrent Feature
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1. Turn the ignition to the ACC or RUN position.
2. Turn'the radio off.
3. Press the 1 and 4 buttons together. Hold them down
until
SEC shows on the display.
4. Press MIN qd 000 will appear on the display.
5. Press MIN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
6. Press HR to make the first one or two digits agree
7. Press AM-FM after you have confirmed that the
with
your code.
code matches the secret code you have written down.
The display will show
---, indicating that the radio is
no longer secured.
If the code entered is incorrect,
SEC will appear on the
display. The radio will remain secured until the correct
code is entered.
When battery power is given to a secured radio, the
radio won't
turn on and LOC will appear on the display.
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the heater
run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Loading Your Vehicle
'@I OCCUPANTS VEHICLE CAP. WT.
TIRE-LOADING INFORMATION
FRT. CTR.
RR. TOTAL LBS. KG
MAX. LOADING & GVWR SAME AS VEHICLE
CAPACITY
WEIGHT XXX COLD TIRE
TIRE SIZE SPEED PRESSURE
RTG PSI/KPa
FRT.
RR.
SPA.
IF TIRES ARE HOT, ADD 4PS1/28KPa
SEE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL
( INFORMATION
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The Tire-Loading Information label
found on the driver's door tells you the proper size,
speed rating and recommended inflation pressures for
the tires on your vehicle.
It also gives you important
information about the number of people that can be in
your vehicle and the total weight
that you can carry.
This weight is called the vehicle capacity weight and
includes
the weight of all occupants, cargo and aLI
nonfactory-installed options.
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