1996 PONTIAC FIREBIRD steering

Windows
Manual Windows
Rotate the window crank handle to open and close each
door window.
Power Windows (Option)
T
With power windows, switches on the door control each
window when the ignition is on or when
RAP is present.
(See “Retained
Accessory Power” in the Index.)
You can also open the passenger window any amount by
pressing the switch and releasing it when the window
has lowered to the position
you want.
The switch-for the driver’s window has anexpress-down
feature. Quickly press and release
the switch for the
driver’s window and
the window will lower completely.
You can also open the driver’s window any amount by
pressing the switch again while the
window is in the
express-down mode when it has lowered to
the position
you want.
Horn ..
To sound the horn, press either horn symbol on your ‘ -. ”’ .
steering wheel.
If your horn sounds two or three chirps when unlocking ,
your vehicle with the Remote Lock Control transmitter
(if
you have that option), the alarm was triggered in
while
you were away. ‘Check the vehicle before entering.
.. .., c ’ .I .. I’ .. . ..
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Tilt Steering Wheel Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before
you drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel
to a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel in place. The
lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
e Headlamp Highkow Beam and Passing Signal
e Windshield Wipers
Windshield Washer
Cruise Control (Option)
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1. Fog Lamp Switch (if equipped)
2. Main Lamp Control
3. Side Upper Air Vent
4. Instrument Cluster
5. Horn
6. Center Upper Air Vent
7.
Audio System
8. Glove Box
9. Comfort Controls
10. Cigarette Lighter .
1 1. Parking Brake Lever
12. Cupholder
13. Storage Console
14. Shift Lever
15. Ashtray (Automatic Transmission)
16. Rear Window Defogger Switch
17. Steering Wheel Controls
18. Remote Hatch Release
19. Convertible Top Switch (Option)
20. Traction Control System Switch (Option)
21. Second Gear Start (V6 Automatic only)
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Steering Wheel Controls (Option)
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on
your steering wheel.
VOLUME: Press the up arrow to increase the volume
and the down arrow to decrease volume.
PLAY: Press this button to play a cassette tape or
compact disc when the radio is playing.
MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it
again, or any other
radio button, to turn on the sound.
SEEK: Press the up mow to tune to the next radio
station and
the down arrow to tune to the previous radio
station. If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, the
player will advance with the up arrow and rewind with
the down mow.
PRESET: Press this button to hear the radio stations
that
are set on your pushbuttons.
AM-F": Press this button to select AM, FM1 or €342.
If a cassette tape or compact disc is playing, the tape or
disc will stop playing and the radio will play.
UBderstanding Radio R: 3eption
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles ( 16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or
hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations
to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise horn things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
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Control of a Vehicle Braking
You
have three systems that make your vehicle go where Braking action involves perception time and
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and reaction time.
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
at the places where the tires meet the road.
That’s perception time. Then you have to bring up
your fo.ot and do
it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time
is about 314 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with
one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even
in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot
of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface
of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy
to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
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. If the traction control system is limiting wheel spin
when you press the button, the light on the button will
.go off and the warning light will come on -- but the
_. ._ ,system won't turn off right away. It will wait until
gathere's
no longer a current need to limit wheel spin. I
You can turn the system back an at any time by pressing
the button
again. The light on the button should come
on, and the traction control system w'arning light should
go off.
If your car is equipped with P245/50zR16 tires, the
traction control system will automatically
turn off at
speeds above 108 mph (1 74 km/h). (The traction, control
system waning light will not corn on.) When the
vehicle
speed drops below 103 mph (1 66 km/h) the
system will automatically come on again.
- Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even
the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much
more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the "driver lost control" accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us
is subject to
the same laws
of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand
this.
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I
.-.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition
of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed.
While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose’ you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems -- steering
and acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires
meet the road. Unless you have traction control and the
system is on, adding the sudden acceleration can demand
too much of
those places. You can lose control.
What should you do if.this ever happens? Ease up
on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want
it
to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of courqe, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want
to go slower.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until
you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example,
you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your Pontiac can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in
this section.) It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem,
to the left or
right depending on the space available,
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding
the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer
quickly, and
just
as quickly straighten the wheel once you’have
’ avoided the object,
The fact
that such emergency situations are always
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
YOU may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the
right front
tire contacts the pavement edge. Then tum your
steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
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