1996 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Owners Manual

NOTICE:
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
Attach a separate safety chain around outboard end of
each lower control arm.
NOTICE:
Take care not to damage the brake pipes and
hoses
or the ABS sensor and wiring.
NOTICE: 1
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.
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Rear Towing
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance will be damaged.
Use wheel lift or car carrier equipment.
Additional ramping may be required for car
carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
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.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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Attach T-hook chains in front of rear wheels in bottom
of frame rail on both sides.
Attach a separate safety chain around each outboard end
of the rear axle.
I
~
1
NOTICE:
Take care not -to damage the brake pipes and cables.
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Engine Overheating
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.
If Steam Is Comidg Frod Your Engine
p i;
A CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay.away
from the engine if you see or hear steam corning
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until
it cools down. Wait until
there is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the
hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with
no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
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If No Ste~ n Is C Jminp 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.
0 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 off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hbt at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@) 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 10 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
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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When you decide it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ 11 see: When
you decide
it’s safe to lift the hood, here’s what
you’ll see:
V8 Engine
1. Coolant Recovery Tank
2. Radiator Pressure Cap
3. Electric Engine Fan
V6 Engine
1. ’Coolant Recovery Tank
2. Radiator Pressure Cap
3. Electric Engine Fan
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An electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine
is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing
and tools away from
any underhood electric fan,
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don’t do anything
else until it cools down.
When it is cool, remove the coolant recovery tank cap
and
look at the dipstick.
The coolant level should be at FULL COLD. If it
isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in
the
cooling system.

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Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a leak.
If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause
an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.

NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine fan is running. If the engine
is
overheating, the fan should be running. If it isn’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
FULL COLD, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water
(preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL TM
(orange-colored, silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant
recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant” in the Index for
more information.)
I A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix
will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL TM antifreeze.
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