1997 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Owners Manual

City Driving Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time
and energy. (See the
next part,
“Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light
is there because the corner
is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection
or mav be running the
red light.
One
of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount
of traffic on them, You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention
to
traffic signals.
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Freeway Driving The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most
of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway.
If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect
to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic
flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.

Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave
the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance.
If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop
and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can
be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce
your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower
than you actually are,
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in,
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready
to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Pontiac dealerships all across North America.
They’ll be
ready and willing to help if you need it.
Here are
some things you can check before a trip:
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a
a
a
a
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all worlung? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: Th’ey are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recomended pressure?
Weather Fureecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay
your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum
of the tires on the
road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t
let it
happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in
less than a second, and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you
do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can
make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These
parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know
is this: let your engine do some of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a
steep or long kill.
Coasting downhill! in NEUTRAL (N) or with
the ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will
have to do all the work of slowing
down. They
could get
so hot that they wouldn’t work well.
You would then have poor braking or even
none
going down a hill. You c’ould crash. Always have
your engine running and your vehicle in gear
when you! go downhill.
then have poor braking or even none going
down
a hill. You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on a steep
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Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the hill better.
0 Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills
or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
could be something in your lane, like a stalled car
or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area
or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
0 Have your Pontiac in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
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Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a
small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires
and
the road, you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll
have
a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
. . . ‘ .. . . . . ,1.. . . . . . . . <. , ..I . . -T---T -- i
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What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32” F; 0” C) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution,
If you have traction control, keep the system on. It will
improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a
slippery road. Even though your vehicle has a traction
control system, you’ll want to slow down and adjust
your driving to
the road conditions. See “Traction
Control System” in the Index,
If you don’t have the traction control system, accelerate
gently. Try not
to break the fragile traction. If you
accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish
the surface under the tires even more. Your
anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on
a slippery road. Even
though you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See “Anti-Lock” in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps
of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve
or an overpass may
remain
icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it.
Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
slippery
road.