1997 PONTIAC FIREBIRD engine

Skip Shift
SKIP
SHIFT
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
gear instead of FIRST
(1) to
SECOND
(2) gear. This
helps you
to get the best
possible fuel economy.
FIRST
(1) tQ FOURTH '(4)
This light will come on under these conditions:
0 The engine coolant temperature is greater than
You are going 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h) and
0 You are at 35 percent throttle or less.
170°F (77°C).
When this light is on, the gear shift lever will let you
shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) gear only. Once
you are in FOURTH (4) gear,
you can press the clutch
again and shift into another gear.
Follow the shift speeds in this chart when the
SKIP SHIFT light is on.
Computer Aided Manual Transmission Shift Speeds
1st to 4th: 15 mph (24 kdh)
0 4th to 5th: 25 mph (40 km/h)*
5th to 6th: 40 mph (64 km/h)**
Each time you come to a stop, the engine's Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) determines when to activate the
SKIP SHIFT upshift system. Use SECOND (2) gear
only when you accelerate very quickly from a stop.
You
can then follow the full gear shift pattern.
*30 mph (48 kmh) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
**45 mph (72 km/h) when accelerating to
highway speeds.
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Shift Speeds
If pull skip more than one gear waien you
downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle.
And
you could injure yourself or others. Don’t
shift from SIXTH (6) to THIRD (3), or FIFTH (5:
to SECOND (2) or FOURTH (4) to FIRST (1).
This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy.
I MANUAL TRANSMISSION RECOMMENDED SHIFT SPEEDS, IN MPH (kmfh) ,
Engine Acceloratlen Shlft Speed
it02 I 2to3 I 3to4 I 4to5 I St06
(72-75) I N’A 45-47
If your speed drops below 20 mph (30 km/h), or if the
engine is
not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
If you have this feature, your rear axle can give you
additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or gravel. It
works like
a standard axle most of the time, but when
one
of the rear wheels has no traction and the other does,
the limited-slip locking feature will allow the wheel
with traction to move the vehicle.
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I NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parlung on any hill,
see
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission Models Only)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
‘(Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index.
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2.
3.
4.
Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
Move the shift lever
into PARK (P) position by
holding in the button
on the lever and pushing the
lever all the way toward the front
of your vehicle.
Move the ignition key to
LOCK.
Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running,
it could
overheat and even catch fire. You
or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle
with the
engine running unless you have to.
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Parking Over Things That Burn
rn ........... .......... ...........
A CAUTION:
I
Engine Exhaust
I
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn. Engine exhaust can
kill.
It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
0 Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
0 Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
0 Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
0 Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
0 Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and

Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked (Automatic Transmission)
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
er have to, here are some things.. .fl,.:?=....v,> tg kngw,. ,:+:-., i::, ,..>?pd; y.
Idling the engine with the air system control off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under <‘Engine Exhaustss),
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CU) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is
at the highest setting. One place
this
can happen is a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard, (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set, Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly.
You
or others could be injured. ‘Bo be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift PWW to P;ARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
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Speedometer and Odometer
Your speedometer lets you see your speed in both miles
per hour (mph) and kilometers per hour (kmk). Your
odometer shows how far your vehicle has been driven,
in either miles (used in the United States)
or kilometers
(used in Canada).
You may wonder what happens if your Pontiac needs a
new odometer installed.
If possible, the new one has to be
set
to the same reading the old one had. If it can’t be, then
it’s set at zero, but a label on
the driver’s door must show
the old reading and when the new one was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far your vehicle has
been driven since you last set the trip odometer
to zero.
To set the trip odometer to zero, press the knob.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in thousands
of revolutions per minute (rpm).
NOTICE:
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer in
the red area, or engine damage may occur.
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that may
be
on your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause
an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you
or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or
is a
problem with one
of your vehicle’s functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some warning
lights come on briefly when you
start the engine just to let
you
know they’re working. If you are familiar with this
section, you should not be alarmed when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s a problem with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one
of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s
advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
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Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a chime will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts.
The safety belt light will
also come on and stay on
for about
70 seconds. If the
driver’s belt is already
buckled, neither the chime
nor the light will come
on.
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, see “Air
Bag” in the Index. This light
will come on
when you start your engine,
and
it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system
is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
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