1997 PONTIAC FIREBIRD instrument panel

Driving On Grades Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal. Do
this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a nailer
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working. Reduce
speed and shift
to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and
no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility
of engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you have an automatic
transmission with overdrive, you may prefer to drive in
THIRD
(3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a)
(or, as you need to, a lower gear). Or, if you have a
manual transmission with FIFTH
(5) or SIXTH (6) gear
and you are towing a trailer, it’s better not to
use FIFTH
(5) or SIXTH (6) gear. Just drive in
FOURTH
(4) (drive in FIFTH (5) if you have a
six-speed manual transmission) or, as you need to,
a lower gear.
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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
(V8 Engine only).
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can L,m you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
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 you
open 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 yon 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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You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to
do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and (‘metric”
fasteners can be easily confused.
If you use
the wrong fasteners, parts can later break
or fall off. You could be hurt.
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airflow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your Pontiac dealer before adding equipment
to the
outside
of your vehicle.
Fuel
The 8th digit of your vehicle identification number
(VIN) shows the code letter for your engine. You will
find the
VIN at the. top left of your instrument panel.
(See “Vehicle Identification Number” in the Index.)
If you have the 3800 engine (VIN Code K), use regular
unleaded gasoline rated at
87 octane or higher.
If you have the 5.7L engine (VIN Code I?), use premium
unleaded gasoline rated at
91 octane or higher for best
performance. You may use middle grade or regular
unleaded gasolines, but your vehicle may not accelerate
as well.

At a minimum, the gasoline you use should meet
specifications
ASTM D4814 in the United States and
CGSB 3.5-M93 in Canada. Improved gasoline
specifications have been developed by the American
Automobile Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) for
better vehicle performance and engine protection.
Gasolines meeting the AAMA specification could
provide improved driveability and emission control
system protection compared to other gasolines,
Be sure the posted octane for premium is at least
91 (at least 89 for middle grade and 87 for regular).
If the octane is less than
87, you may get a heavy
knocking noise when
you drive. If it’s bad enough,
it can damage your engine.
If you’re using fuel rated at the recommended octane
or higher and you still hear heavy knocking, your
engine needs service.
But dm9t worry if you hear a little
pinging noise when you’re accelerating
or driving up a
hill. That’s normal, and you don’t have
to buy a higher
octane fuel
to get rid of pinging. It’s the heavy, constant
knock that means you have
a problem. If
your vehicle is certified
to meet California Emission
Standards (indicated on the underhood tune-up label), it
is designed to operate on fuels that meet California
specifications. If such fuels are
not available in states
adopting California emissions standards, your vehicle
will operate satisfactorily
on fuels meeting federal
specifications, b’ut emission control system performance
may be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp
on
your instrument panel may turn on and/or your vehicle
may fail
a smog-check test. If this occurs, return to your
authorized Pontiac dealer for diagnosis to determine
the
cause of failure. In the event it is determined that the
cause of the condition is the type of fuels used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
Some gasolines that
are not reformulated for low
emissions contain
an sctane-enhancing additive called
methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT);
ask your service station operator whether or not his fuel
contains
MMT. General Motors does not recommend the
use of such gasolines. If fuels containing MMT are used,
spark plug life may be reduced and your emission
control system performance may
be affected. The
malfunction indicator lamp on your instrument panel
may turn
on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
Pontiac dealer for service.
6-4

Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps
are on.
Then just pull the hood down and close it firmly.
Engine Oil
LOW
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
Th,e engine
oil dipstick is the yellow loop near the back
of the engine.
If the LOW OIL light on the instrument panel comes on,
it means you need to check your engine oil level right
away.
For more information, see “Low Oil Light” in the
Index. You should check your engine oil level regularly;
this is an added reminder.
5.7L Engine Oil Dipstick
6- 12

Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean the top surfaces
of the instrument panel. Sprays containing silicones or
waxes may cause annoying reflections in the windshield
and even make it difficult to see through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
Do not bleach or dye sal belts. 1 v'ou do, it
may severely weaken them. In a crash, they
might not be able to provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild soap and
lukewarm water.
Glass
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass Cleaner (GM
Part
No. 1050427) or a liquid household glass cleaner
will remove normal tobacco
smoke and dust films on
interior glass.
Don't use abrasive cleaners on glass, because they may
cause scratches. Avoid placing decals on
the inside rear
window, since they may have to be scraped off later. If
abrasive cleaners are used on the inside
of the rear
window, an electric defogger element
may be damaged.
Any temporary license should not be attached across the
defogger grid.
6-61

Appearance Care Materials Chart
PART NUMBER USAGE DESCRIPTION SIZE
994954 Exterior
Polish
Polishing Cloth - Wax Treated 23 in. x 25 in. -
1050004
Exterior wash
Wash and Wax
Concentrate 16
02. (0.473 L) 1052870 Cleans
grease, grime and smoke
film Glass Cleaner 23 oz. (0.680 L) I050427
Spot and stain removal
Vinyl
Cleaner 32 oz. (0.946 L) 1050214 Exterior
cleaner and polish
Magic Mirror Cleaner Polish
1 gal. (3.785 L) 1050200
Removes soil and black marks
White Sidewall Tire Cleaner
16 02. (0.473
L)
1050 174 Removes rust and corrosion
Chrome Cleaner and Polish 16
oz. (0.473
L)
10501 73
Also removes old waxes and polishes
Tar and Road Oil
Remover 16 oz. (0.473 L) 10501 72 Shines vehicle without scratching Chamois
2.75
sq. ft.
~
10529 18**
16 02. (0.473 L) 1052925 Protects vinyl, leather and rubber
Armor
All TM Protector 8 oz. (0.237 L)
Attracts and absorbs soils Capture Dry Spot Remover
8 oz. (0.237 L)
1052930 Spray
on wheel cleaner
Wheel Cleaner
16 oz. (0.473
L)
1052929 Cleans
vinyl, cloth,
tires and mats Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner
12345002**
16 oz. (0.473 L) Armor All TM Cleaner Cleans vinyl, leather and rubber
12345725
Spot cleans paint and gives high luster
Finish Enhancer
16
oz. (0.473
L)
12377966 Protects finish and removes
fine scratches
Cleaning
Wax
16
02. (0.473 L)
12377964 Shines tires
Silicone Tire
Shine 12
oz. (0.354 L)
See your General Motors Parts Department for these products. *‘N Not recommended for use on instrument panel vinyl.
See
“Fluids and Lubricants” in the Index.
6-67

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
I
ENGINE/1997 T ASSEMBLY
CODE MODEL YEAR PLANT
This is the legal identifier for your Pontiac. It appears on
a plate in the front corner
of the instrument panel, on the
driver’s side.
You can see it if you look through the
windshield
from outside your vehicle. The VIN also
appears
on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels and the certificates
of title and registration.
Engine Identification
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine, specifications
and replacement
parts.
Service Parts Identification Label
You’ll find this label located on the driver’s door side.
It’s very helpful if you ever need
to order parts. On this
label is:
your VIN,
the model designation,
paint information and
a list of all producti’on options and special
Be sure that this label
is not removed from the vehicle.
equipment.
Electrical System
Add-on Electrical Equipment
NOTICE:
Don’t add anything electrical to your Pontiac
unless you check with your dealer first. Some
electrical equipment can damage your vehicle and
the damage wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
Some add-on electrical equipment can keep other
components from working as they should.
Your
vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your Pontiac, see “Servicing
Your Air Bag-Equipped Pontiac” in the Index.
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