1997 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Owners Manual

Center High-Mounted Stoplamp
To replace the bulb:
1. Remove the two screws in the stoplamp lens.
2. Gently pull the assembly out and remove the bulb
from the back of the assembly.
3. Reverse the steps with a new bulb.
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Rear Lamps
To change any rear bulb, you have to remove the
entire housing.
1. Remove the trim panel from the side that you are
replacing the bulb.
2. Pull the carpet back.
4.
5.
6.
7.
3. Remove the wing nuts.
Pull off the assembly from the outside.
To remove a socket with a tab, press the tab and turn
the socket counterclockwise.
To remove a socket
without a tab, turn the socket counterclockwise.
To remove the bulb, push in and turn it
counterclockwise, then pull it out.
Reverse the steps with
a new bulb.
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Rear Sid ~ rker
To replace a rear sidemarker bulb:
1. Remove the screw from the sidemarker assembly.
2. To pull out the bulb housing, tilt the housing to
remove the tabbed end.
3. Turn counterclockwise and pull out the socket and
the bulb.
4. Pull out the bulb.
5. Reverse the steps with a new bulb.
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Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement Wiper Blade Element Replacement
Replacement
blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways.
To remove the wiper blade assembly:
1. Lift the wiper arm until it locks into
an
2. Press the locking tab down while sliding the blade
upright
position.
assembly down.
To replace the wiper blade element, refer to the wiper
blade assembly replacement instructions.
To replace the
element, follow these steps:
'. . Locate the heel end of the wiper blade assembly that
has the two notches held by the wiper blade claw.
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3.
4.
Hold the wiper blade assembly with one hand and
pull
the element gently with the other hand.
(Replacement blade elements have
three plastic caps
which retain two metal flexor strips.
Do not remove
these caps before the element
is installed.)
At
the heel end of the blade assembly, notched end
of blade element last, slide the blade element into the
blade claw sets.
The plastic retainer caps will be
forced off as the element is fully inserted. Make sure
that all the claw sets
are properly engaged in the
slots of the blade element.
Install wiper blade assembly on wiper arm.
For information on windshield wiper blade replacement
type
and length, see “Capacities and Specifications” in
the Index.
Headlamp Aiming
Your vehicle has the headlamp system. These headlamps
have horizontal and vertical aim indicators. The
aim
has been pre-set at the factory and should need no
further adjustment.
If your vehicle is damaged in an accident and the
headlamp aim seems to be affected, see your Pontiac
dealer. Headlmps on damaged vehicles may require
recalibration of
the horizontal aim by your Pontiac dealer.
To check the aim, the vehicle should be properly
prepared
as follows:
a The vehicle must have a11 four tires on a! perfectly
level surface.
The vehicle should not have any snow, ice or mud
There should not be any ‘cargo or loading of the
attached tu it.
vehicle, except it should have a full tank of gas and
one person or
160 lbs. (75 kg) on the driver’s seat.
e Tires should be properly inflated.
The horizontal indicator should read “0.”
NOTICE:
To make sure your headlamps are aimed
properly, read
all the instructions before
beginning. Failure to follow th’ese instructions
could cause damage to headlamp parts.
State inspection stations will allow a vertical reading of
plus
0.76 degrees or minus 0.76 degrees fr0m the center
of the bubble.
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It is recommended that the upper limit not exceed plus
0.4 degrees from the center of the bubble. Other drivers
may flash their high beams at you if your adjustment
is
much above plus 0.4 degrees.
Tires
Your new Pontiac comes with high-quality tires made
by a leading tire manufacturer.
If you ever have
questions about your tire warranty and where to obtain
service, see your Pontiac Warranty booklet for details.
Pa - - ly maintained and imp1 ,derly L,Ld tires
are dangerous.
Overloading your tires can cause overheating
as
a result of too much friction. You could have
an air-out and
a serious accident. See “Loading
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued) CAUTION:
(Continued,
0 Underinflated tires pose the same darlger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
cut, punctured or broken by a sudden
impact
-9 such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires at the recommended pressure.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.
See “Inflation
-- Tire Pressure” in this section
for inflation pressure adjustment for higher
speed driving.
Overinflated tires are more likely to be
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Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the
driver’s door, shows the correct inflation pressures for
your tires when they’re cold. “Cold” means your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or driven
no
more than 1 mile ( 1.6 km).
If you’ll be driving at speeds higher than
100 mph
(160 kdh) where it is legal, raise the cold inflation
pressure
of each tire to 35 psi (240 kPa). When you
end this very high-speed driving, reduce the
cold
inflation pressures to those listed on the Tire-Loading
Information label.
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or
overinflation is all right. It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underinflation), you can
get the following:
Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 B,ad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
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When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
uon’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure.
You can’t tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may
look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment. Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s
Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel Replacement’’ later in this section for
more information. The
purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation
is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
If you don’t have P245/5OZR16 or P275/40ZR17
Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires, use the rotation pattern
shown above for your tires.
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