1997 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Tire

The 1997 Pontiac Firebird Owner’s Manual
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Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts\
properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Pontiac.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfo\
rt controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road\
and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Pontiac running properly and\
looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and \
what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Pontiac for assistance a\
nd how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information
on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-10.
9-1 Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something
you want to read.

4-Way Manual Seat 6-Way Power Seat (If Equipped)
There are two levers at the front of the seat. The left
lever adjusts the seat forward and back. The right lever
adjusts the angle of the front
of the seat.
To adjust the seats forward and rearward, lift the lever
under
the left front of the seat. Slide the seat to where
you want it. Then release the lever and try to move the
seat with your body to
make sure the seat is locked
into place.
To raise or lower the entire seat, lift the lever under the
right front
of the seat and lean forward or backward. The
driver’s seat has three controls on the left
side.
A. The front control makes the front of the seat go UP
and down.
B. The center control makes the whole seat go up and
down or forward and backward.
C. The back control makes the back of the seat go up
and down.
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If your vehicle has this option, it has a theft-deterrent
alarm system. Once armed, the system will sound the
horn and flash the parking lamps if the vehicle is
broken into.
Shock Sensor
Coupe Convertible
The shock sensor is what triggers the alarm when it
detects a blow to your vehicle. It
is located over the
right rear wheelhouse near the spare
tire in the hatch
area. There are two levels of alarms via the shock
sensor: Two horn blasts and parking lamp flashes for
non-threatening blows to the vehicle and
a full two
minute alarm for harder blows to the vehicle. Its
sensitivity can be adjusted if more or less sensitivity is
desired. (Note: If sensitivity is increased too much,
it
may give false alarms caused by gusts of wind or other
natural events that may shake the vehicle).
To adjust, remove the label covering the adjustment
knob on the sensor and adjust as desired. Turn clockwise
to increase sensitivity and turn counterclockwise to decrease sensitivity. The shock sensor
is ignored by the
alarm system when the ignition is on, when the hatch is
open, when the alarm is disarmed, when it is customized
to be ignored and for five seconds after
the horn sounds
an alarm or chirp. The shock sensor is ignored after
triggering three full alarms until the system is rearmed.
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Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at
a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you cauld lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
0 Cruise control ‘can be dangerous on
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the optional
traction control system begins to limit wheel spin,
the
cruise control will automatically disengage. (See
“Traction Control System” in the Index.) When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may turn
the cruise control
back on.
Setting Cruise Control
~ ~~~
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might
hit a button and
go into cruise when you don’t want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the cruise
control switch OFF until you want to use it.
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Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive or ride with
a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in
a cab; or if
you’re with
a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to
go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have
to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road. Sometimes,
as when you’re driving
on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means
you can lose control
of your vehicle.

Braking
Brakmg action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal,
That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and
do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 314 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds
or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important,
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with
the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread;
the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied. Avoid
needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will
be harder to push.
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The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time
you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance.
If you
get too close to the vehicle in
front
of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel
the system working, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a
braking skid, this light will come on.
See
“Low Traction Light” in the Index.
Traction Control System
(Option: LTI V8 Engine)
Your vehicle may have a traction control system that
limits wheel spin. This
is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only
if it senses
that one or
both of the rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the
system works the rear brakes and reduces engine power
(by closing the throttle and managing engine spark)
to limit wheel spin.

LOW
TRAC
This light will come on
when your traction control
system is limiting wheel
spin. See “Low Traction
Light” in the Index.
You
may feel or hear the system
working, but this is normal.
TCS
OFF
When the system is on,
this warning light will
come on to let you how
if
there’s a problem with your
traction control. system.
See “Traction Control
System Warning Light”
in the Index.
The traction control system may operate on dry roads
under some conditions, and you may notice a reduction
in acceleration when this happens. This is normal and
doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard acceleration
in
a turn, or an abrupt upshift or downshift. Also, when
the compact spare tire is on
the rear axle, the traction
control system will cycle and limit acceleration for about
the first 15 seconds of driving after each engine start.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
re-engage the cruise control. (See “Cruise Control’’ in
the Index.)
When this warning light is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever you start your vehicle.
To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off
if you ever need to. (You
should turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud,
ice or snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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