1998 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Owners Manual

If you’re ever driving and the SECURITY light comes on
and stays on, you will be able to restart your engine if you
turn it off. Your PASS-Key II system, however, is not
working properly and must
be serviced by your dealer.
Your vehicle is not protected by the PASS-Key II system.
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key
11 ignition key, see
your dealer or a locksmith who can service PASS-Key
II
to have a new key made. In an emergency, call the
Pontiac Roadside Assistance Center at
1-800-ROADSIE or 1-800-762-3743. (In Canada
1-800-268-6800.)
Feature Customization (If Equipped)
Your vehicle’s locks and lighting systems can be
programmed with several different features. The
features you can program depend upon the options that
came with
your vehicle. The following list tells you the
features that
can be programmed. Listed next to each
feature is the option you need
to have on your vehicle in
order to be able to program that particular feature.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Exit Lighting (available for all)
Delayed Illumination (available for all)
Last Door Closed Locking
(if equipped with power
door locks)
Lockout Prevention (if equipped with power
door locks)
Remote Lock Control Verification (if equipped with
Content Theft-Deterrent System)
Theft-Deterrent
Arming Method (if equipped with
Content Theft-Deterrent System)
Theft-Deterrent Arming Verification (if equipped with Content Theft-Deterrent System)
Driver’s Door
Alarm Delay (if equipped with
Content Theft-Deterrent System)
Shock Sensor Enable (if equipped with Content
Theft-Deterrent System)
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To program features, your vehicle must be in the
programming mode. Follow these steps:
1. Put your key
in the ignition.
2. Turn the ignition to RUN to disarm the Content
Theft-Deterrent System.
3. Turn the ignition to OFF.
4. Remove the RADIO fuse. This fuse is in the main
fuse block, located on the left side of your
instrument panel. See “Fuses and Circuit Breakers”
in the Index.
5. Turn the ignition to ACC.
You should hear a chime to verify that the system is
in the programming mode. If the chime sounds once,
you will be able to program Exit Lighting, Delayed
Illumination, Last Door Closed Locking and Lockout
Prevention only.
If the chime sounds twice and your
vehicle is equipped with the Content Theft-Deterrent
System, you will also be able to program Remote
Keyless Entry Lock Control Verification, Arming
Method, Arming Verification, Driver’s Door Delay and Shock Sensor Enable.
Exit Lighting and Delayed Illumination
With Exit Lighting, your interior lamps will come
on for up to
25 seconds when the key is removed
from the ignition.
With Delayed Illumination, your interior lamps will stay on for up to
25 seconds when entering your vehicle and
up to five seconds when leaving your vehicle.
Your vehicle comes with both features enabled (Mode 4).
To change the factory setting, do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Turn the courtesy lamps on by turning the instrument
panel brightness control knob all the way up.
Count the number of chimes you hear. The number
of chimes tells you which mode your vehicle is
set for.
Turn the courtesy lamp switch to
off.
Turn the courtesy lamp switch from on to off until
you hear the number of chimes that correspond to the
mode selection you want.
Mode 1: Both Off
Mode 2: Delayed Illumination Only
Mode 3: Exit Lighting Only
Mode 4: Both On

Last Door Closed Locking and
Lockout Prevention
Your vehicle comes with this feature set in Mode 2. To
change the factory setting, do the following:
1. Press the LOCK switch
on the door.
2. Count the number of chimes you hear. The number of
chimes tells you which mode your vehicle is set for.
3. Press the LOCK switch on the door until you hear
the number
of chimes that correspond to the mode
selection you want.
These features are designed to help prevent your keys
from being locked in your vehicle.
Mode 1: Both Off (Doors will lockhnlock when you
press the power door lock switch.)
Mode 2: Lockout Prevention Only (If you leave your keys
in the ignition and get out the driver’s door, you won’t be
able to lock the doors with the power door lock switch.)
Mode 3: Last Door Closed Locking Only (If the power
door lock switch is used to lock the vehicle while any
door is open, you will hear three chimes. The doors will
not lock until after all doors are closed.)
Mode 4: Both On (This combines Mode 2 and 3.)
Remote Keyless Entry Lock Verification
Your vehicle comes with this feature set in Mode 5. To
change the factory setting, do the following:
1. Press the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
2. Count the number of chimes you hear. The number
of chimes tells you which mode your vehicle is
set for.
3. Press the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter until you hear the number
of
chimes that corresponds to the mode selection
you want.
This feature provides feedback when the vehicle
receives a command from the remote keyless
entry transmitter.

Mode 1: All Off (The headlamps will not flash and the
horn
will not sound to provide you feedback that a
lockhnlock command has been received by the remote
keyless entry transmitter.)
Mode 2: Horn and Lamps/Lamps (Your horn will sound
briefly and your parking lamps will flash when you press
LOCK on the remote keyless entry transmitter. Only your parking lamps will flash when you press UNLOCK.)
Mode 3: Horn and Lamps (Your horn will sound briefly
and your parking lamps will flash every time you press
LOCK or UNLOCK.)
Mode 4: Lamps (Your parking lamps will flash every
time you press LOCK or UNLOCK.)
Mode 5: LampdHorn and LampdLamps (Your lamps will
flash upon the first press on LOCK, your lamps will flash
and your horn will sound upon the second press on LOCK
and your lamps will flash upon any press on
UNLOCK.)
Theft-Deterrent Arming Method
Your vehicle comes with this feature set in Mode 3. To
change the factory setting,
do the following:
1. Press the UNLOCK switch on the door.
2. Count the number of chimes you hear. The number
of chimes tells you which mode your vehicle is
set for.
3. Press the UNLOCK switch on the door until you
hear the number of chimes that correspond to the
mode selection you want.
Mode 1: Alarm System Off (The system will not arm.)
Mode 2: Remote Keyless Entry Transmitter Lock
(When you lock your doors using the remote keyless
entry transmitter, the system will arm itself.)
Mode 3: Remote Keyless Entry TransmitterPower
Door Lock Switch
(If you use either the remote keyless
entry transmitter or the power
door lock switch to lock
the doors, the system will
arm itself.)
Mode 4: Passive Arming and Remote Keyless Entry
TransmitterPower Door Lock Switch Arming (The
system will
arm itself after all doors are closed plus
arming per Mode
3).
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Theft-Deterrent Arming Verification
Your vehicle comes with this feature set in Mode 3. To
change the factory setting, do the following:
1. Press the LOCK button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
2. Count the number of chimes you hear. The number of
chimes
tells you which mode your vehicle is set for.
3. Press the LOCK button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter until you hear the number of chimes that
corresponds to the
mode selection you want.
Mode 1: All Off (No horn chrrps or parking lamp flash.)
Mode 2: Horn and Lamps (Your parking lamps will
flash and your horn will chirp twice to verify the system
is armed using any arming method.)
Mode 3: Horn and LampsLamps (If you use the remote
keyless entry transmitter to
arm the system, your
parking lamps will flash and your horn will chup twice
to verify that the system is armed.
If it only chqs once,
the hatch is open or unlatched. If you use either the
power door lock switch or passive arming, only your
lamps will flash for verification.)
Mode 4: Lamps (When your vehicle arms, only your
parking lamps will flash for verification.)
Driver’s Door Alarm Delay and Shock
Sensor Enable
Your vehicle comes with this feature set in Mode 4. To
change the factory setting, do the following:
1. Turn the parking lamps on and off.
2. Count the number of chimes you hear. The number of
chimes
tells you which mode your vehicle is set for.
3. Turn the parking lamps on and off until you hear the
number of chimes that corresponds to the mode
selection you want.
Mode 1: Zero Delay and Shock Sensor Disabled (The
alarm will sound immediately if the driver’s door is
opened with your key and the shock sensor will not be
available to measure sharp blows to your vehicle.)
Mode 2: Eight-Second Delay and Shock Sensor
Disabled (The
alarm will sound eight seconds after the
driver’s door is opened with your key and the shock
sensor will not be available to measure sharp blows to
your vehicle.)
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Mode 3: Zero Delay and Shock Sensor Enabled (The
alarm will sound immediately after the driver’s door is
opened with your key and the shock sensor will be
available to measure sharp blows to your vehicle.)
Mode
4: Eight-Second Delay and Shock Sensor Enabled
(The alarm will sound eight seconds after the driver’s door
is
opened with your key and the shock sensor will be
available to measure sharp blows to your vehicle.)
Leaving Programming Mode
When programming is done, turn the ignition to OFF
and replace the RADIO fuse.
New Vehicle CCBreak-InS’
NOTICE:
Your vehicle doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better
in the long
run
if you follow these guidelines:
0 Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or
less for the
first 500 miles (805 km).
0 Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (805 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
See “Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index for
more information.
0 Avoid making hard stops for the first
0 Don’t tow a trailer during break-in.
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Ignition Positions
C
1
A i E
With the ignition key in the ignition, you can turn the
switch to five positions.
ACC (A): Position in which you can operate your
electrical power accessories. Push in the ignition switch
as you turn
it toward you.
LOCK (B): The only position from which you can
remove the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition
and automatic transmission.
If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch can’t be turned to
LOCK unless the shift lever is
in
PARK (P).
OFF (C): Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition and
automatic transmission, but does not send electrical
power to any accessories. Use this position if your
vehicle must be pushed or towed.
A warning tone will
sound
if you open the driver’s door when the ignition is
off and the key is in the ignition.
RUN (D): Position to which the switch returns after you
start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays
in RUN when the engine is running. But even
when the engine
is not running, you can use RUN to
operate your electrical power accessories and to display some instrument panel warning and indicator lights.
START (E): Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition will return to RUN for
normal driving.
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Note that even if the engine is not running, ACC and
RUN allow you to operate your electrical accessories,
such as the radio and ventilation fan.
A CAUTION:
On manual transmission vehicles, turning the key
to
LOCK will lock the steering column and result
in a loss of ability to steer the vehicle. This could
cause a collision.
If you need to turn the engine
off while the vehicle is moving, turn the key only
to
OFF. Don’t press the key release button while
the vehicle is moving.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn it, be sure you are using the correct key; if
so, is it all the way in? If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while you turn the
key hard. But turn the key only with your hand.
Using
a tool to force it could break the key or the
ignition switch.
If none of this works, then your
vehicle needs service.
Key Release Button
If you have a manual
transmission, your ignition
lock has a key release
button.
You must press the
key release button to put the
ignition key in the
LOCK
position before you can take your key out.
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