1998 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Owners Manual

Starting Your Engine
Automatic Transmission
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature. To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
NOTICE:
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Pontiac is
moving. If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to
PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission
The gear selector should be in NEUTRAL (N) and the
parking brake engaged. Hold the clutch pedal to the
floor and
start the engine. Your vehicle won’t start if
the clutch pedal
is not all the way down -- that’s a
safety feature.
Starting Your 3800 Series I1 Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to
START. When the engine starts, let
go
of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
I NOTICE:
~~
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three to five seconds at a time until
your engine starts. Wait about 15 seconds between
each
try to help avoid draining your battery or
damaging your starter.

3. If your enpe still won’t start (or starts but then stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal
all the way to the floor
and holding it there as you hold the key in START for
about three seconds. If the vehicle
starts briefly but
then stops again, do the same
thing, but this time keep
the pedal down for five
or six seconds. This clears the
extra gasoline
from the engine. After waiting about
15 seconds, repeat the normal starting procedure.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
1 equipment, check with your dealer. If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
~ Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Starting Your 5.7 Liter LS1 Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
I
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start within 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor, while you
hold the ignition key in START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key and let up on the accelerator
pedal. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to
help avoid draining your battery
or damaging
your starter.
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When starting your engine in very cold weather (below
0°F or -18”C), do this:
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to
START and hold it there. When the
engine starts, let
go of the key. Use the accelerator
pedal to maintain engine speed, if you have to, until your engine has run
for a while.
2. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the same thing, but
this time keep the pedal down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check
with your dealer. If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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Engine Coolant Heater
(Canada Only)
In very cold weather, 0 OF (- 1 8 O C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting
and
better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually,
the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of
four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The cord is attached to the outside
of the underhood
fuse
box.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
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4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store
the cord
as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine
parts. If you don’t, it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on
the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle.
The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position to use when
you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
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A CAUTION:
It is 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 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, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the Index. Ensure the
shift lever is fully
in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
Brake-Transmission Shift Interlock
(BTSI). You have to
fully apply your regular brakes before you can shift
from PARK (P) when the ignition key is in RUN. If you
cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift
lever. Push the shift lever all the way into PARK (P) and
also release the shift lever button on floor shift console
models as
you maintain brake application. Then move
the shift lever into the gear you wish. See “Shifting Out
of PARK (P)” in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use
this gear to back up.
I NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to REVERSE
(R) only after
your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck:
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
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NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running
at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot
is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by
your warranty.
I
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (03): This position is
for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy
than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
When going down a steep hill.
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
accelerator
all the way
down.
between gears.
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SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you
go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transmission.
Use AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a) or
THIRD (3) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 kmh), or you can
damage your engine. FIRST
(1): This
position (if equipped) gives you
even more power (but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can use it on very steep hills, or in
deep snow
or mud. If the gear shift lever is put in first
gear, the transmission won’t shift into
FIRST (1) until
the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud
or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in position
on a hill.
Maximum engine speed is limited to protect driveline
components
from improper operation.
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