1998 PONTIAC FIREBIRD heater

When it is cool, remove the coolant recovery tank cap
and look at the dipstick.
The coolant level should be at
FULL COLD.
If it isn't, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses,
heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in
the cooling system.
A CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine
fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
I
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered
by your warranty.
5-18

If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans
are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running.
If
they aren’t, your vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at
FULL COLD add a 50150 mixture of clean water
(preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL@ engine coolant
at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant” in
the Index for more information.)
a CAUTION:
-1
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water,
or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch
fire and you or others could be burned.
Use
a 50/50 mixture of clean water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mixture.
5-19

A 50/50 mixture of water and DEX-COOL@
coolant will:
0 Give freezing protection down to -34°F (-37°C).
0 Give boiling protection up to 265 “F (1 29°C).
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you
use only DEX-COOL@ (silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result.
In addition, the
engine coolant
will require change sooner -- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX-COOL@
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-half clean water (preferably
distilled) and one-half
DEX-COOL@ coolant which
won’t damage aluminum parts. If you use this mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
I A CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can
be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like
alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle’s coolant
warning system is set
for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn’t
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and
you or others could be burned.
Use a
50/50 mixture of clean water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.
6-28

NOTICE:
If you use an improper coolant mixture, your
engine could overheat and be badly damaged.
The repair cost wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can
freeze and crack the engine, radiator, heater
core and other parts.
If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
I NOTICE:
If you use the proper coolant, you don’t have to
add extra inhibitors or additives which claim to
improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
When your engine is cold, check the dipstick on the cap
of the coolant recovery tank. The coolant level should
be at
COLD, or a little higher. When your engine is
warm, the level on the dipstick should be up to HOT, or
a little higher.
6-29

Fabric ...................................... 6-54
Glass
....................................... 6-56
Inside
of Your Pontiac ......................... 6-54
Instrument Panel
............................. 6-55
Interior Plastic Components
..................... 6-55
Leather
..................................... 6-55
Outside of Your Pontiac
........................ 6-57
Removable Roof Panel
......................... 6-57
Special Problems
............................. 6-54
Stains
...................................... 6-54
Tires
....................................... 6-59
Vinyl
....................................... 6-55
Wheels
..................................... 6-59
Windshield
and Wiper Blades ................... 6-56
Clock. Setting the
................................ 3-7
Close-Out Panel
................................ 2-59
Clutch. Hydraulic
............................... 6-26
Comfort Controls
................................ 3-2
Compact Disc
............................. 3.11. 3.12
CareofYour
................................. 3-22
Player
................................. 3.11. 3.12
Player Errors
........................... 3.13. 3.15
Trunk Mounted Player
......................... 3-14
CareofYour
................................. 3-22
Compact Spare Tire
............................. 5-40
Alarm/PanicMode
............................. 2-8
Feature Customization
......................... 2- 18
Content Theft-Deterrent System
................... 2- 14
Control of a Vehicle .............................. 4-5
Convertible Top
................................ 2-69 Convex Outside Mirror
.......................... 2-58
Coolant
....................................... 6-27
Bleed Valves
................................. 5-22
Heater. Engine
............................... 2-29
RecoveryTank
............................... 5-19
Cooling
........................................ 3-3
Cooling System
................................ 5-17
Courtesy Lamps
................................ 2-55
Courtesy Transportation
........................... 8-8
Cruise Control
................................. 2-49
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone Users ......... 8-5
Customer Assistance Information ................... 8-1
Customer Satisfaction Procedure .................... 8-3
Damage. Finish
............................... 6-60
Damage. Sheet Metal
............................ 6-59
Daytime Running Lamps ......................... 2-53
DeadBattery ................................... 5-3
Defects. Reporting Safety
........................ 8-10
Defensive Driving
............................... 4-2
Defogger. Rear Window
.......................... 3-5
Defogging
..................................... 3-4
Defrosting
..................................... 3-4
Delayed Illumination
............................ 2-55
Dimensions. Vehicle ............................ 6-70
Dolby@
B Noise Reduction ....................... 3-10
Door Last Door Closed Locking
.................. 2-5. 2-19
Lockout Prevention ....................... 2-6. 2-19
Locks
....................................... 2-4
9-3

Driver Position ................................. 1-14
Driver’s Door
Alarm Delay and Shock Sensor Enable . . 2-22
Driving City
........................................ 4-20
Defensive
.................................... 4-2
Drunken
..................................... 4-3
Freeway
.................................... 4-2 1
In a Blizzard ................................. 4-28
In Foreign Countries ........................... 6-5
IntheRain
.................................. 4-17
Night
...................................... 4-15
On Curves
.................................. 4-10
On Grades While Towing a Trailer
............... 4-37
On
Hill and Mountain Roads .................... 4-23
On Snow and Ice ............................. 4-26
Throughwater
............................... 4-19
WetRoads
.................................. 4-17
Winter
...................................... 4-25
With a Trailer
................................ 4-36
DrunkenDriving
................................ 4-3
Electrical Equipment. Adding
..... 2-27.2.28.3-20. 6-62
Electrical System
............................... 6-62
Engine
.................................. 6-10. 6-11
Coolant
..................................... 6-27
Coolant Heater
............................... 2-29
Coolant Level Check .......................... 7-32
Coolant Temperature Gage
..................... 2-84
Exhaust ..................................... 2-42
FuseBlocks
................................. 6-67 Identification
................................ 6-62
OilLevelCheck .............................. 7-32
Overheating
................................. 5-15
Running
While Parked ......................... 2-43
Specifications ................................ 6-68
StartingYour ................................ 2-26
Engineoil
.................................... 6-12
Additives
................................... 6-17
Checking
................................... 6-13
Used
....................................... 6-17
What Kind
Of Oil to Use ....................... 6-14
WhentoAdd
................................ 6-14
When to Change
.............................. 6-17
Ethanol
........................................ 6-5
Exit Lighting
............................. 2-19, 2-55
Exit Lighting and Delayed Illumination
............. 2-19
Fabric Cleaning
............................... 6-54
FanControlKnob
............................... 3-2
FeatureCustomization
........................... 2-18
Driver’s
Door Alarm Delay and
Shock Sensor Enable ....................... 2-22
Exit Lighting
and Delayed Illumination ........... 2-19
Last
Door Closed Locking and Lockout Prevention . . 2-20
Remote Keyless Entry Lock Verification
........... 2-20
Theft-Deterrent Arming Method ................. 2-21
Filling A Portable Fuel Container ................... 6-8
FillingYourTank ................................ 6-6
Theft-Deterrent Arming Verification
.............. 2-22