1998 PONTIAC FIREBIRD stop start

Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
with the wiper symbol on it.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers start, then
let go. The wipers will
stop after one cycle.
If you want more cycles, hold the
band on
MIST longer. You
can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wipes.
This can be very useful in light rain or
snow.
Turn the band to choose the delay time. The
closer to
LO, the shorter the delay.
For steady wiping at low speed,
turn the band away
from
you to the LO position. For high-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to HI. To stop the wipers, move
the band to OFF.
Damaged wiper blades may prevent you from seeing
well
enough to drive safely. To avoid damage, be sure to
clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before using
them. If they’re frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become
damaged, get new blades
or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers.
A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ABS
INOP
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and
it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition
off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your vehicle needs service. If the
light is on and the regular brake system warning light
isn’t on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have
anti-lock brakes. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System Warning Light
(Option)
This warning light should
come on briefly
as you start
the engine. If the warning
light doesn’t come on
then,
have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
If it stays on, or comes on when you’re driving, there
may be a problem with your traction control system and
your vehicle may need service. When this warning light
is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
The traction control system warning light will come on
if
you turn the system off by pressing the TCS button
located in front
of the console, the warning light will
come on and stay on. To turn the system back on,
press the button again. The warning light should go
off. (See “Traction Control System” in the Index for
more information.)
If
the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
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If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do
so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left off
or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through
a deep puddle of water?
If
so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air
are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light
off.
2-87

Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
This warning light will
come on briefly when you
are starting the engine.
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your gages to see
if they are in the warning areas.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage shows about
how much fuel is in your
tank.
The gage works only
when the ignition is
in
RUN.
When the gage pointer first indicates empty (E) you
need to get more fuel right away.
Here
are four concerns some owners have had abut the
fuel gage. All these situations are normal and do not
indicate that anything is wrong with the fuel gage.
0
0
0
0
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads full
(F).
It takes more (or less) gas to fill up than the gage
reads. For example, the gage reads
1/2 full, but it
took more (or less) than half
of the tank’s capacity to
fill it.
The gage moves
a little when you turn, stop or
speed up.
When
you turn the engine off, the gage doesn’t go
back to empty
(E).
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REV (5): Press and hold this button to quickly reverse
within a track. Release it to play the passage. You will
hear sound at a reduced volume. The display
will show
elapsed time.
FWD (6): Press and hold this button to quickly advance
within a track. You will hear sound at a reduced volume.
The display will show elapsed time.
RECALL: Press this button to see what track is
currently playing. Press RECALL again within five
seconds to see how long the track has been playing.
When a new track starts to play, the track number will
also appear. Press RECALL a third time and the time of
day will be displayed.
AM-FM: Press this button to play the radio when a disc
is playing. The disc will stop but remain in the player.
CDPLAY: Press this button to change to the disc
function when the radio is on.
EJECT: Press this button to remove the disc or stop the
disc and switch to the radio.
EJECT will work with the
radio
off.
Trunk Mounted CD Changer (If Equipped)
With the optional compact disc changer, you can play up
to
12 discs continuously. Normal size discs may be
played using the trays supplied in the magazine.
The small discs
(8 cm) can be played only with specially
designed trays.
You must fist load the magazine
with discs before you
can play a compact disc. Each of the
12 trays holds one
disc. Press the button on the back of the magazine and
pull gently on one of the trays. Load the trays from
bottom to top, placing a disc
on the tray label side down.
If you load
a disc label side up, the disc will not play
and an error will occur. Gently push the tray back into
the magazine slot. Repeat this procedure for loading up
to
12 discs in the magazine.
Once you have loaded the discs in the magazine, slide
open the door
of the compact disc (CD) changer. Push
the magazine into the changer in the direction of the
arrow marked on top of the magazine.

Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that
will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise
while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.
ABS
INOP
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay
on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light”
in
the Index.
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet.
You’re driving safely. Suddenly an animal jumps out in
front of you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each
front wheel and at
both rear wheels.
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Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst
of all traffic accidents -- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffk signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s
all right to pass
(providing
the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of
the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seems empty of approaching traffk.
0 Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space
if
the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep
back a reasonable distance.
0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have
a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
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If you do not have traction control, or if the system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the
way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material
is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide. You may not realize
the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a
“mirrored surface” -- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems,
or by fatigue.
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