1998 PONTIAC FIREBIRD warning light

Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a
smdi bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure
you properly secure
these items
in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have
good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have
a very slippery situation. You’ll
have
a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful.
4-26

Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel. You may also
find a low
coolant warning light on your vehicle’s instrument panel
(5.7L V8 engine only).
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
I
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even
if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine
is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or others could be badly burned. Stop
your engine if it overheats, and get out of the
vehicle until the engine is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle
can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered
by your warranty.
5-15

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

’ A CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won’t work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
I I
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
When you have
the front brake pads replaced, have the
rear brakes inspected, too. Brake linings should always
be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection” in Section
7 of
this manual under Part C “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections.”
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel.
This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your
disc brakes adjust for wear. If you rarely make a
moderate or heavier stop, then your brakes might not
adjust correctly.
If you drive in that way, then -- very
carefully
-- make a few moderate brake stops about
every
1,000 miles (1 600 km), so your brakes will
adjust properly.
The park brake system has separate brake linings that
do not self adjust for wear. If the park brake lever pulls
up more than the normal eighteen clicks, the parking
brakes may need adjustment. See your dealer.
6-36

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed
by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls
of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system
does not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary
use spare tires, tires with
nominal
rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or
to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may
vary with respect to these
grades,
they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a
half (1 1/2) times as well on the government course
as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however,
and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
%action -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B,
and C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces
of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and
does not include cornering (turning) traction.
6-50

Section 9 Index
Accessory Plug ............................... 2-62
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your Vehicle ...... 6-3
Air Bag ....................................... 1-22
How Does it Restrain .......................... 1-26
How it Works ................................ 1-24
Location .................................... 1-24
Readiness Light ......................... 1.23. 2.81
Servicing ................................... 1-27
What Makes it Inflate .......................... 1-25
What Will You See After it Inflates ............... 1-26
When Should it Inflate ......................... 1-25
Aircleaner .................................... 6-18
Air Conditioning ................................ 3-3
Air Conditioning Refrigerants ..................... 6-70
Aircontrol ..................................... 3-2
Air Filter Replacement ........................... 6- 19
Alarm. Content Theft-Deterrent System ............. 2- 14
AlarmPanicMode ............................... 2-8
Alignment and Balance. Tire ...................... 6-51
Aluminum Wheels. Cleaning ...................... 6-59
Antenna. Power ................................ 3-22
Antifreeze ..................................... 6-27
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light
................ 2.82. 4.7
Anti-Theft, Radio .............................. 3-17
Appearance Care ............................... 6-53
Appearance Care Materials Chart .................. 6-61
Arbitration Program .............. ............ 8-9
Ashtray and Lighter ........................... 2-60
Audio Equipment, Adding ........................ 3-20
Audio Steering Wheel Controls .................... 3-19
Audio Systems .................................. 3-7
Auto-Down Window ............................ 2-45
Automatic Overdrive ............................ 2-32
Automatic Transmission
Check
...................................... 7-33
Fluid ....................................... 6-20
Operation ................................... 2-30
Park Mechanism Check ........................ 7-35
Shifting ..................................... 2-30
StartingYourEngine .......................... 2-26
Brakes ...................................... 4-7
Axle, Limited-Slip Rear ......................... 2-44
Axle, Rear .................................... 6-27
9-1

Battery ...................................... 6-37
Jump Starting
................................. 5-3
Replacement. Keyless Entry
.................... 2-10
warnings ................................ 5-33-5
BBB Auto Line
................................. 8-9
Before Leaving
on a Long Trip .................... 4-22
Better Business Bureau Mediation
................... 8-9
Blizzard
...................................... 4-28
Brake Adjustment
.................................. 6-36
Fluid
....................................... 6-33
Master Cylinder
.............................. 6-33
Parking
..................................... 2-44
PedalTravel
................................. 6-36
Replacing System Parts
........................ 6-37
System Warning Light
......................... 2-82
Transmission Shift Interlock
.................... 2-3 1
Wear ....................................... 6-35
Trailer
...................................... 4-35
Brakes.Anti -Lock
............................... 4-7
Braking
........................................ 4-6
Braking in Emergencies
.......................... 4-10
“Break-In”. New Vehicle
......................... 2-23
Brightness Control. Instrument Panel
............... 2-55
BTSI
......................................... 2-31
BTSI Check
................................... 7-34
Bulb Replacement
.............................. 6-38 Canadian
Roadside Assistance
.................... 8-7
Carbon Monoxide
............... 2-1 1.2.42.4.29. 4.35
Cassette Deck Service
........................... 7-32
CareofYo ur ................................. 3-21
Errors ....................................... 3-9
CD Player Theft-Deterrent Feature
................. 3-17
CertificationLabel
.............................. 4-30
Chains. Safety
................................. 4-35
Chains. Tire
................................... 6-52
Changing a Flat Tire ............................. 5-27
Check Gages Light
.............................. 2-90
Chemical Paint Spotting
.......................... 6-60
Child Restraints
................................ 1-34
Securing in a Rear Seat Position
................. 1-40
Securing in the Right Front Seat Position
.......... 1-42
TopStrap
................................... 1-39
TLpesof
.................................... 1-34
WheretoPut
................................ 1-38
Cigarette Lighter
............................... 2-60
Circuit Breakers and Fuses
....................... 6-63
Cleaner.
Air ................................... 6-18
Cleaning AluminumWheels
............................ 6-59
ConvertibleTop
.............................. 6-58
Capacities and Specifications
...................... 6-68
Cassette Tape Player
......................... 3.7. 3.8
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp Bulb Replacement
.... 6-40
Checking
Your Restraint Systems .................. 1-47
9-2

Hydraulic Clutch System Check ................... 7-33
Hydroplaning
.................................. 4- 19
If a Tile Goes Flat .............................. 5-27
Transmission Lock Check
...................... 7-35
Ignition Positions
............................... 2-24
Inflation. Tire
.................................. 6-45
Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror
................. 2-57
Inspections
.................................... 7-36
Brake System
................................ 7-37
Engine Cooling System
........................ 7-36
Exhaust Systems
............................. 7-36
RearAxle
................................... 7-37
Steering .................................... 7-36
Suspension
.................................. 7-36
Throttle Linkage
.............................. 7-37
Instrumentpanel
............................... 2-76
Brightness Control
............................ 2-55
Cleaning
.................................... 6-55
Cluster
..................................... 2-78
Interior Lamps
................................. 2-55
.................................... J ack. Tire 5-30
Jumpstarting
................................... 5-3
Key Lock Cylinders Service ..................... 7-33
Key Release Button
............................. 2-25
Keyless Entry Lock Verification. Remote
............ 2-20
Keyless Entry System. Remote
..................... 2-6
Keys
.......................................... 2-2 Labels
Certification
................................. 4-30
Service Parts Identification ..................... 6-62
Tire-Loading Information
..................... -4-30
Vehicle Identification Number ................... 6-62
Courtesy
.................................... 2-55
Interior
..................................... 2-55
On Reminder
................................ 2-52
Last Door Closed Locking ......................... 2-5
Last Door Closed Locking and Lockout Prevention .... 2-20
Latches. Front Seatback
........................... 1-7
Leaving Your Vehicle
............................. 2-6
Leaving
Your Vehicle with the Engine Running ....... 2-40
Lighter
....................................... 2-60
Lights
Lamps
Air Bag Readiness
....................... 1.23. 2.77
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
............ 2.83. 4.7
Brake
System Warning ......................... 2-82
CheckGages
................................ 2-90
LowCoolant
................................. 2-85
Low Oil
.................................... 2-89
Low Traction
............................ 2.84. 4.9
Safety Belt Reminder
...................... 1.9. 2.80
Service Engine Soon
.......................... 2-85
Traction Control System Warning
............ 2.83. 4.9
Limited-Slip Differential. Rear Axle
................ 6-27
Loading
Your Vehicle ........................... 4-30
Lockout Prevention
......................... 2.6. 2.20
9-6