1998 PONTIAC FIREBIRD light

I A CAUTION:
I
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide)
gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you.
You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is
in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away
f’rom the wind. This will help
keep
CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly.
This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way
to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get
out
of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
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1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
I
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2.
3.
Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter.
Turn off all lamps that aren’t needed as well
as radios.
This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries. In addition, it could save your radio!
I Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered
by
your warranty.
I
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
A CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not
running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools
away from any underhood
electric fan.
Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
5-4

A CAUTION:
-
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded.
Use a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the ACDelco Freedom@ battery installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if
a battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid is there. If it is low, add water to take
care of that first.
If you don’t, explosive gas could
be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged,
too.
Before you connect the cables, here are some basic
things you should know. Positive
(+) will go to
positive
(+) and negative (-) will go to negative (-)
or a metal engine part. Don’t connect positive (+) to
negative (-) or you’ll get a short that would damage
the battery and maybe other parts, too.
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away &om moving parts
once the engine is running. I
5-5

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

I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as
well as the tires. If you spin the wheels
too fast while shifting your transmission back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains” in the Index.
~ Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
~ First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear
the area around your front wheels. If your vehicle
has traction control, you should turn the system
off.
(See “Traction Control System’’ in the Index.) Then shift
back and
forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear (or with a manual transmission, between
FIRST (1)
or SECOND (2) and REVERSE (R)), spinning the
wheels as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator
pedal when the transmission
is in gear. If that doesn’t
get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed
out. If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
5-42

To remove the cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The cap has a spring in it; if you let
go of the cap too soon, it will spring back to the right.
L
If you get gasoline on yourself and then
something ignites
it, you could be badly burned.
Gasoline can spray out on you
if you open the
fuel filler cap too quickly. This spray can happen
if your tank is nearly full, and is more likely in
hot weather. Open the fuel filler cap slowly and
wait for any “hiss” noise to stop. Then unscrew
the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill gasoline. Clean gasoline from
painted surfaces
as soon as possible. See “Cleaning
the Outside of Your Vehicle” in the Index. When you put the
cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear
a clicking sound. Make
sure
you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system
can determine if the fuel cap has been left
off or
improperly installed. This would allow fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere. See “Malfunction
Indicator Lamp” in the Index.
NOTICE:
If you need a new cap, be sure to get the right
type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get
the wrong type, it may not fit properly. This may
cause your malfunction indicator lamp to light
and your fuel tank and emissions system may be
damaged. See “Malfunction Indicator Lamp” in
the Index.
6-7

Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are on.
Then just pull the hood down and close it firmly.
Engine Oil
LOW
OIL
If the LOW OIL light on
the instrument panel comes
on, it means you need to
check your engine oil
level right away.
For more
information, see
“Low
Oil Light” in the Index.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
It’s
a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground. The engine
oil dipstick is the yellow loop near
the
back of the engine.
Note: Do not check the
5.7L engine oil level after the
engine has sat overnight.
A higher than normal reading
might be obtained. Check oil level with the oil warm.
Shut
off the engine, wait a few minutes, and then
check the oil.
Turn
off the engine and give the oil a few minutes
to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might
not show the actual level.
6-12

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