1998 PONTIAC FIREBIRD Owners Manual

Battery Replacement
Under normal use, the battery in your remote keyless
entry
transmitter should last about two years.
You can tell the battery is weak if the transmitter won’t
work at the normal range in
any location. If you have to
get close to your vehicle before the transmitter works,
it’s probably time to change the battery.
Use one battery, type
CR2032, or a similar type.
NOTICE:
When replacing the battery, use care not to touch
any of the circuitry. Static from your body
transferred to these surfaces may damage
the transmitter.
To replace the battery in the remote keyless
entry transmitter:
1. Carefully pry off the cover by inserting a dime
(or similar object) in the slot between the covers
and twist.
2. Lift off the back cover.
3. Remove and replace the battery. Use one battery,
type
CR2032, or a similar type. Put the new battery
in printed side down.
4. Replace the back cover. Make sure the cover is on
5. Check the transmitter operation. If the transmitter
tightly
so water
won’t get in.
does not work after battery replacement, it may need
to be resynchronized or matched to your vehicle. See
“Synchronization” in the Index.
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Hatch Hatch Release
A CAUTION:
I
It can be dangerous to drive with the hatch open
because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can come into
your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can
cause unconsciousness and even death.
If you must drive with the hatch open or if
electrical wiring or other cable connections must
pass through the
seal between the body and
the hatch:
Make sure all windows are shut.
0 Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed with the setting
on VENT. That will force outside air into
your vehicle. See “Comfort Controls” in
the Index.
instrument panel, open them all the way.
0 If you have air outlets on or under the
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
Your door key opens the hatch from the outside. If your
vehicle has the Content Theft-Deterrent System and the
system is armed, opening the hatch this way will trigger
the alarm. First disarm the system or use the remote
keyless entry transmitter to open the hatch.
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Remote Hatch Release
Press the switch under the
main lamp control below
the instrument panel to
unlock the hatch
from
inside your vehicle. The
switch only works when the ignition switch is
in
RUN, ACC or when RAP is present. (See “Retained
Accessory Power” in the Index.)
NOTICE:
If you put things in the hatchback area, be sure
they won’t break the
glass when you close it.
Never
slam the hatch down. You could break the
glass or
damage the defogger grid (if equipped).
If you have an automatic transmission, your shift lever
must be
in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) to use the
switch. If
you have a manual transmission and the
ignition is in RUN, you must set the parking brake
before you can use the switch. On
vehicles with the Content Theft-Deterrent System,
the hatch switch will
not work while the system is
armed. See Tontent Theft-Deterrent System” in
the Index.
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Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has
a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put
on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there
are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will your
ignition.
If you have an automatic transmission, taking
your key out also locks your transmission. And
remember to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what
if you have to leave your ignition key?
0
0
0
0
0
0
If possible, park in a busy, well lit area.
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
hatch or glove box.
Be sure to close and lock the
storage area.
Close
all windows.
Lock the glove box.
Lock
all the doors except the driver’s.
Then take the door key and remote keyless entry
transmitter with you.
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Content Theft-Deterrent System (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this option, it has a theft-deterrent
alarm system. Once armed, the system will sound the
horn
and flash the parking lamps if the vehicle is
broken into.
Shock Sensor
Coupe Convertible
The shock sensor is what triggers the alarm when it
detects a blow to
your vehicle. It is located over the
right rear wheelhouse near the spare tire in the hatch
area. There are two levels of
alarms via the shock
sensor:
Two horn blasts and parking lamp flashes for
non-threatening blows to the vehicle and a full
two-minute
alarm for harder blows to the vehicle. Its
sensitivity can be adjusted
if more or less sensitivity is
desired. (Note: If sensitivity is increased too much, it
may give false alarms caused by gusts of wind or other
natural events that may shake the vehicle.)
To adjust, remove the label covering the adjustment
knob and adjust as desired. Turn the knob clockwise to
increase sensitivity
and turn it counterclockwise to
decrease sensitivity. The shock sensor is ignored by the
alarm system when the ignition is on, when the hatch is
open, when the alarm
is disarmed, when it is customized
to be ignored and for five seconds after the
horn sounds
an alarm
or chirp. The shock sensor is ignored after
triggering three full
alarms until the system is rearmed.
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Arming the System
The alarm system can be
armed to detect break-ins
by locking your vehicle
using the remote keyless entry transmitter or by
locking the
doors with the
power door lock switch.
Passive arming is
also available, if you would like the
system to arm all by itself after the doors have been
closed for a short time. When the system is armed,
a red
light will flash briefly once every two seconds. (Note:
If
you return to your vehicle and the red light is flashing
two brief flashes every two seconds, the system is armed
and the shock sensor had triggered a two minute alarm.
If the red light is flashing three times every two seconds,
the system is armed and there was an intrusion that
sounded the alarm.) Horn chirps and parking lamp
flashes can be set to your choice.
Remote Keyless Entry Transmitter Locking
If all the doors are closed, locking the vehicle with the
remote keyless entry transmitter will immediately
arm
the system. The horn will chirp twice and the parking
lamps will flash, confirming that the system is armed.
If
any door is open when the transmitter LOCK button is
pressed, the system goes into an armed wait mode,
waiting for the doors to close. Once they are closed, the
system will
arm, the horn chirps twice and the parking
lamps will flash. If the hatch is open or ajar at the time
the system is arming, the horn will only chup once.
Power Door Lock Switch Locking
If any door is open when the power door lock switch is
pressed, the system goes into an armed wait mode,
waiting for the doors to close. Once they are closed, the
system will
arm and the parking lamps will flash. If both
doors are closed when the lock switch
is pressed, the
system assumes you are inside the vehicle,
so it will not
arm. Note: Locking the doors by using the manual door
locks will not
arm the system.
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Passive Arming
If the ignition was just turned off and a door was
opened, the system will arm six seconds after both doors
are closed, whether or not you lock them. In all other
cases, the system will wait
30 seconds after both doors
are closed before arming, allowing you time to get into
the vehicle and put the key in the ignition. The parking
lamps will flash when the system
arms. Passive arming
is not enabled from the factory.
Disarming the System
There are two ways to disarm the system:
Press the UNLOCK button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter. If the
horn chqs two or three
times when
you unlock the car, the alarm sounded in
your absence.
Two chirps means that the shock
sensor was set
off and three chqs means that a door
or hatch
was opened.
0 Turn the ignition to RUN with the proper key.
For more information on customizing the features
mentioned here, see “Feature Customization” in
the Index.
’hrning Off the Alarm
If you started the alarm by pressing the panic button on the
remote keyless entry transmitter, you must either push that
button again or
turn the ignition to RUN to stop the alarm.
If the alarm is sounding due to the shock sensor or a
door or hatch opening, it can be turned
off by either
turning the ignition with
a proper key inserted or by
pressing any button on the remote keyless entry
transmitter. If you use your remote keyless entry
transmitter
to silence the alarm, additional things will
happen depending upon which button you press.
Pressing the UNLOCK button will turn the alarm
off, unlock the driver’s door and dism the system.
Pressing the LOCK button will turn the alarm off,
keep the doors locked and keep the system armed.
Pressing the REAR 2X button twice will turn the
alarm off. A second push of the button (within five
seconds) will unlock
and disarm the hatch only.
0 Pressing the panic button will turn the alarm off,
keep the doors locked and keep the system armed.
If the
alarm is sounding because an incorrect ignition
key was used, press
any button on the remote keyless
entry transmitter to
turn the alarm off.
The alarm will stop by itself after two minutes.

PASS-Key@ I1
Your vehicle is equipped
with the PASS-Key
II
(Personalized Automotive
Security System)
theft-deterrent system.
PASS-Key
I1 is a passive
theft-deterrent system. It
works when you insert or
remove the key from
the ignition.
PASS-Key I1 uses a resistor pellet in the ignition key
that
matches a decoder in your vehicle.
When the PASS-Key
I1 system senses that someone is
using the wrong key, it shuts down the vehicle’s starter and fuel systems. For about three minutes, the starter
won’t work and fuel won’t
go to the engine. If someone
tries to start your vehicle again or uses another key during this time, the vehicle
will not start. This
discourages someone from randomly trying different
keys with different resistor pellets in an attempt to make
a match.
The ignition key must be clean and dry before it’s
inserted in the ignition or the engine may not start. If the
engine does
not start and the SECURITY light stays on
when you try to start the vehicle, the key may be dirty or
wet. Turn the ignition off.
Clean and dry the key. Wait about three minutes and try
again. If the starter still won’t work, and the key appears
to be clean and
dry, wait about three minutes and try
another ignition key. At this time, you may also want to
check the fuses (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’ in the
Index).
If the starter won’t work with the other key, your
vehicle needs service.
If your vehicle does start, the first
ignition key may be faulty. See your dealer or a
locksmith who can service the PASS-Key
11.
If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won’t work. The
SECURITY light will flash. But you don’t have to wait
three minutes before trying another ignition key.
See your dealer or a locksmith who can service the
PASS-Key
I1 to have a new key made.
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