2000 PONTIAC FIREBIRD battery

2-29 Starting Your 5.7L V8 Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as your
engine gets warm.
NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to help avoid
draining your battery or damaging your starter.
2. If it doesn't start within 10 seconds, push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor, while you
hold the ignition key in START. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and let up on the accelerator
pedal. Wait about 15 seconds between each try to
help avoid draining your battery or damaging
your starter.When starting your engine in very cold weather (below
0
F or
-18
C), do this:
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START and hold it there. When the
engine starts, let go of the key. Use the accelerator
pedal to maintain engine speed, if you have to, until
your engine has run for a while.
2. If your engine still won't start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and accelerator. If the vehicle
starts briefly but then stops again, do the same thing,
but this time keep the pedal down for five or
six seconds. This clears the extra gasoline from
the engine.

2-54
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness Control
The thumbwheel controls the brightness of your
instrument panel lights. Move the thumbwheel to
brighten or dim the lights. If you move the thumbwheel
all the way up, your courtesy lamps will come on.
Courtesy Lamps
When either door is opened, several interior lamps go
on. These lamps are courtesy lamps. They make it easier
for you to enter and leave your vehicle.
Courtesy lamps include two map lamps on the inside
rearview mirror and other lamps throughout the interior
of your vehicle.
To prevent battery rundown, your interior lamps will be
disabled about 10 minutes after the ignition is turned to
OFF. The 10
-minute timer will be restarted if you do
any of the following:

Turn the ignition on.

Open either door.

Press any button on your remote keyless entry
transmitter (if equipped).

Turn the interior lamp switch from off to on.

Open the hatch.

2-60
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors.
You can also swing them to the side.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Pull down the sun visor and lift the cover to expose the
vanity mirror.
Accessory Power Outlet
The accessory power outlet is located behind a closed
lid in front of the parking brake on the console. The plug
can be used to connect electrical equipment such as a
cellular phone or a CB radio. Be sure to follow the
installation instructions included with the equipment.
NOTICE:
When using the accessory power outlet:

The maximum load of any electrical
equipment should not exceed 3 amps.

Be sure to turn off any electrical equipment
when not in use. Leaving electrical
equipment on for extended periods can
drain your battery.
We recommend that you see a qualified technician or your
dealer for the proper installation of your equipment.
Floor Mats
Your vehicle's floor mats are custom-fitted to the floor
wells. Be sure the driver's floor mat is in place. If it
isn't, it could interfere with the accelerator pedal, brake
pedal or with the clutch pedal on manual transmissions.

2-75
NOTICE:
The convertible top may be tight when pushing
forward on the latch when your vehicle is new,
but it will loosen up with time. Make sure that
the hooks are properly aligned before using any
kind of force.
If your vehicle has a power loss, such as a dead battery,
you can still raise or lower the top manually by turning
the valve in the driver's side of the trunk area.
Open the hatch and find the tab located along the left
side trim panel. Lift up the tab and turn the valve
counterclockwise to release the hydraulic pressure. Turn
the ignition key to LOCK. You can now raise or lower
your top manually. Be sure to close the valve after
installing your top so you can raise or lower it
electrically later.

2-82
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds 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.
Voltmeter
You can read the battery
voltage on your voltmeter.
If it reads less than 11 volts
or more than 16 volts while
your engine is running, and
it stays there, you may have
a problem with the
electrical charging system.
Have it checked right away. Driving with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone could drain your battery.
If you idle your engine for a while, the voltmeter
reading might move into the low voltage zone (indicated
by red dots). If the reading stays in the low voltage zone
while you are driving, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. Have it checked. While the
voltmeter reads in the low voltage zone, your battery
may not be able to power certain electrical accessories,
like ABS. (If this happens, the ABS INOP light will
come on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake System Warning Lightº
in the Index.)
If you must drive a short distance with the voltmeter
reading in a warning zone, turn off all your accessories,
including your air conditioning and audio system.

2-89
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this
inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to help
your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
SERVICE ENGINE SOON or CHECK ENGINE light is
on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on
-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still does
not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center to
prepare the vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Gage
3800 V6 Engine 5.7L V8 Engine
This gage tells you if there could be a problem with your
engine oil pressure. The gage shows the engine oil
pressure in psi (pounds per square inch) or kPa
(kilopascals) when the engine is running.
On the 3800 V6 engine, the oil pressure should be 20 to
120 psi (140 to 827 kPa). On the 5.7L V8 engine, oil pressure
should be 20 to 80 psi (140 to 550 kPa). In certain situations
such as long, extended idles on hot days, it could read as low
as 6 psi (40 kPa) and still be considered normal. It may vary
with engine speed, outside temperature and oil viscosity, but
readings above the red area show the normal operating range.
Readings in the red area tell you that the engine is low on oil,
or that you might have some other oil problem. See ªEngine
Oilº in the Index.

3-17
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK
is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. It works by using a secret code to disable all radio
functions whenever battery power is removed.
The THEFTLOCK feature for the radio may be used or
ignored. If ignored, the system plays normally and the
radio is not protected by the feature. If THEFTLOCK is
activated, your radio will not operate if stolen.
When THEFTLOCK is activated, the radio will display
LOC to indicate a locked condition anytime battery
power is removed. If your battery loses power for any
reason, you must unlock the radio with the secret code
before it will operate.
Activating the Theft
-Deterrent Feature
The instructions which follow explain how to enter your
secret code to activate the THEFTLOCK system. It is
recommended that you read through all nine steps
before starting the procedure.
If you allow more than 15 seconds to elapse between
any steps, the radio automatically reverts to time and
you must start the procedure over at Step 4.1. Write down any three or four
-digit number from
000 to 1999 and keep it in a safe place separate from
the vehicle.
2. Turn the ignition to ACC or RUN.
3. Turn the radio off.
4. Press the 1 and 4 buttons together. Hold them down
until
--- shows on the display. Next you will use the
secret code number which you have written down.
5. Press MIN and 000 will appear on the display.
6. Press MIN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
7. Press HR to make the first one or two digits agree
with your code.
8. Press AM
-FM after you have confirmed that the
code matches the secret code you have written down.
The display will show REP to let you know that you
need to repeat Steps 5 through 7 to confirm your
secret code.
9. Press AM
-FM and this time the display will show
SEC to let you know that your radio is secure.
Note that with the ignition off, the THEFTLOCK LED
indicator will flash, indicating a secured radio.

3-18
Unlocking the Theft-Deterrent Feature After a
Power Loss
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1. Turn the ignition on. LOC will appear on the display.
2. Press MIN and 000 will appear on the display.
3. Press MIN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
4. Press HR to make the first one or two digits agree
with your code.
5. Press AM
-FM after you have confirmed that the
code matches the secret code you have written down.
The display will show SEC, indicating the radio is
now operable and secure.
If you enter the wrong code eight times, INOP will
appear on the display. You will have to wait an hour
with the ignition on before you can try again. When
you try again, you will only have three more chances
(eight tries per chance) to enter the correct code before
INOP appears.
If you lose or forget your code, contact your dealer.Disabling the Theft
-Deterrent Feature
Enter your secret code as follows; pause no more than
15 seconds between steps:
1. Turn the ignition to ACC or RUN.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press the 1 and 4 buttons together. Hold them down
until SEC shows on the display.
4. Press MIN and 000 will appear on the display.
5. Press MIN again to make the last two digits agree
with your code.
6. Press HR to make the first one or two digits agree
with your code.
7. Press AM
-FM after you have confirmed that the
code matches the secret code you have written down.
The display will show
---, indicating that the radio is
no longer secured.
If the code entered is incorrect, SEC will appear on the
display. The radio will remain secured until the correct
code is entered.
When battery power is removed and later applied to a
secured radio, the radio won't turn on and LOC will
appear on the display.
To unlock a secured radio, see ªUnlocking the
Theft
-Deterrent Feature After a Power Lossº earlier in
this section.