Pontiac Firebird 2000 Owner's manual

Free

lockout assistance

Free

dead-battery assistance

Free

out-of-fuel assistance

Free

flat-tire change

Emergency

towing

1-800-762-3743

(For vehicles purchased in Canada,

call

1-800-268-6800)

that provides in an emergency:

1-800-762-3743

(For vehicles purchased in Canada,

call

1-800-268-6800)

Bumper-to-Bumper

3-years/36,000 miles (60 000 km)

Limited Warranty

Courtesy

Transportation

Every

2000 Firebird

under warranty is

backed with the

following

services:

2000 Pontiac Firebird

Owner's Manual

Litho in U.S.A.

Part Number 10410956 A First Edition

i

Table of Contents

Keys and Door Locks

Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System

Hatch

Automatic Transmission (If Equipped)

Manual Transmission Operation (If Equipped)

Parking Brake

Windows

Tilt Wheel

Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever

Windshield Wipers

Cruise Control

Interior and Exterior Lamps

Mirrors

Storage Compartments

Cargo Cover

Accessory Power Outlet

Instrument Panel, Warning Lights and Gages

Seats and Seat Controls

Safety Belts

Air Bag System

Child Restraints

Section

1

Section

2

Seats and Restraint Systems

Features and Controls

ii

Section

3

Comfort Controls and Audio Systems

Section

4

Your Driving and the Road

Section

5

Table of Contents (cont'd)

Braking/Anti-lock Brakes (If Equipped)

Traction Control System

Steering

Driving Tips for Various Road Conditions

Recreational Vehicle Towing

Loading Your Vehicle

Towing a Trailer

Heating and Air Conditioning

Setting the Radio Clock

Radio/Cassette Player/CD Player

Radio Theft-Deterrent Feature

Steering Wheel Controls (If Equipped)

Hazard Warning Flashers

Jump Starting

Towing Your Vehicle

Engine Overheating

Changing a Flat Tire

If You're Stuck

Problems on the Road

iii

Table of Contents (cont'd)

Maintenance Schedule

Service and Appearance Care

Section

7

Section

6

Scheduled Maintenance

Periodic Maintenance Inspections

Recommended Fluids and Lubricants

Maintenance Records

iv

Tires and Wheels

Appearance Care

Electrical System/Fuses and Circuit Breakers

Capacities and Specifications

Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts

Fuel

Checking Fluids and Lubricants

GM Oil Life System™

Bulb Replacement

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement

Table of Contents (cont'd)

Customer Assistance Information

In the Index you will find an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual.

You can use it to quickly find something you want to read.

Section

8

Customer Satisfaction Procedures

Customer Assistance Offices

Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation

Warranty Information (See Warranty Manual)

Reporting Safety Defects on page 8-10

Service Publications

Index

Section

9

Please refer to the last page of this manual for your

Service Station Guide

v

vi

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,

PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem and the name

FIREBIRD are registered trademarks of General

Motors Corporation.

This manual includes the latest information at the time it

was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the

product after that time without further notice. For

vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name

“General Motors of Canada Limited” for Pontiac

Division whenever it appears in this manual.

Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be

there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you

sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the new

owner can use it.

We support voluntary

technician certification.

For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a

French Language Manual:

Aux propriétaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous

procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en français chez

votre concessionaire ou au:

DGN Marketing Services Ltd.

1577 Meyerside Dr.

Mississauga, Ontario L5T 1B9

vii

How to Use this Manual

Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning

to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If you

do this, it will help you learn about the features and

controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find

that pictures and words work together to explain

things quickly.

Safety Warnings and Symbols

You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.

We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you

about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore

the warning.

CAUTION:

These mean there is something that could hurt

you or other people.

In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then

we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the

hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you or

others could be hurt.

You will also find a circle

with a slash through it in

this book. This safety

symbol means “Don’t,”

“Don’t do this” or “Don’t

let this happen.”

viii

Vehicle Damage Warnings

Also, in this book you will find these notices:

NOTICE:

These mean there is something that could

damage your vehicle.

In the notice area, we tell you about something that can

damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would

not be covered by your warranty, and it could be costly.

But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid

the damage.

When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION

and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in

different words.

You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use

the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.

ix

For example,

these symbols

are used on an

original battery:

CAUTION

POSSIBLE

INJURY

PROTECT

EYES BY

SHIELDING

CAUSTIC

BATTERY

ACID COULD

CAUSE

BURNS

AVOID

SPARKS OR

FLAMES

SPARK OR

FLAME

COULD

EXPLODE

BATTERY

These symbols

are important

for you and

your passengers

whenever your

vehicle is

driven:

DOOR LOCK

UNLOCK

FASTEN

SEAT

BELTS

POWER

WINDOW

AIR BAG

These symbols

have to do with

your lamps:

MASTER

LIGHTING

SWITCH

TURN

SIGNALS

PARKING

LAMPS

HAZARD

WARNING

FLASHER

DAYTIME

RUNNING

LAMPS

FOG LAMPS

These symbols

are on some of

your controls:

WINDSHIELD

WIPER

WINDSHIELD

WASHER

WINDSHIELD

DEFROSTER

REAR

WINDOW

DEFOGGER

VENTILATING

FAN

These symbols

are used on

warning and

indicator lights:

ENGINE

COOLANT

TEMP

BATTERY

CHARGING

SYSTEM

BRAKE

COOLANT

ENGINE OIL

PRESSURE

ANTI-LOCK

BRAKES

Here are some

other symbols

you may see:

FUSE

LIGHTER

HORN

SPEAKER

FUEL

Vehicle Symbols

These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.

Service Station Guide

Oil Viscosity

Engine Oil

See Section 6

Premium Fuel Recommended

Use unleaded gas only,

91 Octane or higher.

See Section 6

Cooling System

See Section 5

Hood Release

See Section 6

Windshield Washer

Fluid

See Section 6

Spare Tire Pressure

See Section 5

Battery

See Section 6

For

a More

Detailed Look at

What's Under the Hood

See Section 6

Tire Pressure

See Section 6

V6 Engine Oil

Dipstick

See Section 6

V8 Engine Oil

Dipstick

See Section 6

1-

1-1

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems

Here you’ll find information about the seats in your vehicle and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also

learn about some things you should not do with air bags and safety belts.

1

-2 Seats and Seat Controls

1

-7 Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone

1

-12 Here Are Questions Many People Ask About

Safety Belts

-- and the Answers

1

-13 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly

1

-13 Driver Position

1

-20 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy

1

-21 Right Front Passenger Position

1

-21 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)

1

-28 Rear Seat Passengers

1

-31 Children

1

-34 Child Restraints

1

-45 Larger Children

1

-48 Safety Belt Extender

1

-48 Checking Your Restraint Systems

1

-48 Replacing Restraint System Parts

After a Crash

1-2

Seats and Seat Controls

This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust

them and also about reclining front seatbacks, seatback

latches and the folding rear seatback.

Manual Front Seats

CAUTION:

You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to

adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is

moving. The sudden movement could startle and

confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you

don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when

the vehicle is not moving.

Move the lever located under the front seat to unlock it.

Slide the seat to where you want it. Then release the

lever and try to move the seat with your body to make

sure the seat is locked into place. Be sure the lever

returns to its original position after moving the seat.

1-3

4-Way Manual Seats

There are two levers located at the front of the seat.

The left lever adjusts the seat forward and rearward.

The right lever adjusts the angle of the front of the seat.

To adjust the seats forward and rearward, lift the lever

under the left front of the seat. Slide the seat to where you

want it. Then release the lever and try to move the seat

with your body to make sure the seat is locked into place.

To raise or lower the seat, lift the lever under the right

front of the seat and lean forward or backward.

6-Way Power Seat (If Equipped)

The driver’s seat has three power seat controls located

on the left side.

A: The front control makes the front of the seat go up

and down.

B: The center control makes the whole seat go up and

down or forward and backward.

C: The back control makes the rear of the seat go up

and down.

1-4

In addition to the power seat

control, there are two other

switches located on the side

of the seat that help you

change the shape of

your seat.

There is one lumbar support (the front switch) for the

lower back. There is also a side bolster switch (the rear

switch) that adjusts the sides of the seat around you to

give you lateral support.

For lumbar support, push the front switch down to

inflate and up to deflate.

For lateral support, push the rear switch down to inflate

and up to deflate.

Reclining Front Seatbacks

To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of

the seat. Release the lever to lock the seatback where

you want it. Pull up on the lever and the seat will go to

its original upright position.

1-5

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle

is moving.

CAUTION:

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is

in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle

up, your safety belts can’t do their job when

you’re reclined like this.

The shoulder belt can’t do its job. In a crash you

could go into it, receiving neck or other injuries.

The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash the

belt could go up over your abdomen. The belt

forces would be there, not at your pelvic bones.

This could cause serious internal injuries.

For proper protection when the vehicle is in

motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well

back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.

1-6

Head Restraints

Head restraints are fixed on some models and adjustable

on others. Slide an adjustable head restraint up or down

so that the top of the restraint is closest to the top of

your ears. This position reduces the chance of a neck

injury in a crash.

Front Seatback Latches

The front seatbacks fold

forward to let people get

into the back seat. To fold a

seatback forward, lift the

latch located on the lower

backside of the seatback.

When you return the seatback to its original position,

make sure the seatback is locked. The latch must be

down for the seat to work properly.

CAUTION:

If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move

forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could

cause injury to the person sitting there. Always

press rearward on the seatback to be sure it

is locked.

1-7

Folding Rear Seatback

The rear seatback in your vehicle folds down to provide

more storage space.

To fold the seatback down:

1. Pull forward on both levers.

2. Fold the seatback down.

To raise the seatback:

1. Lift the seatback to its locked, upright position.

2. Be sure both latches hold the seatback in place. Push

and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone

This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts

properly. It also tells you some things you should not do

with safety belts.

And it explains the Supplemental Restraint System

(SRS), or air bag system.

CAUTION:

Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t wear

a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and

you’re not wearing a safety belt, your injuries

can be much worse. You can hit things inside the

vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously

injured or killed. In the same crash, you might

not be if you are buckled up. Always fasten your

safety belt, and check that your passengers’ belts

are fastened properly too.

1-8

CAUTION:

It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,

inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,

people riding in these areas are more likely to be

seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to

ride in any area of your vehicle that is not

equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure

everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a

safety belt properly.

Your vehicle has a light that

comes on as a reminder to

buckle up. (See “Safety Belt

Reminder Light” in

the Index.)

In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to

wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.

You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a

crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so

serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.

But most crashes are in between. In many of them,

people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk

away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt

or killed.

After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,

the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does

matter ... a lot!

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