The 1997 Pontiac Sunfire Owner's Manual 1-1 2-1 3-1 Seats and Restraint Systems This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the system. "SRS" Features and Controls This section explains how to start and operate your Pontiac. Comfort Controls and Audio Systems This section tells you how adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system. to Your Driving and the Road Here you'll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions. Problems on the Road This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc. Service and Appearance Care Here the manual tells you how to keep your Pontiac running properly and looking good. Maintenance Schedule This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use. Customer Assistance Information This section tells you how to contact Pontiac assistance and how to get service and owner publications. for It also gives you information on "Reporting Safety Defects" on page 8-10. Index Here's an alphabetical listing almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find of something you want to read. 4-1 5-1 6-1 7-1 8-1 9-1 PONTIAC I v I LA=; GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, PONTIAC, the PONTIAC Emblem and the name SUNFIRE are registered trademarks of General Motors Corporation. This manualincludes the latest info'rmationat the time it was printed. We reserve theright to make changes in the product after that time without further notice. For vehicles first soldin Canada, substitute the name "General Motors of Canada Limited" for Pontiac Division whenever it appears in this manual. Please keep this manual in your Pontiac, so it will be there if you ever need it when you're on the road. If you sell the vehicle, please leavethis manual in itso the new owner can use it. WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION THROUGH National Institute for CERTIFIED We support voluntary technician certification. AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a French Language Manual: Aux propri6Mres canadiens: Vous pouvez vous procurer un exemplaire dece guide en frangais chez ou votre concessionaire au: DGN Marketing Services Ltd. 1500 B~nhill Rd. Mississauga, OntarioL5T 1C7 Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 10273367 B First Edition 0Copyright General Motors Corporation 1996 All Rights Reserved I I ii 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. I A CAUTION: These mean there something thatcould hurt is 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.'' Index A good place to look for what you need is the Index in the back of the manual. It's an alphabetical list of what's in the manual, and the page number where you'll find it. Safety Warnings andSymbols 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. iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Also, in this book you will find these notices: not In the notice area, we tell you about something that can damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would 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 i different colors or in n different words. These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle. You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. Vehicle Symbols These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle. For example, these symbols are used on an original battery: CAUTION POSSIBLE INJURY PROTECT EYES BY SHIELDING CAUSTIC FASTEN SEAT BELTS BURNS AVOID SPARKS OR FLAMES COOLANT POWER WINDOW DAYTIME RUNNING * LAMPS * a A These symbols are important for you and your passengers whenever your vehicle is driven: These symbols have to do with your lamps: These symbols are on some of your controls: These symbols are used on warning and indicator lights: Here are some other symbols you may see: DOOR LOCK UNLOCK TURN SIGNALS ee p$ WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER COOLANT TEMP BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM I-1 FUSE LIGHTER * t a k T PARKING LAMPS BRAKE (a) w, (@) HORN SPEAKER 0 VENTILATING FAN ENGINE OIL PRESSURE FUEL b B V FLAME EXPLODE BATTERY FOG LAMPS $0 ANTI-LOCK BRAKES NOTES vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems ~ ~~~~ Here you'll find information about the seats in your Pontiac 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 1-8 1-13 1-14 1-14 1-22 1-23 1-23 Seats and Seat Controls Safety Belts: They're for Everyone Here Are Questions Many People Ask About Safety Belts -- and the Answers How to Wear Safety Belts Properly Driver Position Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy Right Front Passenger Position Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) 1-29 1-34 1-36 1-38 1-46 1-49 1-49 1-49 Rear Seat Passengers Center Passenger Position Children Child Restraints Larger Children Safety Belt Extender Checking Your Restraint Systems Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash 1-1 Seats and Seat Controls This section tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them -- and also about reclining seatbacks and head restraints. Manual Front Seats , ! CAUTION: k, You can lose control of the vehicleif you try to adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicleis 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 when only the vehicle is not moving. Lift the lever under the driver's 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. Your Sunfire will be equipped with one of the following passenger seat adjusters. 1-2 Slide the lever under the passenger's seat to the right to If your Sunfire is equipped with easy-entry seats, this is unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it. Then release the lever and try tomove the seat with your bodv. to make sure theseat is locked into place. your front passenger seat adjuster. Pull up on the lever at the front of the seat to unlock it. Slide seat to a the comfortable position. Release the lever and try to move the seat with your body, to make sure the seat is locked into place. 1-3 Manual Lumbar Support(If Equipped) The manual lumbar support control is located at the front of the driver's seat, toward the right. Turn the knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or decrease the amount of support to your lower back. Reclining Front Seatbacks To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of the se'at and move the seatback to where you want it. Release the lever to lock the seatback. Pull up on the lever and the seat will go to an upright position. 1-4 But don't have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving. Sitting ina reclined position whenyour vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Evenif you buckle up, your safety belts can't their job when do you're reclined like this. The shoulder belt can't do its because it job won't be against your body. Instead, it will be in front of you. In a crash you could gointo it, receiving neckor otherinjuries. job The lap belt can't do its either. In a crash the belt could go up over yo'ur abdomen. The belt forces wouldbe there, not at your pelvic bones. This could causeserious internal injuries. For properprotection whenthe vehicle is in motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit well back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly. Head Restraints Slide the head restraintup or downso that the topof the restraint is closest to the of your ears. This position top reduces the chance a neck injury a crash. of in In two-door models, the front seatback folds forward to let people get into the back seat. Seatback Latches(2-Door Models) 1 To fold a front Seatback forward, the latchlocated lift on the lower backside the seatback. Then the seat of will fold forward. When you return the seatback its original position, to is must be make sure the seatback locked, The latch down for the seat to work properly. 1-6 Easy Entry Seat (2-Door Models) Rear Seats Folding the Rear Seat I If an easy entry right front seat isn't locked, it can move. In a sudden or crash, the person stop sitting there could be injured. After you've used it, be sure to push rearward on an easy entry seat to be sure it is locked. The right front seat of two-door vehicles makes it easy to get in and out of the rear seat. 0 Tilt the right front seatback completely forward and the whole seat will slide forward. Move the right front seatback to its original position after someone gets into the rear seat area. Then move the seat rearward until it locks. Tilt the seatback completely forward againto get out. To open the fold-down rear seat, pull forward on the seat tab. 0 1-7 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. . . . . .. . A To close the seat, push the seatback up to its original position. Check to ensure the seatback is in itsoriginal position and securely latched by pulling forward on the top of the seatback. Move any obstructions in the trunk compartment. = Don't let anyone ride where heor she ca: r - : wl r a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you're not wearinga 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 orkilled. In the same crash, you might not be if you are buckledup. Always fasten your safety belt, and check that your passengers' belts are fastened properly too. A CAUTION: It is extremely dangerous to ride a cargo area, in inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas are more to be likely seriously injured or killed. Do not allow peopleto ride in any area your vehicle that is not of equipped with seats and safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a safety belt properly. In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here's why: They work. I 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 inbetween. In many of them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk away. Without belts they couldhave been badly hurt or killed. After more than 25 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter ... a lot! Your vehicle has a light that comes on as a reminder to buckle up. (See "Safety Belt Reminder Light" in the Index.) 1-9 Why Safety Belts Work When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes. I ' I `I Put someone on it. Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat on wheels. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider doesn't stop. The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, itcould be the windshield ... 1-11 or the safety belts! With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does. You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance, and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why safety belts make such good sense. 1-12