Pontiac 1999 Firebird Owner's Manual page 91

If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 km/h), or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly or for
good performance.
NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you downshift,
or if you race the engine when you downshift,
you can damage the clutch or transmission.
Skip Shift Light (5.7L V8 Engine)
This helps you get the best possible fuel economy.
When this light comes on,
you can only shift from
FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4)
instead of FIRST (1) to
SECOND (2).
The light will come on under these conditions:
D
The engine coolant temperature is greater than
_ _
170 F (77 C),
D
you are going 15 to 20 mph (24 to 32 km/h) and
D
you are at 35% throttle or less.
When the skip shift light is on, the gearshift lever will
let you shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) only. Once
you are in FOURTH (4), you can press the clutch again
and shift into another gear.
Follow the shift speeds listed below when the
SKIP SHIFT light is on.
-
Computer Aided Manual Transmission Shift Speeds
D
1st to 4th @ 15 mph (24 km/h)
D
4th to 5th @ 25 mph (40 km/h)*
D
5th to 6th @ 49 mph (64 km/h)**
Each time you come to a stop, the engine's Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) determines when to activate the
SKIP SHIFT upshift system. The SKIP SHIFT upshift
system is bypassed when you accelerate very quickly
from a stop.
*30 mph (48 km/h) when accelerating to highway speeds.
**45 mph (72 km/h) when accelerating to highway speeds.
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