Pontiac 2001 Firebird Owner's Manual page 146

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.
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Voltmeter
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 "Anti Lock Brake System Warning Light"
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.
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.