Pontiac Sunbird Owner's Manual page 63

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Features
t S
Controls
. . I
Shifting the 5-Speed
Manual Transaxle
(Cant.)
Shift to
R
(Reverse) only after your
vehicle is stopped. Shifting to
R (Reverse) while your vehicle is
moving could damage your transaxle.
Also, use
R
(Reverse), along with the
parlung brake, for parking your vehicle.
62
Shift light
(MANUAL TRANSAXLE)
If you have a manual transaxle, you have
a SHIFT light. This light will show you
when to shift to the next higher gear for
best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift
to the next higher gear if weather, road
and traffic conditions let you. For the
best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for
the light to go on and off if you quickly
change the position of the accelerator.
Ignore the SHIFT light when you
downshift.
Shift Speeds
(MANUAL TRANSAXLE)
This chart shows when to shift to the
next higher gear for best fuel economy.
Acceleration Shift Speeds:
Ist to 2nd 17 mph (27 h / h )
2nd to 3rd 30 mph (48 h / h )
3rd to 4th 39 mph (63 km/h)
4th to 5th 45 mph (72 h / h )
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 th
engine running smoothly or for good
performance.