2000 Pontiac Firebird Owner's Manual - Page 142

Voltmeter 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. 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. 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. 2-82