2002 Pontiac Firebird Owner's Manual - Page 98

Shift Speeds CAUTION: If you skip a gear when you downshift, you could lose control of your vehicle. You could injure yourself or others. Don't shift down more than one gear at a time when you downshift. 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) When the SKIP SHIFT light is on, the gearshift lever will require that you shift from FIRST (1) to FOURTH (4) instead of shifting from FIRST (1) to SECOND (2). This chart shows when to shift to the next higher gear for best fuel economy. Once you are in FOURTH (4), you can apply the clutch again and shift into another gear. 2-42