FORD CONTOUR 2000 2.G Owners Manual

Maintenance and care
181 Adjusting automatic transaxle
fluid levels
Before adding any fluid, make sure
the correct type is used. The type
of fluid used is normally indicated
on the dipstick and/or dipstick
handle and also in the Lubricant
specificationssection in the
Capacities and Specifications
chapter.
Use of a non approved
automatic transaxle fluid may
cause internal transaxle
component damage.
If necessary, add fluid in 250 ml
(1/2 pint) increments through the
filler tube until the level is correct.
If an overfill occurs, excess fluid
should be removed by a qualified
technician.
An overfill condition of
transaxle fluid may cause shift
and/or engagement concerns
and/or possible damage. High fluid level
Fluid levels above the safe range
may result in transaxle failure. An
overfill condition of transaxle fluid
may cause shift and/or possible
damage. High fluid levels can be
caused by an overheating
condition, see note.
Do not add if above the
crosshatched area
Do not add if above the
crosshatched area
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Maintenance and care
182Battery
Your vehicle may be equipped with
a Motorcraft maintenance-free
battery. The Motorcraft
maintenance-free battery normally
does not require additional water
during its life of service. However,
for severe service usage or in high
temperature climates, refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” for
additional information. Keep the
electrolyte in each cell up to the
“level” indicator. Do not overfill the
battery cell.
For longer, trouble-free operation,
keep the top of the battery clean
and dry. Also, make certain the
battery cables are always tightly
fastened to the battery terminals.
If you see any corrosion on the
battery cables or terminals, remove
the cables from the terminal(s) and
clean with a wire brush. You can
neutralize the acid with a solution
of baking soda and water. Reinstall
the cables when you are done
cleaning them, and apply a small
quantity of grease to the top of
each battery terminal to help
prevent corrosion.
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Maintenance and care
183 Battery replacement
If your original equipment battery
requires replacement while under
warranty, it will be replaced with a
Motorcraft service battery,
identical in design technology. Like
the original equipment battery, it
should not require water addition
during its normal life of service;
however, for severe service usage
or in high temperature climates,
refer to the “Scheduled
Maintenance Guide” for more
information. Do not overfill the
battery cell.
If the electrolyte level in your
battery gets low, you can add plain
tap water to the battery, as long as
you do not use hard water (water
with a high mineral or alkali
content). If possible, however, try
to only fill the battery cell with
distilled water. If the battery needs
water often, have the charging
system checked.
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Maintenance and care
184
Batteries normally produce
explosive gases which can
cause personal injury. Do not allow
flames, sparks or lit tobacco to
come near the battery. Always
cover your face and protect your
eyes and also provide ventilation.
Applying too much pressure
on the ends when lifting a
battery could cause acid to spill.
Lift the battery with a carrier or
with your hands on the opposite
corners.
Follow these steps to
minimize risk of personal
injury.
Always dispose of automotive
batteries in a responsible
manner. Follow your community’s
local standards for disposal. Call
your local recycling center to find
out more about recycling
automotive batteries.
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Maintenance and care
185 Relearning the idle function
Because your vehicle’s engine is
electronically controlled, some
control conditions are maintained
by power from the battery. When
the battery is disconnected or a
new battery is installed, the
computer must “relearn” its idle
conditions before your vehicle can
drive properly. To begin this
process:
1. Put the automatic transaxle
gearshift in P (Park). Put the
manual transaxle gearshift in
neutral.
2. Turn off all accessories and start
the vehicle.
3. Let the engine idle for at least
one minute.
4. The “relearning” process will
automatically complete as you
drive the vehicle.
• If you do not allow the engine to
“relearn” its idle, the idle quality of
your vehicle may be adversely
affected until the idle is eventually
“relearned”.
• If the battery has been
disconnected or if a new battery
has been installed, the clock and
preset radio stations must be reset
once the battery is reconnected.
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Maintenance and care
186Checking wiper blades
Check the wiper blades on your
vehicle for roughness by running
the tips of your fingers over the
edge of the blade.
Traces of grease, silicone and fuel
prevent wiper blades from
functioning properly. We
recommend Ford cleaning
solutions or equivalent to clean
wiper blades.
Change the wiper blades on your
vehicle at least once a year.
Cabin air filter replacement
In your climate control system, you
have a filter that cleans the air
before it enters the interior of the
vehicle. This filter should be
replaced at the intervals in the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide“.
To replace the cabin air filter:
1. Unscrew the nut in the base of
each windshield wiper arm.
Remove the windshield wiper arms.
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Maintenance and care
187 2. Remove the plastic caps from
the screws on the grille. Remove
the screws.
3. Open the hood. Pull off the
rubber weatherstrip at the back of
the engine compartment. Remove
the screws that hold the grille,
separate the two halves and
remove the grille.
4. The filter is in a housing at the
back of the engine compartment,
on the passenger side. Pull off the
two clips on the sides of the
housing. Slide out the top part of
the housing and filter.
5. Slide the filter out of the
housing, replace with the new filter
and slide the top part of the
housing and cabin air filter back
into place. Reinstall the clips on the
housing.
6. Replace the grille and wiper
arms.
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Maintenance and care
188New vehicles are fitted with tires
that have their Tire Quality Grade
(described below) molded into the
tire’s sidewall. These Tire Quality
Grades are determined by
standards that the United States
Department of Transportation has
set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on
passenger cars. They do not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or
limited production tires as defined
in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulation Part 575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of
Transportation – Tire quality
grades: The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires Ford to
give you the following information
about tire grades exactly as the
government has written it. INFORMATION ABOUT TIRE
QUALITY GRADES
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Maintenance and care
189 Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half
(1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices,
and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest are AA, A, B, and C.
Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled
conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
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Maintenance and care
190Temperature A B C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing
the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required
by law.
The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a
tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
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