LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 1996 Customer Assistance Guide

Cellular Phone (If equipped)
For information about the cellular phone in your
vehicle, refer to the Cellular Phone User's
Manual provided with your phone. For further
questions about your Lincoln cellular phone,
contact the Ford Cellular System at 1-800-367-
3013(U.S.). In Canada, please contact your
dealer.
NOTE: It is recommended that you fold your
cellular phone antenna down onto the back glass
before entering a car wash.
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Steering Column ControlsThe controls on the steering column and wheel
are designed to give you easy access to the
controls while you are driving.
The Turn Signal Lever
You can use the turn signal lever on the left side
of the steering column to: operate the turn signals and cornering lamps turn the high beams on/off flash the lights turn the windshield wipers and washer on/offThe turn signal lever
Turn Signals
Move the lever up to signal a right turn. Move it
down to signal a left turn. The corresponding
indicator light in the instrument cluster will flash.
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If the turn signal stays on after you turn, move
the lever back to the center (off) position. A
warning chime will sound after approximately
one-half mile (one kilometer) of driving if you do
not return the lever to off.
For lane changes, move the lever far enough to
signal but not to latch. The lever will return to
the off position when you release it.
NOTE: The flash rate of the turn signal will
speed up considerably if the Lighting Control
Module detects a left or right turn lamp bulb
(front or rear) is burned out.
High Beams
To turn on the high beams, turn the headlamp
control switch to the headlamp ON position (or
activate the autolamp feature) and push the turn
signal lever away from you until it latches. When
the high beams are ON, the high beam indicator
light on the instrument cluster comes on.
90To turn off the high beams, pull the lever toward
you until it latches. The high beam indicator
light turns off.
Flashing the Lights
To flash the headlamps, pull the lever toward
you for a moment and then release it. The
headlamps will flash whether the headlamp knob
is in the on or off position.
Windshield Wipers and Washer
To turn on the windshield wipers, the ignition
key must be turned to the ON or ACC position.
Rotate the knob towards "S" to activate the
wipers. The first seven detents are interval wipe
positions, the eighth detent is the LO position
and the ninth detent is the HI position.
To turn the wipers off, turn the knob to the OFF
position.

Variable Interval Wipers
In addition to two speed wipers, your vehicle has
wipers that you can set to operate at varying
intervals. For example, you can set the interval
so they wipe less often when it drizzles or more
often in heavier rain.The windshield wiper on the turn signal leverTo set the interval wipers, turn the -knob at the
end of the turn signal lever between "S" (slow) and
"F" (fast) until the desired interval between wipes
is achieved.
Windshield Washer
To clean the windshield, push in the end of the
wiper knob. For a constant spray, keep the knob
pushed in. After you release the knob, the wipers
operate for two to three cycles before turning off
(if the wipers were OFF) or returning to HI, LO,
or the interval setting selected.
If the washer does not work, check the washer
fluid level and fill it if it is low. See the Servicing
Your Continental chapter. If there is enough fluid,
consult your nearest Ford or Lincoln-Mercury
dealer.
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Do not try to clean the windshield when the
washer fluid container is empty or activate the
washers at any time for more than 15 seconds
continuously. This could damage the washer
pump system./! WARNINGIn freezing weather, the washer solutionmay freeze on the windshield and obscureyour vision. Always warm up thewindshield with the defroster before youuse the washer fluid. If you cannot seethrough the windshield clearly, it canincrease the risk of being involved in acollision.For information about refilling the washer fluid or
replacing your windshield wiper blades, see
Windshield washer fluid and Wipers in the Index.
92Hazard Flasher
The hazard flasher serves as a warning to other
drivers to be careful when approaching or passing
your vehicle.
The flashers work whether your vehicle is running
or not. The flashers work for up to two hours
when the battery is fully charged and in good
condition without draining the battery excessively.
If the flashers run for longer than two hours or if
the battery is not fully charged, the battery can be
drained.

Steering wheel
The control switch for hazard flashers
Horn
To sound the horn, push the center pad area of
the steering wheel.Press here to sound the horn
The horn on the steering wheel
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Tilt Steering/!\ WARNINGNever adjust the steering wheel when thevehicle is moving.94The lever to tilt the steering wheel

To change the position of the steering wheel, pull
the release lever on the column toward you. Tip
the steering wheel to the desired position.
Release the lever to lock the steering wheel in
place.
Speed Control
Your vehicle has speed control, so you can
automatically maintain a constant speed above 30
mph (48 km/h). The switches to operate the
speed control are on the steering wheel.
Use of radio transmitting equipment that is not
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or
in Canada the Canadian Radio and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
approved may cause the speed control to
malfunction. Therefore, use only properly
installed FCC (CRTC in Canada) approved radio
transmitting equipment in your vehicle.NOTE: Since your vehicle has an Automatic
Overdrive Transaxle, you may want to drive in D
(Drive) when driving in hilly terrain, at higher
altitudes, or when pulling a trailer. This will
improve speed control performance.
NOTE: Do not shift to N (Neutral) when using
the speed control. This will cause the engine to
overspeed.
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The speed control switches on the steering
wheel
To set the speed control:
1.Press and release the ON switch.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed above 30 mph
(50 km/h) using the accelerator pedal.
963. Press the SET ACCEL switch and release it
immediately to set your speed. If you keep this
switch pressed, your speed will continue to
increase.
4.Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle will maintain the speed you set.
If you drive up or down a steep hill, your vehicle
may momentarily slow down or speed up, even
though the speed control is on. This is normal.
When driving uphill, especially with a heavy load,
significant speed drops may occur. If the speed
drops more than 8-14 mph (13-23 km/h) the
automatic speed control will, by design, be
cancelled. If this happens, your vehicle may
require manual operation to maintain your desired
speed.

NOTE: If your speed increases above your set
speed while driving in (Overdrive) on a
downhill grade, you may want to shift to D
(Drive) to reduce vehicle speed. The speed
control cannot reduce the vehicle speed if it goes
above your set speed on a downhill grade. For
the best fuel economy during normal driving
conditions, leave the shift select in (Overdrive), or resume as soon as practical./! WARNINGDo not use the speed control in heavytraffic or on roads that are winding,slippery, or unpaved.Accelerating With the Speed Control
Operating
You can use the accelerator pedal to speed up
momentarily. When you take your foot off the
accelerator, the vehicle will return to the set
speed.Resetting the Speed Control
To reset the speed control to a lower speed, use
one of the following procedures: COAST - Press and hold the COAST switch.
Release the switch when the vehicle slows down
to the desired speed. Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the vehicle
attains the desired speed, press the SET
ACCEL switch and release it immediately. TAP-DOWN - Press and release the COAST
switch momentarily for each m.p.h. (1.6 km/h)
reduction in speed desired.
If vehicle speed is reduced below 30 mph (50
km/h) by any of the above methods, then you must
manually accelerate to a speed over 30 mph (50
km/h) and reset the system.
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