LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 1996 Customer Assistance Guide

2.When the engine is cool, wrap a thick cloth
around the cap and turn it slowly counter-
clockwise to relieve pressure.
3.Step back while the pressure releases.
4.When you are sure that all the pressure has
been released, use the cloth to turn and remove
cap.
5. Stand away from the reservoir opening. Hot
steam may blow out or hot engine coolant may
even splash out./!\ WARNINGFailure to follow these instructions couldresult in serious personal injury from hotengine coolant or steam blowout and/ordamage to the engine cooling system orengine.To find out how much engine coolant mixture your
vehicle's coolant system can hold, see Refill
capacities for fluids in the Index.
Add engine coolant only to the coolant reservoir.
If the coolant level is low, add to the reservoir a
50/50 or appropriate mixture of water and the type
of engine coolant that Ford specifies. You may add
water by itself only in an emergency, but you should
replace it with a 50/50 mixture as soon as possible.
Check the engine coolant again the next few times
you drive your vehicle.
Have your dealer check the engine cooling system
for leaks if you have to add more than a quart (liter)
of engine coolant more than once a month.
Ford Premium Cooling System Fluid is an optimized
formula that will protect all metals and rubber
elastomers used in Ford engines for four years or
50,000 miles (80,000 km). It is not necessary and
not recommended to use supplemental coolant
additives in your vehicle. These additives may harm
249

your engine cooling system. Follow the
recommended service interval for changing your
engine coolant.
NOTE: When you change or add engine coolant, it
is important to maintain your engine coolant
concentration between 40% (-11°F [-24°C]) and
60% (-62°F [-52°C]), depending on your local
climate conditions. Below 40% you will lose freeze
protection; above 60% your engine may overheat
on a warm day.
NOTE: Less than 40% of coolant concentration
may cause engine corrosion and overheating. Plain
water may be used in an emergency only. Replace
it with the specified coolant as quickly as possible.
NOTE: The use of an improper coolant may void
your warranty for the engine cooling system. Use
only a premium, nationally recognized brand name
engine coolant. Do not use alcohol, methanol
antifreeze or engine coolant mixed with alcohol or
methanol antifreeze. If you do not use the proper
250coolant, the aluminum engine on your vehicle will
corrode.
Ford Motor Company expressly authorizes the Ford
Rotunda engine coolant recycling process and
chemicals. Use only Ford Rotunda recycled engine
coolant or an equivalent recycled engine coolant that
is certified by the supplier to meet Ford specification
ESE-M97B44-A.
NOTE: Always dispose of used automotive fluids
in a responsible manner. Follow your community's
standards for disposing of these types of fluids. Call
your local recycling center to find out about
recycling automotive fluids.
Use Ford Premium Cooling System Fluid E2FZ-
19549-AA (in Canada, Motorcraft CXC-8-B) or an
equivalent engine coolant that meets Ford
Specification ESE-M97B44-A.

Engine coolant drain and flush
Proper procedures for a complete coolant drain and
flush of the cooling system can be found in the Car
Service Manual. Following these recommended
procedures will ensure that the specified coolant
level and a 50/50 or appropriate mixture of coolant
and water is maintained.
Engine coolant refill procedure
When the entire cooling system is drained and
refilled, the following procedure should be used to
ensure a complete fill:
NOTE: It is imperative the following procedure
be adhered to. Failure to do so could result in
damage to your engine. Remove coolant reservoir pressure cap. Remove the engine coolant outlet tube fill plug
on the engine. With the engine off and cool, add a 50/50 mixture
of recommended cooling system fluid and water
to the coolant outlet tube fill neck until the
reservoir is full.
NOTE: DO NOT FILL COOLANT SYSTEM
THROUGH COOLANT RESERVOIR. COOLANT
WILL NOT ENTER ENGINE, WHICH CAN
LEAD TO ENGINE DAMAGE.
NOTE: Avoid spilling coolant on the front end
accessory drive belt, as this will allow the belt to slip
and become noisy. Reinstall the pressure cap to the coolant
reservoir. Continue filling at the engine coolant tube fill
neck slowly while allowing air to escape. Reinstall the engine coolant tube fill plug when
the system is full.
251

Select maximum heater temperature and fan
speed settings. Position control to discharge air
at A/C vents in instrument panel. Start engine and allow to idle. While engine is
idling, feel for hot air at A/C vents.
NOTE: IF AIR DISCHARGE REMAINS COOL
AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DOES
NOT MOVE, SHUT ENGINE OFF
IMMEDIATELY. This is an indication of low
coolant level and/or air pockets in coolant system.
Allow engine to cool and repeat the previous steps. Allow to idle until normal operating temperature
is reached. Hot air should discharge from A/C
vents. The engine temperature gauge should
maintain a stabilized reading in the middle of the
"NORMAL" range and the lower radiator hose
should feel hot to the touch. Shut off the engine and allow to cool down.
252 After the engine cools down, recheck the engine
coolant level. Fill reservoir to the COLD-FULL
level as required.Check for leaks at the draincock, block plug and
vent plug.Recheck the engine coolant level, using the
recommended procedure, after one or two
occasions of vehicle use. Fill to COLD-FULL
level as required.
Battery
Your vehicle may have a Motorcraft maintenance-
free battery. When the original equipment battery is
replaced under warranty it may be replaced by a low-
maintenance battery. See Motorcraft Parts at the
end of this chapter for the proper replacement
battery.

The low-maintenance battery has removable vent
caps for checking the electrolyte level and adding
water. The electrolyte level should be checked at
least every 24 months or 24,000 miles (40,000 km)
in temperatures up to 90'F (32'C) and more often in
temperatures above 90'F (32'C). Keep the
electrolyte level in each cell up to the level
indicator. Do not overfill.
If the level gets low, refill the battery with distilled
water. If necessary, you can add tap water to the
battery, provided the water is not hard or does not
have a high mineral or alkali content. If the battery
needs water quite often, have the charging system
checked for a possible malfunction.
Help Us Protect Our Environment
Ford Motor Company strongly recommends that
used lead-acid batteries be returned to an authorized
recycling facility for disposal.Battery recycling symbol
Because your vehicle's engine is electronically
controlled by a computer, some control conditions
are maintained by power from the battery. If you
ever disconnect the battery or install a new battery,
you must allow the computer to "relearn" its idle
conditions before your vehicle will drive properly.
To let the engine do this, put the gearshift in P
(Park), turn off all the accessories, and start the
vehicle. Let the engine idle for at least one minute.
(Engine must be warm in order to "learn.") Also,
allow approximately 10 miles (16 km) of stop and go
traffic for your vehicle's engine to completely
girelearn" its idle.
253

If you do not let the engine relearn its idle, the idle
quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected
until the idle is relearned. Your vehicle will
eventually relearn its idle while you drive it, but it
takes much longer than if you use the previous
procedure.
Windshield Washer Fluid and
Wipers
Washer Fluid
Check the level of the windshield washer fluid every
time you stop for fuel. The reservoir for washer
fluid is located on the passenger's side of the engine
compartment. Visual inspection can determine if
the washer fluid is adequate. Do not operate the
washer when the reservoir is empty.
254Washer reservoirThe reservoir for the windshield washer fluid/!\WARNINGDo not put windshield washer fluid in thecontainer for the engine coolant.Use specially formulated windshield washer fluid
rather than plain water, because specially
formulated washer fluids contain additives that
dissolve road grime. For safety reasons, washer
fluids containing an appropriate antifreeze such
as methanol should be used in freezing weather

(temperatures below 32°F [0°C]). State or local
regulations on Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOC's) may restrict use of the most common
antifreeze, methanol. Washer fluids containing non-
methanol antifreeze agents should be used only if
they provide cold weather protection without
damaging the vehicle's paint finish, wiper blades,
and windshield washer system.
Wiper Blades
Check the windshield wiper blades at least twice a
year. Also check them whenever they seem less
effective than usual. Substances such as tree sap
and some hot wax treatments used by commercial
car washes reduce the effectiveness of wiper blades.
If the blades do not wipe properly, clean both the
windshield and the wiper blades. Use undiluted
windshield washer solution or a mild detergent.
Rinse thoroughly with clear water. Do not use fuel,
kerosene, paint thinner, or other solvents to clean
your wiper blades. These will damage your blades.To make reaching the wiper blades easy, simply turn
the ignition to the ACC position and turn your
wipers on. Wait for them to reach a vertical position
and turn the ignition to the OFF position. Do not
move the wipers manually. Manually moving the
wipers across the windshield may damage them.
Wiper blade replacement
If the wiper blades still do not work properly after
you clean them, you may need to replace the wiper
blade assembly or the blade element. When replacing
the wiper blade assembly, blade refill, or wiper arm
always use a Motorcraft part or equivalent. To
replace the blades, follow the instructions that come
with them.
Tires
Look at your tires each time you fill your fuel tank.
If one tire looks lower than the others, check the
pressure in all of them. Always follow these
precautions:
255

Keep your tires inflated to the recommended
pressures. Stay within the recommended load limits (see
Load limits in the Index). Make sure the weight of your load is evenly
distributed.
If you do not take these precautions, your tires may
fail or go flat.
Ford Motor Company recommends obeying posted
speed limits./!\ WARNINGDriving too fast for conditions creates thepossibility of loss of vehicle control. Drivingat very high speeds for extended periods oftime may result in damage to vehiclecomponents.256At least once a month, check the pressure in all your
vehicle's tires, including the spare. Use an accurate
tire pressure gauge. Check the tire pressure when
tires are cold, after the vehicle has been parked for at
least one hour or has been driven less than 3 miles (5
km). You can find proper cold pressure and load
limits of recommended size tires on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label./!\ WARNINGImproperly inflated tires can affect vehiclehandling and can fail suddenly, possiblyresulting in loss of vehicle control.Tire Rotation
Because your vehicle's front and rear tires perform
different jobs, they often wear differently. To make
sure your tires wear evenly and last longer, rotate
them as indicated in the following diagram.

Do not include the spare tire as part of your
rotation.
For tire rotation intervals, see the Maintenance
Schedule. If you notice that the tires wear
unevenly, have them checked.Rotating the tiresReplacing the Tires
Replace any tires that show wear bands. When your
tire shows a wear band, it has only I/ 1 6 inch (2 mm)
of tread left.A worn-out tire Wear Band
Because your vehicle's tires may wear unevenly, you
may need to replace them before a wear band
appears across the entire tread. Some spots wear
more heavily than others.
257

/!\ WARNINGWhen replacing full size tires, never mixradial, bias-belted, or bias-type tires. Use onlythe tire sizes that are listed on the tirepressure decal. Make sure that all tires arethe same size, speed rating, and load-carryingcapacity. Use only the tire combinationsrecommended on the decal. If you do notfollow these precautions, your vehicle may notdrive properly and safely.Tires that are larger or smaller than your vehicle's
original tires may also affect the accuracy of your
speedometer.
258Information About Tire Quality Grades
New 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
Regulations 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.