weight Mercury Monterey 2004 Owner's Manuals
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LIFTGATE
Unlock the liftgate (but not release
it) with the power door lock system
and remote entry key fob.
To open the liftgate, pull the liftgate
handle rearward.
•Do not open the liftgate in a
garage or other enclosed area
with a low ceiling. If the liftgate is
opened, the liftgate could be
damaged against a low ceiling.
•Do not leave the liftgate open while driving. Doing so could cause
serious damage to the liftgate and its components as well as allowing
carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle.
Make sure that the liftgate door is closed to prevent exhaust
fumes from being drawn into the vehicle. This will also prevent
passengers and cargo from falling out. If you must drive with the
liftgate door open, keep the vents open so outside air comes into the
vehicle.
CARGO AREA FEATURES
Cargo net (if equipped)
The cargo pouch net secures
lightweight objects in the cargo
area. Attach the net to the anchors
provided. Do not put more than 22
kg (50 lbs.) in the net.
The cargo net is not
designed to restrain objects
during a collision or heavy
braking.
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Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not
touch them after inflation.
If the air bag has deployed,the air bag will not function again
and must be replaced immediately.If the air bag is not
replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a collision.
The SRS consists of:
•driver and passenger air bag modules (which include the inflators and
air bags).
•side air bags (if equipped). Refer toSide air bag systemlater in this
chapter.
•one or more impact and safing sensors.
•a readiness light and tone.
•diagnostic module.
•and the electrical wiring which connects the components.
The diagnostic module monitors its own internal circuits and the
supplemental air bag electrical system wiring (including the impact
sensors), the system wiring, the air bag system readiness light, the air
bag back up power and the air bag ignitors.
Front passenger sensing system
The front passenger sensing system will turn off the front passenger’s
frontal air bag under certain conditions. The driver’s air bag and side air
bag are not part of the front passenger sensing system. The front
passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of the front
passenger’s seat and safety belt. The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly-seated occupant and determine if the front
passenger’s frontal air bag should be enabled (may inflate) or not.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to meet the regulatory
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208
and is designed to turn off the front passenger’s frontal air bag if:
•the front passenger seat is unoccupied,
•an infant or small child weighing less than 50 pounds (23 kg) is in the
front seat, either in a child restraint, in a booster seat, or sitting
directly on the vehicle seat,
•a front passenger takes his/her weight off the seat for a period of time
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the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, then the occupant should
be advised to ride in the back seat.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seatbelts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit upright, with their back against
the seatback, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor while the
vehicle is still in motion. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of
injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down,
turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or
both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.
Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat back reclined
too far can take off weight from the seat cushion and affect the
decision of the passenger sensing system, resulting in serious injury or
death in a crash. Always sit upright against your seatback, with your
feet on the floor.
In case there is a problem with the passenger sensing system, the airbag
readiness light in the instrument cluster will stay lit. Do NOT attempt to
repair or service the system; take your vehicle immediately to the dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced front air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, contact the Ford Customer
Relationship Center at the phone number shown in the Customer
Assistance section of this Owner’s Guide.
Side air bag system (if equipped)
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the air bag
cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or in front
seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying air bag. Failure
to follow these instructions may increase the risk of personal injury in
the event of a collision.
Do not use accessory seat covers. The use of accessory seat
covers may prevent the deployment of the side air bags and
increase the risk of injury in an accident.
Do not lean your head on the door. The side air bag could injure
you as it deploys from the side of the seatback.
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SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions with the
safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
When installing a child safety seat:
•Review and follow the information
presented in theAir Bag
Supplemental Restraint System
section in this chapter.
•Use the correct safety belt buckle
for that seating position.
•Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure
the tongue is securely fastened in
the buckle.
•Keep the buckle release button
pointing up and away from the
safety seat, with the tongue
between the child seat and the
release button, to prevent
accidental unbuckling.
•Place seat back in upright position.
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Keep the sensors (located on the front and rear bumper/fascia)
free from snow, ice and large accumulations of dirt (do not clean
the sensors with sharp objects). If the sensors are covered, it will
affect the accuracy of the sensing system.
If your vehicle sustains damage to the front or rear
bumper/fascia, leaving it misaligned or bent, the sensing zone may
be altered causing inaccurate measurement of obstacles or false
alarms.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially if the depth is not known. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the hubs (for trucks) or the bottom of
the wheel rims (for cars). Traction or brake capability may be limited
and your vehicle may stall. Water may also enter your engine’s air intake
and severely damage your engine.
Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your vehicle
slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do
not stop the vehicle as quickly as dry brakes.Driving through deep
water where the transmission vent tube is submerged may allow
water into the transmission and cause internal transmission
damage.
VEHICLE LOADING–WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Safety Certification Label and Tire and Load Information Label:
Base Curb Weight–is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight–is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
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Cargo Weight–includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load
or king pin weight is also part of cargo weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight)–is the total weight placed on each axle
(front and rear)–including vehicle curb weight and all payload.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)–is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear).These
numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label
located on the driver’s door or door pillar. The total load on each
axle must never exceed its GAWR.
Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle weight rating limits
could result in substandard vehicle handling, performance,
engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious damage to the
vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
Note:For trailer towing information refer toTrailer Towingfound in
this chapter or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your
dealership.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)–is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo +
passengers.
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GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)–is the maximum
allowable weight of the fully loaded
vehicle (including all options,
equipment, passengers and cargo).
The GVWR is shown on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label located on the driver’s
door or door pillar. The GVW
must never exceed the GVWR.
Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle weight rating limits
could result in substandard vehicle handling, performance,
engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious damage to the
vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
GCW (Gross Combined Weight)–is the weight of the loaded vehicle
(GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)–is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer–including all cargo and
passengers–that the vehicle can handle without risking damage.
(Important: The towing vehicle’s braking system is rated for operation at
GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe
control of towed vehicles and for trailers weighing more than 680 kg
[1,500 lbs]).The GCW must never exceed the GCWR.
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight–is the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of
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10–15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15–25% (fifth wheel
trailer), and driver only (68 kg [150 lbs]).Consult your dealership (or
the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your dealership) for
more detailed information.
Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel King Pin Weight–refers to the amount
of the weight that a trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch.
Examples:For a 2268 kg (5000 lbs.) conventional trailer, multiply 5000
by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load range of 227 to 340 kg
(500 to 750 lbs.). For an 5216 kg (11,500 lbs.) fifth wheel trailer,
multiply by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 782
to 1304 kg (1,725 to 2,875 lbs.)
Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the
certification label.
Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities
than the originals because they may lower the vehicle’s GVWR
and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the
originals do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle is capable either of towing Class I trailers or up to Class II
trailers when equipped with the optional trailer tow package.
If your vehicle does not have the optional trailer tow package your
vehicle is partially prepped for trailer tow lamp wiring but you will also
need to install electrical kit 3F2Z-15A416-A. This kit contains fuses and
relays to isolate the vehicle lighting circuitry from the trailer lighting and
an adapter wiring harness containing the standard 4-pin trailer plug.
Refer to theTrailer lampssection in this chapter for additional
information.Do not tow above 907 kg (2000 lbs) without the
manufacturer-installed trailer tow package.
If your vehicle has the optional trailer tow package it comes with heavy
duty cooling fans, auxiliary transmission fluid cooler, an auxiliary engine
oil cooler, heavy duty battery, trailer tow wiring (including fuses and
relays to isolate the vehicle lighting circuitry from the trailer lighting)
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and a kit (in a cardboard box) that includes an adapter wiring harness
that contains the standard 4-pin trailer plug.
Trailer towing puts additional loads on your vehicle’s engine,
transmission, axle, brakes, tires, and suspension. For your safety and to
maximize vehicle performance, be sure to use the proper equipment
while towing.
Follow these guidelines to ensure safe towing procedure:
•Stay within your vehicle’s load limits. If exceeded, cargo should be
removed from the trailer and/or the vehicle until all weights are within
specified limits.
•Thoroughly prepare your vehicle for towing. Refer toPreparing to
towin this chapter.
•Use extra caution when driving while trailer towing. Refer toDriving
while you towin this chapter.
•Service your vehicle more frequently if you tow a trailer. Refer to
Special Operating Conditionsin the scheduled maintenance guide.
•Do not tow a trailer until your vehicle has been driven at least 800 km
(500 miles).
•Refer to the instructions included with towing accessories for the
proper installation and adjustment specifications.
Vehicle towing capability/Trailer
hitch requirementTrailer
Model/
EngineGCWR -
kg (lbs)Hitch type
requiredTrailer
Weight range
- kg (lbs)Tongue load
Wagon,
4.2L3266
(7200)Class I
Non-Equalizing
Weight
Carrying0 - 907
(0 - 2000)10 - 15% of TW
(91 kg [200 lbs.]
maximum)
Wagon,
4.2L with
trailer tow
option3946
(8700)Class II
Non-Equalizing
Weight
Carrying0 - 1588
(0 - 3500)10 - 15% of TW
(159 kg [350 lbs.]
maximum)
Do not exceed the maximum loads listed on the Safety Compliance
Certification label. For load specification terms found on the label, refer
toVehicle loadingin this chapter. Remember to figure in the tongue
load of your loaded trailer when figuring the total weight.
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Towing trailers beyond the maximum recommended gross trailer
weight exceeds the limit of the vehicle and could result in
engine damage, transmission damage, structural damage, loss of control
and personal injury.
Preparing to tow
Use the proper equipment for towing a trailer and make sure it is
properly attached to your vehicle. See your dealer or a reliable trailer
dealer if you require assistance.
Hitches
Do not use hitches that clamp onto the vehicle bumper. Use a load
carrying hitch that does not exceed your vehicle’s capability. See the
Tongue Loadsection in the trailer towing chart earlier in this section for
range details on a specific trailer load.
Safety chains
Always connect the trailer’s safety chains to the hook retainers on the
hitch. To connect the trailer’s safety chains, cross the chains under the
trailer tongue and allow slack for turning corners.
If you use a rental trailer, follow the instructions that the rental agency
gives to you.
Do not attach safety chains to the bumper.
Trailer brakes
Be sure your trailer conforms to all applicable local and Federal
Regulations regarding trailer braking. If your trailer is equipped with
electronically controlled brakes you will need to have an electronic brake
controller with associated wiring installed to your vehicle by a qualified
technician.
Do not connect a trailer’s hydraulic brake system directly to your
vehicle’s brake system. Your vehicle may not have enough
braking power and your chances of having a collision greatly increase.
The braking system of the tow vehicle is rated for operation at the
GVWR not GCWR.
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