Mercury Sable 1999 s Owners Manual

When installing a child safety seat:
²Review and follow
the information
presented in theAir
Bag Supplemental
Restraint System
section in this
chapter.
²Use the correct
safety belt buckle for that seating position.
²Insert 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.
²Keep 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.
²Place seat back in upright position.
²Put the safety belt in the automatic locking mode.
Refer toAutomatic locking mode.
Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat
having a top tether strap. Install the child safety seat
in a seating position which is capable of providing a
tether anchorage. For more information on top
tether straps, refer toAttaching safety seats with
tether straps.
Carefully follow all of the manufacturer's
instructions included 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.
Seating and safety restraints
91

Installing child safety seats in combination lap
and shoulder belt seating positions
1. Position the child
safety seat in a seat
with a combination lap
and shoulder belt.
An air bag can kill or injure a child in a child
seat. If you must use a forward-facing child
seat in the front seat, move seat all the way back.
Children 12 and under should be properly
restrained in the rear seat whenever
possible.
2. Pull down on the
shoulder belt and then
grasp the shoulder belt
and lap belt together.
3. While holding the
shoulder and lap belt
portions together, route
the tongue through the
child seat according to
the child seat
manufacturer's
instructions. Be sure
the belt webbing is not
twisted.
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92

4. Insert the belt
tongue into the proper
buckle (the buckle
closest to the direction
the tongue is coming
from) for that seating
position until you hear
a snap and feel the
latch engage. Make
sure the tongue is
latched securely by pulling on it.
5. To put the retractor
in the automatic
locking mode, grasp
the shoulder portion of
the belt and pull
downward until all of
the belt is extracted
and a click is heard.
6. Allow the belt to retract. The belt will click as it
retracts to indicate it is in the automatic locking
mode.
7. Pull the lap belt
portion across the child
seat toward the buckle
and pull up on the
shoulder belt while
pushing down with
your knee on the child
seat.
8. Allow the safety belt
to retract to remove
any slack in the belt.
9. Before placing the
child in the seat,
forcibly tilt the seat
forward and back to
make sure the seat is
securely held in place.
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93

10. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make
sure the retractor is in the automatic locking mode
(you should not be able to pull more belt out). If the
retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat
steps two through nine.
Check to make sure the child seat is properly
secured before each use.
Installing child safety seats in the lap belt
seating positions
1. Lengthen the lap belt. To lengthen the belt, hold
the tongue so that its bottom is perpendicular to the
direction of webbing while sliding the tongue up the
webbing.
2. Place the child safety seat in the center seating
position.
3. Route the tongue and webbing through the child
seat according to the child seat manufacturer's
instructions.
4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle for
the center seating position until you hear a snap and
feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely
fastened to the buckle by pulling on tongue.
5. Push down on the child seat while pulling on the
loose end of the lap belt webbing to tighten the belt.
6. Before placing the child into the child seat,
forcibly tilt the child seat from side to side and in
forward direction to make sure that the seat is held
securely in place. If the child seat moves excessively,
repeat steps 5 through 6, or properly install the
child seat in a different position.
Attaching safety seats with tether straps
Some manufacturers make safety seats that include
a tether strap that goes over the back of the vehicle
seat and attaches to an anchoring point. Other
manufacturers offer the tether strap as an accessory.
Contact the manufacturer of your child safety seat
for information about ordering a tether strap.
Seating and safety restraints
94

Tether anchorage hardware
Attachment holes (at each rear outboard seating
position) have been provided in your vehicle to
attach anchor hardware, if desired. Tether anchorage
hardware kits (part number 613D74) including
instructions, may be obtained at no charge from any
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer. All vehicles built for
sale in Canada include a tether anchor hardware kit.
Be sure to follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instructions.
Tighten the anchor according to
specifications. Otherwise, the safety seat
may not be properly secured and the child may be
injured in a sudden stop or collision.
If you have a station wagon, tether anchors are
already installed for each of the second row seating
positions.
1. Behind the second
seat, find the plastic
snap-on covers for the
floor anchors.
2. Use a screwdriver or
coin to snap the covers
off the anchor in a
rearward and upward
direction. Remove the
covers completely.
3. Snap the tether strap hook onto the U-shaped
tether anchor.
Seating and safety restraints
95

PREPARING TO START YOUR VEHICLE
Engine starting is controlled by the ignition system.
This system meets all Canadian Interference-Causing
Equipment standard requirements regulating the
impulse electrical field strength of radio noise.
When starting a fuel-injected engine, avoid pressing
the accelerator before or during starting. Only use
the accelerator when you have difficulty starting the
engine. For more information on starting the vehicle,
refer toStarting the enginein this chapter.
Extended idling at high engine speeds can
produce very high temperatures in the
engine and exhaust system, creating the risk of
fire or other damage.
Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle in
dry grass or other dry ground cover. The
emission system heats up the engine compartment
and exhaust system, which can start a fire.
Do not start your vehicle in a closed garage
or in other enclosed areas. Exhaust fumes
can be toxic. Always open the garage door before
you start the engine. SeeGuarding against
exhaust fumesin this chapter for more
instructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes inside your
vehicle, have your dealer inspect your
vehicle immediately. Do not drive if you smell
exhaust fumes.
Starting
96

Important safety precautions
A computer system controls the engine's idle
revolutions per minute (RPM). When the engine
starts, the idle RPM runs faster to warm the engine.
If the engine idle speed does not slow down
automatically, have the vehicle checked. Do not
allow the vehicle to idle for more than ten minutes
at the higher engine RPM.
Before starting the vehicle:
1. Make sure all vehicle occupants have buckled
their safety belts. For more information on safety
belts and their proper usage, refer to theSeating
and safety restraintschapter.
2. Make sure the headlamps and vehicle accessories
are off.
3. Make sure the
parking brake is set.
4. Make sure the
gearshift is in P (Park).
5. Turn the key to 4
(ON) without turning
the key to 5 (START).
PRNDD1
1
23
4
5
Starting
97

Make sure the corresponding lights illuminate briefly.
If a light fails to illuminate, have the vehicle
serviced.
²If the driver's safety belt is fastened, the
light
may not illuminate.
STARTING THE ENGINE
1. Turn the key to 5
(START) without
pressing the
accelerator pedal and
release as soon as the
engine starts. The key
will return to 4 (ON).
2. If the temperature is above ±12É C (10É F) and
the engine does not start within five seconds on the
first try, turn the key to OFF, wait ten seconds and
try again.
3. If the temperature is below -12ÉC (10ÉF) and the
engine does not start in fifteen seconds on the first
try, turn the key OFF and wait ten seconds and try
again. If the engine does not start in two attempts,
depress the accelerator and start the engine while
holding the accelerator down to the floor. Release
the accelerator when the engine starts.
4. After idling for a few seconds, apply the brake
and release the parking brake.
CRUISE
RPMx1000
0 1234
5
6
7EFC H
FUEL DOOR>
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOONP!
BRAKEABS
+ –
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY
THEFT LOW
COOLANTO/D
OFF102030405060
70
80
90
100
1202060100
140
180
P R N D 2 1MPH km/h
00
000
00000
110
1
23
4
5
Starting
98

Using the engine block heater (if equipped)
An engine block heater warms the engine coolant,
which improves starting, warms up the engine faster
and allows the heater-defroster system to respond
quickly. Use of an engine block heater is strongly
recommended if you live in a region where
temperatures reach -23ÉC (-10ÉF) or below.
For best results, plug the heater in at least three
hours before starting the vehicle. Using the heater
for longer than three hours will not harm the engine,
so the heater can be plugged in the night before
starting the vehicle.
To prevent electrical shock, do not use your
heater with ungrounded electrical systems
or two-pronged (cheater) adapters.
Guarding against exhaust fumes
Although odorless and colorless, carbon monoxide is
present in exhaust fumes. Take precautions to avoid
its dangerous effects.
If you ever smell exhaust fumes of any kind
inside your vehicle, have your dealer inspect
and fix your vehicle immediately. Do not drive if
you smell exhaust fumes. These fumes are harmful
and could kill you.
Have the exhaust and body ventilation systems
checked whenever:
²the vehicle is raised for service.
²the sound of the exhaust system changes.
²the vehicle has been damaged in a collision.
Starting
99

Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer, and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Important ventilating information
If the engine is idling while the vehicle is stopped in
an open area for long periods of time, open the
windows at least 2.5 cm (one inch).
Adjust the heating or air conditioning (if equipped)
to bring in fresh air.
Improve vehicle
ventilation by keeping
all air inlet vents clear
of snow, leaves and
other debris.
Starting
100