service FORD CONTOUR 1997 2.G Owners Manual

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Table of ContentsIntroduction...................... 1
Instrumentation..................... 7
Audio......................... 23
Controls and Features.................. 47
Seating and Safety Restraints............... 83
Starting....................... 117
Driving....................... 125
Roadside Emergencies................. 149
Maintenance and Care................. 177
Capacities and Specifications.............. 229
Reporting Safety Defects................ 235
Customer Assistance................. 237
Accessories...................... 247
Quick Index..................... 259
Index......................... 271
Service Station Information.............. 292
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1
Introduction
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Ford's Commitment to You
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At Ford Motor Company, excellence is the continuous
commitment to achieve the best result possible. It is dedication
to learning what you want, determination to develop the right
concept, and execution of that concept with care, precision, and
attention to detail. In short, excellence means being the standard
by which others are judged.
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Our Guiding Principles
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Quality comes first.For your satisfaction, the quality of our
products and services must be our number one priority.
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You are the focus of everything we do.Our work must be
done with you in mind, providing better products and
services than our competition.
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Continuous improvement is essential to our success.We
must strive for excellence in everything we do: in our
products Ð in their safety and value Ð and in our services,
our human relations, our competitiveness, and our
profitability.
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Employee involvement is our way of life. We are a team.
We must treat one another with trust and respect.
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Dealers and suppliers are our partners.We must maintain
mutually beneficial relationships with dealers, suppliers, and
our other business associates.
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Integrity is never compromised.Our conduct worldwide
must be pursued in a manner that is socially responsible and
commands respect for its integrity and for its positive
contributions to society.
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Introduction
3
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TheQuick Indexat the end of the book provides a page
number following each item which indicates where detailed
information can be found.
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To use theIndex, turn to the back of the book and search in the
alphabetical listing for the word that best describes the
information you need. If the word you chose is not listed, think
of other related words and look them up. We have designed the
Index so that you can find information under a technical term.
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Canadian Owners Ð French Version
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French Owner Guides can be obtained from your dealer or by
writing to Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, Service
Publications, P.O. Box 1580, Station B, Mississauga, Ontario L4Y
4G3.
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Your Maintenance Schedule and Record
Booklet
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TheMaintenance Schedulebooklet lists the services that are most
important for keeping your vehicle in good condition. A record
log is also provided to help you keep track of all services
performed.
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About the Warranties
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Your vehicle is covered by three types of warranties:Basic
Vehicle Warranty,Extended Warrantieson certain parts, and
Emissions Warranties.
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Read yourWarranty Information Bookletcarefully to find out
about your vehicle's warranties and your basic rights and
responsibilities.
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If you lose yourWarranty Information Booklet,you can get a new
one free of charge. Contact any Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer,
or refer to the addresses and phone numbers on the first page
of this Owner's Guide.
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4
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Ford Extended Service Plan
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More Protection for Your Vehicle
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You can get more protection for your new car or light truck by
purchasing a Ford Extended Service Plan (Ford ESP). Ford ESP
is the only extended service program with the Ford name on it
and the only service contract backed by Ford Motor Company.
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Ford ESP is an optional service contract, backed and
administered by Ford. It provides:
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protection against repair costs after your Bumper to Bumper
Warranty expires;
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and
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other benefits during the warranty period (such as:
reimbursement for rentals; coverage for certain maintenance
and wear items).
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You may purchase Ford ESP from any participating Ford Motor
Company dealer. There are several Ford ESP plans available in
various time-and-mileage combinations. Each plan can be
tailored to fit your own driving needs, including reimbursement
benefits for towing and rental. (In Hawaii, rules vary. See your
dealer for details.)
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When you buy Ford ESP, you receive peace-of-mind protection
throughout the United States and Canada, provided by a
network of more than 5,100 participating Ford Motor Company
dealers.
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NOTE: Repairs performed outside the United States and
Canada are not eligible for ESP coverage.
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This information is subject to change, ask your dealer for
complete details about Ford ESP coverage.
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Instrumentation
13
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Brake System Warning Light
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The warning light for the brakes can show two things Ð that
the parking brake is not fully released, or that the brake fluid
level is low in the master cylinder reservoir. If the fluid level is
low, the brake system should be checked by a qualified service
technician.
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6 pica art:0000971-D*
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This light comes on when the parking brake is set, or if it is not
set, it comes on briefly when you turn the ignition to the
START position. It normally goes off shortly after the engine
starts and you release the parking brake. If the light stays on
after you have fully released the parking brake, have the
hydraulic brake system serviced by your dealer or a qualified
service technician.
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RWARNING
The BRAKE light indicates that the brakes may not be
working properly. Have the brakes checked immediately.
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Instrumentation
15
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If you lose engine oil pressure:
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Pull off the road as soon as safely possible.
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Shut off the engine immediately. If you do not stop the
engine as soon as safely possible, severe engine damage
could result.
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Check the engine's oil level, following the instructions on
checking and adding engine oil in this Owner Guide. (See
Engine oilin the Index.) If you do not follow these
instructions, engine damage could result. To ensure an
accurate reading, your vehicle should be on level ground.
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If the level is low, add only as much oil as necessary to
bring it to the full level before you start the engine again.
Do not overfill. Do not operate the engine if the light is on,
regardless of the oil level. Contact your nearest dealer for
further service actions.
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High Beam Light
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This light illuminates when the headlamps are turned to high
beam or when you flash the lights.
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If the high beam light flashes in a vehicle equipped with the
Daytime Running Light (DRL) system (Canada), it indicates a
failure in the DRL circuit. Check the bulbs and fuses or have
the DRL system checked by your dealer or a qualified service
technician.
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Chime for Headlamps On
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This chime sounds if the driver's door is open when the parking
lamps or headlamps are on. The chime sounds until you close
the door or turn off the lamps.
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Air Bag Readiness Light
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The air bag supplemental restraint system uses a readiness light
and a tone to indicate the condition of the system. The
readiness light is in the instrument cluster. When you turn the
ignition key to ON, this light will illuminate for approximately
six (6) seconds and then turn off. This indicates that the system
is operating normally.NOTE:Maintenance of the air bag system
is not required.
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A problem with the system is indicated by one or more of the
following: the readiness light will either flash or stay lit, or it
will not light or a group of five beeps will be heard.
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RWARNING
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have
the air bag system serviced at your Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer immediately.
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Check Engine Warning Light
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This light illuminates when the engine's Emission Control
System requires service. It will also illuminate when the ignition
key is in the ON position and the engine is off.
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Overdrive Off Indicator (Automatic Transaxle Only)
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This light tells you that the Transaxle Control Switch (TCS) on
the gearshift lever has been pushed. When the light is on, the
transaxle will not shift into overdrive. Depressing the TCS
button located below the gearshift release button on the shifter
will return the vehicle to ªoverdrive onº mode. The transaxle
will be in the ªoverdrive onº mode when the vehicle is started
even if the O/D OFF mode was selected when the vehicle was
last shut off.
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If the light does not come on when the TCS is depressed or if
the light flashes when you are driving, have your vehicle
serviced at the first opportunity.
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The engine coolant temperature gauge
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If, under any circumstances, the pointer moves above the
NORMAL band, the engine is overheating and continued
operation may cause engine damage.
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If your engine overheats:
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Pull off the road as soon as safely possible.
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Turn off the engine.
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Let the engine cool.
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Check the coolant level following the instructions on
checking and adding coolant to your engine, seeEngine
Coolantin the Index. If you do not follow these instructions,
you or others could be injured.
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If the coolant continues to overheat, have the coolant system
serviced as soon as possible.
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Speedometer
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The speedometer tells you how many miles (kilometers) per
hour your vehicle is moving.
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Instrumentation
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Odometer
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The odometer tells you the total number of miles (kilometers)
your vehicle has been driven.
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Trip Odometer
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The trip odometer tells you how many miles (kilometers) your
vehicle has been driven since the last reset. Press the reset
control to return the trip odometer to zero.
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Sport Cluster
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The sport cluster has basically the same standard warning lights
and gauges as the standard cluster, with the following
additional features:
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Tachometer
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The tachometer displays the approximate engine revolutions per
minute (rpm), or how fast the engine is running.
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If you drive with the tachometer in the red zone, you may
damage the engine.
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Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light (If equipped)
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Your vehicle may have an Anti-lock Brake System feature. If it
does, check the Anti-lock Brake System light each time you start
the engine. If it stays on longer than three (3) seconds, shut off
the engine and restart. If it stays on, that means the Anti-lock
Brake feature is not working and should be serviced
immediately to restore the benefits of the Anti-lock feature.
Normal braking is not affected unless the brake warning light is
also lit.
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The Anti-Lock Brake System has self-check capabilities. As
described above, the system turns on the anti-lock light each
time you start your engine. After the engine is started and the
anti-lock light turns off, the system performs another test the
first time the vehicle reaches 5 mph (8 km/h) (between 12 and
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