service FORD CONTOUR 1998 2.G Owner's Manual

Maintenance and care
153 Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire grade of 150
would wear one and one-half
(11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire grade
100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices,
and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction ABC
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest are A, B, and C, and they
represent the tire’s ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured
under test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
braking (straightahead) traction
tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
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Maintenance and care
155 Checking tire pressure
Check the tire pressure
periodically and inflate the tires as
necessary. To check the tire
pressure, insert the tire pressure
gauge into the valve.
The cold pressure amount is listed
on the Safety Compliance
Certification label.
Improperly inflated tires can
affect vehicle handling and
can fail suddenly, possibly
resulting in loss of vehicle control.
Rotating tires
Rotate your tires at regular
intervals for even wear. Rotation
intervals are listed in the “Service
Guide”.
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Maintenance and care
157
Dispose of worn tires in
accordance with local
environmental regulations.
Refer to the Safety Compliance
Certification label to determine the
specific size tire and wheel Ford
Motor Company recommends for
use on this vehicle.
When purchasing replacement tires
for your vehicle, consult your
dealer or a qualified service
technician to ensure that the
correct tire type is used.
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Maintenance and care
158The tires on your vehicle have all-
weather treads to provide traction
in rain and snow. However, in some
climates, using snow tires and
chains may be necessary. Ford
offers snow chains as a Ford
approved accessory and
recommends use of these or their
equivalents on approved tires. See
your dealer or a qualified service
technician for more information on
tire chains for your vehicle. Follow
these guidelines when using snow
tires and chains:
•Install chains securely, verifying
that the chains do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
•Install the chains on the front
tires only.
•Do not use tire chains on 205/60
tires and 205/55R16 Z rated tires.
Steering, suspension and body
components may be damaged by
use of chains.
Snow tires must be the same
size and grade as the tires
you currently have on your
vehicle.
Using snow tires and chains
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Maintenance and care
163 Octane recommendations
Your vehicle is designed to use
regular gasoline with an (R+M)/2
octane rating of 87. We do not
recommend gasolines labeled as
“regular” in high altitude areas that
are sold with octane ratings of 86
or even less.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes knocks lightly. However,
if it knocks heavily under most
driving conditions on the
recommended octane, see your
dealer or a qualified service
technician to prevent any engine
damage.
87
MINIMUM OCTANE RATING
(R+M)/2 Method
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Maintenance and care
164Fuel quality
If you are experiencing starting,
rough idle or hesitation problems
try a different brand of fuel. If the
condition persists, see your dealer
or qualified service technician.
The American Automobile
Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) issued a gasoline
specification to provide information
on high quality fuels that optimize
the performance of your vehicle.
We recommend the use of gasolines
that meet the AAMA specification
if they are available.
It should not be necessary to add
any aftermarket products to your
fuel tank if you continue to use a
high-quality fuel.
Cleaner air
Ford approves the use of gasolines
to improve air quality, including
reformulated gasolines that contain
oxygenates such as a maximum of
10% ethanol or 15% MTBE. There
should be no more than 5%
methanol with cosolvents and
additives to protect the fuel
system.
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Maintenance and care
166WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT THE EMISSION
CONTROLSYSTEM
For more information about your
vehicle’s emission control system,
refer to the Vehicle Emission
Control Information Decal located
on the inside, left of the engine
compartment.
The catalytic converter enables the
vehicle’s emission control system to
operate properly.
Follow these guidelines to ensure
proper emission system operation:
•Use unleaded fuel only.
•Avoid running out of fuel.
EF 1
/
2
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY
• Do not turn off the ignition while
your vehicle is in motion.
•Have maintenance performed
according to intervals in the
“Service Guide”.
Exhaust leaks may result in
the entry of harmful and
potentially lethal fumes into the
passenger compartment. Under
extreme conditions excessive
exhaust temperatures could
damage the fuel system, the
interior floor covering, or other
vehicle components, possibly
causing a fire.
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Maintenance and care
167
BRAKE
BRAKE
TRACTION
CONTROLO/D
OFF
If you notice one or more of the
following, the emission system may
not be functioning properly; have
the vehicle serviced as soon as
possible:
•Fluid leaks.
•The charging system, engine oil
pressure or low coolant warning
lights illuminate in the
instrument cluster and remain lit.
•Strange odors.
•Engine runs for more than five
seconds after shut off or engine
misfires, surges, stalls or
backfires.
•Loss of oil pressure.Alternative design Alternative design
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Maintenance and care
168
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.
Important emission control
imformation
By law, anyone who manufactures,
repairs, services, leases, trades
vehicles or supervises a fleet of
vehicles is not permitted to
intentionally remove an emission
control device or prevent it from
working. Do not make any
unauthorized changes to the
vehicle or engine. Changes that
cause more unburned fuel to reach
the exhaust system can increase
the temperature of the engine or
exhaust system.
When your vehicle is serviced,
never use a metal exhaust
collector. The use of a metal
collector may melt or deform
plastic parts.
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Maintenance and care
169 Preparing your vehicle for
inspection/maintenance (I/M)
testing
In some localities it may be a legal
requirement to pass an I/M test of
the on-board diagnostic(OBD) II
system. If your vehicle’s powertrain
system or battery has just been
serviced, the OBD II system is reset
to a condition unready for I/M
testing. To ready the OBDII system
for I/M testing, the law specifies
that additional city and highway
driving is necessary to complete
the check of the OBDII system.
The driving mode required to reach
the ready condition consists of a
minimum of 30 minutes of city and
highway driving:
•At least 20 minutes driving in
stop and go city-type traffic with
at least four idle periods.
•At least 10 minutes of driving on
an expressway or highway.
Before completing the above
driving modes, the engine must be
warmed up and at operating
temperature. Once started, the
vehicle must not be turned off
during these modes.
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