steering wheel LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 1997 Owners Manual

57
Turning On the Exterior LightsTo turn on the headlamps, parking lamps, side
markers, license plate lamps and tail lamps, use the
rotary control that is to the left of the steering
wheel.
The knob for the exterior lights
To turn on the parking lamps, tail lamps, side
markers, and license plate lamps, turn the knob
clockwise to the first position.
For more information about how the high beams
work, see the high beam section later in this
chapter.Setting the Autolamp On/Off Delay
SystemBy using the autolamp, you can set the headlamps
to:q
turn on the lamps automatically at night
q
turn off the lamps automatically during daylight
q
keep the lamps on for up to three minutes after
you turn the key to OFF.
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58The autolamp switch on the left side of the
instrument panelTo use the autolamp:
1. Make sure the headlamp control is in the OFF
position. If the control for the headlamps is
ON, you cancel the autolamp.If the autolamp is active, the headlamp system will
come on immediately after starting your vehicle. If
your vehicle is running before you activate the
autolamp, there may be a 15 second delay before
the headlights illuminate.
2. Turn the ignition key to ON or start your
vehicle.
3. Find the autolamp switch to the left of the
steering wheel on the instrument panel.
4. Push the autolamp switch up toward the MAX
position. As you press this switch, the autolamp
system's status will be displayed in the message
center. The system can be turned OFF or can
be set to provide light for up to three (3)
minutes after you turn your vehicle off.
Do not put any articles on top of the photocell that
is located in the top left corner of the instrument
panel. This photocell controls the autolamp. If you
cover it, the photocell reacts as if it is nighttime,
and the lamps turn on.
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62NOTE:The combination of FIRM RIDE CONTROL
and LOW STEERING EFFORT is undesirable and
cannot be selected.IgnitionUnderstanding the Positions of the
IgnitionThe positions of the key in the ignitionACC allows some of your vehicle's electrical
accessories such as the radio and the windshield
wipers to operate while the engine is not running.NOTE:Your vehicle is also equipped with an
accessory timer. This allows some of your
accessories to remain on for up to 10 minutes after
the ignition is turned to the OFF position. The
accessory timer is cancelled if any door is opened,
the dimmer switch is used, or the ignition is turned
to the ON position.
The automatic transaxle gearshift must be in P
(Park) to move the key to the LOCK position.
LOCK locks the steering wheel. It also locks the
gearshift lever.
LOCK is the only position that allows you to
remove the key. The LOCK feature helps to protect
your vehicle from theft.
OFF allows you to shut off the engine and all
accessories without locking the steering wheel, or
the gearshift lever.
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69
HornTo sound the horn, push the center pad area of the
steering wheel.
The horn on the steering wheel.
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71
To change the position of the steering wheel, pull
the release lever on the column toward you. Tip
the steering wheel to the desired position. Release
the lever to lock the steering wheel in place.Speed ControlThe speed of the vehicle cannot be automatically
controlled until the vehicle speed is at or above 30
mph (48 km/h).
Use of radio transmitting equipment that is not
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or in
Canada the Canadian Radio and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved
may cause the speed control to malfunction.Therefore, use only properly installed FCC (CRTC in
Canada) approved radio transmitting equipment in
your vehicle.
NOTE:Since your vehicle has an Automatic
Overdrive Transaxle, you may want to drive in D
(Drive) when driving in hilly terrain, at higher
altitudes, or when pulling a trailer. This will
improve speed control performance.
NOTE:Do not shift to N (Neutral) when using the
speed control. This will cause the engine to
overspeed.
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72The speed control switches on the steering
wheelTo Turn Speed Control Offq
Press OFF, OR
q
Turn off the vehicle ignition.
Once speed control is switched off, the previously
programmed set speed will be erased.
To Turn Speed Control Onq
Press ON
To Set a SpeedPress SET ACCEL. For speed control to operate, the
speed control must be ON and the vehicle speed
must be greater than 30 mph (48 km/h).
If you drive up or down a steep hill, your vehicle
speed may vary momentarily slower or faster than
the set speed. This is normal.
Speed control cannot reduce the vehicle speed if it
increases above the set speed on a downhill. If your
vehicle speed is faster than the set speed while
driving downhill inj(Overdrive), you may want
to shift to the next lower gear to reduce your
vehicle's speed.
If your vehicle slows down more than 10 mph
(16 km/h) below your set speed on an uphill, your
speed control will disengage. This is normal.
Pressing RES (Resume) will re-engage it.
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1663. Make sure that the gearshift is in P (Park) and
the parking brake is set before you turn the
key.
Before you start your vehicle, you should test the
warning lights on the instrument panel to make
sure that they work. Refer to theInstrumentation
chapter.Starting Your EngineTo start your engine:
1. Follow the steps underPreparing to Start Your
Vehicleat the beginning of this section.
2. Turn the ignition key to the ON position.
3. DO NOT depress the accelerator pedal when
starting your engine. DO NOT use the
accelerator while the vehicle is parked.4. Turn the key to the START position (cranking)
until the engine starts. Allow the key to return
to the ON position after the engine has started.
If you have difficulty in turning the key, rotate
the steering wheel slightly because it may be
binding.
For a cold engine:
q
At temperatures10ÊF(-12ÊC) andbelow:If
the engine does not start infifteen (15)
secondson the first try, turn the key to OFF,
wait approximately ten (10) seconds so you do
not flood the engine, then try again.
q
At temperaturesabove10ÊF(-12ÊC):If the
engine does not start infive (5) secondson
the first try, turn the key to OFF, wait
approximately ten (10) seconds so you do not
flood the engine, then try again.
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175
During the Traction Control
TM
function, which most
often occurs during low speed acceleration on
slippery surfaces, a noise may be heard coming from
the engine compartment. This is normal and may
last for a few seconds during the acceleration of the
vehicle.
In general, this system improves your vehicle's
stability and acceleration performance when road
conditions warrant. Traction Control
TM
is fully
effective at all vehicle speeds.
If the Traction Control
TM
system is cycled
excessively, the brake portion of the system will
shut down to prevent the front brakes from
overheating. A limited Traction Control
TM
function
using engine torque will still control wheels from
spinning. A cooling down period is required to
prevent damage to the brakes. This time periodvaries and depends on brake usage during the
cooling down period. Anti-Lock braking is not
affected and will function normally during the cool
down period.
After the cool down period, the full Traction
Control
TM
function is restored.
Rear Air Suspension Adaptive
Ride Control SystemYour vehicle has an air suspension system with
automatic rear load leveling and automatic ride
control. This system keeps the rear of your vehicle
at a constant level by adding air or releasing air
from the springs. Ride and handling is enhanced by
firming shock absorber performance during certain
road conditions, steering maneuvers, braking, and
accelerations and is returned to the driver selected
ride calibration when driver or road surface induced
motion changes are completed.
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177
Steering Your VehicleYour vehicle comes with power steering. Power
steering uses energy from the engine to help steer
your vehicle.
If the amount of effort needed to steer your vehicle
changes, check your steering effort selection in the
Message Center. If this is not the problem, have the
power steering system checked. If the power
steering system breaks down (or if the engine is
turned off), you can steer the vehicle manually but
it takes more effort.
The steering system in your vehicle is speed
sensitive. This means that the steering effort is light
for parking and heavier for highway driving.
However, if you have to swerve around an object
or another vehicle, your steering will have full
power assist.
Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme right
or left for more than five seconds if the engine is
running. This can damage the power steering pump.
Driving with an Automatic
Overdrive TransaxleYour automatic overdrive transaxle provides fully
automatic operation in eitherj(Overdrive) or D
(Drive). Driving with the shift selector inj
(Overdrive) gives the best fuel economy for normal
driving conditions. For manual control, start in 1
(First) and then shift manually.
Your vehicle is equipped with an Electronic
Powertrain Control Module that limits engine
and/or vehicle speeds with a cut-out mode to
promote durability.
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237
Power Steering FluidCheck the level of the power steering fluid at least
twice a year (i.e., every Spring and Fall).Checking and Adding Power Steering
Fluid1. Start the engine and let it run until the power
steering fluid reaches normal operating
temperature. The power steering fluid will be at
the right temperature when the engine coolant
temperature gauge in the instrument cluster is
near the center of the NORMAL operating
temperature range.2. While the engine idles, turn the steering wheel
back and forth several times. Make sure that
the cap assembly is installed at this time.
3. Turn the engine off and check the level on the
power steering reservoir.
4. The fluid level is viewed through the sight
window on the power steering reservoir. If the
power steering fluid is below the middle line,
add fluid in small amounts, continuously
checking the level. Do not overfill.
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