engine overheat LINCOLN CONTINENTAL 2001 Owners Manual

Speedometer
Indicates the current vehicle speed.
Odometer
The odometer is located in the message center. It registers the total
kilometers (miles) of the vehicle. Pressing the E/M control (if equipped)
will alternate between English (miles) and Metric (kilometers)
measurements.
Tachometer
Indicates the engine speed in
revolutions per minute.
Driving with your tachometer
pointer in the red zone may damage
the engine.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
Indicates the temperature of the
engine coolant. At normal operating
temperature, the needle remains
within the normal area (the area
between the ªHº and ªCº). If it
enters the red section, the engine is
overheating. Stop the vehicle as
soon as safely possible, switch off
the engine immediately and let the
engine cool. Refer toEngine
coolantin theMaintenance and carechapter.
80
MPH km/h0 2060
80
100
1200 204060100
120
140
160
180
200
40
ABS
RPMx1000AIR
BAG0 123456
7
NORM
CH
Instrumentation
13

²exterior lamps (front turn, brake and tail)
²fuel level
²distance to empty
²traction control
²ride control
System warnings
System warnings alert you to possible problems or malfunctions in your
vehicle's operating systems.
The message center will display the
last selected feature if there are no
more warning messages. This allows
you to use the full functionality of
the message center after you acknowledge the warning by pressing the
RESET control and clearing the warning message.
Warning messages that have been reset are divided into two categories:
²They will reappear on the display ten minutes from the reset.
²They will not reappear until an ignition OFF-ON cycle has been
completed. This acts as a reminder that these warning conditions still
exist within the vehicle.
Door Ajar Cannot be reset
Driver's Door Ajar
Check Engine Temp Warning returns after 10 minutes
Transmission Overheat
Check Transmission
Low Oil Level
Check Charging System
Low Fuel Level
Low Engine Coolant
Low Tire Pressure (if equipped)
RESET
Instrumentation
17

Gear Display Data ERR Warning reappears after key is
turned from OFF to ON
Check/Tighten fuel cap
Brake Lamp Out
Check Traction Control
Check Ride Control
Trunk Ajar
Check Steering Assist
Low Washer Fluid
Air Leveling Disabled
Tail Lamp Out
Check FRT Turn Lamps
Turn on Headlamps
DOOR AJAR.Displayed when a side or back door is not completely
closed.
DRIVER'S DOOR AJAR.Displayed when the driver's door is not
completely closed.
CHECK ENGINE TEMP.Displayed when the engine coolant is
overheating. Stop the vehicle as soon as safely possible, turn off the
engine and let it cool. Check the coolant and coolant level. Refer to
Engine coolantin theMaintenance and carechapter. If the warning
stays on or continues to come on, contact your dealer as soon as
possible.
TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT.Indicates the transmission is
overheating. This warning may appear when towing heavy loads or when
driving in a low gear at a high speed for an extended period of time.
Stop the vehicle as soon as safely possible, turn off the engine and let it
cool. Check the transmission fluid and level. Refer toTransmission
fluidin theMaintenance and carechapter. If the warning stays on or
continues to come on, contact your dealer for transmission service as
soon as possible.
CHECK TRANSMISSION.Indicates the transmission is not operating
properly. If this warning stays on, contact your dealer as soon as
possible.
CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM.Displayed when the electrical system is
not maintaining proper voltage. If you are operating electrical accessories
when the engine is idling at a low speed, turn off as many of the
Instrumentation
18

Wheel-speed sensors allow excess front wheel spin to be detected by the
Traction Controlyportion of the ABS computer. Any excessive wheel
spin is controlled by automatically applying and releasing the front
brakes in conjunction with engine torque reductions. Engine torque
reduction is realized via the fully electronic spark and fuel injection
systems. This process is very sensitive to driving conditions and very fast
acting. The front wheels ªsearchº for optimum traction several times a
second and adjustments are made accordingly.
The Traction Controlysystem will allow your vehicle to make better use
of available traction on slippery surfaces. The system is a driver aid
which makes your vehicle easier to handle primarily on snow and ice
covered roads.
During Traction Controlyoperation, TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVE is
displayed on the message center. You may hear an electric motor type of
sound coming from the engine compartment and the engine will not
ªrev-upº when you push further on the accelerator. This is normal
system behavior.
If you should become stuck in snow or on a very slippery road surface,
try switching the Traction Controlysystem off. This may allow excess
wheel spin to ªdigº the vehicle out or enable a successful ªrockingº
maneuver. Refer toMessage centerin theInstrumentationchapter.
If the Traction Controlysystem is cycled excessively, the brake portion
of the system will shut down to prevent the front brakes from
overheating. A limited Traction Controlyfunction using only engine
torque reduction will still control wheels from over-spinning. When the
front brakes have cooled down, the system will again function normally.
Anti-lock braking is not affected by this condition and will function
normally during the cool down period.
If a system fault is detected, CHECK TRACTION CONTROL is displayed
on the message center and your vehicle should be serviced.
STEERING
Your vehicle is equipped with power steering. Power steering uses energy
from the engine to help steer the vehicle.
To prevent damage to the power steering pump:
²Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme right or the extreme left
for more than a few seconds when the engine is running.
Driving
119

on the accelerator in each gear. Do not rock the vehicle for more than a
few minutes, because it could damage the vehicle.
Do not rock the vehicle if the engine is not at normal operating
temperature or damage to the transaxle may occur.
Do not rock the vehicle for more than a few minutes or damage
to the transaxle and tires may occur or the engine may overheat.
Always set the parking brake fully and make sure the gearshift is
latched in P (Park). Turn off the ignition whenever you leave
your vehicle.
If the parking brake is fully released, but the brake warning lamp
remains illuminated, the brakes may not be working properly.
See your dealer or a qualified service technician.
Driving with a 4±speed automatic transaxle
Your automatic overdrive transaxle provides fully automatic operation in
either D (Overdrive) or 3 (Third). Driving with the shift selector in D
(Overdrive) gives the best fuel economy for normal driving conditions.
For manual control start in 1 (First) and then shift manually.
To put your vehicle in gear, start the engine, depress the brake pedal,
then move gearshift lever out of P (Park).
Hold the brake pedal down while you move the gearshift lever
from P (Park) to another position. If you do not hold the brake
pedal down, your vehicle may move unexpectedly and injure someone.
Driving
122

Always dispose of used automotive fluids in a responsible manner.
Follow your community's regulations and standards for recycling and
disposing of automotive fluids.
Coolant refill capacity
To find out how much fluid your vehicle's cooling system can hold, refer
toRefill capacitiesin theCapacities and specificationschapter.
Fill your engine coolant reservoir as outlined inAdding engine coolant
in this chapter.
Severe climates
If you drive in extremely cold climates (less than ±36É C [±34É F]):
²it may be necessary to increase the coolant concentration
above 50%.
²NEVER increase the coolant concentration above 60%.
²increased engine coolant concentrations above 60% will
decrease the overheat protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
²refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the
coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate
freeze protection at the temperatures in which you drive in the
winter months.
If you drive in extremely hot climates:
²it is still necessary to maintain the coolant concentration
above 40%.
²NEVER decrease the coolant concentration below 40%.
²decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will
decrease the corrosion protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
²decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will
decrease the freeze protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
²refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the
coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate
protection at the temperatures in which you drive.
Maintenance and care
161