LINCOLN TOWN CAR 1997 User Guide

5
Breaking Your Vehicle InYour new vehicle goes through an adjustment or
break-in period during the first 1,000 miles
(1,600 km) that you drive it. During the break-in
period, you need to pay careful attention to how
you drive your vehicle.q
Avoid sudden stops.Because your vehicle has
new brake linings, you should take these steps:
Ð Watch traffic carefully so that you can
anticipate when to stop.
Ð Begin braking well in advance.
Ð Apply the brakes gradually.
The break-in period for new brake linings
lasts for 100 miles (160 km) of city driving
or 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of highway
driving.
q
Use only the type of engine oil that Ford
recommends.SeeEngine oil recommendations
in the Index. Do not use special ªbreak-inº oils.
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7
InstrumentationThe instrument panel (dashboard) on your vehicle is
divided into several different sections. The
illustrations on the following pages show the major
parts of the instrument panel that are described in
this chapter. Some items shown may not be on all
vehicles.
The main controls for the climate control system,
clock, and radio are on the instrument panel.
If you have radio transmitting equipment in your
vehicle, be aware that it can interfere with your
vehicle's electrical system and may cause the
instrumentation and/or convenience products to
have temporary, abnormal operation.NOTE:Any cleaner or polish that increases the
gloss (shine) of the upper part of the instrument
panel should be avoided. The dull finish in this area
is to help protect the driver from undesirable
windshield reflection
In your vehicle, the warning lights and gauges are
grouped together on the instrument panel. We call
this grouping a cluster. Your vehicle has an
electronic cluster.
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8The Electronic ClusterThe electronic cluster works only when your
ignition is in the ON position. Each time you start
your vehicle, the displays go through a self-test by
flashing on and off once before the actual readings
are displayed. (Neither the turn signals nor the high
beam indicator light will flash like the other
indicators do for the self-test.) Some of the warning
lights will flash on and remain on (will not
immediately flash off) until the normal cluster
display is lit. This self-test is used to indicate that
all of the warning/indicator lights are working
properly.Your electronic cluster tells you about the condition
of your vehicle by using two types of equipment:
q
warning lights and gauges
q
message center
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9
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10Engine Coolant Temperature GaugeThis gauge indicates the engine coolant temperature
not the coolant level. If the coolant is not at its
proper level or mixture, the gauge indication will
not be accurate. It is identified by a thermometer
symbol, an ªHº (hot), and a ªCº (cold). The
ªNORMALº indicates the normal operating range.
The bars will move into the normal operating rangeas the engine coolant warms up. It is acceptable
under certain driving conditions such as, heavy stop
and go traffic, or driving up hills in hot weather, for
the gauge to indicate at the top of the NORMAL
band.
If, under any circumstance, the pointer moves
above the NORMAL band, the temperature symbol
flashes and a tone will sound to alert the driver
that the engine coolant is overheating and
continued operation may cause engine damage.
If your engine overheats:
1. Pull off the road as soon as it is safely possible.
2. Turn off the engine. If you do not stop the
engine as soon as safely possible, severe engine
damage could result.
3. Let the engine cool.DO NOT REMOVE
COOLANT SYSTEM FILL CAP UNTIL THE
ENGINE IS COOL.
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11
4. 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.
If the coolant continues to overheat, have the
coolant system serviced.
If only the top two and bottom two bars appear on
the gauge, then the system is indicating that it
requires servicing. Contact your dealer for service as
soon as possible.Anti-Lock Brake System LightThis warning light will go on each time you start
your vehicle. If it remains on for longer than 5
seconds, you should shut off your engine and
restart. If the anti-lock brake light stays on, this
indicates that the anti-lock feature is disabled and
should receive immediate attention by a qualifiedservice technician. Normal braking is not affected
unless the brake warning light is also lit.
The Anti-Lock Brake System has self-check
capabilities. As previously described, the system
turns on the anti-lock light each time you start your
engine. After the engine is started and the anti-lock
light is out, the system performs another test the
first time the vehicle reaches 14 mph (22 km/h).
The system turns on the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) pump motor for approximately 1/2 second.
At this time a mechanical noise may be heard. This
is a normal part of the self-check feature. If a
malfunction is found during this check the anti-lock
light will come on.
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12
WARNING
If th eanti-loc kbrak esyste mwarning
Thi sligh tcome son briefl ywhe nyo utur nthe

13
WARNING
Th eBRAK Eligh tindicate stha tthe
Hig hBea mLight
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14Check Engine Warning LightThis 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.
Air Bag Readiness LightThe air bag system uses a readiness light and a tone
to indicate the condition of the system. The
readiness light is in the instrument panel. When
you turn the ignition key to the ON position, this
light will light up for six (6) seconds and then turn
off. This indicates that the system is operating
normally.NOTE:Regularly scheduled maintenance
of the air bag system is not required.
If the light fails to illuminate, continues to flash,
remains on, or you hear a beeping sound, have the
system serviced at your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury
dealer immediately.
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15
Charging System Warning LightThis light comes on when you turn your ignition
key from OFF to ON (engine off). The light should
go out when the engine starts and the alternator
begins to charge.
If this light stays on or comes on while your engine
is running, this tells you that your battery is not
being charged and that you need to have the
electrical system checked as soon as possible.
Engine Oil Pressure LightThis light indicates the lack of engine oil pressure,
not the oil level. However, if your engine's oil level
is low, it could affect the oil pressure. The light
should come on every time your ignition key is
turned to ON or START, and should go out when
the engine starts. If the light stays on or turns on
while the engine is running, you have lost oil
pressure and continued operation will cause severe
engine damage.
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