battery replacement LINCOLN TOWN CAR 1997 Owners Manual

232BatteryYour vehicle may have a Motorcraft
maintenance-free battery. When the original
equipment battery is replaced under warranty it
may be replaced by a low-maintenance battery. See
Motorcraft Partsat the end of this chapter for the
proper replacement battery.
The low-maintenance battery has removable vent
caps for checking the electrolyte level and adding
water. The electrolyte level should be checked at
least every 24 months or 24,000 miles
(40,000 km) in temperatures up to90ÊF(32ÊC)
and more often in temperatures above90ÊF(32ÊC).
Keep the electrolyte level in each cell up to the
level indicator. Do not overfill.
If the level gets low, refill the battery with distilled
water. If necessary, you can add tap water to the
battery, provided the water is not hard or does not
have a high mineral or alkali content. If the battery
needs water quite often, have the charging system
checked for a possible malfunction.
Help Us Protect Our EnvironmentFord Motor Company strongly recommends that
used lead-acid batteries be returned to an
authorized recycling facility for disposal.
Battery recycling symbolBecause your vehicle's engine is electronically
controlled by a computer, some control conditions
are maintained by power from the battery. If you
ever disconnect the battery or install a new battery,
you must allow the computer to ªrelearnº its idle
conditions before your vehicle will drive properly.
To let the engine do this, put the gearshift in P
(Park), turn off all the accessories, and start the
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248Information about your vehicle's emission control
system is on the Vehicle Emission Control
Information decal located on or near the engine.
This decal identifies engine displacement and gives
some tune-up specifications.How to Prepare Your Vehicle for
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) TestingIn some localities it may become a legal
requirement to pass an Inspection/Maintenance
(I/M) test of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) II
system. If the vehicle's powertrain system or its
battery has just been serviced, the OBD II system is
reset to a not ready for I/M testing condition. To
prepare for I/M testing, the law specifies that
additional city and highway driving is necessary to
complete the check of the OBD II system.
The driving modes required to reach the ready
condition consist of a minimum of 30 minutes of
city and highway driving as described below:
q
At least twenty minutes driving in stop and go,
city type traffic with at least four idle periods.
q
At least ten 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 driving modes.
Lights and Bulb ReplacementIt is a good idea to check the operation of the
following lights frequently:q
headlamps
q
high-mount brakelamp
q
tail lamps
q
brakelamps
q
hazard flasher
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296Anti-theft system
arming the system.......... 116
description............. 116
disarming an untriggered system.... 118
disarming a triggered system...... 118
triggering............. 118
Appeals (see Dispute settlement board) . . 266
Ashtray(s)............... 73
Assistance (see Customer assistance) . . . 265
Audio system (see Electronic
sound system)............ 33
Autolamp system (see Headlamps).... 70
Automatic transmission
driving an automatic overdrive..... 173
fluid, adding............. 231
fluid, checking............ 230
fluid, refill capacities......... 258
fluid, specification.......... 259Axle
lubricant specifications........ 259
refill capacities............ 258
B
Basic vehicle warranty........... 3
Battery................ 232
battery saver............. 115
charging system warning light..... 15
disconnecting............ 232
how to service............ 232
jumping a disabled battery....... 204
maintenance-free........... 232
proper disposal, recycling....... 232
replacement, specifications....... 257
servicing.............. 232
when storing your vehicle....... 261
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