Repair LINCOLN TOWN CAR 2003 Owners Manual

SPECIAL NOTICES
Emission warranty
The New Vehicle Limited Warranty includes Bumper-to-Bumper
Coverage, Safety Restraint Coverage, Corrosion Coverage, and 7.3L
Power Stroke Diesel Engine Coverage. In addition, your vehicle is eligible
for Emissions Defect and Emissions Performance Warranties. For a
detailed description of what is covered and what is not covered, refer to
theWarranty Guidethat is provided to you along with your Owner’s
Guide.
Data Recording
Computers in your vehicle are capable of recording detailed data
potentially including but not limited to information such as:
•the use of restraint systems including seat belts by the driver and
passengers,
•information about the performance of various systems and modules in
the vehicle, and
•information related to engine, throttle, steering, brake or other system
status.
Any of this information could potentially include information regarding
how the driver operates the vehicle potentially including but not limited
to information regarding vehicle speed, brake or accelerator application
or steering input. This information may be stored during regular
operation or in a crash or near crash event.
This stored information may be read out and used by:
•Ford Motor Company.
•service and repair facilities.
•law enforcement or government agencies.
•others who may assert a right or obtain your consent to know such
information.
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Introduction
6

WARNING LIGHTS AND CHIMES
Warning lights and gauges can alert you to a vehicle condition that may
become serious enough to cause expensive repairs. A warning light may
illuminate when a problem exists with one of your vehicle’s functions.
Many lights will illuminate when you start your vehicle to make sure the
bulb works. If any light remains on after starting the vehicle, have the
respective system inspected immediately.
Service engine soon:TheService
engine soonindicator light
illuminates when the ignition is first
turned to the ON position to check
the bulb. Solid illumination after the engine is started indicates the On
Board Diagnostics System (OBD-II) has detected a malfunction. Refer to
On board diagnostics (OBD-II)in theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter. If the light is blinking, engine misfire is occurring which could
damage your catalytic converter. Drive in a moderate fashion (avoid
heavy acceleration and deceleration) and have your vehicle serviced
immediately.
Under engine misfire conditions, excessive exhaust temperatures
could damage the catalytic converter, the fuel system, interior
floor coverings or other vehicle components, possibly causing a fire.
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Instrument Cluster
Instrument Cluster
10

General information
Safety information
Please read and follow all stated safety precautions. Failure to do
so may increase your risk of collision and personal injury. Ford
Motor Company shall not be liable for any damages of any type
arising from failure to follow these guidelines.
Do not attempt to service, repair or modify the system. See your Ford or
Lincoln Mercury dealer.
The driver must not attempt to operate any detailed operation of
the navigation system while the vehicle is in motion. Give full
attention to driving and to the road. Pull off the road and park in a
safe place before performing detailed operations.
If the system is used for an extended period of time with the
vehicle stationary, ensure that the engine is running to avoid
draining the battery.
Do not apply pressure to the display screen.
The navigation system is not a substitute for your personal judgement.
Route suggestions should not supersede local traffic regulations or safe
driving practices.
Do not follow route suggestions if they direct you to perform an unsafe
or illegal maneuver, would place you in an unsafe situation, or would
route you into an area that you consider unsafe.
Drivers should not rely on screen displays while their vehicle is in
motion. Let the voice guide you. If viewing is necessary, pull off the road
to a safe location.
Do not use the navigation system to locate emergency services.
For road safety reasons, the driver should program the system only when
the vehicle is stationary. Certain functions will therefore not operate
while the vehicle is in motion.
The map database DVD does not reflect road detours, closures or
construction, road characteristics such as rough road surface, slope or
grade, weight or height restrictions, traffic congestion, weather or similar
conditions.
To use the system as effectively and safely as possible, obtain up-to-date
map database DVD whenever they become available.
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Entertainment Systems
66

•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
safety system serviced at your dealership or by a qualified technician
immediately. Unless serviced, the system may not function properly in
the event of a collision.
Safety restraints precautions
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit where they
can be properly restrained.
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from
injury in a collision.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an air bag (SRS) is
provided.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and
safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a safety belt.
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
136

Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag
supplemental restraint systems or its fuses. See your Ford or
Lincoln Mercury dealer.
The front passenger air bag is not designed to offer protection to
an occupant in the center front seating position.
Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of the vehicle
(including frame, bumper, front end body structure and tow
hooks) may affect the performance of the air bag system, increasing
the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
Children and air bags
Children must always be properly
restrained. Accident statistics
suggest that children are safer when
properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front
seating position. Failure to follow
these instructions may increase the
risk of injury in a collision.
Air bags can kill or injure a
child in a child seat.
NEVERplace a rear-facing child
seat in front of an active air bag. If
you must use a forward-facing
child seat in the front seat, move
the seat all the way back.
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
149

The SRS consists of the following items:
•Driver and passenger air bag modules (which include the inflators and
air bags)
•Driver and passenger side air bags
•One or more impact and safing sensors
•A readiness light and tone
•A diagnostic module
•The electrical wiring which connects the components
The diagnostic module monitors its own internal circuits as well as the
supplemental air bag electrical system warning (including the impact
sensors), the system wiring, the air bag system readiness light, the air
bag back up power and the air bag ignitors.
Several air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not
touch them after inflation.
If the air bag has deployed,the air bag will not function
again and must be replaced immediately.If the air bag is not
replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a
collision.
If the safety belt pretensioners deploy in an accident, they will
not function again ( belt will not extract or retract) and must be
replaced immediately. Failure to replace the retractor assemblies will
increase the risk of injury.
Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses a readiness light in the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the system. Refer toAir bag readinesssection
in theInstrument clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the air bag is
not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness light will either
flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not
illuminate immediately after
ignition is turned on.
AIR
BAG
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
151

•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at your dealership or by a qualified technician immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Side air bag system (if equipped)
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the air bag
cover on the side of the seatbacks of the front seats or in front
seat areas that may come into contact with a deploying air bag. Failure
to follow these instructions may increase the risk of personal injury in
the event of a collision.
Do not use accessory seat covers. The use of accessory seat
covers may prevent the deployment of the side air bags and
increase the risk of injury in an accident.
Do not lean your head on the door. The side air bag could injure
you as it deploys from the side of the seatback.
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag SRS, its
fuses or the seat cover on a seat containing an air bag. See your
Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer.
All occupants of the vehicle should always wear their safety belts
even when an air bag SRS is provided.
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
152

Several air bag system
components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them after
inflation.
If the side air bag has
deployed,the air bag will
not function again. The side
air bag system (including the
seat) must be inspected and
serviced by a qualified
technician in accordance with
the vehicle service manual.If
the air bag is not replaced, the
unrepaired area will increase the
risk of injury in a collision.
Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses a readiness light in the instrument cluster or a tone to
indicate the condition of the system. Refer to theAir bag readiness
section in theInstrument clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the
side air bag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness light (same light as for front air bag system) will either
flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at your dealership or by a qualified technician immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles
(including pretensioners)
See your local dealership or qualified technician. Air bags MUST BE
disposed of by qualified personnel.
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
154

When backing down a ramp during boat launching or retrieval:
•do not allow the static water level to rise above the bottom edge of
the rear bumper.
•do not allow waves to break higher than 15 cm (6 inches) above the
bottom edge of the rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow water to enter vehicle components:
•causing internal damage to the components.
•affecting driveability, emissions and reliability.
Replace the rear axle lubricant any time the axle has been submerged in
water. Rear axle lubricant quantities are not to be checked or changed
unless a leak is suspected or repair required.
RECREATIONAL TOWING (ALL WHEELS ON THE GROUND)
Follow these guidelines for your specific powertrain combination to tow
your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground (such as behind a
recreational vehicle).
These guidelines are designed to ensure that your transmission is not
damaged due to insufficient lubrication.
All Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) vehicles:
This applies to all cars and 4x2 trucks/sport utilities with rear wheel
drive capability.
•Place the transmission in N (Neutral)
•Maximum speed is 56 km/h (35 mph)
•Maximum distance is 80 km (50 miles)
If a distance of 80 km (50 miles) or a speed of 56 km/h (35 mph) must
be exceeded, you must disconnect the driveshaft. Ford recommends the
driveshaft be removed/installed only by a qualified technician. See your
local dealer for driveshaft removal/installation.
Improper removal/installation of the driveshaft can cause
transmission fluid loss, damage to the driveshaft and internal
transmission components.
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Driving
184

The use of tire sealants is not recommended and may
compromise the integrity of your tires.
Temporary spare tire information
Your vehicle may have a temporary or full-size spare tire. The temporary
spare tire for your vehicle is labeled as such. It is smaller than a regular
tire and is designed for emergency use only. Replace this tire with a
full-size tire as soon as possible.
If you use the temporary spare tire continuously or do not follow
these precautions, the tire could fail, causing you to lose control
of the vehicle, possibly injuring yourself or others.
When driving with the temporary spare tiredo not:
•exceed 80 km/h (50 mph) under any circumstances.
•load the vehicle beyond maximum vehicle load rating listed on the
Safety Compliance Label.
•tow a trailer.
•use tire chains.
•drive through an automatic car wash, because of the vehicle’s reduced
ground clearance.
•try to repair the temporary spare tire or remove it from its wheel.
•use the wheel for any other type of vehicle.
•use more than one temporary spare tire at a time.
Use of a temporary spare tire at any one wheel location can lead to
impairment of the following:
•Handling, stability and braking performance
•Comfort and noise
•Ground clearance and parking at curbs
•Winter driving capability
Tire change procedure
To prevent the vehicle from moving when you change a tire, be
sure the parking brake is set, then block (in both directions) the
wheel that is diagonally opposite (other side and end of the vehicle) to
the tire being changed.
2003 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
195