air condition Mercury Mountaineer 1998 s User Guide

Trailer towing tips
²Practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area before
starting on a trip to get the feel
of the vehicle trailer
combination. When turning,
make wider turns so the trailer
wheels will clear curbs and
other obstacles.
²Allow more distance for
stopping with a trailer attached.
²The trailer tongue weight should
be 10±15% of the loaded trailer
weight.
²After you have traveled 80 km
(50 miles), thoroughly check
your hitch, electrical
connections and trailer wheel
lug nuts.
²When stopped in traffic for long
periods of time in hot weather,
place the gearshift in P (Park)
and increase idle speed. This
aids engine cooling and air
conditioner efficiency.
²Vehicles with trailers should not
be parked on a grade. If you
must park on a grade, place
wheel chocks under the trailer's
wheels.
Launching or retrieving a boat
When backing down a ramp during
boat launching or retrieval,
²Do not allow the static water
level to rise above the bottom
edge of the rear bumper and
Driving
132

²Keep all lit cigarettes, open
flames and other lit material
away from the battery and all
fuel related parts.
If you disconnect the battery, the
engine must ªrelearnº its idle
conditions before your vehicle will
drive properly, as explained in
Batteryin this chapter.
Working with the engine off
1. Set the parking brake and
ensure the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park).
2. Turn off the engine and remove
the key.
3. Block the wheels to prevent the
vehicle from moving unexpectedly.
Working with the engine on
1. Set the parking brake and
ensure the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park).
2. Block the wheels to prevent the
vehicle from moving unexpectedly.
Do not start your engine
with the air cleaner
removed and do not remove it
while the engine is running.
Maintenance and care
155

law and could damage your
vehicle.
Your vehicle was not designed to
use fuel or fuel additives with
metallic compounds, including
manganese-based compounds
containing MMT.
Vehicles certified to California
emission standards (indicated on
the underhood Vehicle Emissions
Control Information label) are
designed to operate on California
reformulated gasolines. If
California reformulated gasoline is
not available when you refuel, your
vehicle can be operated on
non-California fuels. However, even
though your engine will perform
adequately on other gasolines, the
performance of the emission
control devices and systems may
be adversely affected.
Repair of damage caused by using
a fuel that your vehicle was not
designed for may not be covered
by your warranty.
Octane recommendations
Your vehicle is designed to use
regular unleaded with an (R+M)/2
octane rating of 87. We do not
recommend gasolines labeled as
ªregularº in high altitude areas that
are sold with octane ratings of 86
or even less.
Do not be concerned if your
vehicle sometimes knocks lightly.
However, if it knocks heavily under
most driving conditions on fuel
87
Maintenance and care
185

with the recommended octane, see
your dealer or a qualified service
technician to prevent any engine
damage.
Fuel quality
If you are experiencing starting,
rough idle or hesitation problems
try a different brand of fuel. If the
condition persists, see your dealer
or a qualified service technician.
The American Automobile
Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
issued a gasoline specification to
provide information on high quality
fuels that optimize the
performance of your vehicle. We
recommend the use of gasolines
that meet the AAMA specification
if they are available.
It should not be necessary to add
any aftermarket products to your
fuel tank if you continue to use a
high-quality fuel.
Cleaner air
Ford approves the use of gasolines
to improve air quality, including
reformulated gasolines that contain
oxygenates up to 10% ethanol or
15% MTBE.
Do not use gasolines containing
methanol, which can damage
critical fuel system components.
Damage resulting from the use of
methanol may not be covered by
your warranty.
Maintenance and care
186

AIMING THE HEADLAMPS
Your vehicle is equipped with a
Vehicle Headlamp Aim Device
(VHAD) on each headlamp. Each
headlamp may be properly aimed
in the vertical (up/down) and the
horizontal (left/right) directions
using your VHAD system. The
headlamps on your vehicle are
properly aimed at the assembly
plant, and vertical and horizontal
indicators of the VHAD system are
calibrated.
A bubble (vertical indicator) that
is not centered between the two
red lines does not necessarily
indicate out-of-aim headlamps. If
your vehicle is not positioned on a
level surface, the slope will be
included in the vertical indication.
Therefore, vertical and horizontal
headlamp adjustment should be
performed only when the beam
direction appears to be incorrect.
You will need one 4 mm wrench or
socket with ratchet to make the
adjustments.
The following procedure assumes
that the factory set horizontal
indicator reference has not
changed and the vehicle's front
structure is in its factory alignment
condition. If the vehicle has been
in an accident requiring the front
end of the vehicle to be repaired,
the horizontal indicator should be
recalibrated by the servicing
facility according to instructions in
the vehicle's Workshop Manual.
U
D
Maintenance and care
194

Air bag supplemental restraint
system ..........................................73
and child safety seats ..............75
description ................................74
disposal ......................................78
indicator light ...........................77
passenger air bag .....................76
Air conditioning
manual heating and air
conditioning system .......18,21,23
Air suspension
description ..............................103
All wheel drive (AWD) .............118
Ambulance packages ....................3
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)..101
Anti-theft system ........................55
Autolamp system (see
Headlamps) .................................38
Automatic dimming mirror ...37,38
Battery .......................................173
voltage gauge ............................14
Brake fluid
checking and adding ..............162
Brakes ........................................100
anti-lock ...................................100
anti-lock brake system (ABS)
warning light ...........................101
fluid, checking and adding ....162
Brake-shift interlock .................104
Break-in period .............................2
Bulbs, replacing ........................190
headlamps ...............................191
specifications ..........................193
Cargo cover ............................44,45
Changing a tire .........................144
Child safety seats ........................81
built-in child seat ......86,87,91,92
Childproof locks ..........................41
Chime
headlamps on ............................12
Cleaning your vehicle ...............196
built-in child seat ...................201engine compartment ..............197
fabric ........................................200
instrument panel ....................200
plastic parts ............................199
safety belts ..............................201
tail lamps .................................200
washing ....................................196
waxing .....................................196
wheels ......................................199
windows ..................................203
woodtone trim ........................203
Compass, electronic ....................35
calibration .................................37
set zone adjustment .................36
Control trac 4WD system .........111
Controls .......................................42
Defrost
rear window ..............................24
Driving under special
conditions ...........................115,120
high water ........................115,120
slippery roads ....116,117,121,122
Emission control system ..........187
Engine ........................................209
service points ...................156,157
Engine block heater ...................97
Engine coolant
checking and adding ..............164
disposal ....................................166
refill capacities ........................167
Engine oil ...........................158,161
changing oil and oil filter .......161
checking and adding .......158,160
Exhaust fumes ............................98
Floor mats ...................................43
Foglamps .....................................16
Four-Wheel Drive vehicles
control trac ........................25,111
special driving
instructions ......................113,114
Fuel
calculating fuel economy .......187
Index
213