tow Mercury Mountaineer 1998 s User Guide

5. To put the retractor in the
automatic locking mode, grasp the
shoulder portion of the belt and
pull downward until all of the belt
is extracted and a click is heard.
6. Allow the belt to retract. The
belt will click as it retracts to
indicate it is in the automatic
locking mode.
7. Pull the lap belt portion across
the child seat toward the buckle
and pull up on the shoulder belt
while pushing down with knee on
the child seat.
8. Allow the safety belt to retract
to remove any slack in the belt.
9. Before placing the child in the
seat, forcibly tilt the seat forward
and back to make sure the seat is
securely held in place.
10. Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is in the automatic
locking mode (you should not be
Seating and safety restraints
84

Placing your child in the built-in
child seat
Failure to follow all of the
instructions on the use of
this child restraint system can
result in your child striking the
vehicle's interior during a sudden
stop or crash.
The second row seatback
must be fully locked before
operating the child restraint
system. Check the position of the
seatback release lever.
Never use the Built-In
Child Seat as a booster
cushion with the adult safety
belts. A child using the adult
belts could slide forward and out
from under the safety belts.
1. Grasp the strap and pull toward
you approximately 25 mm (1 inch),
then slide hand under the head
restraint and slide upwards to the
full position.
Seating and safety restraints
87

Deactivating the automatic
locking mode (ALR) on the
built-in child safety seat
1. Disconnect the chest clip and
remove the left and right safety
belt tongues from the crotch
buckle.
2. Allow the shoulder belts to fully
retract.
Removing your child from the
built-in child safety seat
1. Disconnect the chest clip by
squeezing the release tabs together
and pulling the two sides apart.
2. Press the release button on the
crotch buckle.
3. Slide the shoulder belts off the
child's shoulders and remove the
child from the seat.
If ALR is activated, hold either the
left or right shoulder belt out fully
while helping the child slide arms
out of the belts.
4. Fold the cushion protector flap
onto the child seat cushion. Slide
the belt tongues up and out of the
way of the cushion, then return
the child seat cushion to the
stowed (upright) position.
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92

5. Slide the Velcrotstraps through
the D-rings on the child seat
cushion and attach.
6. Slide the head restraint down
until the top of the head restraint
is flush with the top of the adult
seat back.
7. Press firmly on the top center of
the built-in child safety seat head
restraint to ensure it is stowed
properly.
Inspecting the built-in child seat
after a collision
Inspect all built-in child restraints,
including seats, buckles, retractors,
seat latches. Interlocks and
attaching hardware should be
inspected by a qualified technician
after any collision. If the child seat
was in use during a collision, Ford
recommends replacing it. Built-in
child restraints not in use during a
collision should be inspected and
replaced if either damage or
improper operation is noted.
Seating and safety restraints
93

The air suspension shut-off switch
is located in the cargo area behind
the left rear quarter trim panel.
On vehicles equipped with
Air Suspension, turn OFF
the Air Suspension switch prior
to jacking, hoisting or towing
your vehicle.
Normal vehicle operation does not
require any action by the driver.
TRANSMISSION OPERATION
Automatic transmission
operation
Brake-shift interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a
brake-shift interlock feature that
prevents the gearshift from being
moved from P (Park) unless the
brake pedal is depressed.
If you cannot move the gearshift
out of P (Park) with the brake
pedal depressed:
1. Apply the parking brake, turn
ignition key to LOCK, then remove
the key.
2. Insert the key and turn it to
OFF. Apply the brake pedal and
shift to N (Neutral).
3. Start the vehicle.
If it is necessary to use the above
procedure to move the gearshift, it
is possible that a fuse has blown.
Refer toFuses and relaysin the
Roadside emergencieschapter.
Driving
104

Do not drive your vehicle
until you verify that the
brakelamps are working.
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud
or snow it may be rocked out by
shifting from forward and reverse
gears in a steady pattern. Press
lightly on the accelerator in each
gear.
Do not rock the vehicle for
more than a few minutes. The
transmission and tires may be
damaged 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.
Driving with a 4±speed
automatic transmission
(5.0L engines only)
Understanding gearshift
positions
Pull the gearshift lever towards
you and downward to move the
automatic gearshift.
Hold the brake pedal down
while you move the
gearshift lever from position to
position. If you do not hold the
brake pedal down, your vehicle
may move unexpectedly and
injure someone.
Driving
105

transmission control switch on the
end of the gearshift lever with the
gearshift in the
position. The
TCIL will illuminate on the
instrument cluster. Transmission
operates in gears one through
three.
(Drive) provides more
engine braking than
(Overdrive) and is useful when:
²driving with a heavy load
²towing a trailer up or down
steep hills
²additional engine braking is
desired. If towing a trailer, refer
toDriving while you towin
theTowing a trailerchapter.
To return to
(Overdrive) mode,
press the transmission control
switch. The TCIL will no longer be
illuminated.
Each time the vehicle is started,
the transmission will automatically
return to normal overdrive mode.
Every time the vehicle is shut off
and restarted, you must press the
transmission control switch to
cancel overdrive operation if
driving in overdrive is not desired.
2 (Second)
Use 2 (Second) to start-up on
slippery roads or to provide
additional engine braking on
downgrades.
Driving
107

1 (First)
Use 1 (Low) to provide maximum
engine braking on steep
downgrades. Upshifts can be made
by shifting to 2 (Second) or to
(Overdrive). Selecting 1 (Low)
at higher speeds causes the
transmission to shift to a lower
gear, and will shift to 1 (Low) after
vehicle decelerates to the proper
speed.
Driving with a 5±speed
automatic transmission
(4.0L engines only)
Understanding gearshift
positions
Hold the brake pedal down
while you move the
gearshift lever from position to
position. If you do not hold the
brake pedal down, your vehicle
may move unexpectedly and
injure someone.
Pull the gearshift lever towards
you and downward to move the
automatic gearshift.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of P
(Park). Make sure the gearshift is
securely latched in P (Park).
Driving
108

braking than(Overdrive) and is
useful whenever driving conditions
(i.e., city traffic, hilly terrain, etc.)
cause the transmission to
excessively shift between
(Overdrive) and(Drive).
Also deactivate
(Overdrive)
when:
²driving with a heavy load
²towing a trailer up or down
steep hills
²additional engine braking is
desired.
To return to
(Overdrive) mode,
press the transmission control
switch. The TCIL will no longer be
illuminated.
Each time the vehicle is started,
the transmission will automatically
return to normal overdrive mode.
2 (Second)
Use 2 (Second) to start-up on
slippery roads or to provide
additional engine braking on
downgrades. Transmission operates
in third gear.
1 (First)
Use 1 (First) to provide maximum
engine braking on steep
downgrades. Upshifts can be made
by shifting to 2 (Second) or to
(Overdrive). Selecting 1 (Low)
at higher speeds causes the
transmission to shift to a lower
gear and will shift to 1 (First) after
Driving
110

²GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight):
Base curb weight plus payload
weight. The GVW is not a limit
or a specification.
²GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating): Maximum total weight
of the base vehicle, passengers,
optional equipment and cargo.
The GVWR is specific to each
vehicle and is listed on the
Safety Compliance Label on the
driver's door pillar.
²GAWR (Gross Axle Weight
Rating): Carrying capacity for
each axle system. The GAWR is
specific to each vehicle and is
listed on the Safety Compliance
Label on the driver's door pillar.
²GCWR (Gross Combined
Weight Rating): Maximum
combined weight of towing
vehicle (including passengers
and cargo) and the trailer. The
GCWR indicates the maximum
loaded weight that the vehicle is
allowed to tow.
²Maximum Trailer Weight
Rating: Maximum weight of a
trailer the vehicle is permitted
to tow. The maximum trailer
weight rating equals the vehicle
curb weight for each
engine/transmission
combination, any required
option weight for trailer towing
and the weight of the driver
from the GCWR for the towing
vehicle.
²Maximum Trailer Weight:
maximum weight of a trailer the
Driving
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