run flat Mercury Mountaineer 2005 Owner's Manuals

The installation of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in the tire
sidewall may cause malfunction of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS), and is not recommended (cord material information is molded
on the tire sidewall). Additionally, if your vehicle was originally equipped
with run-flat tires, replacing them with tires that are not identical to
those originally fitted may cause malfunction of the TPMS, and is not
recommended. Run-flat tires should not be used to replace regular tires.
Always check your TPMS indicator immediately after replacing one or
more tires on your vehicle. If the TPMS indicator is on, your TPMS is
malfunctioning. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with your
TPMS system, or some component of the TPMS system may be damaged.
Important:Ford recommends you replace your tires every 6 years
regardless of the condition of the tire tread wear. As tires age, the
rubber weakens, potentially increasing the risk of a tire failure during
use, causing loss of vehicle control and personal injury.
Important:Remember to replace the spare tire when you replace the
road tires on your vehicle. Even if it has never been used, the spare tire
should be replaced because tires degrade over time.
Important:Remember to replace the wheel air valves when the road
tires are replaced on your vehicle.
CHANGING THE TIRES
If you get a flat tire while driving:
•do not brake heavily.
•gradually decrease the vehicle’s speed.
•hold the steering wheel firmly.
•slowly move to a safe place on the side of the road.
Note:If your vehicle is equipped with the tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), the system indicator light will illuminate when the spare
is in use. To restore the full functionality of the monitoring system, all
road wheels equipped with tire pressure monitoring sensors must be
mounted on the vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with TPMS, have a flat serviced by a dealer or
a qualified technician in order to prevent damage to the TPMS sensor,
refer toChanging tires with TPMSin theTires, Wheels and Loading
chapter. Replace the spare tire with a road tire as soon as possible.
2005 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
159

Safety practices
Driving habits have a great deal to do with your tire mileage and safety.
•Observe posted speed limits
•Avoid fast starts, stops and turns
•Avoid potholes and objects on the road
•Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a curb when parking
If your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,do notrapidly
spin the tires; spinning the tires can tear the tire and cause an
explosion. A tire can explode in as little as three to five seconds.
Never spin the tires in excess of the 35 mph (55 km/h) point
indicated on the speedometer.
Highway hazards
No matter how carefully you drive there’s always the possibility that you
may eventually have a flat tire on the highway. Drive slowly to the
closest safe area out of traffic. This may further damage the flat tire, but
your safety is more important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving, or you
suspect your tire or vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your
speed. Drive with caution until you can safely pull off the road. Stop and
inspect the tires for damage. If a tire is under-inflated or damaged,
deflate it, remove wheel and replace it with your spare tire and wheel. If
you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the nearest repair
facility or tire dealer to have the vehicle inspected.
Tire and wheel alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can cause the front end of your
vehicle to become misaligned or cause damage to your tires. If your
vehicle seems to pull to one side when you’re driving, the wheels may be
out of alignment. Have a qualified technician at a Ford or Lincoln
Mercury dealer check the wheel alignment periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or the rear can cause uneven and rapid
treadwear of your tires and should be corrected by a qualified technician
at a Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer. Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles
and those with an independent rear suspension (if equipped) may
require alignment of all four wheels.
2005 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
174

STEERING
To prevent damage to the power steering system:
•Never hold the steering wheel at its furthest turning points (until it
stops) for more than a few seconds when the engine is running.
•Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering pump reservoir
fluid level (below the MIN mark on the reservoir).
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned
off), you can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes more effort.
If the steering wanders or pulls, check for:
•an improperly inflated tire
•uneven tire wear
•loose or worn suspension components
•loose or worn steering components
•improper steering alignment
A high crown in the road or high crosswinds may also make the steering
seem to wander/pull.
PREPARING TO DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than
other types of vehicles.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a safety belt.
Your vehicle has larger tires and increased ground clearance, giving the
vehicle a higher center of gravity than a passenger car.
Vehicles with a higher center of gravity such as utility and
four-wheel drive vehicles handle differently than vehicles with a
lower center of gravity. Utility and four-wheel drive vehicles arenot
designed for cornering at speeds as high as passenger cars any more
than low-slung sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions. Avoid sharp turns, excessive speed and abrupt
maneuvers in these vehicles. Failure to drive cautiously could result in
an increased risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal
injury and death.
2005 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
204

•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs.
Unnecessary shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel
economy.
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toLubricant specificationsin
this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
2005 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
279

Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Maintenance and
Specifications ..........................177
Roadside Emergencies ...........159
Warning Displays ................14, 82
Tires ...........................153–154, 159
alignment ................................174
care ..........................................173
changing ..........................159, 164
checking the pressure ............156
inspecting and inflating .........155
label .........................................172
replacing ..........................158, 164
rotating ....................................175
safety practices .......................174
sidewall information ...............168
snow tires and chains ............181
spare tire .................160, 162–163
terminology .............................155
tire grades ...............................154
treadwear ........................154, 173
Towing .......................................189
recreational towing .................194
trailer towing ..........................189
wrecker ....................................237
Transfer case
fluid checking .........................285
Transmission .............................205
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....205fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................284
fluid, refill capacities ..............287
lubricant specifications ..290, 292
Trunk ...........................................95
Turn signal ..................................47
V
Vehicle dimensions ...................292
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................294
Vehicle loading ..........................182
Ventilating your vehicle ...........198
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......10
Washer fluid ..............................257
Water, Driving through .............218
Windows
power .........................................61
rear wiper/washer .....................56
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................55
checking and adding fluid .....257
liftgate reservoir .....................257
replacing wiper blades .............56
Wrecker towing .........................237
Index
303