wheel alignment Mercury Mountaineer 2006 Owner's Manuals

PANEL DIMMER CONTROL
Use to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel when exterior
lights are on.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from left
to right to brighten the
instrument panel.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from right
to left to dim the instrument
panel.
•Rotate to fully to the right (past detent) to turn on interior lamps.
•Rotate to the left position (past detent) to turn off the interior lamps
and will also disable the illuminated entry feature.
AIMING THE HEADLAMPS
The headlamps on your vehicle are properly aimed before leaving the
assembly plant. If your vehicle is involved in an accident or if you have
problems fixing the alignment of your headlamps, have them checked by
a qualified service technician.
Headlamp aim adjustment
The headlamps on your vehicle can only be vertically adjusted. Your
vehicle does not require horizontal aim adjustments.
To adjust the headlamps:
1. Park your vehicle on a level surface about 25 feet (7.6 meters) away
from a vertical plain surface (3). Check your headlamp alignment at
night or in a dark area so that you can see the headlamp beam pattern.
•(1) Eight feet
•(2) Center height of lamp to
ground
•(3) Twenty-five feet
•(4) Horizontal reference line
2. The center of the headlamp has a
3.0 mm circle on the lens. Measure
the height from the center of your
headlamp to the ground (2) and
mark an 8 foot (2.4 meter) long
horizontal line on the plain surface (1) at this height (masking tape
works well).
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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Lights
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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 flashing, your TPMS
is malfunctioning. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with your
TPMS, or some component of the TPMS may be damaged.
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
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Tires, Wheels and Loading
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vehicle seems to pull to one side when you’re driving, the wheels may be
out of alignment. Have an authorized 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 an authorized dealer.
Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles and those with an independent rear
suspension (if equipped) may require alignment of all four wheels.
The tires should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
Tire rotation
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
scheduled maintenance informationthat comes with your vehicle) will
help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and
longer tire life. Unless otherwise specified, rotate the tires approximately
every 5,000 miles (8,000 km).
•Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)
vehicles/Four Wheel Drive
(4WD)/ All Wheel Drive (AWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
Note:If your tires show uneven wear ask an authorized dealer to check
for and correct any wheel misalignment, tire imbalance or mechanical
problem involved before tire rotation.
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•Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering pump fluid level
(below the MIN mark on the reservoir).
•Some noise is normal during operation. If the noise is excessive, check
for low power steering pump fluid level before seeking service by your
authorized dealer.
•Heavy or uneven steering efforts may be caused by low power steering
pump fluid level. Check for low power steering pump fluid level before
seeking service by your authorized dealer.
•Do not fill the power steering pump reservoir above the MAX mark on
the reservoir, as this may result in leaks from 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
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 seat 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.
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Driving
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•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.
•Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
•Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
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Maintenance and Specifications
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Speed control ..............................67
Starting your vehicle ........217–218
jump starting ..........................266
Steering wheel
controls ......................................70
tilting .........................................60
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................60
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Roadside Emergencies ...........256
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....196
Warning Displays ........12, 85, 100
Tires ...........................182–183, 256
alignment ................................194
care ..........................................191
changing ..........................256, 262
checking the pressure ............186
inflating ...................................184
label .........................................191
replacing ..........................193, 262
rotating ....................................195
safety practices .......................194
sidewall information ...............186
snow tires and chains ............202
spare tire .................257, 259, 261
terminology .............................183
tire grades ...............................183
treadwear ........................182, 192
Towing .......................................209
recreational towing .................216
trailer towing ..........................209
wrecker ....................................272Transfer case
fluid checking .........................318
Transmission .............................227
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....227
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................317
fluid, refill capacities ..............321
lubricant specifications ..323, 326
Turn signal ..................................51
V
Vehicle dimensions ...................326
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................328
Vehicle loading ..........................202
Ventilating your vehicle ...........219
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......12
Washer fluid ..............................292
Water, Driving through .............244
Windows ....................................112
power .........................................64
rear wiper/washer .....................60
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................59
checking and adding fluid .....292
liftgate reservoir .....................292
replacing wiper blades ...........293
Wrecker towing .........................272
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
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