airbag Mercury Mountaineer 2008 Owner's Manuals

Seating and Safety Restraints 152
Seating 152
Safety restraints 166
Airbags 181
Child restraints 196
Tires, Wheels and Loading 211
Tire information 213
Tire inflation 216
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 228
Vehicle loading 233
Trailer towing 240
Recreational towing 245
Driving 247
Starting 247
Brakes 252
Traction Control™/AdvanceTrac
255
Transmission operation 260
Roadside Emergencies 278
Getting roadside assistance 278
Hazard flasher switch 280
Fuel pump shut-off switch 280
Fuses and relays 282
Changing tires 290
Lug nut torque 299
Jump starting 300
Wrecker towing 305
Customer Assistance 307
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 313
Reporting safety defects (Canada only) 314
Cleaning 315
Table of Contents
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2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)

CALIFORNIA Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING:Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and
certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. In addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear contain or emit chemicals known
to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
PERCHLORATE MATERIAL
Certain components of this vehicle such as airbag modules, seat belt
pretensioners, and button cell batteries may contain Perchlorate Material
– Special handling may apply for service or vehicle end of life disposal.
See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations on acquiring your new Mercury. Please take the time to
get well acquainted with your vehicle by reading this handbook. The
more you know and understand about your vehicle, the greater the
safety and pleasure you will derive from driving it.
For more information on Ford Motor Company and its products visit the
following website:
•In the United States: www.ford.com
•In Canada: www.ford.ca
•In Mexico: www.ford.com.mx
•In Australia: www.ford.com.au
Additional owner information is given in separate publications.
ThisOwner’s Guidedescribes every option and model variant available
and therefore some of the items covered may not apply to your
particular vehicle. Furthermore, due to printing cycles it may describe
options before they are generally available.
Remember to pass on theOwner’s Guidewhen reselling the vehicle. It
is an integral part of the vehicle.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Introduction
4

BREAKING-IN YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle does not need an extensive break-in. Try not to drive
continuously at the same speed for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of
new vehicle operation. Vary your speed frequently in order to give the
moving parts a chance to break in.
Drive your new vehicle at least 500 miles (800 km) before towing a
trailer. For more detailed information about towing a trailer, refer to
Trailer towingin theTires, Wheels and Loadingchapter.
Do not add friction modifier compounds or special break-in oils since
these additives may prevent piston ring seating. SeeEngine oilin the
Maintenance and Specificationschapter for more information on oil
usage.
SPECIAL NOTICES
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
For a detailed description of what is covered and what is not covered by
your vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty, refer to theWarranty
Guidethat is provided to you along with yourOwner’s Guide.
Special instructions
For your added safety, your vehicle is fitted with sophisticated electronic
controls.
Please read the sectionAirbag supplemental restraint system
(SRS)in theSeating and Safety Restraintschapter. Failure to
follow the specific warnings and instructions could result in personal
injury.
Front seat mounted rear-facing child or infant seats should
NEVERbe placed in front of an active passenger airbag.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Introduction
6

These are some of the symbols you may see on your vehicle.
Vehicle Symbol Glossary
Safety Alert
See Owner’s Guide
Fasten Safety BeltAirbag - Front
Airbag - SideChild Seat Lower
Anchor
Child Seat Tether
AnchorBrake System
Anti-Lock Brake SystemParking Brake System
Brake Fluid -
Non-Petroleum BasedParking Aid System
Stability Control SystemSpeed Control
Master Lighting SwitchHazard Warning Flasher
Fog Lamps-FrontFuse Compartment
Fuel Pump ResetWindshield Wash/Wipe
Windshield
Defrost/DemistRear Window
Defrost/Demist
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Introduction
10

Anti-lock brake system:If the
ABS light stays illuminated or
continues to flash, a malfunction has
been detected, have the system
serviced immediately by your
authorized dealer. Normal braking is still functional unless the brake
warning light also is illuminated.
Airbag readiness:If this light fails
to illuminate when the ignition is
turned to ON, continues to flash or
remains on, have the system
serviced immediately by your authorized dealer. A chime will also sound
when a malfunction in the supplemental restraint system has been
detected.
Safety belt:Reminds you to fasten
your safety belt. A Belt-Minder

chime will also sound to remind you
to fasten your safety belt. Refer to
theSeating and Safety Restraints
chapter to activate/deactivate the Belt-Minder
chime feature.
Charging system:Illuminates when
the battery is not charging properly.
Engine oil pressure:Illuminates
when the oil pressure falls below the
normal range. Check the oil level
and add oil if needed. Refer to
Engine oilin theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
If the light remains ON while driving, the temperature of the engine may
be too high, refer toEngine coolantin theMaintenance and
Specificationschapter.
ABS
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Instrument Cluster
14

To reduce the risk of possible serious injury: Do not hang objects
off seat back or stow objects in the seatback map pocket (if
equipped) when a child is in the front passenger seat. Do not place
objects underneath the front passenger seat or between the seat and
the center console (if equipped). Check the “passenger airbag off” or
“pass airbag off” indicator lamp for proper airbag status. Refer toFront
passenger sensing systemsection for additional details. Failure to
follow these instructions may interfere with the front passenger seat
sensing system.
The control is located on the outboard side of the seat cushion.
Press front to raise or lower the
front portion of the seat cushion.
Press rear to raise or lower the rear
portion of the seat cushion.
Press the control to move the seat
forward, backward, up or down.
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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Before returning the seatback to its original position, make sure
that cargo or any objects are not trapped behind the seatback.
After returning the seatback to its original position, pull on the
seatback to ensure that it has fully latched. An unlatched seat may
become dangerous in the event of a sudden stop or collision.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System™
The Personal Safety System™ provides an improved overall level of
frontal crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help
further reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The system is able to
analyze different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating
the appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of
occupants in a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety System™ consists of:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints.
•Front safety belts with pretensioners, energy management retractors,
and safety belt usage sensors.
•Driver’s seat position sensor.
•Front passenger sensing system
•“Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp
•Front crash severity sensor.
•Restraints Control Module (RCM).
•Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
•The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), safety belt
pretensioners, front safety belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, front passenger sensing system, and indicator lights.
How does the Personal Safety System™ work?
The Personal Safety System™ can adapt the deployment strategy of your
vehicle’s safety devices according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors provides
information to the Restraints Control Module (RCM). During a crash, the
RCM may activate the safety belt pretensioners and/or either one or both
stages of the dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints based on crash
severity and occupant conditions.
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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The fact that the pretensioners or airbags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with
the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety System™ determined
the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not
appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front airbags are designed
to activate only in frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollovers,
side-impacts, or rear-impacts unless the collision causes sufficient
longitudinal deceleration.
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
The dual-stage airbags offer the capability to tailor the level of airbag
inflation energy. A lower, less forceful energy level is provided for more
common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher energy level is used for
the most severe impacts. Refer toAirbag supplemental restraints
section in this chapter.
Front crash severity sensor
The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the
severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable
information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This
allows your Personal Safety System™ to distinguish between different
levels of crash severity and modify the deployment strategy of the
dual-stage airbags and safety belt pretensioners.
Driver’s seat position sensor
The driver’s seat position sensor allows your Personal Safety System™ to
tailor the deployment level of the driver dual-stage airbag based on seat
position. The system is designed to help protect smaller drivers sitting
close to the driver airbag by providing a lower airbag output level.
Front passenger sensing system
For airbags to do their job they must inflate with great force, and this
force can pose a potentially deadly risk to occupants that are very close
to the airbag when it begins to inflate. For some occupants, this occurs
because they are initially sitting very close to the airbag. For other
occupants, this occurs when the occupant is not properly restrained by
safety belts or child safety seats and they move forward during pre-crash
braking. The most effective way to reduce the risk of unnecessary
injuries is to make sure all occupants are properly restrained. Accident
statistics suggest that children are much safer when properly restrained
in the rear seating positions than in the front.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
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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.
Always transport children 12 years old and under in the back
seat and always properly use appropriate child restraints.
The front passenger sensing system can automatically turn off the front
passenger airbag and passenger seat-mounted side airbag. The system is
designed to help protect small (child size) occupants from frontal airbag
deployments when they are seated or restrained in the front passenger
seat contrary to proper child-seating or restraint usage
recommendations. Even with this technology, parents areSTRONGLY
encouraged to always properly restrain children in the rear seat. The
sensor also turns off the passenger front airbag and passenger
seat-mounted side airbag when the passenger seat is empty.
Front safety belt usage sensors
The front safety belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger safety belts are fastened. This information
allows your Personal Safety System™ to tailor the airbag deployment
and safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Refer toSafety restraintssection in this chapter.
Front safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the safety belts firmly against the occupant’s body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers. This helps
increase the effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal collisions, the
safety belt pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the front airbags.
Front safety belt energy management retractors
The front outboard safety belt energy management retractors allow
webbing to be pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled
manner in response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps
reduce the risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by
limiting the load on the occupant. Refer toSafety restraintssection in
this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System™ is operational
The Personal Safety System™ uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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to theWarning lights and chimessection in theInstrument Cluster
chapter. Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System™ is not
required.
The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, front
passenger sensing system, and the driver seat position sensor. In
addition, the RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the
instrument cluster. A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or
more of the following:
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light will not illuminate immediately after the 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 an authorized dealer 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 in the back
seat 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 airbag
supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
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