fuel Mercury Mystique 1998 s Owner's Guide

Maintenance and care
155 The tires on your vehicle have all-
weather treads to provide traction
in rain and snow. However, in some
climates, using snow tires and
chains may be necessary. Ford
offers snow chains as a Ford
approved accessory and
recommends use of these or their
equivalents on approved tires. See
your dealer or a qualified service
technician for more information on
tire chains for your vehicle. Follow
these guidelines when using snow
tires and chains:
•Install chains securely, verifying
that the chains do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
•Install the chains on the front
tires only.
•Do not use tire chains 205/60
tires and 205/55R16 Z rated tires.
Steering, suspension and body
components may be damaged by
use of chains.
Snow tires must be the same
size and grade as the tires
you currently have on your
vehicle.
Using snow tires and chains
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Maintenance and care
156Change over from winter to
summer tires as soon as road
conditions allow, this will reduce
fuel consumption and noise in the
vehicle’s interior.
•Drive cautiously. If you hear the
chains rub or bang against the
vehicle, stop and retighten them.
If this does not work, remove the
chains to prevent vehicle
damage.
•Local regulations may prohibit or
restrict the use of tire chains.
Investigate the laws and
regulations in your area before
installing chains.
•Avoid overloading your vehicle.
•Do not use tire chains on
temporary spare tires.
•Remove the tire chains when
they are no longer needed. Do
not use chains on dry roads.
•The suspension insulation and
bumpers will help prevent
vehicle damage. Do not remove
these components from the
vehicle when using snow tires
and chains.
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Maintenance and care
157 IMPORTANT FUEL
INFORMATON
Important safety precautions
Do not overfill the fuel tank.
The pressure in an overfilled
tank may cause leakage and lead
to fuel spray and fire.
If you do not use the proper
fuel cap, the pressure in the
fuel tank can damage the fuel
system or cause it to work
improperly in a collision.
The fuel system may be
under pressure. If the fuel
cap is venting vapor or if you hear
a hissing sound, wait until it stops
before completely removing the
cap.
Automotive fuels can cause
serious injury or death if
misused or mishandled.
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Maintenance and care
158Observe the following guidelines
when handling automotive fuel:
•Extinguish all smoking materials
and any open flames before
fueling your vehicle.
•Always turn off the vehicle
before fueling.
•Make sure the fuel cap is
correctly fitted after fueling.
Failure to do so may cause the on
board diagnostic system to
illuminate the CHECK ENGINE
light.
•Automotive fuels can be harmful
or fatal if swallowed. If fuel is
swallowed, call a physician
immediately, even if no
symptoms are immediately
apparent. The toxic effects of
fuel may not be visible for hours.
•Fuels can also be harmful if
absorbed through the skin. If fuel
is splashed on the skin, promptly
remove contaminated clothing
and wash skin thoroughly with
soap and water.
•If fuel is splashed in the eyes,
remove contact lenses (if worn),
flush with water for 15 minutes
and seek medical attention.
•Be particularly careful if you are
taking “Antabuse” or other forms
of disulfiram for the treatment of
alcoholism. Breathing gasoline
vapors or skin contact could
cause an adverse reaction.
Consult a physician immediately.
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Maintenance and care
159 Choosing the right fuel
Use only UNLEADED FUEL. The
use of leaded fuel is prohibited by
law and could damage your vehicle.
The damage may not be covered by
your warranty.
Your vehicle was not designed to
use fuel containing manganese-
based additives such as MMT.
Additionally, vehicles certified to
California emission standards
(indicated on the underhood
Vehicle Emission 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 a fuel
that your vehicle was not designed
for may not be covered by your
warranty.
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Maintenance and care
161 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 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 such as a maximum of
10% ethanol or 15% MTBE. There
should be no more than 5%
methanol with cosolvents and
additives to protect the fuel
system.
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Maintenance and care
162Calculating fuel economy
To accurately calculate your
vehicle’s fuel economy:
1. Fill the tank completely and
record the initial odometer reading.
2. Each time you fill the tank,
record the amount of fuel added
(in litres or gallons)
3. After at least three to five fill-
ups, fill the fuel tank and record
the current mileage reading.
4. Use one of the following
equations to calculate fuel
economy.
Litres used x 100 / Total kilometres
traveled
Total miles traveled / Total gallons
used
Keep a record for at least one
month. This will provide an
accurate estimate of the vehicle’s
fuel economy.
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Maintenance and care
163 WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT THE EMISSION
CONTROLSYSTEM
For more information about your
vehicle’s emission control system,
refer to the Vehicle Emission
Control Information Decal located
on the inside, left of the engine
compartment.
The catalytic converter enables the
vehicle’s emission control system to
operate properly.
Follow these guidelines to ensure
proper emission system operation:
•Use unleaded fuel only.
•Avoid running out of fuel.
EF 1
/
2
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY
• Do not turn off the ignition while
your vehicle is in motion.
•Have maintenance performed
according to intervals in the
“Service Guide”.
Exhaust leaks may result in
the entry of harmful and
potentially lethal fumes into the
passenger compartment. Under
extreme conditions excessive
exhaust temperatures could
damage the fuel system, the
interior floor covering, or other
vehicle components, possibly
causing a fire.
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Maintenance and care
165
Do not park, idle or drive
your vehicle in dry grass or
other dry ground cover. The
emission system heats up the
engine compartment and exhaust
system, which can start a fire.
Important emission control
imformation
By law, anyone who manufactures,
repairs, services, leases, trades
vehicles or supervises a fleet of
vehicles is not permitted to
intentionally remove an emission
control device or prevent it from
working. Do not make any
unauthorized changes to the
vehicle or engine. Changes that
cause more unburned fuel to reach
the exhaust system can increase
the temperature of the engine or
exhaust system.
When your vehicle is serviced,
never use a metal exhaust
collector. The use of a metal
collector may melt or deform
plastic parts.
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Maintenance and care
178Repairing paint chips
Minor scratches or paint damage
from road debris may be repaired
with touch-up paint, paint repair
foil or aerosol spray from the Ford
accessories line. Observe the
application instructions on the
products.
Cleaning the wheels
Wash the wheels with the same
detergent you use to clean the
body of your vehicle. Do not use
acid-based wheel cleaners, steel
wool, fuel or strong detergents.
Never use abrasives that will
damage the finish of special wheel
surfaces. Use a tar remover to
remove grease and tar.
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