engine Mercury Mystique 1998 s Repair Manual

Maintenance and care
142
Checking the automatic
transaxle fluid
With the vehicle on a level surface
and the brake fully applied, start
the engine and move the gearshift
lever through all of the gears.
Securely latch the lever in P
(Park). Set parking brake and leave
the engine running.
Wipe off the dipstick cap and pull
the dipstick out. Wipe indicator
clean. Put dipstick back into filler
tube and make sure it is fully
seated. Pull the dipstick out and
read the fluid level.
Note that your vehicle should not
be driven until some fluid has been
added if the fluid level is below the
bottom dimple on the dipstick and
the outside temperature is above
10°C (50°F). Add only enough fluid
to bring the level above the bottom
hole.
If the vehicle has not been driven
and the fluid level is above the
bottom dimple on the dipstick,
don’t add fluid. Recheck the level
after driving your vehicle
approximately 30 km (20 miles)
when the engine has reached
normal operating temperature. The
fluid level should be within the
crosshatched area on the dipstick.
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Maintenance and care
146Relearning the idle function
Because your vehicle’s engine is
electronically controlled, some
control conditions are maintained
by power from the battery. When
the battery is disconnected or a
new battery is installed, the
computer must “relearn” its idle
conditions before your vehicle can
drive properly. To begin this
process:
1. Put the automatic transaxle
gearshift in P (Park). Put the
manual transaxle gearshift in
neutral.
2. Turn off all accessories and start
the vehicle.
3. Let the engine idle for at least
one minute.
4. The “relearning” process will
automatically complete as you
drive the vehicle.
•If you do not allow the engine to
“relearn” its idle, the idle quality
of your vehicle may be adversely
affected until the idle is
eventually “relearned”.
•If the battery has been
disconnected or if a new battery
has been installed, the clock and
preset radio stations must be
reset once the battery is
reconnected.
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Maintenance and care
1482. Remove the plastic caps from
the screws on the grille. Remove
the screws.
3. Open the hood. Pull off the
rubber weatherstrip at the back of
the engine compartment. Remove
the screws that hold the grille,
separate the two halves and
remove the grille.
4. The filter is in a housing at the
back of the engine compartment,
on the left side. Pull off the two
clips on the sides of the housing.
Slide out the housing and filter.
5. Slide the filter out of the
housing, replace with the new filter
and slide the housing and cabin air
filter back into place. Reinstall the
clips on the housing.
6. Replace the grille and wiper
arms.
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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
160Octane recommendations
Your vehicle is designed to use
regular gasoline with an (R+M)/2
octane rating of 87. We do not
recommend gasolines labeled as
“regular” in high altitude areas that
are sold with octane ratings of 86
or even less.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes knocks lightly. However,
if it knocks heavily under most
driving conditions on the
recommended octane, see your
dealer or a qualified service
technician to prevent any engine
damage.
87
MINIMUM OCTANE RATING
(R+M)/2 Method
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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
164
BRAKE
TRACTION
CONTROLO/D
OFF
If you notice one or more of the
following, the emission system may
not be functioning properly; have
the vehicle serviced as soon as
possible:
•Fluid leaks.
•The charging system, engine oil
pressure or low coolant warning
lights illuminate in the
instrument cluster and remain lit.
•Strange odors.
•Engine runs for more than five
seconds after shut off or engine
misfires, surges, stalls or
backfires.
•Loss of oil pressure.
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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
166Preparing your vehicle for
inspection/maintenance (I/M)
testing
In some localities it may be a legal
requirement to pass an I/M test of
the on-board diagnostic(OBD) II
system. If your vehicle’s powertrain
system or battery has just been
serviced, the OBD II system is reset
to a condition unready for I/M
testing. To ready the OBDII system
for I/M testing, the law specifies
that additional city and highway
driving is necessary to complete
the check of the OBDII system.
The driving mode required to reach
the ready condition consists of a
minimum of 30 minutes of city and
highway driving:
•At least 20 minutes driving in
stop and go city-type traffic with
at least four idle periods.
•At least 10 minutes of driving on
an expressway or highway.
Before completing the above
driving modes, the engine must be
warmed up and at operating
temperature. Once started, the
vehicle must not be turned off
during these modes.
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