service Mercury Mystique 1999 s Owner's Guide

Maintenance and care
193
Octane 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
ÒregularÓ 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
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.
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Maintenance and care
196
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with
various emission control
components and a catalytic
converter which will enable your
vehicle to comply with applicable
exhaust emission standards. To
make sure that the catalytic
converter and other emission
control components continue to
work properly:
¥ Use unleaded fuel only.
¥ Avoid running out of fuel.
¥ Do not turn off the ignition while
your vehicle is moving, especially
at high speeds.
¥ Have the items listed in your
maintenance guide and or service
guide performed according to the
specified schedule.
The scheduled maintenance
services listed in the maintenance
guide and or service guide are
required because they are
considered essential to the life and
performance of your vehicle and to
its emissions system.
If other than Ford, Motorcraft, or
Ford authorized parts are used for
maintenance replacements or for
service of components affecting
emissions control, such non-Ford
parts should be equivalent to
genuine Ford Motor Company parts
in performance and durability.
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Maintenance and care
198
Do not make any unauthorized
changes to your vehicle or engine.
By law, vehicle owners and anyone
who manufactures, repairs,
services, sells, leases, trades
vehicles, or supervises a fleet of
vehicles are not permitted to
intentionally remove an emission
control device or prevent it from
working. Information about your
vehicle's emission system is on the
Vehicle Emission Control
Information Decal located under
the hood. This decal identifies
engine displacement and gives
some tune up specifications.
Please consult your ÒWarranty
GuideÒ for complete emission
warranty information.
Readiness 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
check enginelight
is on, refer to the description in the
Instrument Cluster Lights and
Chimes
section of the
Instrumentation chapter. Your
vehicle may not pass the I/M test
with the
check engine light on.
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Maintenance and care
199
If the vehicleÕs powertrain system
or its battery has just been
serviced, the OBD-II system is
reset to a Ònot ready for I/M testÒ
condition. To ready the OBD-II
system for I/M testing, a minimum
of 30 minutes of city and highway
driving is necessary as described
below:
¥ First, at least 10 minutes of
driving on an expressway or
highway.
¥ Next, at least 20 minutes of
driving in stop and go, city-type
traffic with at least four idle
periods.
Allow the vehicle to sit for at least
eight hours without starting the
engine. Then, start the engine and
complete the above driving cycle.
The engine must warm up to its
normal operating temperature.
Once started, do not turn off the
engine until the above driving cycle
is complete.
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Capacities and specifications
217
* Refer to Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) decal for spark plug and gap specifications.
** If a spark plug is removed for examination, it must be reinstalled in the same cylinder. If a spark plug
needs to be replaced, use only spark plugs with the service part number suffix letter ÒFEÓ as shown
on the engine decal.
Motorcraft parts
Component
Spark plug*
Air filter
Passenger compartment
air filter
Fuel filter
Oil filter
Battery
PCV valve
Crankcase ventilation
filter
2.0 litre engine
AZFS-22F # 1+2**
AZFS-22FE# 3+4
FA-1612
FP4
FG-800A
FL-2005
BXT-40R
EV-224
FA-1621
2.5 litre engine
AWSF-32F
FA-1613
FP4
FG-800A
FL-820
BXT-40R
EV-152
Ñ
Part number
32MCSen 4/13/99 2:21 PM Page 217

Customer assistance
223
GETTING ROADSIDE
ASSISTANCE
To fully assist you should you have
a vehicle concern. Ford offers a
complimentary roadside assistance
program. This program is separate
from the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty. The service is available:
• 24-hours, seven days a week
• for the Basic warranty period
(Canada) or New Vehicle Limited
Warranty period (U.S.) of three
years or 60,000 km (36,000 miles),
whichever comes first on Ford and
Mercury vehicles, and four years or
80,000 km (50,000 miles) on
Lincoln vehicles.
In the United States, you may
purchase additional roadside
assistance coverage beyond this
period through the Ford Auto Club
by contacting your Ford or Lincoln-
Mercury dealer.
• Roadside assistance will cover
• changing a flat tire
• jump-starts
• lock-out assistance
• fuel delivery
towing to the nearest Ford of
Canada or Ford Motor Company
dealership, or towing to your
selling dealership if within 56 km
(35 miles). Even non-warranty
related tows, like accidents or
getting stuck in the mud or snow,
are covered (some exclusions
apply, such as impound towing or
repossession.Using roadside assistance
Complete the roadside assistance
identification card and place it in
your wallet for quick reference. In
the United States, this card is
found in the Owner Guide portfolio
in the glove compartment in Ford
vehicles and is mailed to you if you
own a Mercury or Lincoln. In
Canada, it's found in the Roadside
Assistance book in the glove
compartment.
To receive roadside assistance in
the United States for Ford or
Mercury vehicles, call
1-800-241-3673 or if you own a
Lincoln vehicle, call
1-800-521-4140. In Canada call
1-800-665-2006.
Should you need to arrange
assistance for yourself, Ford will
reimburse a reasonable amount. To
obtain information about
reimbursement, call
1-800-241-3673 in the United
States for Ford or Mercury
vehicles; or if you own a Lincoln
vehicle, call 1-800-521-4140.
Call 1-800-665-2006 in Canada.
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Customer assistance
224
Ford extended service plan
You can get more protection for
your new car or light truck by
purchasing Ford Extended Service
Plan (Ford ESP) coverage. Ford
ESP is an optional service contract
which is backed by Ford Motor
Company or Ford Motor Service
Company (in the U.S.) and Ford of
Canada (in Canada). It provides:
• Protection against repair costs
after your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty period expires
and
• other benefits during the
warranty period (such as
reimbursement for rentals and
towing).
You may purchase Ford ESP from
any participating Ford or Lincoln-
Mercury or Ford of Canada dealer.
There are several plans available in
various time, distance and
deductible combinations which can
be tailored to fit your own driving
needs. Ford ESP also offers
reimbursement benefits for towing
and rental coverage. (In Hawaii,
rules vary. See your dealer for
details.)
When you buy Ford ESP you
receive Peace-of-Mind protection
throughout the United States and
Canada, provided by a network of
more than 5,200 participating Ford,
Lincoln-Mercury and Ford of
Canada dealers.If you did not take advantage of the
Ford Extended Service Plan at the
time of purchasing your vehicle,
you may still be eligible. Please
contact your dealer for further
information. Since this information
is subject to change, please ask
your dealer for complete details
about Ford Extended Service Plan
coverage options.
Also, please be aware that some
ealers offer service contracts that
are not backed by Ford Motor
Company or Ford of Canada. On
the surface, many independent
plans appear to be like Ford's. The
problem is that they can often
require the use of non-factory
approved parts and have much
more complex and restrictive
claims coverage terms than Ford.
At Ford Motor Company and Ford
of Canada, we are dedicated to
providing Ford, Lincoln and
Mercury vehicle owners with
programs that will enhance your
ownership experience and protect
you from unexpected repair bills.
Genuine Ford ESP is the only
Extended Service Plan that enables
us to provide that service.
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Customer assistance
225
Getting the service you need
At home
Ford Motor Company and Ford of
Canada have authorized
dealerships to service your vehicle.
When you need warranty repairs
your selling dealer would like you
to return to it for that service, but
you may also take your vehicle to
another Ford Motor Company
dealership authorized for warranty
repairs. Certain warranty repairs
require special training though, so
not all dealers are authorized to
perform all warranty repairs. That
means that depending on the
warranty repair needed, the vehicle
may need to be taken to another
dealer. If a particular dealership
can not assist you, then contact the
Customer Assistance Center.
If you are not satisfied with the
service you receive at the
dealership, speak with the service
manager. If you are still not
satisfied, speak with the owner or
general manager of the dealership.
In most cases, your concern will be
resolved at this level.
Ford Motor Company and Ford of
Canada dealerships also carry
genuine Ford parts and
accessories, providing you with
original equipment reliability.Away from home
If you are away from home when
your vehicle needs service, or if
you need more help than the
dealership could provide, contact
the Ford Customer Assistance
Center to find an authorized
dealership to help you in the
United States
Ford Motor Company
Customer Assistance Center
16800 Executive Plaza Drive
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, Michigan 48121
1-800-392-3673 (FORD)
(TDD for the hearing impaired:
1-800-232-5952)
In Canada:
Customer Assistance Centre
Ford Motor Company of Canada,
Limited
P.O. Box 2000
Oakville, Ontario L6J 5E4
1-800-565-3673 (FORD)
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Customer assistance
226
Please have the following
information available when
contacting Ford Customer
Assistance:
• Your telephone number (home
and business)
• The name of the dealer and the
city where the dealership is located
• The year and make of your
vehicle
• The date of vehicle purchase
• The current odometer reading
• The vehicle identification
number (VIN)
If you still have a complaint
involving a warranty dispute, you
may wish to contact the Dispute
Settlement Board (U.S.) or the
Mediation/Arbitration Program
(Canada).
In the United States, a warranty
dispute must be submitted to the
Dispute Settlement Board before
taking action under the Magnuson-
Moss Warranty Act, or to the
extent allowed by state law, before
pursuing replacement or
repurchase remedies provided by
certain state laws. This dispute
handling procedure is not required
prior to enforcing state created
rights or other rights which are
independent of the Magnuson-Moss
Warranty Act or state replacement
or repurchase laws.THE DISPUTE SETTLEMENT
BOARD (U.S. ONLY)
The Dispute Settlement Board is
• an independent, third-party
arbitration program for warranty
disputes
• available free to owners and
lessees of qualifying Ford Motor
Company vehicles
The Dispute Settlement Board may
not be available in all states: Ford
Motor Company reserves the right
to change eligibility limitations,
modify procedures and/or to
discontinue this service without
notice and without incurring
obligations per applicable state law.
What kinds of cases does the
Board review?
Unresolved warranty repair
concerns or vehicle performance as
designed concerns on Ford,
Mercury and Lincoln cars and Ford
or Mercury light trucks which are
within the terms of any applicable
written new vehicle warranty are
eligible for review, except those
involving:
• a non-Ford product
• a non-Ford dealership
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Customer assistance
227
• sales disputes between customer
and dealer except those associated
with warranty repairs or concerns
with the vehicle's performance as
designed
• a request for reimbursement of
consequential expenses unless a
service or product concern being
reviewed
• items not covered by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty
(including maintenance and wear
items)
• alleged personal injury/property
damage claims
• cases currently in litigation
• vehicles not used primarily for
family, personal or household
purposes (except in states where
the Dispute Settlement Board is
required to review commercial
vehicles).
• vehicles with non-U.S.
warranties
Concerns are ineligible for review if
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty
has expired at receipt of your
application and in certain states
eligibility is dependent upon the
customer's possession of the
vehicle.
Eligibility may differ according to
state law. For example see the
unique brochures for California,
West Virginia, Georgia and
Wisconsin purchasers/ lessees.Board membership
The Board consists of:
• three consumer representatives
• a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury
dealership representative
Consumer candidates for Board
membership are recruited and
trained by an independent
consulting firm. The dealership
Board member is chosen from Ford
and Lincoln-Mercury dealership
management, recognized for their
business leadership qualities.
What the Board needs
To have your case reviewed you
must complete the application in
the DSB brochure and mail it to the
address provided on the
application form.
Your application is reviewed and, if
it is determined to be eligible, you
will receive an acknowledgement
indicating:
• the file number assigned to your
application
• the toll-free phone number of
the DSB's independent
administrator
• Your dealership and a Ford
Motor Company representative are
asked to submit statements at this
time.
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