warning Mercury Sable 1996 s Manual Online

213
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Your vehicle does not come from the factory
fully equipped to tow. No towing packages are
available through Ford or Lincoln/Mercury
dealers.
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Because towing a trailer puts extra strain on
your vehicle, you must follow certain
precautions for your safety and the good of your
vehicle:
*
[DR25800(ALL)11/92]
q
Stay within the load limits when you tow.
(SeeKnowing Your Vehicle's Load Limits.)
*
[DR25900(ALL)01/95]
q
Carefully and thoroughly prepare your
vehicle for towing, making sure to use the
right equipment and to attach it properly.
(SeePreparing to Towin this chapter.)
*
[DR26000(ALL)01/95]
q
Use extra caution when driving your vehicle
while you tow. (SeeDriving while you towin
this chapter.)
*
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q
Service your vehicle more frequently if you
tow a trailer. (SeeServicing your vehicle if you
towin this chapter.)
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Do not tow a trailer until your vehicle has been
driven at least 500 miles (800 km).
*
[DR26500(ALL)01/95]
RWARNING
Towing trailers beyond the maximum
recommended gross trailer weight
exceeds the limits of the vehicle and
could result in engine damage,
transaxle damage, structural damage,
loss of control, and personal injury.
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214
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RWARNING
Do not tow a trailer when the
temporary spare tire is being used.
Tire failure, loss of vehicle control,
and possible injury to vehicle
occupants could result.
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Ten to 15% of the loaded trailer's weight should
be on the tongue. However, the tongue load
should never exceed 10% of the maximum
weight that your vehicle can safely tow.
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Preparing to Tow
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For your safety and for the good of your
vehicle, use the right equipment for the type of
trailer you tow. Also, make sure that all towing
equipment is properly attached to your vehicle.
If you are not certain that you are using the
right equipment in the proper manner, see your
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
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Do not use hitches that clamp onto your
vehicle's bumper. The bumper is not designed to
bear the load.
%*
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Using the hitch
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Your vehicle uses a load carrying hitch. Because
this type of hitch places the tongue load of a
trailer on the rear wheels of your vehicle, you
must distribute the load in your trailer so that
10 to 15% of the total weight of the trailer is on
the tongue.
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[DR28900(ALL)01/95]
Tie down the load so that it does not shift and
change the weight on the hitch. This will
prevent damage to your vehicle and make your
vehicle easier to handle.
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215 %
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Connecting the safety chains
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Always attach the trailer's safety chains to your
vehicle. They help protect your trailer if the
hitch breaks.
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To connect the trailer's safety chains:
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1. Cross the chains under the trailer tongue
and attach them to your vehicle's frame or
hook retainers. Never attach the safety
chains to your vehicle's bumper. The bumper
is not designed to bear the weight of a
trailer.
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2. Make sure that you leave enough slack in
the chains to allow you to turn corners.
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If you use a rental trailer, follow the instructions
that the rental agency gives you.
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Connecting the trailer's brakes
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Electric brakes and manual, automatic, or
surge-type hydraulic brakes are safe if you
install them properly and adjust them according
to the manufacturer's instructions. Be sure that
your trailer's brakes meet local and federal
regulations.
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RWARNING
Do not connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to your
vehicle's brake system. If you do,
your vehicle may not have enough
braking power and your chances of
having a collision greatly increase.
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217
Roadside Emergencies
%*
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If Your Vehicle Needs a
Jump-Start
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Your vehicle's battery may die if you leave the
lights on or any electrical equipment on after
you turn the engine off. If this happens, you
may be able to jump-start from a booster battery
to start your vehicle.
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RWARNING
Flames, sparks, or lit cigarettes can
cause the gases around the battery to
explode, causing injury and damage.
Keep these things away from the
battery.
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To protect yourself when charging a
battery, always shield your face and
eyes. Make sure that you can breathe
fresh air.
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218 %
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RWARNING
Be careful when lifting a battery that
is in a plastic case. If you put too
much pressure on the ends, you
could spill acid from the vent caps,
causing serious damage to the vehicle
and injury to yourself. Lift the
battery with a carrier or with your
hands on the opposite corners.
%*
[RE00800(ALL)01/95]
Do not let children touch the battery.
Batteries contain sulfuric acid which
burns skin, eyes, and clothing. If the
acid touches someone's skin, eyes, or
clothing, immediately flush the area
with water for at least 15 minutes. If
someone swallows the acid, have him
or her drink lots of milk or water
first, then Milk of Magnesia, a
beaten egg, or vegetable oil. Call a
doctor immediately.
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[RE00900(ALL)03/95]
To avoid damaging your vehicle or your battery,
and to avoid injury to yourself, follow these
directions for preparing your vehicle to
jump-start and connecting the jumper cables in
the order they are given. If in doubt, call for
road service.
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[RE01000(ALL)03/95]
Preparing Your Vehicle
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1. Your vehicle has a 12-volt starting system, so
you need to use a 12-volt jumper system.
You will damage your starting motor,
ignition system, and other electrical parts if
you connect them to a 24-volt power supply
(either two 12-volt batteries in series or a
24-volt generator set).
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220
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RWARNING
Do not connect the end of the second
cable to the negative (s) terminal of
the discharged battery. If you do, a
spark may cause an explosion of the
gases that normally surround the
battery and could seriously injure
someone.
[RE03100(ALL)04/95]
one third page art:0000388-D
Jumper cable connections
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Jump-Starting
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1. Make sure that the jumper cables are not in
the way of moving engine parts, then start
the booster vehicle. Run the engine at a
moderate speed.
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[RE03700(ALL)03/95]
2. Let the discharged battery charge for a few
minutes and then start the disabled vehicle.
It may take a couple of tries before the
vehicle starts. If the vehicle does not start
after several attempts, there may be a
different problem.
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[RE03800(ALL)03/95]
3. When both vehicles are running, let them
idle for a few minutes to charge the
discharged battery.
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222 %
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The Temporary Spare Tire
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You may have a high pressure temporary spare
tire. This spare tire is smaller than a regular tire
and is designed for emergency use only. Use it
only when you get a flat tire and replace it as
soon as you can. This spare tire is marked with
the words ªTEMPORARY USE ONLYº so that
you can easily identify it.
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RWARNING
If you use the temporary spare tire
continuously or do not follow these
precautions, the tire could fail,
causing you to lose control of the
vehicle and possibly injure yourself
or others.
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When you drive with the temporary spare tire,
DO NOT:
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[RE05100(ALL)01/95]
q
exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) under any
circumstances.
*
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q
load your vehicle so that it is heavier than
the maximum vehicle load rating listed on
the tire decal.
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q
tow a trailer.
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use tire chains on this tire.
*
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q
try to repair the temporary spare tire or
remove it from its wheel.
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use the wheel for any other type of vehicle.
*
[RE05700(ALL)01/95]
q
drive through an automatic car wash with
this tire. Because the temporary spare tire is
smaller than a conventional tire, it reduces
the ground clearance. Your vehicle may get
caught in the rails and it could be damaged.
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225
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RWARNING
When one of the front wheels is off
the ground, the transaxle alone will
not prevent the vehicle from moving
or slipping off the jack, even if the
vehicle is in P (Park). To prevent the
vehicle from moving when you
change a tire, block (in both
directions) the wheel that is
diagonally opposite to the tire being
changed. If the vehicle slips off the
jack, you or someone else could be
seriously injured.
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2. Get out the spare tire and jack.
*
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RWARNING
To avoid injury, never run the engine
with one wheel off the ground when
changing a tire, or at any other time.
The wheel still on the ground could
cause the vehicle to move.
[RE08900(ALL)02/93]
3. Remove wheel covers or aluminum wheel
ornaments with the tapered end of a wheel
nut wrench. Insert the handle of the wrench
between the wheel and ornament and twist
it against the inner wheel cover flange.
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[RE09200(ALL)01/95]
4. Loosen each wheel lug nut one-half turn
counterclockwise, but do not remove them
until the tire is raised off the ground. You
should pull up on the handle rather than
push to develop maximum force to loosen
wheel lug nuts. SeeAnti-Theft Wheel Lug
Nutslater in this chapter for information on
removing anti-theft lug nuts.
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226
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Removing and Replacing the Tire
%*
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1. Find the jack notch next to the door of the
tire that you are changing. Put the jack in
the jack notch and turn the handle of the
jack clockwise until the wheel is completely
off the ground.
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[RE09500(ALL)03/95]
RWARNING
To lessen the risk of personal injury,
do not put any part of your body
under the vehicle. Do not start the
engine when your vehicle is on the
jack. The jack is only for changing
the tire in emergencies. Never raise
your vehicle by using a bumper jack.
The bumper system could be
damaged or the jack could slip and
you could be injured.
[RE10000(ALL)02/95]
half page art:0000394-C
The notches for the jack
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227 [RE12000(ALL)11/94]
2. Remove the lug nuts by using a lug wrench.
Never loosen the hub nuts. See the picture
later in this section if you are not sure where
to find the lug nuts.
*
[RE12005(ALL)07/94]
RWARNING
Your vehicle has been built with
metric (12 mm) threads on the wheel
studs and lug nuts. Make certain,
during wheel removal, the same nuts
removed are reinstalled, or if
replaced, nuts with metric threads
and the same chamfer configuration
are used. Installation of an improper
thread nut on a metric stud will not
properly secure the wheel to the hub
and will damage the stud so that it
must be replaced. Damaged studs
may result in wheel separation and
personal injury.
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[RE12100(ALL)01/95]
3. Replace the flat tire with the spare tire,
making sure that the air valve stem is facing
outward.
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[RE12200(ALL)03/95]
4. Reinstall the lug nuts, tightening until the
wheel is snug against the hub. The beveled
edges on the lug nuts face inward. Do not
fully tighten the lug nuts until you lower the
vehicle. If you do, you could force the
vehicle off the jack.
*
[RE12300(ALL)02/95]
5. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack handle
counterclockwise.
*
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6. Remove the jack and fully tighten the lug
nuts in the order shown in the following
illustration. As soon as possible, have your
dealer or a qualified service technician check
the lug nuts for proper torque specifications.
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