brake Mercury Sable 1999 s User Guide

Each seating position in your vehicle has a
specific safety belt assembly which is made
up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed
to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on
the outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder
belt under the arm. 2) Never swing the safety belt
around your neck over the inside shoulder. 3)
Never use a single belt for more than one person.
Combination lap and shoulder belts
1. Insert the belt
tongue into the proper
buckle (the buckle
closest to the direction
the tongue is coming
from) until you hear a
snap and feel it latch.
Make sure the tongue
is securely fastened in
the buckle.
2. To unfasten, push
the release button and
remove the tongue
from the buckle.
The front and rear outboard safety restraints in the
vehicle are combination lap and shoulder belts. The
front and rear seat passenger outboard safety belts
have two types of locking modes described below:
Vehicle sensitive mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the normal retractor
mode, allowing free shoulder belt length adjustment
to your movements and locking in response to
vehicle movement. For example, if the driver brakes
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75

The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as
possible around the hips, not around the
waist.
Front and rear seat occupants, including
pregnant women, should wear safety belts
for optimum protection in an accident.
Each seating position in your vehicle has a
specific safety belt assembly which is made
up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed
to be used as a pair. 1) Use the shoulder belt on
the outside shoulder only. Never wear the shoulder
belt under the arm. 2) Never swing the safety belt
around your neck over the inside shoulder. 3)
Never use a single belt for more than one person.
Due to folding rear seats, sometimes the buckles and
tongues toward the center of the vehicle may be
hidden by the rear edge of the seat cushion. Pull
them out so they will be accessible.
While you are fastened in the seat belt, the shoulder
belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you
brake hard, turn hard or your vehicle receives an
impact of 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the safety belt
will become locked and help reduce your forward
movement.
To unfasten the belt, push the red release button on
the end of the buckle. This allows the tongue to
unlatch from the buckle. While the belt retracts,
guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it
from striking you or the vehicle.
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81

Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make
sure they work properly and are not damaged.
Inspect the safety belts to make sure there are no
nicks, wears or cuts, replacing if necessary. All
safety belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles,
front seat belt buckle assemblies (slide bar)(if
equipped), shoulder belt height adjusters (if
equipped), child safety seat tether bracket
assemblies (if equipped), and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after a collision. Ford
recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in
vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However,
if the collision was minor and a qualified technician
finds that the belts do not show damage and
continue to operate properly, they do not need to be
replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a
collision should also be inspected and replaced if
either damage or improper operation is noted.
Failure to inspect and if necessary replace
the safety belt assembly under the above
conditions could result in severe personal injuries
in the event of a collision.
Refer toCleaning and maintaining the safety
beltsin theMaintenance and caresection.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM
(SRS)
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Seating and safety restraints
83

Important safety precautions
A computer system controls the engine's idle
revolutions per minute (RPM). When the engine
starts, the idle RPM runs faster to warm the engine.
If the engine idle speed does not slow down
automatically, have the vehicle checked. Do not
allow the vehicle to idle for more than ten minutes
at the higher engine RPM.
Before starting the vehicle:
1. Make sure all vehicle occupants have buckled
their safety belts. For more information on safety
belts and their proper usage, refer to theSeating
and safety restraintschapter.
2. Make sure the headlamps and vehicle accessories
are off.
3. Make sure the
parking brake is set.
4. Make sure the
gearshift is in P (Park).
5. Turn the key to 4
(ON) without turning
the key to 5 (START).
PRNDD1
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4
5
Starting
97

Make sure the corresponding lights illuminate briefly.
If a light fails to illuminate, have the vehicle
serviced.
²If the driver's safety belt is fastened, the
light
may not illuminate.
STARTING THE ENGINE
1. Turn the key to 5
(START) without
pressing the
accelerator pedal and
release as soon as the
engine starts. The key
will return to 4 (ON).
2. If the temperature is above ±12É C (10É F) and
the engine does not start within five seconds on the
first try, turn the key to OFF, wait ten seconds and
try again.
3. If the temperature is below -12ÉC (10ÉF) and the
engine does not start in fifteen seconds on the first
try, turn the key OFF and wait ten seconds and try
again. If the engine does not start in two attempts,
depress the accelerator and start the engine while
holding the accelerator down to the floor. Release
the accelerator when the engine starts.
4. After idling for a few seconds, apply the brake
and release the parking brake.
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Starting
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BRAKES
Your service brakes are self-adjusting. Refer to the
scheduled maintenance guide for scheduled
maintenance.
Occasional brake noise is normal and often does not
indicate a performance concern with the vehicle's
brake system. In normal operation, automotive brake
systems may emit occasional or intermittent squeal
or groan noises when the brakes are applied. Such
noises are usually heard during the first few brake
applications in the morning; however, they may be
heard at any time while braking and can be
aggravated by environmental conditions such as
cold, heat, moisture, road dust, salt or mud. If a
ªmetal-to-metal,º ªcontinuous grindingº or
ªcontinuous squealº sound is present while braking,
the brake linings may be worn-out and should be
inspected by a qualified service technician.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) (if equipped)
On vehicles equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (ABS), a noise from the hydraulic pump
motor and pulsation in the pedal may be observed
during ABS braking events. Pedal pulsation coupled
with noise while braking under panic conditions or
on loose gravel, bumps, wet or snowy roads is
normal and indicates proper functioning of the
vehicle's anti-lock brake system. The ABS performs a
self-check at 17 km/h (10 mph) after you start the
engine and begin to drive away. A brief mechanical
noise may be heard during this test. This is normal.
If a malfunction is found, the ABS warning light will
come on. If the vehicle has continuous vibration or
shudder in the steering wheel while braking, the
vehicle should be inspected by a qualified service
technician.
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101

The ABS operates by
detecting the onset of
wheel lockup during
brake applications
and compensating for
this tendency. The
wheels are prevented
from locking even
when the brakes are firmly applied. The
accompanying illustration depicts the advantage of
an ABS equipped vehicle (on bottom) to a non-ABS
equipped vehicle (on top) during hard braking with
loss of front braking traction.
ABS warning lamp
The
ABSwarning lamp in the instrument cluster
momentarily illuminates when the ignition is turned
on and the engine is off. If the light does not
illuminate momentarily at start up, remains on or
continues to flash, the ABS needs to be serviced.
With the ABS light on,
the anti-lock brake
system is disabled and
normal braking is still
effective unless the brake warning light also remains
illuminated with parking brake released. (If your
brake warning lamp illuminates, have your vehicle
serviced immediately).
Using ABS
²In an emergency or when maximum efficiency
from the ABS is required, apply continuous full
force on the brake. The ABS will be activated
immediately, thus allowing you to retain full
steering control of your vehicle and, providing
there is sufficient space, will enable you to avoid
obstacles and bring the vehicle to a controlled
stop.
P!
BRAKE
Driving
102

²The Anti-Lock system does not decrease the time
necessary to apply the brakes or always reduce
stopping distance. Always leave enough room
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of
you to stop.
²We recommend that you familiarize yourself with
this braking technique. However, avoid taking any
unnecessary risks.
Parking brake
Apply the parking
brake whenever the
vehicle is parked. To
set the parking brake,
press the parking brake
pedal down until the
pedal stops.
The BRAKE warning
lamp in the instrument
cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated
(when the ignition is turned ON) until the parking
brake is released.
Always set the parking brake fully and make
sure that the gearshift is securely latched in
P (Park).
The parking brake is not recommended to stop a
moving vehicle. However, if the normal brakes fail,
the parking brake can be used to stop your vehicle
in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies
only the rear brakes, the vehicle's stopping distance
will increase greatly and the handling of your vehicle
will be adversely affected.
P!
BRAKE
Driving
103

Pull the release lever
to release the brake.
Driving with the
parking brake on will
cause the brakes to
wear out quickly and
reduce fuel economy.
STEERING
Your vehicle is equipped with power steering. Power
steering uses energy from the engine to help steer
the vehicle.
To prevent damage to the power steering pump:
²Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme
right or the extreme left for more than a few
seconds when the engine is running.
²Do not operate the vehicle with a low power
steering pump fluid level.
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the
engine is turned off), you can steer the vehicle
manually, but it takes more effort.
If the steering wanders or pulls, the condition could
be caused by any of the following:
²underinflated tire(s) on any wheel(s)
²high crown in center of road
²high crosswinds
²wheels out of alignment
²loose or worn components in steering linkage
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104

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE OPERATION
Brake-shift interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock
feature that prevents the gearshift from being moved
from P (Park) unless the brake pedal is depressed.
If you cannot move the gearshift out of P (Park)
with the brake pedal depressed:
1. Apply the parking brake, turn ignition key to
LOCK, then remove the key.
2. Insert the key and turn it to OFF. Apply the brake
pedal and shift to N (Neutral).
3. Start the vehicle.
If it is necessary to use the above procedure to
move the gearshift, it is possible that a fuse has
blown or the vehicle's brakelamps are not operating
properly. Refer toFuses and relaysin theRoadside
emergencieschapter.
Do not drive your vehicle until you verify
that the brakelamps are working.
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow it may be
rocked out by shifting from forward and reverse
gears, stopping between shifts, in a steady pattern.
Press lightly on the accelerator in each gear.
Do not rock the vehicle for more than a few
minutes. The transmission and tires may be
damaged or the engine may overheat.
Always set the parking brake fully and make
sure the gearshift is latched in P (Park).
Turn off the ignition whenever you leave your
vehicle.
Driving
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