engine Mercury Sable 1999 s Repair Manual

²Drive at reasonable speeds (traveling at 105 km/h
[65 mph] uses 15% more fuel than traveling at
88 km/h [55 mph]).
²Revving the engine before turning it off may
reduce fuel economy.
²Use of the air conditioner or defroster may reduce
fuel economy.
²Use of speed control (if equipped) may improve
fuel economy. Speed control can help maintain a
constant speed and reduce speed changes. You
may want to turn off the speed control in hilly
terrain as unnecessary shifting between third and
fourth gears may occur and could result in
reduced fuel economy.
²Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not
required and may reduce fuel economy.
²Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving
may reduce fuel economy.
²Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go
driving.
Maintenance
²Keep tires properly inflated and use only
recommended size.
²Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of
alignment will reduce fuel economy.
²Use recommended engine oil. Refer toLubricant
Specifications.
²Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance
items. Follow the recommended maintenance
schedule and owner maintenance checks found in
your vehicle Scheduled Maintenance Guide.
Conditions
²Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may
reduce fuel economy at any speed.
Maintenance and care
165

²Use only unleaded fuel.
²Avoid running out of fuel.
²Do not turn off the ignition while your vehicle is
moving, especially at high speeds.
²Have the items listed in your Scheduled
Maintenance Guide performed according to the
specified schedule.
The scheduled maintenance items listed in the
Scheduled Maintenance Guide are 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 emission control,
such non-Ford parts should be equivalent to genuine
Ford Motor Company parts in performance and
durability.
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.
Illumination of the charging system warning light,
ªService Engine Soonº light or the temperature
warning light, fluid leaks, strange odors, smoke or
loss of oil pressure, could indicate that the emission
control system is not working properly.
Exhaust leaks may result in entry of harmful
and potentially lethal fumes into the
passenger compartment.
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.
Maintenance and care
167

Information about your vehicle's emission system is
on the Vehicle Emission Control Information Decal
located on or near the engine. This decal identifies
engine displacement and gives some tune up
specifications.
Please consult your ªWarranty Guideº 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 diagnostics system.
If your ªCheck Engine/Service Engine Soonº light is
on, refer to the description in theWarning Lights
and Chimessection of theInstrumentation
chapter. Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test with
the ªCheck Engine/Service Engine Soonº light on.
If the vehicle's powertrain system or its battery has
just been serviced, the on-board diagnostics system
is reset to a ªnot ready for I/M testº condition. To
ready the on-board diagnostics system for I/M
testing, a minimum of 30 minutes of city and
highway driving is necessary as described below:
²First, at least 10 minutes of driving on an
expressway or highway.
²Next, at least 20 minutes 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.
Maintenance and care
168

Waxing your vehicle
Wax when water stops beading on the surface. This
could be every three or four months, depending on
operating conditions.
Use only carnauba or synthetic-based waxes. Use
cleaning fluid or alcohol with a clean cloth to remove
any bugs and tar before waxing vehicle. Use tar
remover to remove any tar spots.
Avoid getting wax on the windshield. If you have
wax applied at a commercial car wash, it is
recommended that you clean the wiper blades and
windshield as described inCleaning the wiper
blades and windshield.
Repairing paint chips
Minor scratches or paint damage from road debris
may be repaired with touch-up paint, repair foil or
aerosol paint spray from the Ford Car Care
Chemicals line. Observe the application instructions
on the products.
Remove particles such as bird droppings, tree sap,
insect remains, tar spots, road salt and industrial
fallout immediately.
Cleaning the wheels
Wash with the same detergent as the body of your
vehicle. Do not use acid-based or alcohol-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.
The brushes used in some automatic car washes may
damage the finish on your wheels. Before going to a
car wash, find out if the brushes are abrasive.
Cleaning the engine
Engines are more efficient when they are clean
because grease and dirt buildup keep the engine
warmer than normal. When washing:
Maintenance and care
176

²Take care when using a power washer to clean
the engine. The high pressure fluid could
penetrate the sealed parts and cause damage.
²Do not spray with cold water to avoid cracking
the engine block or other engine components.
²Cover the highlighted areas to prevent water
damage when cleaning the engine.
²3.0L Vulcan engine
²3.0L Duratec engine
Maintenance and care
177

²Never wash or rinse the engine while it is
running; water in the running engine may cause
internal damage.
Cleaning plastic exterior parts
Use vinyl cleaner for routine cleaning. Clean with a
tar remover if necessary. Do not clean plastic parts
with thinners, solvents or petroleum-based cleaners.
Cleaning the exterior lamps
Wash with the same detergent as the exterior of
your vehicle. Use glass cleaner or tar remover if
necessary.
To avoid scratching the lamps, do not use a dry
paper towel, chemical solvents or abrasive cleaners.
Cleaning the wiper blades and windshield
If the wiper blades do not wipe properly, clean the
wiper blade rubber element with undiluted
windshield washer solution or a mild detergent. To
avoid damaging the blades, do not use fuel,
kerosene, paint thinner or other solvents.
If the wiper still does not wipe properly, this could
be caused by substances on the windshield such as
tree sap and some hot wax treatments used by
commercial car washes. Clean the outside of the
windshield with a non-abrasive cleanser such as the
non-abrasive Bon-Amitpowder. Rinse thoroughly
with clean water.Do notuse abrasive cleansers on
glass as they may cause scratches. The windshield is
clean if beads do not form when you rinse it with
water. The windshield and wiper blades should be
cleaned on a regular basis, and blades or rubber
elements replaced when worn.
Cleaning the instrument panel
Clean with a damp cloth, then dry with a dry cloth.
Avoid cleaner or polish that increases the gloss of
the upper portion of the instrument panel. The dull
Maintenance and care
178

MOTORCRAFT PART NUMBERS
Component 3.0L V6 Vulcan
engine3.0L V6
Duratec engine
Air filter
elementFA-1630 FA-1630
Fuel filter FG-800-A FG-800-A
Battery
(standard)BXT-58R BXT-36R
Battery
(optional)BXT-36R N/A
Oil filter FL-400-S FL-820-S
PCV valve EV-228 EV-152
Spark plugs* AWSF-32PP** AWSF-32F
* Refer to Vehicle Emissions Control Information
(VECI) decal for spark plug gap information.
** If a spark plug is removed for inspection, it must
be reinstalled in the same cylinder. Cylinders No. 1,
2 and 3 have a ªPGº suffix. Cylinders No. 4, 5 and 6
have a ªPº suffix. If a spark plug needs to be
replaced, use only spark plugs with the service part
number suffix letter9PP9as shown on the engine
decal.
Capacities and specifications
180

REFILL CAPACITIES
Fluid Ford Part
NameAppli-
cationCapacity
Brake fluid High Per-
formance
DOT 3
Motor
Vehicle
Brake
FluidAll Fill to line on
reservoir
Engine
coolant
1Premium
Engine
Coolant3.0L V6
Vulcan
engine11.0L
(11.6 quarts)
3.0L V6
Duratec
engine10.0L
(10.6 quarts)
Engine oil
(includes
filter
change)Motorcraft
5W-30
Super
Premium
Motor Oil3.0 V6
Vulcan
engine4.25L
(4.5 quarts)
3.0L V6
Duratec
engine5.2L
(5.5 quarts)
Fuel tank
capacityN/A All
vehicles60.6L
(16.0 gallons)
Power
steering
fluidMotorcraft
MERCONt
AT F3.0L V6
Vulcan
engineKeep in FULL
range on
dipstick
3.0L V6
Duratec
engineFill to line on
reservoir
Capacities and specifications
181

Fluid Ford Part
NameAppli-
cationCapacity
Automatic
transaxle -
AX4NMotorcraft
MER-
CONtV
AT F3.0L V6
Vulcan
engine12.8L
(13.5 quarts)
3.0L V6
Duratec
engine12.7L
(13.4 quarts)
Automatic
transaxle -
AX4SMotorcraft
MER-
CONtV
AT F3.0L V6
Vulcan
engine11.6L
(12.2 quarts)
Windshield
washer
fluid -
FrontUltra-Clear
Windshield
Washer
Concen-
trateAll 2.7L (90 oz.)
Windshield
washer
fluid -
RearUltra-Clear
Windshield
Washer
Concen-
trateWagon 2.1L (70 oz.)
1Use Ford Premium Engine Coolant (green in
color). DO NOT USE Ford Extended Life Engine
Coolant (orange in color). Refer toAdding engine
coolant, in the Maintenance and Care chapter.
Capacities and specifications
182

LUBRICANT SPECIFICATIONS
ItemsFord Part
Name or
equivalentFord Part
NumberFord
Specifi-
cation
Brake fluid High Per-
formance
DOT 3
Motor
Vehicle
Brake FluidC6AZ-
19542-ABESA-
M6C25-A
and DOT 3
Door latch,
hood latch,
auxiliary
hood latch,
seat tracks,
trunk and
liftgate
latchesMulti-
Purpose
GreaseDOAZ-
19584-AA
or F5AZ-
19G209-AAESA-
M1C93-B
or ESR-
M1C159-A
Lock
cylindersPenetrating
and Lock
LubricantE8AE-
19A501-Bnone
Automatic
transaxle
(AX4S and
AX4N)Motorcraft
MER-
CONtV
AT FXT-5-QM
MERCONtV
Engine oil Motorcraft
5W-30
Super
Premium
Motor OilXO-
5W30-QSPWSS-
M2C153-G
and API
Certification
Mark
Constant
velocity
jointsCV Joint
Grease
(High
Temp.)E43Z-
19590-AESP-
M1C207-A
Capacities and specifications
183