Mercury Sable 2001 Flex Fuel Vehicle Supplement

Winter blends may contain up to 30% unleaded gasoline (25% plus the
denaturant) to enhance cold engine starts. Severely cold weather may
require additional measures for reliable starting. This supplement
contains specific information for starting under these conditions.
Ethanol is more chemically active than gasoline. It corrodes some metals
and causes some plastic and rubber components to swell, break down or
become brittle and crack, especially when mixed with gasoline. Special
materials and procedures have been developed for the Sable FFV and for
the dispensers used by ethanol fuel providers.
Ethanol also has less energy per liter (gallon), so fuel economy in
kilometer per liters (miles per gallon) will decrease as the percentage of
ethanol goes up.
U.S. government regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing pumps
to have a small, square, orange and black label with the common
abbreviation for the fuel such as: ªE85º above the mid-line and the
words ªMINIMUM xx% ETHANOLº below the mid-line. The ªxx%º is
replaced with either ª70%º or ª85%º as appropriate for the region.
SeePrecautionary Informationfor more fuel information.
Use of other fuels may cause powertrain damage as well as loss of
vehicle performance. It will also invalidate your extended service
agreement.
Do not operate the engine while refueling. Do not smoke while refueling.
WARNING: Do not modify the fuel system configuration or
components, or replace components with parts not especially
designed for use with fuel ethanol. Ford Motor Company has
specially designed the materials, components and system
configuration for ethanol-fueled vehicles and the particular
system is precisely calibrated for efficient operation. The use of
different parts or materials could produce an untested
configuration that could result in fire, personal injury, or could
cause engine damage.
ADDING ENGINE OIL
Ethanol/gasoline flexible fuel vehicles use Motorcraft engine oil (part
number XO-5W30-QSP or XO-10W30-QSP, meeting Ford specification
WSS-M2C153-G) designed for gasoline fueled vehicles.
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Use of a specific oil is mandatory for proper operation of flexible fueled
engines throughout the warranty period and for validation of the
extended service agreement.
Oil change intervals must be maintained at the recommended intervals.
Refer to the ªService Guideº for the service interval schedules.
SPARK PLUGS
The spark plugs used in the flexible fuel vehicle are different than those
used in the gasoline-powered vehicle. This is necessary to prevent engine
damage due to pre-ignition.
Standard spark plugs must never be installed on the FFV engine,
because disabling and expensive engine damage may occur. Proper spark
plugs may be purchased through your dealer.
The FFV vehicle recommended Motorcraft spark plugs part number
AGSF-22PP, which is installed as original equipment,mustalways be
used foralltypes of fuels.
LONG-TERM STORAGE
Due to the small amounts of corrosive impurities that may be found in
E
d85, it is recommended that the fuel be switched over to 100%
high-quality unleaded gasoline prior to long-term storage of your FFV.
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