battery Mercury Sable 2002 s Owner's Guide

When lifting a plastic-cased battery, excessive pressure on the
end walls could cause acid to flow through the vent caps,
resulting in personal injury and/or damage to the vehicle or battery.
Lift the battery with a battery carrier or with your hands on opposite
corners.
Keep batteries out of reach of children. Batteries contain sulfuric
acid. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Shield your eyes
when working near the battery to protect against possible splashing of
acid solution. In case of acid contact with skin or eyes, flush
immediately with water for a minimum of 15 minutes and get prompt
medical attention. If acid is swallowed, call a physician immediately.
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and
lead compounds.Wash hands after handling.
Because your vehicle’s engine is electronically controlled by a computer,
some control conditions are maintained by power from the battery. When
the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must
relearn its idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and
performance. To begin this process:
1. With the vehicle at a complete stop, set the parking brake.
2. Put the gearshift in P (Park), turn off all accessories and start the
engine.
3. Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature.
4. Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
5. Turn the A/C on and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
6. Release the parking brake. With your foot on the brake pedal and with
the A/C on, put the vehicle in D (Drive) and allow the engine to idle for
at least one minute.
7. Drive the vehicle to complete the relearning process.
•The vehicle may need to be driven 16 km (10 miles) or more to
relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy.
•If you do not allow the engine to relearn its idle trim, the idle
quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle
trim is eventually relearned.
If the battery has been disconnected or a new battery has been installed,
the clock and radio settings must be reset once the battery is
reconnected.
Maintenance and Specifications
199

•Always dispose of automotive
batteries in a responsible manner.
Follow your local authorized
standards for disposal. Call your
local authorized recycling center
to find out more about recycling
automotive batteries.
ENGINE COOLANT
Checking engine coolant
The concentration and level of engine coolant should be checked at the
mileage intervals listed in the scheduled maintenance guide. The coolant
concentration should be maintained at 50/50 coolant and distilled water,
which equates to a freeze point of -36°C (-34°F). Coolant concentration
testing is possible with a hydrometer or antifreeze tester (such as the
Rotunda Battery and Antifreeze Tester, 014–R1060). The level of coolant
should be maintained at the“cold full”of“cold fill range”level in the
coolant reservoir. If the level falls below, add coolant per the instructions
in theAdding engine coolantsection.
Your vehicle was factory-filled with a 50/50 engine coolant and water
concentration. If the concentration of coolant falls below 40% or above
60%, the engine parts could become damaged or not work properly.A
50–50 mixture of coolant and water provides the following:
•Freeze protection down to -36°C (-34°F).
•Boiling protection up to 129°C (265°F).
•Protection against rust and other forms of corrosion.
•Enables calibrated gauges to work properly.
LEAD
RETURN
RECYCLE
Maintenance and Specifications
200

description in theWarning lights and chimessection of the
Instrument Clusterchapter. Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test with
the
indicator on.
If the vehicle’s powertrain system or its battery has just been serviced,
the on-board diagnostics system is reset to a“not ready for I/M test”
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:
•First, at least 10 minutes of driving on an expressway or highway.
•Next, 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.
CHECKING AND ADDING POWER STEERING FLUID
Check the power steering fluid.
Refer to the scheduled maintenance
guide for the service interval
schedules. If adding fluid is
necessary, use only MERCONAT F.
1. Start the engine and let it run until it reaches normal operating
temperature (the engine coolant temperature gauge indicator will be
near the center of the normal area between H and C).
2. While the engine idles, turn the steering wheel left and right several
times.
3. Turn the engine off.
Maintenance and Specifications
216

MOTORCRAFT PART NUMBERS
Component 3.0L V6 Vulcan
engine3.0L FFV V6
engine3.0L DOHC V6
Duratec engine
Air filter
element
1FA-1683 FA-1683 FA-1683
Fuel filter FG-1006 FG-1006 FG-1006
Battery
(standard)BXT-36R BXT-36R BXT-36R
Battery
(optional)BXT-36R N/A N/A
Oil filter FL-400-S FL-400-S FL-820-S
PCV valve EV-228 EV-228 EV-243
Spark plugs
2AWSF-32PP3AGSF-22PP3AWSF-32F
1Do not use oil-impregnated air filter elements. Failure to use the correct
air filter element may result in severe engine damage. The customer
warranty may be voided for any damage to the engine if the correct air
filter element is not used.
2Refer to Vehicle Emissions Control Information (VECI) decal for spark
plug gap information.
3If a spark plug is to be removed for inspection, 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 as shown on the engine
decal.
Maintenance and Specifications
224

A
Accessory delay ..........................45
Air bag supplemental restraint
system ..............................90–91, 94
and child safety seats ..............92
description ..........................91, 94
disposal ......................................96
driver air bag ................90, 93, 95
indicator light ...........................93
operation .......................90, 93, 95
passenger air bag .........90, 93, 95
side air bag ................................94
Air cleaner filter .......................180
Antifreeze
(see Engine coolant) ................159
Anti-lock brake system
(see Brakes) ..............................111
Anti-theft system ........................69
arming the system ....................69
disarming a triggered system ..69
Audio system (see Radio) ...15, 17
Automatic transaxle
fluid, adding ............................174
fluid, checking ........................174
fluid, refill capacities ..............181
fluid, specification ..................185
Automatic transmission
driving an automatic
overdrive .................................116
Auxiliary power point .................44
Axle
lubricant specifications ..........183
B
Battery .......................................157
acid, treating emergencies .....157
jumping a disabled battery ....135maintenance-free ....................157
replacement, specifications ...180
servicing ..................................157
BeltMinder ...................................85
Brakes ........................................110
anti-lock ...................................111
anti-lock brake system (ABS)
warning light ...........................111
fluid, checking and adding ....174
fluid, refill capacities ..............181
fluid, specifications .........183, 185
lubricant specifications ..183, 185
parking ....................................112
shift interlock ..........................113
Bulbs ............................................31
C
Capacities for refilling fluids ....181
Cargo area shade ........................56
Cargo cover .................................55
Cargo net .....................................55
CD changer .................................19
CD-single premium ...............15, 17
Cell phone use ............................52
Cellular telephone (see your
Cellular Phone Guide) ................52
Certification Label ....................187
Changing a tire .........................131
Child safety restraints ................97
child safety belts ......................97
Child safety seats ........................99
attaching with tether straps ..103
in front seat ............................100
in rear seat ......................100, 103
Cleaning your vehicle
engine compartment ..............144
Index
235