fuel type Mercury Sable 2003 Owner's Manuals

•Fuels can also be harmful if absorbed through the skin. If fuel is
splashed on the skin and/or clothing, promptly remove contaminated
clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Repeated or
prolonged skin contact with fuel liquid or vapor causes skin irritation.
•Be particularly careful if you are taking“Antabuse”or other forms of
disulfiram for the treatment of alcoholism. Breathing gasoline and/or
ethanol vapors, or skin contact could cause an adverse reaction. In
sensitive individuals, serious personal injury or sickness may result. If
fuel is splashed on the skin, promptly wash skin thoroughly with soap
and water. Consult a physician immediately if you experience an
adverse reaction.
•FFV fuel tanks may contain zero to 85 percent ethanol. Any fuel
blends containing gasoline and ethanol should be treated the same as
“Fuel Ethanol”. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check your VIN
or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When checking the
VIN look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If your vehicle
is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a“K.”
Pure ethanol is the alcohol which is the intoxicating agent in liquor, beer
and wine. It is distilled from the fermentation of plants such as field corn
and sugar cane. When ethanol is used in the making of motor fuels, a
small amount of a bad tasting chemical is added to discourage beverage
use. The resulting fuel is called E
d100 meaning 100% pure ethanol
diluted by 2% to 5% gasoline as the“denaturant.”
Fuel ethanol (summer blend
d) is then made by adding 15% more
unleaded gasoline. The resulting fuel also has a higher octane rating than
unleaded regular gasoline and other properties which allow engine
designs with greater efficiency and power.
Winter blends may contain up to 30% (E70)unleaded gasoline (25% plus
the denaturant) to enhance cold engine starts. Severely cold weather
may require additional measures for reliable starting. Refer toCold
Weather Startingin theDrivingchapter.
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 flexible fuel vehicles
and the dispensers used by ethanol fuel providers.
Flexible fuel components and standard unleaded gasoline fuel
components are not interchangeable. If your vehicle is not
serviced in accordance with flexible fuel vehicles procedures, damage
may occur and your warranty may be invalidated.
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your VIN or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When
checking the VIN, look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If
your vehicle is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a“2”.
If you operate your vehicle 50% or more of the time on ethanol, you
should follow a different maintenance schedule. See theScheduled
Maintenance Guidefor more information.
If you are experiencing a rough or rolling idle after start-up with the
outside temperature above 27°C (80°F), the idle should improve within
10 to 30 seconds. If the problems persist below this temperature, see
your dealer or a qualified service technician.
Cleaner air
Ford endorses the use of reformulated“cleaner-burning”gasolines to
improve air quality.
Running out of fuel
Avoid running out of fuel because this situation may have an adverse
affect on powertrain components.
If you have run out of fuel:
•You may need to cycle the ignition from OFF to ON several times after
refueling, to allow the fuel system to pump the fuel from the tank to
the engine.
•The
indicator may come on. For more information on the
“Service Engine Soon”indicator, refer to theInstrument Cluster
chapter.
Fuel Filter
For fuel filter replacement, see your dealer or a qualified service
technician. Refer to the scheduled maintenance guide for the appropriate
intervals for changing the fuel filter.
Replace the fuel filter with an authorized Motorcraft part. The
customer warranty may be void for any damage to the fuel system
if an authorized Motorcraft fuel filter is not used.
ESSENTIALS OF GOOD FUEL ECONOMY
Measuring techniques
Your best source of information about actual fuel economy is you, the
driver. You must gather information as accurately and consistently as
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3. After at least three to five tank fill-ups, fill the fuel tank and record
the current odometer reading.
4. Subtract your initial odometer reading from the current odometer
reading.
5. Follow one of the simple calculations in order to determine fuel
economy:
Calculation 1:Multiply liters used by 100, then divide by total
kilometers traveled.
Calculation 2:Divide total miles traveled by total gallons used.
Keep a record for at least one month and record the type of driving (city
or highway). This will provide an accurate estimate of the vehicle’s fuel
economy under current driving conditions. Additionally, keeping records
during summer and winter will show how temperature impacts fuel
economy. In general, lower temperatures give lower fuel economy.
Driving style—good driving and fuel economy habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you may be able to change
a number of variables and improve your fuel economy.
Habits
•Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
•Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
•Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
•Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 88 km/h [55 mph] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 105 km/h [65 mph]).
•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs.
Unnecessary shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel
economy.
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
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184

Failure to follow these precautions may adversely affect the
handling of the vehicle, and increase the risk of loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and/or personal injury.
Tires that are larger or smaller than your vehicle’s original tires may also
affect the accuracy of your speedometer.
SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Snow tires must be the same size and grade as the tires you
currently have on your vehicle.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains. If you need to use snow tires and chains, it is
recommended that steel wheels are used of the same size and
specifications as those originally installed.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
•Use only cable type chains offered by Ford as an accessory or
equivalent. SAE class“S”or other conventional link type chains may
cause damage to the vehicle’s wheel house and/or body.
•Install cable chains securely, verifying that the cables do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
•Drive cautiously. If you hear the cables rub or bang against your
vehicle, stop and re-tighten the cables. If this does not work, remove
the cables to prevent damage to your vehicle.
•If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
•Remove the tire cables when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire cables on dry roads.
•The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when
using snow tires and cables.
•Do not exceed 48 km/h (30 mph) with tire cables on your vehicle.
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195

MERCONand MERCONV type fluids are not interchangeable.
DO NOT mix MERCONand MERCONV. Use of a transmission
fluid that indicates dual usage (MERCONand MERCONV) in
an automatic transmission application requiring MERCONmay
cause transmission damage. Use of any fluid other than the
recommended fluid may cause transmission damage.
ENGINE DATA
Engine 3.0L V6 Vulcan
engine3.0L FFV V6
engine3.0L DOHC V6
Duratec engine
Cubic inches 182 182 183
Required fuel 87 octane 87 octane or
Ethanol (E 85)87 octane
Firing order 1-4-2-5-3-6 1-4-2-5-3-6 1-4-2-5-3-6
Spark plug gap 1.07-1.17 mm
(0.042-0.046
inch)1.07-1.17 mm
(0.042-0.046
inch)1.3-1.4 mm
(0.052-0.056
inch)
Ignition system EDIS EDIS EDIS
Compression
ratio9.7:1 9.7:1 10.0:1
VEHICLE DIMENSIONS
Vehicle dimensions Sedan mm (in) Wagon mm (in)
(1) Overall length 5075 (199.9) 506 9.8 (197.8)
(2) Overall width 1854 (73.0) 1854.2 (73.0)
(3) Overall height 1463 (57.6) 1468 (57.8)
(4) Wheelbase 2757 (108.5) 2757 (108.5)
(5) Track - Front 1566 (61.6) 1566 (61.6)
(5) Track - Rear 1577.0 (62.1) 1570 (61.8)
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