open hood Mercury Sable 2008 Owner's Manuals

AIMING THE HEADLAMPS
The headlamps on your vehicle are properly aimed at the assembly plant.
If your vehicle has been in an accident the alignment of your headlamps
should be checked by your authorized dealer.
Vertical aim adjustment
1. Park the vehicle directly in front of a wall or screen on a level surface,
approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) away.
•(1) 8 feet (2.4 meters)
•(2) Center height of lamp to
ground
•(3) 25 feet (7.6 meters)
•(4) Horizontal reference line
2. Measure the height of the
headlamp bulb center from the
ground and mark an 8 foot (2.5
meter) horizontal reference line on
the vertical wall or screen at this
height (a piece of masking tape works well).
3. Turn on the low beam headlamps to illuminate the wall or screen and
open the hood.
To see a clearer light pattern for adjusting, you may want to block the
light from one headlamp while adjusting the other.
4. On the wall or screen you will
observe an area of high intensity
light. The top of the high intensity
area should touch the horizontal
reference line, if not, the beam will
need to be adjusted using the next
step.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Lights
85

Function Number of bulbsTrade
number
* High-mount brake lamp N/A LED
Fog lamp (if equipped) 2 H11
Map lamp 2 12V6W
Dome/reading lamp 6 578
All replacement bulbs are clear in color except where noted.
To replace all instrument panel lights - see your authorized dealer.
*To replace these lamps - see your authorized dealer.
Replacing the interior bulbs
Check the operation of all bulbs frequently.
Replacing exterior bulbs
Check the operation of all the bulbs frequently.
Replacing headlamp (low beam and high beam) bulbs
1. Make sure headlamp switch is in the OFF position, then open the
hood.
2. Reach in behind the headlamp assembly to access the bulbs and
connectors.
3. Locate the outboard (low beam)
or inboard (high beam) electrical
connector and remove it by
releasing the locking tab and pulling
it straight down.
4. Remove the bulb socket by
turning it counterclockwise and
pulling it straight out.
Handle a halogen headlamp bulb carefully and keep out of
children’s reach. Grasp the bulb only by its plastic base and do
not touch the glass. The oil from your hand could cause the bulb to
break the next time the headlamps are operated.
Install the new bulb(s) in reverse order.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Lights
88

Replacing front parking lamp/turn signal bulbs
1. Make sure headlamp switch is in the OFF position, then open the
hood.
2. Reach in behind the headlamp assembly to access the bulb sockets
and connectors.
3. Locate the electrical connector
and remove it by releasing the
locking tab and pulling it straight
down.
4. Remove the bulb socket by
turning it counterclockwise and
pulling it straight out.
5. To remove the bulb, pull it
straight out of the bulb socket.
Install the new bulb(s) in reverse order.
Replacing front sidemarker bulb
1. Make sure the headlamp control
is in the OFF position.
2. Reach under the side of the front
fascia to access the bulb sockets
and connectors.
3. Remove the bulb socket by
rotating it counterclockwise, then
pulling it out of the lamp assembly.
4. Pull the bulb straight from the
socket.
Install new bulb in reverse order.
Replacing rear stop/tail/turn signal/backup lamp bulbs
The stop/tail/turn signal/backup lamp bulbs are located in the tail lamp
assembly. Follow the same steps to replace either bulb.
Note:Your vehicle is equipped with a stop/tail lamp assembly containing
integral multiple light emitting diodes (LED). If replacement is required,
see your authorized dealer.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Lights
89

If the key was not successfully programmed, it will not start your
vehicle’s engine and/or will not operate the remote entry features. The
theft indicator light may flash on and off. Wait 20 seconds and you may
repeat Steps 1 through 8. If failure repeats, bring your vehicle to your
authorized dealer to have the new key(s) programmed.
To program additional new unprogrammed key(s), wait twenty seconds
and then repeat this procedure from Step 1.
PERIMETER ALARM SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
The perimeter anti-theft system will help protect your vehicle from
unauthorized entry.
If there is any potential perimeter anti-theft problem with your vehicle,
ensureALL Integrated Keyhead Transmittersare brought to the
authorized dealer to aid in troubleshooting.
Arming the system
When armed, this system will respond if unauthorized entry is
attempted. When unauthorized entry occurs, the system will flash the
turn signal lamps and will sound the horn.
The system is ready to arm whenever the key is in the 1(LOCK)
position, or is removed from the ignition. Either of the following actions
will prearm the alarm system:
•Press the
control on the remote entry transmitter portion of your
Integrated Keyhead Transmitter.
When you press the lock control twice within three seconds on the
remote entry transmitter portion of your IKT, the horn will chirp once
to let you know that all doors, the hood and the trunk are closed. If
any of these are not closed, the horn will chirp twice to warn you that
a door, the hood or the trunk is still open.
•Press the driver or passenger
interior door lock control while
the door is open, then close the
door.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Locks and Security
140

•Press the 7•8 and 9•0
controls on the keyless entry pad
at the same time to lock the
doors (driver’s door must be
closed).
There is a 20 second countdown
when any of the above actions occur
before the vehicle becomes armed.
Each door, the hood, and the trunk
is armed individually, and if any are
open, they must be closed before
the open entry point (door, hood, or
trunk) can enter the 20 second
countdown.
The turn signal lamps will flash once
when all doors, the hood and the trunk are closed indicating the vehicle
is locked and entering the 20 second countdown.
Disarming the system
You can disarm the system by any of the following actions:
•Unlock the doors by using the remote entry transmitter portion of
your Integrated Keyhead Transmitter.
•Unlock the doors by using your keyless entry pad.
•Unlock the driver’s door with a key. Turn the key full rearward
(toward the rear of the vehicle) to ensure the alarm disarms.
•Turn ignition to the 3 (ON) position with a valid SecuriLock™ key or
Integrated Keyhead Transmitter (IKT).
•Press the panic control on the remote entry transmitter portion of
your IKT. This will only shut off the horn and turn lamps when the
alarm is sounding. The alarm system will still be armed.
Pressing the power door UNLOCK control within the 20 second
prearmed mode will return the vehicle to a disarmed state.
Triggering the anti-theft system
The armed system will be triggered if:
•Any door, the hood or the liftgate is opened without using the door
key, keypad or the remote entry transmitter portion of your IKT.
•The ignition is turned to the 3 (ON) position with an invalid
SecuriLock™ key or IKT.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Locks and Security
141

•A headliner designed to flex open above the side doors to allow Safety
Canopy™ deployment.
•The same readiness airbag light, electronic control and diagnostic unit
as used for the front airbags.
•Two crash sensors mounted on the B pillar (one on each side of the
vehicle).
•Two crash sensors located at the C pillar behind the rear doors (one
on each side of the vehicle).
•Rollover sensor in the restraints control module (RCM).
The Safety Canopy™ system, in combination with safety belts, can help
reduce the risk of severe injuries in the event of a significant side impact
collision or rollover event.
Children 12 years old and under should always be properly restrained in
the second row seats. The Safety Canopy™ will not interfere with
children restrained using a properly installed child or booster seat
because it is designed to inflate downward from the headliner above the
doors along the side window opening.
The Safety Canopy™ system is designed to activate when the vehicle
sustains lateral deceleration sufficient to cause the side crash sensor to
close an electrical circuit that initiates Safety Canopy™ inflation or when
a certain likelihood of a rollover event is detected by the rollover sensor.
The Safety Canopy™ is mounted to roof side-rail sheet metal, behind the
headliner, along the entire side of the vehicle. In certain lateral collisions
or rollover events, the Safety Canopy™ system will be activated,
regardless of which seats are occupied. The Safety Canopy™ is designed
to inflate between the side window area and occupants to further
enhance protection provided in side impact collisions and rollover events.
The fact that the Safety Canopy™ did not activate in a collision does not
mean that something is wrong with the system. Rather, it means the
forces were not of the type sufficient to cause activation. The Safety
Canopy™ is designed to inflate in certain side impact collisions or
rollover events, not in rear impact, frontal or near-frontal collisions,
unless the collision causes sufficient lateral deceleration or rollover
likelihood.
Several Safety Canopy™ system components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them after inflation.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
176

OPENING THE HOOD
1. Inside the vehicle, pull the hood
release handle located under the
bottom of the instrument panel near
the steering column.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle and
release the auxiliary latch that is
located under the front center of
the hood.
3. Lift the hood until the lift
cylinders hold it open.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
284

CHANGING THE WIPER BLADES
1. Pull the wiper blade and arm
away from the glass. Turn the blade
at a right angle to the arm.
2. Squeeze the locking tabs to
release the blade from the arm and
pull the blade away from the arm to
remove it.
3. Attach the new blade to the arm and snap it into place.
Replace wiper blades at least once per year for optimum performance.
Poor wiper quality can be improved by cleaning the wiper blades and the
windshield, refer toWindows and wiper bladesin theCleaning
chapter.
To prolong the life of the wiper blades, it is highly recommended to
scrape off the ice on the windshield before turning on the wipers. The
layer of ice has many sharp edges and can damage the micro edge of the
wiper rubber element.
ENGINE OIL
Checking the engine oil
Refer to thescheduled maintenance informationfor the appropriate
intervals for checking the engine oil.
1. Make sure the vehicle is on level ground.
2. Turn the engine off and wait a few minutes for the oil to drain into the
oil pan.
3. Set the parking brake and ensure the gearshift is securely latched in P
(Park).
4. Open the hood. Protect yourself from engine heat.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
287