Mercury Villager 1998 Owner's Manuals

Trailer Towing Tips
Before starting on a trip, practice turning, stopping and backing
in an area away from heavy traffic. Get to know the ªfeelº of
the vehicle/trailer combination.
Practice backing up. Back up very slowly, with someone outside
at the rear of your trailer to guide you. Place your hand at
the bottom of the steering wheel and move it in the direction you
want the rear of the trailer to swing. Slight movement of the
steering wheel results in a much larger movement of the rear of
the trailer.
When turning, drive slightly beyond the normal turning point so
the trailer wheels will clear curbs or other obstructions.
Allow more room for stopping with a trailer attached. Trailer
brakes should be applied first, whether manually or automatically
controlled, when approaching a stop.
For an easy-to-operate vehicle/trailer combination, the trailer
tongue load should be approximately 10-15% of the loaded trailer
weight.
Make a thorough check of your equipment before starting out on
the road. After you have traveled about 50 miles (80 km), stop
in a protected area and double-check your hitch and electrical
connections. Also check trailer wheel lug nuts for tightness.
When stopped in traffic for long periods of time in hot weather,
place the gearshift selector lever in Park (P) to increase the
engine idle speed. This aids in engine cooling and air conditioner
efficiency. If the engine overheats, press the air intake selector
button to select the fresh air position to stop the air conditioner
compressor. Increase the engine speed for a short time.
Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a grade. However,
if you must park on a grade, place wheel chocks under the
trailer's wheels as follows:
Driving
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1. Apply the main brake pedal with your foot and hold it.
2. Have another person place the wheel chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. With the chocks in place, release the brake pedal, making sure
the chocks are holding.
4. Apply the parking brake by pressing the main brake pedal
down firmly with your right foot while depressing the
parking brake pedal with your left foot.
5. Shift the gearshift lever into P (Park).
To start, after being parked on a grade:
1. Apply the main brake pedal with your foot and hold it.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift the gearshift lever into gear and release the parking
brake.
4. Release the main brake pedal and move the vehicle uphill to
free the wheel chocks.
5. Apply the main brake pedal and hold while another person
retrieves the chocks.
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Four Season Roof Rack (If equipped)
Always load your luggage as far back as it will safely go on the
four season roof rack. Do not load more than 100 lb. (45 kg).
Be careful that your vehicle does not exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) or its Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR
front and rear). The GVWR and GAWR are located on the
Safety Compliance Certification Label (located on the driver's
door pillar).
The front and rear cross-bars can be adjusted forward and
backward. Place your luggage between the bars, adjust the bars,
and secure the luggage with rope to the bars. There are also
adjustable loops on the side bars for the rope attachment.
WARNING
Be sure that items on the roof rack are securely fastened.
The four season roof rack
Driving
239

Notes
240

Hazard Flasher Switch
The hazard flasher is used to alert other drivers to hazardous
situations.
The hazard flasher switch operates the same lamps as the turn
signal lever. When the hazard flasher is activated, all of these lamps
will flash on and off. The turn signal indicators cannot be used
when the hazard lamps are flashing. Operation of the hazard
flashers does not affect operation of the brakelamps.
The flashers work even with the key out of the ignition. The
flashers will work for up to two hours when the battery is fully
charged and in good condition. They will not drain the
battery excessively. If the flashers run for longer than two hours
or if your battery is not fully charged, your battery may be
drained to the point where the vehicle will not start.
The hazard flasher switch is located on the instrument panel to
the right of the instrument cluster.
Roadside Emergencies
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To use the hazard flasher:
1. Push the HAZARD switch; you will see the turn signal arrows
flash.
2. To stop the hazard flashers, push the HAZARD switch again.
Fuel Pump Shut-Off Switch
If the engine cranks but does not start or if you have had a
collision, the fuel pump shut-off switch may have been triggered.
The shut-off switch is a device that stops the fuel pump when
your vehicle has been involved in a substantial jolt.
For information on how to check and reset the fuel pump
shut-off switch, seeWhat to do if engine does not startin the Index.
Hazard flasher switch location
242

Fuses, Fuse Links and Circuit Breakers
Fuses, fuse links and circuit breakers protect your vehicle's
electrical system from overloading. If electrical parts in your vehicle
are not working, the system may have been overloaded
causing a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. Before you
replace or repair any electrical parts, check the appropriate fuses
or circuit breakers.
The following charts tell you which fuses or circuit breakers
protect each electrical part of your vehicle. If a fuse blows or a
circuit breaker trips (opens) a circuit, all the parts of your vehicle
that use that circuit will not work.
Once you have determined which fuses or circuit breakers to
check, follow the procedures underChecking and replacing fusesor
Checking and replacing circuit breakerslater in this chapter.
NOTE: Fuse links should only be repaired by your Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Roadside Emergencies
243

Checking and Replacing Fuses
If you need to check a fuse, find the fuse panel for the electrical
system, which is located under the instrument panel, and
follow these steps:
1. To remove the fuse panel cover, pull down on the fuse panel
cover handle.
The instrument panel fuse panel
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2. On the fuse panel cover, find the number of the fuse you want
to check. The diagram on the cover tells you where to locate
the fuse on the panel.
The fuse panel cover
Roadside Emergencies
245

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