maintenance Mercury Villager 1998 s Owner's Guide

Emission Control System
Your vehicle is equipped with a catalytic converter which enables
your vehicle to comply with applicable exhaust emission
requirements.
WARNING
Exhaust leaks may result in the entry of harmful and
potentially lethal fumes into the passenger compartment.
Under extreme conditions excessive exhaust
temperatures could damage the fuel system, the interior
floor covering, or other vehicle components, possibly
causing a fire.
Malfunctions in the engine or exhaust system can result in
excessive exhaust system temperatures. Under extreme conditions
(for example, towing a trailer up a steep hill on a very hot day
with a malfunctioning engine or exhaust system), high exhaust
system temperatures could be damaging.
To make sure that the catalytic converter and the other emission
control parts continue to work properly:
mUse only unleaded fuel.
mAvoid running out of fuel.
mNever turn off the ignition while your vehicle is moving,
especially at high speeds.
mHave the services listed in yourMaintenance Schedulebooklet
performed according to the specified schedule.
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WARNING
Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle in dry grass or
other dry ground cover. The emission system heats up the
engine compartment and exhaust system, which can
start a fire.
WARNING
Do not remove the floor carpet in your vehicle. Emission
controls cause high exhaust temperatures under the
floor.
Watch for fluid leaks, strange odors, smoke and loss of oil
pressure. Also watch for the charge warning light, the check engine
light, or the temperature warning light. These sometimes
indicate that the emission system is not working properly.
Do not make any unauthorized changes to your vehicle or engine.
Changes that cause more unburned fuel to reach the exhaust
system can increase the temperature of the engine or exhaust
system.
In general, maintenance, replacement, or service of the emission
control devices or systems in your new Ford Motor
Company vehicle or engine may be performed at your expense
by any automotive repair establishment or individual using
automotive parts equivalent to those with which your vehicle or
engine was originally equipped.
By law, anyone who manufactures, repairs, services, sells, leases
vehicles, trades vehicles, or supervises a fleet of vehicles is
not permitted to intentionally remove an emission control device
or prevent it from working. In some of the United States and
in Canada, vehicle owners may be liable if their emission control
device is removed or is prevented from working.
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Do not drive your vehicle if it does not operate properly. See
your dealer if the engine runs on for more than five seconds after
you shut it off or if it misfires, surges, stalls, or backfires.
Information about your vehicle's emissions control system is on
the Vehicle Emission Control Information decal located on or
near the engine. This decal identifies engine displacement and gives
some tune-up specifications.
How to Prepare Your Vehicle for
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) Testing
In some localities it may be a legal requirement to pass an I/M
test of the on-board diagnostic (OBD-II) system. If your``Service
Engine Soon''light is on, reference the applicable light
description in the Warning Light and Gauges section of your
owners guide. Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test with the
``Service Engine Soon''light on.
If the vehicles powertrain system or battery has just been
serviced, the OBD-II system is reset to a ``not ready for I/M test''
condition. To ready the OBD-II system for I/M testing, a
minimum of 30 minutes of city and highway driving is necessary
as described below:
mFirst, at least ten minutes of driving on an expressway or
highway.
mNext, at least twenty minutes of driving in stop-and-go,
city-type driving with at least four idle periods.
Allow the vehicle to sit for at least 8 hours without starting the
engine. Then, start the engine and complete the above driving cycle.
The engine must warm up to it's normal operating
temperature. Once started, do not turn off the engine until the
above driving cycle is complete.
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WARNING
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.
Do not remove the burned out bulb unless you can immediately
replace it with a new one. If a bulb is removed for an
extended period of time, contaminants may enter the headlamp
and affect its performance.
Removing the headlamp bulb
1. Make sure that the engine is off and the headlamp switch on
the instrument panel is in the OFF position.
2. Remove the electrical connector from the bulb by pulling the
connector away from the bulb assembly.
The headlamp bulb assembly
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Installing the headlamp bulb
1. With the flat side of the bulb's plastic base facing upward,
insert the glass end of the bulb into the socket. You may
need to turn the bulb left or right to line up the grooves in the
plastic base with the tabs in the socket. When the grooves
are aligned, push the bulb into the socket until the plastic base
contacts the rear of the socket. Do not touch the glass with
your fingers.
2. Slip the retaining ring over the plastic base until it contacts the
rear of the socket. Lock the ring into the socket by rotating it
until you feel a ªstop.º
3. Push the electrical connector into the rear of the plastic base
until it snaps, locking it into place.
Headlamp bulb replacement
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Bulb locations
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Cleaning Your Vehicle
Washing and Polishing Your Vehicle
Wash the outside of your vehicle, including the underside, with a
mild detergent.
DO NOT:
mWash your vehicle with hot water
mWash your vehicle while it sits in direct sunlight
mWash your vehicle while the body is hot
Pollen, bird droppings and tree sap can damage the paint,
especially in hot weather. Wash your vehicle as often as necessary
to keep it clean.
Take similar precautions if your vehicle is exposed to chemical
industrial fallout.
Paint damage resulting from fallout is not related to a defect in
paint materials or workmanship and therefore, is not covered by
warranty. Ford, however, believes that continual improvement
in customer satisfaction is a high priority. For this reason, Ford has
authorized their dealers to repair, at no charge to the owner,
the surfaces of new vehicles damaged by environmental fallout
within 12 months or 12,000 miles (20,000 km) of purchase,
whichever comes first. Customers may be required to bring their
vehicle in for inspection by a Ford representative.
Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits and protect the
finish.
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