1996 Mercury Mercury Cougar Owner's Manuals

1
Introductory Information
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Ford's Commitment to You
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Our Guiding Principles
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Quality comes first.For your satisfaction, the
quality of our products and services must be
our number one priority.
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You are the focus of everything we do.Our
work must be done with you in mind,
providing better products and services than
our competition.
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Continuous improvement is essential to our
success.We must strive for excellence in
everything we do: in our products Ð in their
safety and value Ð and in our services, our
human relations, our competitiveness, and
our profitability.
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Employee involvement is our way of life.
We are a team. We must treat one another
with trust and respect.
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Dealers and suppliers are our partners.We
must maintain mutually beneficial
relationships with dealers, suppliers, and our
other business associates.
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Integrity is never compromised.Our conduct
worldwide must be pursued in a manner that
is socially responsible and commands respect
for its integrity and for its positive
contributions to society.
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Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:59 1995

2
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Things to Know About Using
This Guide
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Congratulations on the purchase of your new
vehicle. This guide has information about the
equipment and the options for your new vehicle.
You may not have bought all of the options
available to you. If you do not know which
information applies to your vehicle, talk to your
dealer.
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This guide describes equipment and gives
specifications for equipment that was in effect
when this guide was approved for printing. Ford
may discontinue models or change specifications
or design without any notice and without
incurring obligation.
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NOTES and WARNINGS
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NOTESgive you additional information about
the subject matter you are referencing.
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WARNINGSremind you to be especially careful
in those areas where carelessness can cause
damage to your vehicle or personal injury to
yourself, your passengers or other people. Please
read allWARNINGScarefully.
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RWARNING
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Finding Information in This Guide
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After you have read this guide once, you will
probably return to it when you have a specific
question or need additional information. To help
you find specific information quickly, you can
use the Quick Index or the Index.
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Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:59 1995

3
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TheQuick Indexat the end of the book
provides a page number following each item
which indicates where detailed information can
be found.
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To use theIndex, turn to the back of the book
and search in the alphabetical listing for the
word that best describes the information you
need. If the word you chose is not listed, think
of other related words and look them up. We
have designed the Index so that you can find
information under a technical term.
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Canadian Owners Ð French Version
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French Owner Guides can be obtained from your
dealer or by writing to Ford Motor Company of
Canada, Limited, Service Publications, P.O. Box
1580, Station B, Mississauga, Ontario L4Y 4G3.
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Your Maintenance Schedule and
Record Booklet
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TheMaintenance Schedule and Recordbooklet lists
the services that are most important for keeping
your vehicle in good condition. A record log is
also provided to help you keep track of all
services performed.
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About the Warranties
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Your vehicle is covered by three types of
warranties:Basic Vehicle Warranty, Extended
Warrantieson certain parts, andEmissions
Warranties.
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[IN03100( ALL)03/95]
Read yourWarranty Information Bookletcarefully
to find out about your vehicle's warranties and
your basic rights and responsibilities.
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Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:59 1995

4
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If you lose yourWarranty Information Booklet,you
can get a new one free of charge. Contact any
Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer, or refer to the
addresses and phone numbers on the first page
of this owner guide.
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Buying a Ford Extended Service Plan
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If you bought your vehicle in the U.S., you can
buy a Ford Extended Service Plan for your
vehicle. This optional contract provides service
protection for a longer period of time than the
basic warranty that comes with your vehicle.
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You do not have to buy this option when you
buy your vehicle. However, your option to
purchase the Ford Extended Service Plan runs
out after 18 months or 18,000 miles. See your
dealer for more details about the Ford Extended
Service Plan.
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If you purchased a Canadian vehicle and did not
take advantage of the Ford Extended Service
Plan at the time of purchase, you may still be
eligible. See your dealer for the details.
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Breaking Your Vehicle In
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Your new vehicle goes through an adjustment or
break-in period during the first 1,000 miles
(1,600 km) that you drive it. During the break-in
period, you need to pay careful attention to how
you drive your vehicle.
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Avoid sudden stops.Because your vehicle
has new brake linings, you should take these
steps:
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Ð Watch traffic carefully so that you can
anticipate when to stop.
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Ð Begin braking well in advance.
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Ð Apply the brakes gradually.
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Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:59 1995

5
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The break-in period for new brake linings
lasts for 100 miles (160 km) of city driving or
1,000 miles (1,600 km) of highway driving.
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Use only the type of engine oil that Ford
recommends.SeeEngine oil recommendations
in the Index. Do not use special ªbreak-inº
oils.
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Your vehicle is equipped with an Electronic
Powertrain Control Module that limits engine
and/or vehicle speeds with a cut-out mode to
promote durability.
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Cleaning the Outside of Your
Vehicle
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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.
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Take similar precautions if your vehicle is
exposed to chemical industrial fallout.
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[IN07190( MVBCG )05/95]
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 its
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.
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Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:59 1995

6 %
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Washing and Polishing Your Vehicle
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Wash the outside of your vehicle, including the
underside, with a mild detergent.
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DO NOT:
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Wash your vehicle with hot water
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Wash your vehicle while it sits in direct
sunlight
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Wash your vehicle while the body is hot
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Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits
and protect the finish.
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Cleaning Chrome and Aluminum Parts
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Wash chrome and aluminum parts with a mild
detergent. Do not use steel wool, abrasive
cleaners, fuel, or strong detergents.
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Cleaning Plastic Parts
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Some of your vehicle's exterior trim parts are
plastic. Clean with a tar and road oil remover if
necessary. Use a vinyl cleaner for routine
cleaning.
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Do not clean plastic parts with thinners, solvents
or petroleum-based cleaners.
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If you have your vehicle rustproofed, remove
oversprayed rustproofing with a tar and road oil
remover. If rustproofing is not removed from
plastic and rubber parts, it can cause
deterioration.
File:rcinc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:59 1995

7
Safety Restraints
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Important Safety Belt Information
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The use of safety belts helps to restrain you and
your passengers in case of a collision. In most
states and in Canada the law requires their use.
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Safety belts provide best restraint when:
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the seatback is upright
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the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched)
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the lap belt is snug and low on the hips
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the shoulder belt is snug against the chest
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the knees are straight forward
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To help you remember to fasten your safety belt,
a warning light may come on and a chime may
sound. SeeSafety Belt Warning Light and Chimein
theWarning Lights and Gaugeschapter.
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See the following sections in this chapter for
directions on how to properly use these safety
belts. Also seeSafety Restraints for Childrenin this
chapter for special instructions about using
safety belts for children.
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RWARNING
Make sure that you and your passengers
wear safety belts. Always drive and ride
with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
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Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995

8
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RWARNING
Never wear the shoulder belt under the
arm. Never swing it around the neck over
the inside shoulder. Never use a single
belt for more than one person or across
more than one seating position. Each
seating position in your vehicle has a
specific safety belt assembly which is
made up of one buckle and one tongue
that are designed to be used as a pair.
Failure to follow these precautions could
increase the risk and/or severity of injury
in a collision.
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RWARNING
Ford recommends that all safety belt
assemblies and attaching hardware should
be inspected by a qualified technician
after any collision. Safety belt assemblies
not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.
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RWARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury in a
collision, children should always ride with
the seatback upright.
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RWARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child on his
or her lap while the vehicle is moving.
The passenger cannot protect the child
from injury in a collision.
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Lock the doors of your vehicle before driving to
lessen the risk of the door coming open in a
collision.
File:rcsrc.ex
Update:Mon Jun 12 16:51:53 1995