1997 FORD CONTOUR engine

Introduction
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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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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.See
Engine oil recommendationsin the Index. Do not use special
ªbreak-inº oils.
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Instrumentation
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Brake System Warning Light
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The warning light for the brakes can show two things Ð that
the parking brake is not fully released, or that the brake fluid
level is low in the master cylinder reservoir. If the fluid level is
low, the brake system should be checked by a qualified service
technician.
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This light comes on when the parking brake is set, or if it is not
set, it comes on briefly when you turn the ignition to the
START position. It normally goes off shortly after the engine
starts and you release the parking brake. If the light stays on
after you have fully released the parking brake, have the
hydraulic brake system serviced by your dealer or a qualified
service technician.
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RWARNING
The BRAKE light indicates that the brakes may not be
working properly. Have the brakes checked immediately.
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Charging System Light
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This light indicates that your battery is not being charged and
that you need to have the electrical system checked.
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This light illuminates every time you turn the ignition to the
ON or START position (engine off). The light should go off
when the engine starts and the alternator begins to charge.
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If the light stays on or illuminates when the engine is running,
have the electrical system checked as soon as possible.
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Engine Oil Pressure Warning Light
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This light indicates the engine's oil pressure, not the oil level.
However, if your engine's oil level is low, it could affect the oil
pressure. The light will come on briefly when you turn your
key to the START and ON position. The light should stay off
when the engine is running with normal oil pressure. If the
light comes on while the engine is running, you have lost oil
pressure and continued operation will cause severe engine
damage.
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Instrumentation
15
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If you lose engine oil pressure:
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Pull off the road as soon as safely possible.
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Shut off the engine immediately. If you do not stop the
engine as soon as safely possible, severe engine damage
could result.
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Check the engine's oil level, following the instructions on
checking and adding engine oil in this Owner Guide. (See
Engine oilin the Index.) If you do not follow these
instructions, engine damage could result. To ensure an
accurate reading, your vehicle should be on level ground.
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If the level is low, add only as much oil as necessary to
bring it to the full level before you start the engine again.
Do not overfill. Do not operate the engine if the light is on,
regardless of the oil level. Contact your nearest dealer for
further service actions.
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High Beam Light
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This light illuminates when the headlamps are turned to high
beam or when you flash the lights.
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If the high beam light flashes in a vehicle equipped with the
Daytime Running Light (DRL) system (Canada), it indicates a
failure in the DRL circuit. Check the bulbs and fuses or have
the DRL system checked by your dealer or a qualified service
technician.
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Check Engine Warning Light
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This light illuminates when the engine's Emission Control
System requires service. It will also illuminate when the ignition
key is in the ON position and the engine is off.
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Overdrive Off Indicator (Automatic Transaxle Only)
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This light tells you that the Transaxle Control Switch (TCS) on
the gearshift lever has been pushed. When the light is on, the
transaxle will not shift into overdrive. Depressing the TCS
button located below the gearshift release button on the shifter
will return the vehicle to ªoverdrive onº mode. The transaxle
will be in the ªoverdrive onº mode when the vehicle is started
even if the O/D OFF mode was selected when the vehicle was
last shut off.
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If the light does not come on when the TCS is depressed or if
the light flashes when you are driving, have your vehicle
serviced at the first opportunity.
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Instrumentation
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Turn Signal Indicator Lights
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The turn signal arrow will flash to indicate the direction in
which you are going to be turning.
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Fuel Gauge
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The fuel gauge displays approximately how much fuel you have
in the fuel tank.
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For proper fuel gauge operation, the ignition must be in the
OFF position before you add fuel to the fuel tank.
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The fuel gauge indicator may vary slightly while the vehicle is
in motion. This is the result of fuel movement within the tank.
An accurate reading may be obtained with the vehicle on
smooth, level ground.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
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This gauge indicates the temperature of the engine coolant, not
the coolant level. If the coolant is not at its proper level or
mixture, the gauge indication will not be accurate.
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The pointer moves from the white mark into the NORMAL
band as the engine coolant warms up. It is acceptable for the
pointer to fluctuate within the NORMAL band under normal
driving conditions. Under certain driving conditions, such as
heavy stop and go traffic or driving up hills in hot weather, the
pointer may indicate at the top of the NORMAL band.
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The engine coolant temperature gauge
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If, under any circumstances, the pointer moves above the
NORMAL band, the engine is overheating and continued
operation may cause engine damage.
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If your engine overheats:
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Pull off the road as soon as safely possible.
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Turn off the engine.
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Let the engine cool.
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Check the coolant level following the instructions on
checking and adding coolant to your engine, seeEngine
Coolantin the Index. If you do not follow these instructions,
you or others could be injured.
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If the coolant continues to overheat, have the coolant system
serviced as soon as possible.
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Speedometer
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The speedometer tells you how many miles (kilometers) per
hour your vehicle is moving.
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Instrumentation
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Odometer
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The odometer tells you the total number of miles (kilometers)
your vehicle has been driven.
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Trip Odometer
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The trip odometer tells you how many miles (kilometers) your
vehicle has been driven since the last reset. Press the reset
control to return the trip odometer to zero.
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Sport Cluster
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The sport cluster has basically the same standard warning lights
and gauges as the standard cluster, with the following
additional features:
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Tachometer
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The tachometer displays the approximate engine revolutions per
minute (rpm), or how fast the engine is running.
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If you drive with the tachometer in the red zone, you may
damage the engine.
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Anti-lock Brake System Warning Light (If equipped)
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Your vehicle may have an Anti-lock Brake System feature. If it
does, check the Anti-lock Brake System light each time you start
the engine. If it stays on longer than three (3) seconds, shut off
the engine and restart. If it stays on, that means the Anti-lock
Brake feature is not working and should be serviced
immediately to restore the benefits of the Anti-lock feature.
Normal braking is not affected unless the brake warning light is
also lit.
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The Anti-Lock Brake System has self-check capabilities. As
described above, the system turns on the anti-lock light each
time you start your engine. After the engine is started and the
anti-lock light turns off, the system performs another test the
first time the vehicle reaches 5 mph (8 km/h) (between 12 and
File:03cdiso.ex
Update:Thu Sep 12 10:58:17 1996