1997 FORD ESCORT service

1. Pull the wiper arm away from
the windshield and lock into the
service position.
2. Turn the blade at an angle from
the wiper arm. Push the lock pin
with a screwdriver to release the
blade and pull the wiper blade
down toward the windshield to
remove it from the arm.
3. Attach the new wiper to the
wiper arm and press it into place
until a click is heard.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT TIRE GRADES
The U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) requires
Ford to give its customers the
following tire information:
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear 1
1¤2times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
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148

Rotating your tires
Rotate your tires at regular
intervals to ensure even wear.
These intervals are listed in the
Service Guide.
²Four-tire rotation
²Five-tire rotation
Replacing the tires
Replace the tires when the wear
band is visible through the tire
treads.
When replacing full size;
tires, never mix radial bias
belted or bias-type tires. Use
only the tire sizes that are listed
on the tire pressure decal.
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151

Make sure all replacement
tires are of the same type,
load-carrying capacity, and tread
design (e.g. ªAll Terrainº), as
originally offered by Ford.
Failure to follow these
precautions may adversely
affect the handling of the vehicle
and make it easier to lose control
and roll over.
IDENTIFYING TIRE TYPES
Your vehicle requires the use of
the following tire types: wagon and
sedan 18565R14 tires and
T115/70D14 mini-spare. When
purchasing replacemment tires for
your vehicle, consult your Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer or qualified
service technician to assure that
correct tire types are used.
USING SNOW TIRES AND
CHAINS
Snow tires must be the
same size and grade as the
tires currently on your vehicle.
The tires on your vehicle have all
weather treads to provide traction
in rain and snow. However, in some
climates using snow tires and
chains may be necessary. Follow
these guidelines when using snow
tires and chains:
²Use only SAE Class ªSº chains.
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152

Octane Recommendation
Your vehicle is designed to use regular gasoline with an (R+M)/2
octane rating of 87. We do not recommend gasolines labeled as
``regular'' in high altitude areas that are sold with octane ratings
of 86 or even less.
Do not be concerned if your
vehicle sometimes knocks lightly.
However, if it knocks heavily under
most driving conditions on the
recommended octane fuel, see
your dealer or a qualified service
technician to prevent any engine
damage.
Fuel Quality
If you are experiencing starting,
rough idle or hesitation problems,
try a different brand of fuel. If the
condition persists, see your dealer
or a qualified service technician.
The American Automobile
Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
issued a gasoline specification to
provide information on high quality
fuels that optimize the
performance of your vehicle. We
recommend the use of gasolines
that meet the AAMA specification
if they are available.
It should not be necessary to add
any aftermarket products to your
fuel tank if you continue to use a
high-quality fuel.
Cleaner Air
Ford approves the use of gasolines
to improve air quality, including
reformulated gasolines, that
contain oxygenates such as a
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156

maximum of 10% ethanol or 15%
MTBE. There should be no more
than 5% methanol with cosolvents
and additives to protect the fuel
system.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT THE EMISSION
CONTROL SYSTEM
For more information on your
vehicle's emission control system,
see the Vehicle Emission Control
Information Decal located on the
inside left side of the engine
compartment.
The catalytic converter enables the
vehicle's emission control system
to operate properly.
Follow these guidelines to ensure
proper emission system operation:
²Use only unleaded fuel.
²Avoid running out of fuel.
²Do not turn off the ignition
while your vehicle is in motion.
²Have maintenance performed
according to the intervals in the
Service Guide.
If you notice one or more of the
following, the emission system may
not be working properly; have the
vehicle serviced as soon as
possible:
²fluid leaks
²
,,, lights
illuminate in the instrument
cluster and remain lit
²strange odors
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157

²engine runs more than five
seconds after shut off or engine
misfires, surges, stalls, or
backfires
²loss of oil pressure
Important emission control
information
By law, anyone who manufactures,
repairs, services, sells, leases, or
trades vehicles, or who supervises
a fleet of vehicles is not permitted
to intentionally remove an
emission control device or prevent
it from working. Do not make any
unauthorized changes to the
vehicle or engine. Changes that
cause more unburned fuel to reach
the exhaust system can increase
the temperature of the engine or
exhaust system.
When your vehicle is serviced,
never use a metal exhaust
collector. The use of a metal
collector may melt or deform
plastic parts.
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.
Preparing your vehicle for
inspection / maintenance (I/M)
testing
In some localities it may become a
legal requirement to pass an I/M
test of the on-board diagnostic
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158

(OBD) II system. If the vehicle's
powertrain system or battery has
just been serviced, the OBD II
system is reset to a not ready for
I/M testing condition. To ready the
OBD II system for I/M testing, the
law specifies that a minimum of 30
minutes of city and highway
driving is necessary as described
below:
²At least twenty minutes driving
in stop-and-go, city-type traffic
with at least four idle periods.
²At least ten minutes of driving
on an expressway or highway.
Before completing the above
driving modes, the engine must be
warmed up and at operating
temperature. Once started, the
vehicle must not be turned off
during these modes.
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159

The interior overhead lamp is
equipped with a battery saver
control system designed to prevent
excessive wear on the battery.
When a door is not closed
properly, the battery saver control
system timer is activated. The
timer will give you between eight
and ten minutes to close the door
before it automatically turns off
the interior overhead lamp. If the
door is left open, closed, and then
left open again, the timer will
automatically reset.
The battery saver control system is
not activated when the headlamps
are left on. A warning chime will
sound when the engine is turned
off to draw your attention to
headlamps left on.
Map lamp
The map lamps are located in the
rear portion of the interior
overhead lamp assembly.
Replacement of the two bulbs
requires removal of the bulb
assembly cover and the use of
several different tools. See a
qualified service technician or your
dealer for replacement of the map
lamp bulbs.
Hazard flasher
For more information on the
hazard flasher and hazard switch,
refer toUsing the hazard switch
in theRoadside emergencies
chapter. For bulb replacement, see
your dealer or a qualified service
technician.
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171