1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL ESP

189
Driving While You TowBe especially careful when driving while you tow a
trailer. Never drive faster than 45 mph (70 km/h)
when you tow in hilly country on hot days. Also,
anticipate stops so that you can brake gradually.
Towing a trailer increases the load on the engine
and transaxle, particularly in hilly country and with
heavier trailers. Under these conditions you may
experience an excessive amount of shifting between
Overdrive and Third gears. Moving the shift selector
to D (Overdrive Lockout) will keep this from
happening and will provide better engine braking.
When driving in less hilly country or with a lighter
trailer load, you may move the gearshift selector
lever toj(Overdrive) without experiencing
excessive shifting.When driving down steep hills, you should put the
gearshift selector lever in the 1 (First) position to
shift the transaxle into second gear. This will
provide additional engine braking.
The automatic transaxle will automatically
downshift to the proper gear for driving up a grade.
If you use the speed control while you are towing
on very long, steep grades, the speed control may
shut off.
Servicing Your Vehicle If You TowIf you tow a trailer for a long distance, your vehicle
will need to be serviced more frequently than usual.
Refer to theMaintenance Schedulebooklet for
additional information.
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220Use only recommended fuels, lubricants, fluids, and
service parts conforming to Ford specifications.
Motorcraft parts are designed and built to provide
the best performance in your vehicle. Using these
parts for replacement is your assurance that
Ford-built quality stays in your vehicle.
NOTE:Always dispose of used automotive fluids in
a responsible manner. Follow your community's
standards for disposing of these types of fluids. Call
your local recycling center to find out about
recycling automotive fluids.%Accident DamageShould your vehicle suffer accident damage
requiring new sheet metal or plastic replacement
parts, be sure your repair shop uses only genuine
Ford replacement parts.
While imitation body parts may appear similar to
genuine Ford parts on the surface, differences in
quality become obvious when both are subjected to
standard Ford quality tests.Ford tests indicate that you should be concerned
with the quality of the fit and finish, corrosion
resistance and structural integrity of these imitation
replacement parts, and how their use will affect
your warranty.
How Can You Protect Yourself?Beforeany repair work begins, tell your adjuster
that you want your vehicle repaired usingonly
genuine Ford body parts. If the adjuster refuses,
contact your insurance agent for help. If your agent
and your insurance company refuse to repair your
vehicle with original factory parts, you should
contact your state insurance commissioner, the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or a
local consumer protection agency.
In Canada, contact provincial insurance
commissioners, Transport Canada or local consumer
protection groups.
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234Do not use alcohol or methanol antifreeze or any
engine coolants mixed with alcohol or methanol
antifreeze. Do not use supplemental coolant
additives in your vehicle. These additives may harm
your engine cooling system. The use of an improper
coolant may void the warranty of your vehicle's
engine cooling system.Recycled engine coolantFord Motor Company recommends that Ford and
Lincoln-Mercury dealers use recycled engine coolant
produced by Ford-approved processes. Not all
coolant recycling processes produce coolant which
meets Ford specification ESE-M97B44-A, and use of
such coolant may harm engine and cooling system
components.
Always dispose of used automotive fluids in a
responsible manner. Follow your community's
regulations and standards for recycling and disposing
of automotive fluids.
Coolant refill capacityTo find out how much fluid your vehicle's cooling
system can hold, refer toRefill capacitiesin the
Capacities and specificationschapter.
Have your dealer check the engine cooling system
for leaks if you have to add more than a quart
(liter) of engine coolant per month.Severe winter climateIf you drive in extremely cold climates (less than
-34ÊF[-36ÊC]), it may benecessary to increase the
coolant concentration above 50%. Refer to the chart
on the coolant container to ensure the coolant
concentration in your vehicle is such that the
coolant will not freeze at the temperature level in
which you drive during winter months. Never
increase the engine coolant concentration above
60%. Leave a 50/50 mixture of engine coolant and
water in your vehicle year-round in non-extreme
climates.
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240Adding Automatic Transaxle FluidBefore adding any fluid, be sure that the correct
type will be used. Correct type is shown on the
dipstick.
Add fluid in 1/2 pint (.25L) increments through the
filler tube to bring the level to the correct area on
the dipstick. DO NOT OVERFILL. If the level is
above the top hole in the dipstick, excess fluid
should be removed by a qualified technician.
NOTE:Always dispose of used automotive fluids in
a responsible manner. Follow your community's
standards for disposing of these types of fluids. Call
your local recycling center to find out about
recycling automotive fluids.Automatic overdrive transaxle fluid dipstick
BatteryYour vehicle may have a Motorcraft
maintenance-free battery. When the original
equipment battery is replaced under warranty it
may be replaced by a low-maintenance battery. See
Motorcraft Partsat the end of this chapter for the
proper replacement battery.
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268Cleaning Your VehicleWashing and Polishing Your VehicleWash the outside of your vehicle, including the
underside, with a mild detergent.
DO NOT:q
Wash your vehicle with hot water
q
Wash your vehicle while it sits in direct
sunlight
q
Wash 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 inpaint 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.
Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits and
protect the finish.
Cleaning Chrome and Aluminum PartsWash chrome and aluminum parts with a mild
detergent. Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners,
fuel, or strong detergents.
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286Getting Help Outside the U.S.
and CanadaBefore you export your vehicle to a foreign country,
contact the appropriate foreign embassy or consulate
to make sure local regulations do not prevent you
from registering your vehicle. Officials at the
embassy can also help you decide whether you
should import your vehicle to that country.
Officials at the embassy or consulate can tell you
where to get unleaded fuel. If you cannot get
unleaded fuel or can get only fuel with an
anti-knock index that is lower than your vehicle
needs, contact a district or owner relations office
before you leave the U.S. or Canada.Use of leaded fuel in your vehicle without a proper
conversion may damage the effectiveness of your
emissions control system and may cause engine
knocking or serious engine damage. Ford Motor
Company is not responsible for any damage that is
caused by use of improper fuel.
You may also have difficulty importing your vehicle
back into the U.S. if you use leaded fuel.
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291
NOTE:The Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) or the Canadian Radio Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC) regulates the use of mobile
communications systems Ð such as two-way radios,
telephones, and theft alarms Ð that are equipped
with radio transmitters. Any such equipment
installed in your vehicle should comply with FCC
or CRTC regulations and should be installed only by
a qualified technician.
NOTE:Mobile communications systems may harm
the operation of your vehicle, particularly if they are
not properly designed for automotive use or are not
properly installed. For example, when operated,
such systems may cause the engine to stumble or
stall. In addition, such systems may themselves be
damaged or their operation affected by operating
your vehicle. (Citizens band [CB] transceivers,
garage door openers, and other transmitters whose
power output is 5 watts or less will not ordinarily
affect your vehicle's operation.)NOTE:Because we have no control over the
installation, design, or manufacture of such systems,
Ford cannot assume responsibility for any adverse
effects or damage that may result if you use this
equipment.
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