1997 LINCOLN MARK VIII Engine

5
Breaking Your Vehicle InYour 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.q
Avoid sudden stops.Because your vehicle has
new brake linings, you should take these steps:
Ð Watch traffic carefully so that you can
anticipate when to stop.
Ð Begin braking well in advance.
Ð Apply the brakes gradually.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.
q
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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11
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning LightThis light comes on for a few seconds when you
turn the ignition key to the START position. It
should go off shortly after the engine starts. If it
stays on longer than five (5) seconds, it indicates
that your anti-lock brake system may not be
working properly. Normal braking is not affected
unless the BRAKE system warning light also remains
on for longer than six (6) seconds. You should have
your vehicle serviced immediately by your dealer or
qualified service technician to restore the benefits of
the anti-lock feature. SeeAnti-lock brakesin the
Index for more information.
Engine Oil Pressure Warning LightThis 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.
If you lose engine oil pressure:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible.
2. Shut off the engine immediately or severe
engine damage could result.
3. Check the engine's oil level, following the
instructions on checking and adding engine oil,
seeEngine Oilin the Index. If you do not
follow these instructions, you or others could
be injured. To assure an accurate reading, your
car should be on level ground.
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124. If the level is low, add only as much oil as
necessary 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.
For more information about adding oil, seeAdding
engine oilin theMaintenance and Carechapter.
Traction ControlHActive Light
(If equipped)This light comes on when the Traction ControlH
system begins applying and releasing the brakes and
adjusting the engine characteristics to limit a
wheelspin condition.
It will be lit for a minimum of six seconds or for
the duration of the Traction ControlHevent.
For more information aboutTraction Controlrefer
to theDrivingchapter.
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Cruise Control Indicator LightThis light comes on when the speed control system
is actively maintaining the set speed. It will go off
when the brakes are used or if the speed control is
turned off.
Charging System LightThis light indicates that your battery is not being
charged and that you need to have the electrical
system checked.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.
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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17
TachometerThe tachometerThe tachometer displays the approximate engine
revolutions per minute (rpm), or how fast the
engine is running.
You can drive your vehicle at most rpm points on
the tachometer but you must stay out of the red
zone.
Engine Coolant Temperature GaugeThis 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.
The engine coolant temperature gauge
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18The pointer moves from the C (cold) 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.
If, under any circumstances, the pointer moves
above the NORMAL band, the engine is overheating
and continued operation may cause engine damage.
If your engine overheats:
1. Pull off the road as soon as it is safely possible.
2. Turn off the engine.3. Let the engine cool.DO NOT REMOVE
COOLANT SYSTEM FILL CAP UNTIL THE
ENGINE IS COOL.
4. 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.
If the coolant continues to overheat, have the
coolant system serviced as soon as possible.
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28
OTo START the Elapsed Time count when it
is stopped without resetting the counter,
briefly press the reset control for less than 2
seconds.
OTo reset the elapsed time counter, hold the
reset control down until the count reads
00:00:00 (about 2 seconds).
CompassPressing the COMPASS control will display one of
the following eight compass displays: North,
Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West
and Northwest.
For additional information on the compass operation
and for instructions to adjust the compass, see
Electronic Compassin this chapter.System CheckA press of the SYSTEM CHECK control causes the
M/C to cycle through a status of each of the
systems being monitored. For each of the monitoredsystems, the M/C will indicate either an OK
message or a warning message for two seconds. The
sequence of the system check report is as follows:
q
Engine Oil Life Status
q
Engine Oil Life Left
q
Engine Oil Level
q
Voltage Level
q
Engine Coolant Temperature
q
Engine Coolant Level
q
Washer Fluid Level
q
Doors Closed (Driver and Rightside)
q
Trunk Closed
q
Exterior Lamps (Head, Front Turn, Brake and
Tail)
q
Air Ride System
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29
q
Traction Control (If equipped)
q
Fuel Level
At normal conclusion of the system check sequence,
the M/C will display the last displayed feature
before pressing the SYSTEM CHECK control or the
warnings that are active.
For two of the systems reported in the system
check (Engine Oil Life Left and Fuel Level), there
are two messages to describe the status of the
system. For Engine Oil Life Left, the first message
will indicate the oil change status (OK, SOON,
REQUIRED) and the second message will indicate
the oil life remaining as a percentage. If the second
message is ªOIL TEMP SENSOR OPEN or SHORTº,
this means that there is a problem with the oil
temperature sensor system and you should contact
your dealer for service as soon as possible. For Fuel
Level, the first message will indicate the fuel level
status (OK or LOW) and the second message will
indicate the range (distance to empty).
Message center operation during system
checkThe M/C controls will operate as follows during
the System Check sequence:
1. A press of the SYSTEM CHECK control will
advance the cycle to the next system message
without waiting the two seconds.
2. A press of the RESET control anytime during
this sequence will cause the SYSTEM CHECK
cycle to conclude immediately and the last
displayed feature before pressing SYSTEM
CHECK will be displayed.
3. A press of the FUEL RANGE, FUEL
ECONOMY, TRIP ODO, DRIVER SETTINGS,
VEHICLE SETTINGS, DATE/TIME, or
COMPASS control will conclude the SYSTEM
CHECK cycle and the requested feature will be
displayed.
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