1997 LINCOLN MARK VIII traction control

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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21
Vehicle Settings MenuA press of the VEHICLE SETTINGS control causes
the Message Center to display the menu features
which affect the vehicle regardless of which driver
personality profile is currently selected. Repeated
pressing of the VEHICLE SETTINGS control allows
quick cycling through the menu features. The
displayed feature can be toggled on or off, or reset
by pressing the RESET control as specifically noted
below. If a vehicle setting is changed, the display
stops automatically cycling through the menu
options and exits the vehicle settings menu, unless
the VEHICLE SETTINGS control is pressed again.
q
TRACTION CONTROLÐ This system helps
prevent wheel spin to improve tire traction. The
reset button will toggle this feature on or off.
This feature defaults to the ON state after each
key cycle. Note: The Traction Control System is
an optional feature, and this menu option will
not appear in vehicles without this option.
q
ENGLISH/METRICÐ This menu option
allows the Message Center and Automatic
Temperature Control readings to be displayed in
English or Metric units. The modes can be
toggled by using the RESET control.
q
AUTOLAMP DELAY STATUSÐ This option
displays the current autolamp delay setting.
Note: To change the delay setting you must
rotate the HEADLAMP CONTROL.
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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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36CHECK FRT TURN LAMPSÐ This warning
message is displayed when you turn on the front
turn lamps and at least one of them is burned out.
Check the lamps as soon as safely possible, and
have the burned out lamp replaced following the
instructions in theMaintenance and Carechapter.
LOW WASHER FLUIDÐ This warning message
is displayed when there is less than one quarter of
the container of washer fluid remaining. Check the
washer fluid level, and refill the reservoir following
the instructions in theMaintenance and Care
chapter.
TRUNK AJARÐ This warning message is
displayed when the trunk is not completely closed
and the ignition switch is either ON or ACC.CHECK TRACTION CONTROLÐ This warning
message is displayed when the Traction Control
system is not operating properly. If this warning
stays on or comes on, contact your dealer for
service as soon as safely possible. For further
information refer to theTraction Controlsection in
theDrivingchapter.
TRACTION CONTROL DISABLEDÐ This
warning message is displayed when the Traction
Control system is temporarily disabled due to an
overheating condition. This may occur in normal
operation due to a prolonged series of high speed
traction control or braking events. This warning is
removed when the traction control system has
cooled down sufficiently to resume normal
operation. If this warning stays on, contact your
dealer for service as soon as safely possible. For
further information refer to theTraction Control
section in theDrivingchapter.
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48Traction Control Off LightThis light tells you that the traction control system
has been turned off using the Vehicle Settings menu
in the Message Center. The traction control system
defaults to ªONº (light is not illuminated) whenever
the vehicle is shut off and restarted.
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174Manual parking brake release leverThe parking brake is not designed to stop a moving
vehicle, but you can use the parking brake to stop
your vehicle in an emergency if the normal brakes
fail. However, since the parking brake applies only
the rear brakes, the stopping distance will increase
greatly and the handling of your vehicle will be
adversely affected.Always check the Brake Warning Light each time
you start your engine. Driving with the parking
brake on will cause the brakes to wear out quickly
and will reduce the fuel economy.
Traction Control
TM
(If equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with the optional
Traction Control
TM
system. This system helps
prevent wheel spin in order to improve tire traction
and is an especially useful feature when you drive
in hilly areas or on slippery, icy or snowy roads.
When the Traction Control system is controlling
wheelspin, an electric motor sound may be heard
from the engine compartment and engine
acceleration may seem slower. This is normal.
Traction Control
TM
works automatically by rapidly
applying and releasing the brakes and reducing
engine torque to prevent one or both of the rear
drive wheels from spinning during acceleration.
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175
NOTE:Engine torque reduction isNOTactive
when engine coolant temperature is below-10ÊF
(-23ÊC).
During the Traction Control
TM
function, which most
often occurs during low speed acceleration on
slippery surfaces, a noise may be heard coming from
the engine compartment. This is normal and may
last for a few seconds during the acceleration of the
vehicle.
In general, this system improves your vehicle's
stability and acceleration performance when road
conditions warrant. Traction Control
TM
is fully
effective at all vehicle speeds.
If the Traction Control
TM
system is cycled
excessively, the brake portion of the system will
shut down to prevent the rear brakes from
overheating. A limited Traction Control
TM
function
using engine torque will still control wheels from
spinning. A cooling down period is required to
prevent damage to the brakes. This time periodvaries and depends on brake usage during the
cooling down period. Anti-Lock braking is not
affected and will function normally during the cool
down period.
After the cool down period, the full Traction
Control
TM
function is restored.
Air Suspension SystemYour vehicle is equipped with an automatic load
leveling air suspension system. This system
maintains the vehicle height at a constant level by
automatically adding air or releasing air from the air
springs to offset changes in vehicle loads.
A shutoff switch is located in the trunk behind the
left hand vertical trim panel. If this switch is in the
OFF position, the automatic leveling system will not
operate. The switch should be OFF whenever
jacking up the vehicle. ªAIR RIDE SWITCH OFFº
will appear in the Message Center when the
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241
Information About Tire Quality GradesNew vehicles are fitted with tires that have their
Tire Quality Grade (described below) molded into
the tire's sidewall. These Tire Quality Grades are
determined by standards that the United States
Department of Transportation has set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new pneumatic tires
for use on passenger cars. They do not apply to
deep tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or
temporary use spare tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or limited production
tires as defined in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation Ð Tire
quality grades:The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires Ford to give you the
following information about tire grades exactly as
the government has written it.
TreadwearThe 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
one and one-half (1 1/2) times 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.Traction A B CThe traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A,
B, and C, and they represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance.
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