1997 Mercury Mountaineer brake

The outboard safety restraints in
the vehicle are combination lap
and shoulder safety belts. The
front and rear seat passenger
outboard safety belts have the two
types of locking modes described
below:
Vehicle sensitive (Emergency)
locking mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the
normal retractor mode, allowing
free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movement and
locking in response to vehicle
movement. For example, if the
driver brakes suddenly, turns a
corner sharply, or the vehicle
receives an impact of 8 km/h (5
mph) or more the combination
safety belts will lock to help
reduce forward movement of the
driver and passengers.
The front seat belt system can also
be made to lock manually by
quickly pulling on the shoulder
belt. Rear seat belts cannot be
made to lock up by pulling quickly
on the belt.
Seating and safety restraints
65

2. Make sure the headlamps and
vehicle accessories are off.
3. Make sure the parking brake is
set and the gearshift lever is in P
(Park).
4. Turn the key to the ON position
(without turning the key to
START).OFF
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120
140
160
180
200P RND21
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MPH km/h
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
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6H
C
F
E
RSM
SET
ACC
COAST OFF ON
SRS
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L L
ON
START
LOCK
ACCESSORYOFF
Starting your vehicle
90

The above lights illuminate briefly.
If a light fails to illuminate, have
the vehicle serviced.
If the driver's safety belt is
fastened, the
light does not
illuminate.
STARTING THE VEHICLE
After completing the steps under
Preparing to start the vehicle:
1. Turn the key to START, hold
until engine is running, then
release. DO NOT press the
accelerator.
The key will return to the ON
position.
2. After idling for a few seconds,
apply the brake and release the
parking brake.
Special conditions when
starting
Starting a cold engine
At temperatures -12ÉC (10ÉF) and
below, do not hold the key in the
START position longer than 15
0ABS
- +
P RND21
UNLEADED
FUEL ONLY
RPM x 1000
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6
- +
H
H
L L
ANTI-
THEFT
CHECK
ENGINE
O/D
OFF SPEED
CONT
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AJAR
BRAKE
CHECK
GAGE
0
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80
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110
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100

20406080100
120
140
160
180
MPH km/h
ON
START
LOCK
ACCESSORYOFF
Starting your vehicle
91

BRAKES
The anti-lock brake system
(ABS)
Anti-lock brake operation differs
slightly from standard brake
operation.
Apply the brakes steadily. DO NOT
pump the brakes in a panic stop.
The brake system will prevent
wheel lockup by automatically
releasing and reapplying the
brakes.
Even with ABS, the brakes could
lock up on roads with alternating
slippery and dry patches or with
loose surfaces such as snow or
gravel. Be careful when braking.
The ABS conducts a self-test each
time the vehicle is driven. A
mechanical noise may be heard
while the system conducts its
self-test.
Occasional brake squeal during
light to moderate stops is normal.
Significantly increased squeal is an
indicator that brake service is
needed.
After driving through standing
water, gently apply the brakes
several times to dry them.
If driving down a long or steep hill,
shift to a lower gear and do not
apply the brakes continuously.
Continuously applying the brakes
on a hill could overheat them and
make them less effective.
Driving
96

ABS warning light
TheABSlight in the instrument
cluster illuminates and remains
illuminated if an ABS fault is
detected. Have your vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Normal braking operation is still
effective unless the
light is
also illuminated.
Parking brake
The parking brake should be used
whenever the vehicle is parked.
Push pedal downward to set the
parking brake.
The
light in the instrument
cluster illuminates and remains
illuminated (when the ignition is
turned to ON) until the parking
brake is released.
Always set the parking
brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park).
The parking brake is not designed
to stop a moving vehicle. However,
if the normal brakes fail, the
parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency.
Since the parking brake applies
only the rear brakes, the vehicle's
stopping distance will increase
greatly and the handling of your
vehicle will be adversely affected.
Driving
97

Pull release handle towards you to
release parking brake.
If the parking brake is fully
released, but the
warning light remains on,
have the brakes checked
immediately. They may not be
working properly.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
OPERATION (4R70W)
Hold the brake pedal down
while you move the
gearshift from position to
position. If you do not hold the
brake pedal down, your vehicle
may move unexpectedly and
injure someone.
Driving
98

Pull gearshift lever towards you
and downward to move the
automatic gearshift.
P - ParkAlways come to a
complete stop before shifting into
or out of P (Park).
Always set the parking
brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park).
R - ReverseAlways come to a
complete stop before shifting into
or out of R (Reverse).
N - NeutralVehicle is free to roll.
Do not leave the vehicle
unattended with the
transfer case in the N (Neutral)
position. Always set the parking
brake fully and turn off the
ignition when leaving the vehicle.
P RND21
P RND21
Driving
99

on downgrades. Transmission
operates in gears 1-2.
1 - LowUse 1 (Low) to provide
maximum engine braking on steep
downgrades. Upshifts can be made
by shifting to 2 (Second) or to
D(Overdrive). Selecting 1 (Low)
at higher speeds causes a shift to 2
(Second), and will shift to 1 (Low)
after vehicle decelerates to the
proper speed.
Brake-shift interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a
brake-shift interlock feature that
prevents the gearshift from being
moved from P unless the brake
pedal is depressed.
If you cannot move the gearshift
out of P with the brake pedal
depressed:
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn ignition key to LOCK, then
remove the key.
3. Insert the key and turn to OFF.
4. Apply brake pedal and shift to N
(Neutral).
5. Start the vehicle.
If it is necessary to use the above
procedure to move the gearshift, it
is possible that a fuse has blown
and the vehicle's brakelamps may
not be operating properly. Refer to
Fuses and relaysin theRoadside
emergencieschapter.
Driving
101