1997 Mercury Mountaineer brake

Do not drive your vehicle
until you verify that the
brakelamps are working.
If your vehicle gets stuck in the
mud or snow it may be rocked out
of the spot. To rock the vehicle
out, shift between forward and
reverse gears in a steady rhythm.
Press lightly on the accelerator in
each gear. Do not rock the vehicle
for more than a few minutes,
because it could damage the
vehicle.
Do not spin the wheels at
over 55 km/h (35 mph).
The tires may fail and injure a
passenger or bystander.
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD)
SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle is equipped with a
full-time All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
transfer case. Power is constantly
supplied to all four wheels through
a transfer case. The AWD system is
full-time and has no external
controls.
The AWD transfer case utilizes a
viscous clutch that distributes
torque to the front and rear
differentials (approximately 35%
front and 65% rear). The viscous
clutch is filled with a high viscosity
fluid; seeLubricant specifications
for more information.
All utility-type and AWD vehicles
have special design and equipment
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should either know the terrain or
examine maps of the area before
driving. Map out your route before
driving in the area. For more
information on driving off-road,
readFour-Wheelingin your
owner's portfolio.
Sand
When driving over sand, try to
keep all four wheels on the most
solid area of the trail. Do not
reduce the tire pressures but shift
to a lower gear and drive steadily
through the terrain. Apply the
accelerator slowly and avoid
spinning the wheels.
Mud and water
If you must drive through high
water, drive slowly. Traction or
brake capability may be limited.
When driving through water,
determine the depth; avoid water
higher than the bottom of the hubs
(if possible) and proceed slowly. If
the ignition system gets wet, the
vehicle may stall.
Once through water, always try the
brakes. Wet brakes do not stop the
vehicle as effectively as dry brakes.
Drying can be improved by moving
your vehicle slowly while applying
light pressure on the brake pedal.
After driving through mud, clean
off residue stuck to rotating
driveshafts and tires. Excess mud
stuck on tires and rotating
driveshafts causes an imbalance
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that could damage drive
components.
If the transmission and transfer
case are submerged in water, their
fluids should be checked and
changed, if necessary.
All rear axle lubricants must be
replaced every 160,000 km
(100,000 miles) or if the axle has
been submerged in water.
Otherwise, check the lubrication of
the rear axle according to the
intervals in theService Guide.
Driving on hill or slope terrain
When driving on a hill, avoid
driving crosswise or turning on
steep slopes. You could lose
traction and slip sideways. Drive
straight up, straight down or avoid
the hill completely. Know the
conditions on the other side of a
hill before driving over the crest.
When climbing a steep hill, start in
a lower gear rather than
downshifting to a lower gear from
a higher gear once the ascent has
started. This reduces strain on the
engine and the possibility of
stalling.
When descending a steep hill avoid
sudden braking. Rapid pumping of
the brake pedal will help slow the
vehicle and still maintain steering
control.
When speed control is on and you
are driving uphill, your vehicle
speed may drop considerably,
especially if you are carrying a
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heavy load. If vehicle speed drops
more than 15 - 25 km/h (8 - 14
mph) the speed control will cancel
automatically. Resume speed with
accelerator pedal.
If speed control cancels after
climbing the hill, reset speed by
pressing and holding the SET
ACCEL button or returning to
previous speed by pressing the
RESUME button (to resume
speeds over 50 km/h [30 mph]).
Automatic transmissions may shift
frequently while driving up on
steep grades. Eliminate frequent
shifting by shifting out of
D(Overdrive) into D (Drive).
Driving on snow and ice
An AWD vehicle has advantages
over two-wheel drive vehicles in
snow and ice but can skid like any
other vehicle.
Avoid sudden applications of
power and quick changes of
direction on snow and ice. Apply
the accelerator slowly and steadily
when starting from a full stop.
When braking, apply the brakes as
you normally would. In order to
allow the anti-lock brake system
(ABS) to operate properly, keep
steady pressure on the brake
pedal.
Allow more stopping distance and
drive slower than usual. Consider
using one of the lower gears.
If the vehicle is stuck, shift the
transmission in a steady motion
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Do not use replacement tires with
lower weight capacities than the
original because they may lower
the vehicle's GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires with
a higher weight limit than the
originals do not increase the
GVWR and GAWR limitations.
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle may tow a Class I or
II trailer provided the maximum
trailer weight is less than or equal
to the maximum trailer weight
listed for your engine and rear axle
ratio. See theTrailer towing table
later in this chapter.
Do not exceed the maximum loads
stated on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label. Refer to
Vehicle loadingfor a definition of
the terms on the label.
Your vehicle's load capacity is
designated by weight, not by
volume, so you cannot necessarily
use all available space when
loading a vehicle.
Distribute the trailer load so that
only 10 to 15% of the total weight
of the trailer is on the tongue. Tie
down the load so that it does not
shift and change the weight on the
hitch.
Towing a trailer places an
additional load on your vehicle's
engine, transmission, axle, brakes,
tires and suspension. Inspect these
components carefully before and
after any towing operation.
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bumper has a Class II rating (1590
kg/3500 lb trailer weight and 159
kg/350 lb tongue weight).
Safety chains
Always connect the trailer's safety
chains to the vehicle. To connect
chains when towing with the step
bumper, cross the chains under the
trailer tongue and allow slack for
turning corners. Connect the
chains to the holes in the
underside of the hitch plate for a
Class II frame mounted hitch.
When using a frame mounted
trailer hitch, attach the safety
chains to the frame mounted hitch
using the recommendations
supplied by the hitch
manufacturer.
Trailer brakes
Trailer brakes are required on
most towed vehicles weighing over
680 kg/ 1500 lb. Use electric
brakes or manual, automatic, or
surge-type hydraulic brakes that
meet Federal and local regulations.
Install and adjust the brakes
according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
Do not connect a trailer's
hydraulic brake system
directly to your vehicle's brake
system. Your vehicle may not
have enough braking power and
your chances of having a
collision greatly increase.
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Trailer lamps
Trailer lamps are required on most
towed vehicles. Make sure your
trailer lamps conform to Federal
and local regulations. See your
dealer or trailer rental agency for
the proper instructions and
equipment for hooking up trailer
lamps.
Do not hook the trailer
lamps directly into the
vehicle's lighting system wiring.
If the trailer lamps are not
installed properly, the warning
lights in the instrument cluster
may not work properly.
Driving while you tow
Do not drive faster than 88km/h
(55 mph) while towing a trailer. Do
not drive faster than 72 km/h (45
mph) while towing in hilly country
or on hot days.
Speed control may shut off if you
are towing on very long, steep
grades.
When towing a trailer:
²Use D (3rd gear) rather than
D(Overdrive) while towing up
or down steep hills. This will
eliminate excessive downshifting
and upshifting for optimum fuel
economy and transmission
cooling.
²Anticipate stops and brake
gradually.
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Luggage rack (if equipped)
Load luggage as far back as it will
safely go without loading more
than 45 kg (100 lb) or cause the
vehicle to exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or
its Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). Use the following steps
to adjust the luggage rack.
²Turn adjustment wheel
backward to unlock crossbar
and slide crossbar forward or
backward.
²Turn adjustment wheel forward
to lock crossbar.
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Fuel economy can be improved by
avoiding:
²lack of regular, scheduled
maintenance
²excessive speed
²rapid acceleration
²driving with the brake pedal
depressed
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