1997 Mercury Mountaineer maintenance

To make reaching the wiper blades
easy, simply turn the ignition to
the ON position and turn the
wipers on. Wait for them to reach
a vertical position and turn the
ignition to LOCK. Do not move the
wipers manually across the
windshield as this may cause
damage to the wipers.
Inspect the wiper arm pivots on a
regular basis to ensure that the
wiper arms move freely. Lubricate
the pivot points as necessary.
Replacing wiper blades
If the wiper blades do not work
properly after cleaning,
replacement of the blade assembly
or the blade element may be
necessary.
There are two different length
wiper blades on your vehicle. The
windshield wiper blades are 45 cm
(17.75 in) long and the liftgate
wiper is 34.9 cm (13 3/4 in) long.
Make sure you install the correct
size wiper blade in the correct
location.
To replace windshield wiper
blades:
1. Pull the wiper arm away from
the windshield and lock it into the
service position.
2. Turn the blade at an angle from
the wiper arm. Depress lock tab
and push wiper mounting arm
away from wiper blade assembly.
3. Attach the new wiper blade by
pulling wiper mounting arm down
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on wiper blade until lock tab is
engaged.
To replace liftgate wiper blade:
1. Pull wiper arm away from
liftgate window.
2. Use small screwdriver to
depress lock tab and pull wiper
blade upwards and away from
wiper arm.
3. Attach new wiper blade by
pushing wiper arm post through
hole in wiper blade until lock tab is
engaged.
Information about tire grades
New 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 25.4 cm to 30.48 cm
(10 to 12 in.) or limited production
tires as defined in Title 49 Code of
Federal Regulations Part
575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation
- Tire quality grades: The U.S.
Department of Transportation
requires Ford to give you the
following information about tire
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158

grades exactly as the government
has written it.
Treadwear
The 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 1
1¤2times 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 C
The temperature grades, from
highest to lowest, are A, B and C.
These grades 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.
The traction grade
assigned to this tire is
based on braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does
not include cornering (turning)
traction.
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159

Temperature A B C
The temperature grades, from
highest to lowest, are A, B and C.
These grades represent the tire's
resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden
failure. The grade C corresponds
to a level of performance which all
passenger tires must meet under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades A and B
represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required
by law.
The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a
tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed,
under inflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
build up and possible tire failure.
SERVICING YOUR TIRES
Checking the tire pressure
Check the tire pressure at least
once a month or after rotating
tires and inflate tires as necessary.
Tire pressure is most accurate
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160

when tires are cold (after the
vehicle has been parked for at
least one hour or driven less than
5 km (3 miles).
The cold pressure amount is listed
on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label located on the
inside driver's door latch pillar.
Improperly inflated tires
can affect vehicle handling
and can fail suddenly, possibly
resulting in loss of vehicle
control.
Rotating your tires
Rotate your tires at regular
intervals to ensure even wear.
Rotation intervals are listed in the
Service Guide.
Your wheels and tires are
match±mounted for improved ride.
Before you begin a tire repair,
mark the wheel and tire to ensure
proper alignment when
remounting.
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161

Four tire rotation
Five tire rotation
Replacing the tires
Replace the tires when the wear
band is visible through the tire
treads.
When replacing full size
tires, never mix radial bias
belted or bias-type tires. Use
only the tire sizes that are listed
on the tire pressure decal.
Make sure all replacement
tires are of the same size,
type, load-carrying capacity, and
tread design, e.g., ªAll Terrainº,
as originally offered by Ford.
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162

Failure to follow these
precautions may adversely
affect the handling of the vehicle
and make it easier to lose control
and roll over.
IDENTIFYING TIRE TYPES
Refer to the Safety Compliance
Certification Label to determine
the specific size tire and wheel
Ford Motor Company recommends
for use on this vehicle.
All wheel/tire combinations
(including spare) must be the
same size for AWD equipped
vehicles.
SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Snow tires must be the
same size and grade as the
tires you currently have on your
vehicle.
The tires on your vehicle have all
weather treads to provide traction
in rain and snow. However in some
climates, you may need to use
snow tires and chains. Follow
these guidelines when using snow
tires and chains:
²Use only SAE Class ªSº chains.
²Install chains securely, verifying
that the chains do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
²Install tire chains on rear tires
only.
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163

²Drive cautiously. If you hear the
chains rub or bang against your
vehicle, stop and re-tighten the
chains. If this does not work,
remove the chains to prevent
damage to your vehicle.
²If possible, avoid fully loading
your vehicle.
²Remove the tire chains when
they are no longer needed. Do
not use tire chains on dry roads.
²The suspension insulation and
bumpers will help prevent
vehicle damage. Do not remove
these components from your
vehicle when using snow tires
and chains.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE FUEL
Do not overfill the fuel
tank. The pressure in an
overfilled tank may cause
leakage and lead to fuel spray
and fire.
If you do not use a proper
fuel cap, the pressure in
the fuel tank can damage the
fuel system or cause it to work
improperly in a collision.
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