1997 Mercury Mountaineer windshield wipers

Changing your air filter
1. Loosen the clamp that secures
the air cleaner in place. Separate
the two halves of the air cleaner.
2. Remove the air filter element
from the open end of the engine
air cleaner and replace it with a
new element.
3. Replace the two halves of the
air cleaner and secure the clamp.
CHECKING AND CHANGING
WIPER BLADES
Check the windshield wiper blades
at least twice a year or whenever
the wipers seem less effective than
usual. Substances such as tree sap
and some hot wax treatments used
by commercial car washes can
reduce the effectiveness of wiper
blades.
Maintenance and care
156

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
Maintenance and care
157

Windshield
defrosting ..................................21
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers
checking and replacing wiper
blades ......................................156
operation ...................................24
Index
196