1998 FORD CONTOUR Owners Manual

Maintenance and care
177
Adjusting the horizontal aim
1. Make sure the vehicle is on a
level surface.
2.With the hood open, locate the
horizontal indicator and adjusting
screw.
3. Turn the horizontal adjusting
screw until the reference mark on
the reflector extension aligns with
the “0” reference mark on the
horizontal indicator when viewed
directly from above.
4. When the horizontal aim has
been adjusted, close the headlamp
access panel. The horizontal aim must be
adjusted first. You will need one 7
mm box wrench, open end wrench
or T-15 Torx drive.
The following procedures assumes
that the vehicle’s front structure is
properly aligned. If the vehicle has
been in an accident requiring the
front end of the vehicle to be
repaired, the horizontal indicator
should be recalibrated by your
dealer or a qualified service
technician.
CDW VA1-19Maint en C 5/15/97 8:56 PM Page 177

Maintenance and care
178
Adjusting the vertical aim
The numbers shown on the vial
indicate beam direction in degrees
up or down.
1. Do not adjust the vertical aim
until after adjusting the horizontal
aim.
2. With the hood open, locate the
bubble level vertical aim indicator.
It is visible when viewed from the
above rear of the headlamp.
3. Turn the vertical adjusting screw
until the reference mark on the
reflector extension aligns with the
“0” reference mark on the vertical
indicator when viewed from
directly above.
4. Close the hood.
CDW VA1-19Maint en C 5/15/97 8:56 PM Page 178

Maintenance and care
179
Washing your vehicle
Only use car washing areas
that have environmentally
friendly drainage systems.
VEHICLE CARE
Wash your vehicle regularly with
cold or lukewarm water. Never use
strong detergents or soap. If your
vehicle is particularly dirty, use a
quality car wash detergent. Always
use a clean sponge, washing glove
or similar device and plenty of
water for best results. To avoid
spots, avoid washing when the
hood is still warm, immediately
after or during exposure to strong
sunlight.
CDW VA1-19Maint en C 5/15/97 8:56 PM Page 179

Maintenance and care
180Waxing your vehicle
The best way to determine when
the paintwork needs waxing is by
noting when water stops beading
on the surface. This could be every
three or four months depending on
operating conditions.
Use only carnauba or synthetic-
based waxes. Remove any bugs and
tar before waxing the vehicle. Use
cleaning fluid or alcohol with a
clean cloth to remove bugs. Use tar
remover to remove any tar spots.
During winter months, it is
especially important to wash the
vehicle on a regular basis. Large
quantities of dirt and road salt are
difficult to remove, and they also
cause damage to the vehicle.
Remove or lower any exterior
accessories, such as antennas,
before entering a car wash.
Remove particles such as bird
droppings, tree sap, insect remains,
tar spots, road salt and industrial
fallout immediately.
After washing, apply the brakes
several times to dry them.
CDW VA1-19Maint en C 5/15/97 8:56 PM Page 180

Maintenance and care
181 Repairing paint chips
Minor scratches or paint damage
from road debris may be repaired
with touch-up paint, paint repair
foil or aerosol spray from the Ford
accessories line. Observe the
application instructions on the
products.
Cleaning the wheels
Wash the wheels with the same
detergent you use to clean the
body of your vehicle. Do not use
acid-based wheel cleaners, steel
wool, fuel or strong detergents.
Never use abrasives that will
damage the finish of special wheel
surfaces. Use a tar remover to
remove grease and tar.
CDW VA1-19Maint en C 5/15/97 8:56 PM Page 181

Maintenance and care
182Cleaning the engine
Engines are more efficient when
they are clean because grease and
dirt buildup act as insulators and
keep the engine warmer than
normal. Follow these guidelines to
clean your engine:
•Take care when using a power
washer to clean the engine. The
high pressure fluid could
penetrate the sealed parts and
cause damage.
•Do not spray with cold water, to
avoid cracking the engine block.
•Cover the alternator to prevent
water damage when cleaning the
engine.
•Never wash or rinse the engine
while it is running; water in the
running engine may cause
internal damage.
CDW VA1-19Maint en C 5/15/97 8:56 PM Page 182

Maintenance and care
183 Cleaning plastic exterior parts
Use a vinyl cleaner for routine
cleaning of plastic. Clean with a tar
remover if necessary. Do not clean
plastic parts with thinners, solvents
or petroleum-based cleaners.
Cleaning the exterior lamps
Wash the exterior lamps with the
same detergent you use to wash
the exterior of your vehicle. Use
glass cleaner or tar remover if
necessary.
To avoid scratching the lamps, do
not use a dry paper towel, chemical
solvents or abrasive cleaners to
clean the lamps.
Cleaning the wiper blades
If the wiper blades do not wipe
properly, clean both the windshield
and wiper blades using undiluted
windshield wiper solution or a mild
detergent. Rinse thoroughly with
clean water. To avoid damaging the
blades, do not use fuel, kerosene,
paint thinner or other solvents.
CDW VA1-19Maint en C 5/15/97 8:56 PM Page 183

Maintenance and care
184Cleaning the interior fabric
Remove dust and loose dirt with a
whisk broom or a vacuum cleaner.
Remove fresh spots immediately.
Follow the directions that come
with the cleaner.
Cleaning leather seats
(if equipped)
For routine cleaning, wipe the
surface with a soft, damp cloth. For
more thorough cleaning, wipe the
surface with a leather and vinyl
cleaner or a mild soap.
Cleaning the instrument panel
HM:
I0 20OFF LOPNL/FLR
PANEL
A/CFLOOR
DEF FLR
DEF
MAX
A/C HI/
POWERAUDIOAM/FM
SCAN
SEEK 312645ANSSIDE1-2EJECTVOLUME
000123000010 20 3040506070
80
90
100
110
120
130MPH20 406055
80120 100
140
160
180
200EF 1
/
2UNLEADED FUEL ONLY12
03x 1000
4
5
6
7
8NORMALBRAKE
CHECK
ENGINE TRACTION
CONTROLO/D
OFF
MIRRORS
Clean the instrument panel with a
damp cloth, then dry with a dry
cloth.
Any cleaner or polish that
increases the gloss of the upper
portion of the instrument panel
should be avoided. The dull finish
in this area is to help protect the
driver from undesirable windshield
reflection.
CDW VA1-19Maint en C 5/15/97 8:56 PM Page 184