1998 FORD WINDSTAR maintenance

269
Maintenance and Care
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How Ford Makes Servicing Your Vehicle
Easy
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Ford has two goals for servicing your vehicle.
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[MC00400(ALL)01/96]1.
When we can, we design parts that do not need to be
serviced.
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[MC00500(ALL)01/96]2.
We want to make servicing your vehicle as easy as possible.
To help you:
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We highlight do-it-yourself items in yellow in your engine
compartment so that you can find them easily.
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When possible, we design parts that can be replaced without
tools.
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We give you aMaintenance Schedulebooklet that makes
tracking routine service for your vehicle easy.
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This chapter tells you about the basic parts that you need to
check and service regularly.
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If you need professional servicing, see the chapter onCustomer
Assistancein this Owner Guide.
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Check yourWarranty InformationBooklet to find out which parts
are covered.
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Precautions When Servicing Your Vehicle
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Be especially careful when inspecting or servicing your vehicle.
Here are some general precautions for your safety:
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If you must work with the engine running, avoid wearing
loose clothing or jewelry that could get caught in moving
parts.
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Do not work on a vehicle in an enclosed space with the
engine running, unless you are sure you have enough
ventilation.
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Maintenance and Care
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RWARNING
Do not start your engine with the air cleaner removed
and do not remove it while the engine is running.
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To open the hood:
[MC02800(ALL)01/96]1.
Pull the hood release lever located below the instrument
panel to the left of the steering wheel.
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13-1/2 pica
art:0051021-A
Hood release lever location
[MC03000(ALL)01/96]2.
Go to the front of the vehicle and release the secondary
hood latch under the hood in the front center of the vehicle.
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[MC03100(ALL)01/96]3.
Lift the hood and release the prop rod from its retaining
clip. Place the end of the prop rod in the prop rod hole
provided on the underside of the hood.
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Maintenance and Care
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Engine Compartment
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Your vehicle has a 3.0 liter SFI, V-6 engine or an optional 3.8
liter SPI, V-6 engine. The following illustrations show diagrams
of your engine and where you can find items you should
service regularly.
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Maintenance and Care
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33-1/2 pica
art:0050038-C
The engine compartment (3.8 liter only)
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Maintenance and Care
277
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Engine oils with anSAE 5W-30viscosity arePREFERREDfor
your vehicle. They provide the best engine performance, fuel
economy and engine protection for all climates down to-15ÊF
(-26ÊC).
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Synthetic engine oils which are CERTIFIED and of the preferred
viscosity may be used in your engine. The engine oil and oil
filter must still be changed according to the maintenance
schedule.
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Checking and Adding Engine Oil
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Since the proper amount of engine oil is important for safe
engine operation, check the oil using the dipstick each time you
put fuel in your vehicle. Remember the engine must be off, the
oil must be warm and the vehicle must be parked on level
ground.
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Checking the engine oil level:
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Turn the engine off after it has warmed up and allow a few
minutes for the engine oil to drain back into the oil pan.
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[MC05500(ALL)01/96]2.
Set the parking brake, making sure the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park).
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Open the hood. Protect yourself from engine heat.
[MC05700(ALL)01/96]4.
Locate the dipstick labelled ªEngine Oilº and carefully pull it
out of the engine.
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[MC05800(ALL)01/96]5.
Wipe the dipstick clean and put it back into position, making
sure it is fully seated.
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7-1/2 pica art:0050073-D
Engine oil dipstick
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Carefully, pull the dipstick out again. If the oil level is below
the ªADD 1 QT.º line, add engine oil as necessary. If the oil
level is beyond the letter ªFº in FULL, engine damage or
high oil consumption may occur and some oil must be
removed from the engine.
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Put the dipstick back in and make sure it is fully seated.
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It may be necessary to add some oil between oil changes. Make
sure you use a CERTIFIED engine oil of the preferred viscosity.
Your vehicle's warranty coverage may not apply if engine
damage is caused by the use of improper engine oil.
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Add engine oil through the oil filler cap highlighted in yellow.
To add oil, remove the filler cap and use a funnel to pour oil
into the opening. Be careful not to overfill the engine. Recheck
the oil level after you finish adding oil.
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Changing the Engine Oil and the Oil Filter
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Refer to theMaintenance Schedulebooklet for additional
information.
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NOTE: Always dispose of used automotive fluids in a
responsible manner. Follow your community's
standards for disposing of these types of fluids. Call
your local recycling center to find out about recycling
automotive fluids.
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Maintenance and Care
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RWARNING
Continuous contact with USED motor oil has caused
cancer in laboratory mice.
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Protect your skin by washing with soap and water.
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Brake Fluid
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Your vehicle is equipped with a brake fluid level indicator in
the master cylinder which lights the BRAKE warning light on
the instrument panel when the brake fluid level is low.
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Under normal circumstances, your vehicle should not use up
brake fluid rapidly. However, expect the level of the brake fluid
to slowly fall as you put more mileage on your vehicle and the
brake pads wear.
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Check the brake fluid at least once a year. You can do this by
looking at the fluid level in the plastic reservoir on the master
cylinder. The fluid level should be at or near the MAX mark.
Add fluid if level is 0.30" or more below the MAX line.
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RWARNING
Brake fluid is toxic.
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If brake fluid contacts eyes, flush eyes with running water for
15 minutes. Get medical attention if irritation persists. If taken
internally, drink water and induce vomiting. Get medical
attention immediately.
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If the fluid is low, carefully clean and remove the filler cap
from the reservoir. Fill the reservoir to the MAX line with Ford
High Performance DOT 3 Brake Fluid C6AZ-19542-AB or DOT 3
equivalent fluid meeting Ford specification ESA-M6C25-A.
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Maintenance and Care
281
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Windshield Washer Fluid
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Washer Fluid
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Check the level of the windshield washer fluid every time you
stop for fuel. The reservoir for washer fluid is located on the
front, passenger side of the engine compartment. This reservoir
contains the fluid for both the windshield and liftgate washers.
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RWARNING
Do not put windshield washer fluid in the container for
the engine coolant.
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13-1/2 pica
art:0050050-B
Windshield washer fill location
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Use specially formulated windshield washer fluid rather than
plain water, because specially formulated washer fluids contain
additives that dissolve road grime. For safety reasons, washer
fluids containing an appropriate antifreeze such as methanol
should be used in freezing weather (temperatures below32ÊF
[0ÊC]). State or local regulations on Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs) may restrict use of the most common antifreeze,
File:11wnmcs.ex
Update:Tue Oct 8 10:24:50 1996