1998 Mercury Mountaineer four wheel drive

contents without notice and
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SPECIAL NOTICES
Notice to owners of utility type
vehicles
Before you drive your vehicle,
please read this Owner's Guide
carefully. Your vehicle is not a
passenger car. As with other
vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or an
accident.
Be sure to readDriving off road
in theDrivingchapter as well as
the ªFour Wheelingº supplement
included with 4WD and utility type
vehicles.
Using your vehicle as a
snowplow
Do not use this vehicle for
snowplowing.
Using your vehicle as an
ambulance
Do not use this vehicle as
an ambulance.
Your vehicle is not equipped with
the Ford Ambulance Preparation
package.
Introduction
3

4WD CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED)
This control operates the 4WD.
Refer toFour-wheel drive (4WD)
operationin theDrivingchapter
for more information.
AUDIO SYSTEM
Refer to the ªAudio Guideº in your
owner portfolio.
TURN SIGNAL CONTROL
²Push down to activate the left
turn signal.
²Push up to activate the right
turn signal.
HIGH
LOW AUTO
Controls and features
25

the vehicle decelerates to the
proper vehicle speed.
CONTROL-TRAC AUTOMATIC
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM
(IF EQUIPPED)
The 4WD system uses all four
wheels to power the vehicle. This
increases traction, enabling you to
drive your 4x4 over terrain and
road conditions not normally
traveled by two-wheel drive
vehicles.
Power is supplied to all four
wheels through a transfer case that
allows you to select a four-wheel
drive mode best suited for your
current driving conditions.
Positions of the Control-Trac
system
The Control-Trac system functions
in three modes:
²The 4WD AUTO mode provides
four-wheel drive with full power
delivered to the rear axle, and
to the front axle as required for
increased traction. This is
appropriate for normal on-road
operating conditions, such as
dry road surfaces, wet
pavement, snow and gravel.
HIGH
LOW AUTO
Driving
111

²The 4WD HIGH mode provides
four-wheel drive with full power
to both axles. It is only intended
for severe winter or off-road
conditions, such as deep snow
and ice (where no dry or wet
pavement remains uncovered),
and shallow sand.
²The 4WD LOW mode supplies
four-wheel drive with full power
to both axles and includes a
lower gear ratio for low-speed. It
is only intended for off-road
applications that require extra
power including deep sand,
steep grades and pulling a boat
and trailer out of the water.
The vehicle should not be
operated in 4WD HIGH and
4WD LOW on dry or merely wet
pavement. Doing so will
produce excessive noise,
increase tire wear and may
damage driveline components.
These modes are intended for
use only on consistently
slippery or loose surfaces.
If your vehicle is equipped with
4WD or AWD, a spare tire of a
different size than the road
tires should never be used.
Such a tire could result in
damage to driveline
components and make the
vehicle difficult to control.HIGH
LOW AUTO
HIGH
LOW AUTO
Driving
112

Utility and four-wheel
drive vehicles arenot
designed for cornering at speeds
as high as passenger cars any
more than low-slung sports cars
are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. Avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers in these
vehicles.
Using the Control-Trac system
Shifting between 4WD AUTO
and 4WD HIGH
When you move the control to
4WD HIGH, the indicator light will
illuminate in the instrument
cluster. When you move the
control to 4WD AUTO, the
indicator light will turn off.
Either shift can be done at a stop
or while driving at any speed.
Shifting from 4WD AUTO or
4WD HIGH to 4WD LOW
1. Bring the vehicle to a stop.
2. Depress the brake.
3. Place the gearshift in N
(Neutral) (automatic transmission)
or depress the clutch (manual
transmission).
4. Move the 4WD control to the
4WD LOW position.
HIGH
LOW AUTO
HIGH
LOW AUTO
Driving
113

Shifting from 4WD LOW to 4WD
AUTO or 4WD HIGH
1. Bring the vehicle to a stop.
2. Depress the brake.
3. Place the gearshift in N
(Neutral) (automatic transmission)
or depress the clutch (manual
transmission).
4. Move the 4WD control to the
4WD AUTO or 4WD HIGH position.
Driving off-road with 4WD
Your vehicle is specially equipped
for driving on sand, snow, mud and
rough terrain and has operating
characteristics that are somewhat
different from conventional
vehicles, both on and off the road.
Maintain steering wheel control at
all times, especially in rough
terrain. Since sudden changes in
terrain can result in abrupt
steering wheel motion, make sure
you grip the steering wheel from
the outside. Do not grip the
spokes.
Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle
damage from concealed objects
such as rocks and stumps.
You 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, read the ªFour Wheelingº
supplement in your owner's
portfolio.HIGH
LOW AUTO
Driving
114

If your vehicle gets stuck
If the vehicle is stuck, shift the
transmission in a steady motion
between forward and reverse
gears. Allow the transmission to
engage, then press lightly on the
accelerator.
Do not rock the vehicle for
more than a few minutes. The
transmission and tires may be
damaged or the engine can
overheat.
Do not spin the wheels at
over 56 km/h (35 mph).
The tires may fail and injure a
passenger or bystander.
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.
Driving
115

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.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD)
SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
(5.0L ENGINES ONLY)
Your vehicle is equipped with a
full-time All Wheel Drive (AWD)
transfer case. Power is supplied to
all four wheels all the time with no
need to shift between two-wheel
drive and four-wheel drive.
For the lubricant specification and
refill capacity of the AWD transfer
case refer toCapacities and
specificationschapter.
Utility and four-wheel
drive vehicles arenot
designed for cornering at speeds
as high as passenger cars any
more than low-slung sports cars
are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. Avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers in these
vehicles.
Driving
118