1998 Mercury Mystique Owner's Manuals

Maintenance and care
177 Waxing 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.
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Maintenance and care
178Repairing 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.
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Maintenance and care
179 Cleaning 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.
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Maintenance and care
180Cleaning 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.
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Maintenance and care
181 Cleaning 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
POWERAUDIOAM/FM
SCAN
SEEK 312645ANSSIDE1-2EJECTVOLUME
MIRRORSDEFLO
HIOFFPNL/FLR
PANEL
A/CFLOOR
FLR
DEF

MAX
A/C
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:
I0 20
Off
ResSet
AccCoast
On
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.
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Maintenance and care
182 Cleaning and caring for your
vehicle
Refer to the “Customer Assistance
Guide” for a list of Ford-approved
cleaners, polishes and waxes.
Cleaning and maintaining the
safety belts
Clean the safety belts with a mild
soap solution recommended for
cleaning upholstery or carpets and
warm water. Do not bleach or dye
the belts, because these actions
may weaken the belt webbing.
Check the safety belt system
periodically to make sure there are
no nicks, wear or cuts.
Ford recommends that all
safety belt assemblies and
attaching hardware should be
inspected by a qualified technician
after any collision. Safety belt
assemblies not in use during a
collision should also be inspected
and replaced if either damage or
improper operation is noted.
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Capacities and specifications
183
*Refer to Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) decal for spark plug
and gap specifications.
**If a spark plug is removed for examination, it must be reinstalled in the same
cylinder. If a spark plug needs to be replaced, use only spark plugs with the
service part number suffix letter “FE” as shown on the engine decal.
Motorcraft parts
Component
Spark plug*
Air filter
Passenger compartment
air filter
Fuel filter
Oil filter
Battery
PCVvalve
Crankcase ventilation
filter2.0 litre engine
AZFS-22F # 1+2**
AZFS-22FE# 3+4
FA-1612
FP4
FG-800A
FL-2005
BXT-40R
EV-224
FA-1621
2.5 litre engine
AWSF-32F
FA-1613
FP4
FG-800A
FL-820
BXT-40R
EV-152
—
Part number
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Engine oil
- with filter
- without
Manual transaxle2.6 l (2.7 qts)
Automatic transaxle
with oil cooler
Power steering
Cooling system with heating
Windshield washer fluid
Fuel tank
Braking system4.25 l (4.5 qts)
3.75 l (4.0 qts)
8.5 l (9.0 qts.)
6.6 l (7.0 qts)*
7.1 l (7.5 qts)**Fill to MAX mark
Fill to top of reservoir
61.5 l (16.2 gallons)
Fill to MAX mark5.5 l (5.8 qts)
5.0 l (5.3 qts)
9.6 l (10.2 qts)
9.5 l (10.0 qts)*
9.7 l (10.2 qts)**
* Total capacity
** with automatic transaxle
Capacities2.0 litre
engine2.5 litre
engine
Capacities and specifications
184
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