1998 Mercury Villager instrument panel

mDo not place objects under the front seats unless your vehicle
is equipped with an underseat storage compartment.
Improperly stored objects will interfere with the flow of air to
the back seats.
mRemove any snow, ice, or leaves from the area below the
windshield on the outside of your vehicle. They could block the
air intake.
Heating and Air Conditioning System (If equipped)
Turning on the heat
You can heat the inside of your vehicle and defrost the
windshield using the function selector buttons located in the
control assembly in the instrument panel.
The six function selector buttons are: OFF, Mix (
), Defrost
(
), Panel (), Panel/Floor (), and Floor (). If your
vehicle is equipped with a rear seat climate control system, the
instrument panel will also include a rear seat climate control lever.
To turn on the rear passenger compartment control system,
select REAR, 1, 2, 3, or 4. With the lever set to REAR, rear seat
passengers will have control of rear fan speed on the rear seat
climate control panel. Positions 1, 2, 3, or 4 will control rear
fan speed from the front control panel. The temperature of the air
from the rear system is controlled by the rear passenger
compartment climate control system.
Controls and Features
61

Turning on the air conditioner
To cool your vehicle quickly in warm weather:
1. Press one of the function selector buttons (typically Panel, but
Panel/Floor, Floor or Mix can be selected).
2. Turn the temperature control knob to COOL.
3. Press the A/C button. The indicator light on the A/C button
will illuminate.
4. The air intake selector button may be in the outside air mode
or the recirculated air mode. The outside air mode is
recommended for best A/C performance when the vehicle
interior is very warm. As interior air comfort is reached, you
may decide to switch to the recirculated air mode.
5. Turn the fan speed knob to the position of your choice.
6. If your vehicle is equipped with the rear passenger compartment
air conditioning unit, it will be on when the front A/C is on
and the rear climate control lever is set to REAR, 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Refer to the previous section for an explanation of the
heating system.
7. Adjust your instrument panel registers.
8. If the inside of your vehicle is very warm, you may want to
drive for a few minutes with the windows down and the air
conditioner on. This forces most of the hot, stale air out of the
vehicle and allows the air conditioner to cool down the
interior more quickly.
The air conditioner may be used to cool the outside air being
drawn into your vehicle, but using recirculated air is more
economical and cools your vehicle more quickly.
Controls and Features
63

NOTE: The A/C button independently toggles the A/C system's
compressor signal and indicator light ON and OFF in
the Panel, Panel/Floor, Floor, Defrost and Mix functions.
The A/C button will not operate or light when the
system is set in the OFF position. The A/C button will
operate in defrost but will not override previously
discussed automatic operation.
Cooling your vehicle with outside air
Cooling your vehicle with air conditioned outside air is quieter
but less economical than using recirculated air. It also has less
cooling capacity.
To cool your vehicle using outside air:
1. Turn the air intake selector button off (the outside air
position). The air conditioning unit directs outside air through
the instrument panel registers.
2. Press one of the function selector buttons.
3. Press the A/C button. The indicator light on the A/C button
will illuminate.
4. Turn the temperature control knob to COOL.
5. Turn the fan speed knob to the position of your choice.
6. Make sure the registers in the instrument panel are open.
During periods of high humidity, vapor may be emitted from the
air outlets when using the A/C with outside air. Correct this
by switching to recirculated air with the A/C button.
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NOTE: The compressor will not operate when the outside
temperature is less than about 40É F (4É C).
Rear Passenger Compartment Climate Control System
for Vehicles with Non-Automatic Temperature
Control Systems (If equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped with rear passenger compartment
climate controls, the rear seat occupants can select their own
personal climate comfort level.
The rear seat climate control system is controlled from the main
climate control system on the instrument panel. If the main
system is off, the rear system will also be off. If the rear passenger
compartment climate control lever is set in OFF, the rear
climate controls are turned off. If the lever is set in any of the fan
speed positions (1-4), air will be discharged from the rear seat
vents at the corresponding speed. However, when the lever is set
at REAR, rear seat passengers can control their own fan speed.
The rear passenger compartment climate control system has a fan
speed knob which controls the speed at which air is
discharged from the vents. The vent selection switch determines
whether the air is discharged from the upper vents or the
lower (floor) vents. The temperature control knob controls the air
temperature.
66

NOTE: For maximum heating and cooling for front seat
passengers, set the rear fan switch to the OFF position.
Automatic Temperature Control System
The control for your Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) is
located at the center of the instrument panel above the radio. The
ATC operates only when the ignition key is turned to the ON
position and the engine is running.
To turn the ATC on, push the AUTOMATIC button or any of the
five airflow function selector buttons:
,,,,
or
.
To turn the ATC off, press the OFF button.
To change the temperature in the display window, select any
temperature between 65É F (18É C) and 85É F (29É C) using
the
TEMPbutton.
Rear seat climate control system panel
Controls and Features
67

Press this button to obtain maximum airflow to the windshield.
Adjust the temperature setting as required for defrosting. The
indicator light illuminates and the display window shows
the set temperature. When the outside temperature is about 50É F
(10É C) the air conditioning functions in order to dehumidify
the air to prevent window fogging.
Push this button to select airflow through the instrument panel
registers. The
indicator light illuminates and the display
window shows the set temperature. The ATC heats the air if the
selected temperature is warmer than the outside air coming
into the vehicle. However, the air is not cooled below the
temperature outside of the vehicle regardless of the temperature
setting unless the A/C button is pushed.
Push this button for air from the floor and instrument panel
registers at the same time. The
indicator light illuminates and
the display window shows the set temperature. The ATC heats
the air if the selected temperature is warmer than the outside air
coming into the vehicle. However, the air is not cooled below
the temperature outside of the vehicle regardless of the temperature
setting unless the A/C button is pushed.
Push this button to direct airflow to the floor. Theindicator light
illuminates and the display window shows the set temperature.
The ATC heats the air if the selected temperature is warmer than the
outside air coming into the vehicle. However, the air is not cooled
below the temperature outside of the vehicle regardless of the
temperature setting unless the A/C button is pushed.
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Air Conditioning and Air Recirculation
Activate the air conditioning in any of the function selector
override modes by pressing the A/C button. The A/C indicator
light on the button illuminates to verify activation, and
cooled air flows from the vents. Fan speed continues to be
controlled by the ATC unless the fan speed dial is used to override
the ATC.
Press the
button to choose air recirculation. In this mode the
ATC system recirculates the air inside the vehicle rather than
drawing air from outside. Use this mode together with the air
conditioning to rapidly cool the inside of the vehicle or to
dehumidify the air inside the vehicle.
Rear Passenger Compartment Climate Control System
with Front Passenger ATC
If your vehicle is equipped with ATC, the rear passenger
compartment will also have climate controls so that rear seat
occupants can select their own personal climate comfort level.
The rear seat climate control system is controlled from the main
ATC system on the instrument panel. If the front ATC system
is off, the rear system will also be off. Also, if the rear seat climate
control lever is set in OFF, the rear climate controls are turned
off.
Controls and Features
73

Liftgate Window Features
Rear Window Defogger (If equipped)
The defogger for the rear liftgate window clears frost, fog, or thin
ice from both the inside and outside of the rear window. The
defogger operates with the ignition in the ON position.
If your vehicle is equipped with heated rearview mirrors, they
activate when the rear window defogger is switched on.
The control switch is located on the instrument panel to the right
of the steering column.
Before using the defogger, clear away any snow that is on the rear
window and outside rearview mirrors. With the engine
running, push the defroster button.
After approximately 10 minutes, the defroster will turn off. If the
window or mirrors are still not clear, turn the defroster on
again.
Rear window defogger switch location
Controls and Features
75