1998 Mercury Villager fuse

WARNING
Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the
air bag covers that may come into contact with an inflating
air bag.
WARNING
Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the air bag
Supplemental Restraint System or its fuses. See your Ford
or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
WARNING
If you are close to an inflating air bag, it could seriously
injure you. Sit against the seatback and position your seat
such that it is as far back from the steering wheel as
possible but still allows you to properly control the vehicle.
Seating and Safety Restraints
145

Shift-lock Safety Feature
Your vehicle has a special shift-lock safety feature which prevents
you from shifting out of P (Park) without the brake pedal
depressed. To shift the transaxle out of the P (Park) position, the
ignition must be in the ON position and your foot must be
pressing on the brake pedal.
If the shift lever cannot be moved from the P (Park) position with
the brake pedal depressed:
1. Shut the engine off and remove the ignition key.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Reinsert the ignition key and turn it to the first position (OFF).
4. Depress the brake pedal, move the gearshift lever to N
(Neutral) and start the engine.
If you need to shift out of P (Park) by using the alternate
procedure described above, it is possible that a fuse has blown
and that your brakelamps may also not be functional. Please refer
to the chapter titledRoadside Emergenciesin this Owner Guide
for instructions on checking and replacing fuses.
WARNING
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE UNTIL YOU VERIFY
THAT THE BRAKELAMPS ARE WORKING.
Backing Up
Before shifting into or out of R (Reverse), you should always
come to a complete stop.
222

Trailer Brakes
Separate trailer brakes are required on most trailers weighing
over 1,500 lbs. (680 kg).
WARNING
Do not connect a trailer's hydraulic brake system directly
to your vehicle's brake system. Your vehicle may not
have enough braking power and your chances of having a
collision greatly increase.
Trailer Lamps
Make sure your trailer lamps conform to federal and local
regulations.
Class I Trailer Tow electrical wiring provides two circuits (right
hand and left hand) to operate trailer stop/turn tail lamps. Each
stop/turn circuit will operate one combination stop/turn light
bulb (# 1157, 3157, 2357, or 3357) on the trailer. Never add more than
one trailer light bulb to one circuit.
WARNING
Always replace a fuse with one that has the specified
amperage rating. Using a fuse with a higher amperage rating
can cause severe wire damage and could start a fire.
Driving
235

Trailer Tow Module (If equipped)
The trailer tow module on your vehicle (if equipped) allows
turn/stop lamp control on a trailer being towed by your vehicle.
The trailer tow package includes:
mtrailer tow module which is protected by the vehicle stop
lamp fuse
mone SAE J1239 specified connector
mone extension harness within the rear bumper
mheavy duty battery
mfull size spare
If you need further assistance in wiring a trailer to your vehicle,
contact your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Driving While You Tow
Be especially careful when driving while you tow a trailer. Never
drive faster than 45 mph (70 km/h) when you tow in hilly
country on hot days. Also, anticipate stops so that you can brake
gradually.
If you use the speed control while you are towing on very long,
steep grades, the speed control may shut off automatically.
This is caused by the decrease of vehicle speed 5 mph (8 km/h)
lower than set speed.
When descending a steep grade with a trailer, operate in Drive
rather than Overdrive. If additional braking is needed, shift into 2
(Second) or 1 (First) gear.
Servicing Your Vehicle If You Tow
If you tow a trailer for a long distance, your vehicle will need to
be serviced more frequently than usual. See theMaintenance
Schedulebooklet in the Owner's portfolio.
236

Fuses, Fuse Links and Circuit Breakers
Fuses, fuse links and circuit breakers protect your vehicle's
electrical system from overloading. If electrical parts in your vehicle
are not working, the system may have been overloaded
causing a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. Before you
replace or repair any electrical parts, check the appropriate fuses
or circuit breakers.
The following charts tell you which fuses or circuit breakers
protect each electrical part of your vehicle. If a fuse blows or a
circuit breaker trips (opens) a circuit, all the parts of your vehicle
that use that circuit will not work.
Once you have determined which fuses or circuit breakers to
check, follow the procedures underChecking and replacing fusesor
Checking and replacing circuit breakerslater in this chapter.
NOTE: Fuse links should only be repaired by your Ford or
Lincoln-Mercury dealer.
Roadside Emergencies
243

Checking and Replacing Fuses
If you need to check a fuse, find the fuse panel for the electrical
system, which is located under the instrument panel, and
follow these steps:
1. To remove the fuse panel cover, pull down on the fuse panel
cover handle.
The instrument panel fuse panel
244

2. On the fuse panel cover, find the number of the fuse you want
to check. The diagram on the cover tells you where to locate
the fuse on the panel.
The fuse panel cover
Roadside Emergencies
245

3. Check the fuse to see if it is blown. Look through the clear side
of the fuse to see if the metal wire inside is separated. If it is,
the fuse is blown and should be replaced.
Fuse puller tool and fuse
248