1999 FORD ESCORT check engine

Fuel Filler Cap
Your fuel tank filler cap has an indexed design with a 1/8 turn on/off
feature.
When fueling your vehicle:
1. Turn the engine off.
2. Carefully turn the filler cap counterclockwise 1/8 of a turn until it
stops.
3. Pull to remove the cap from the fuel filler pipe.
4. To install the cap, align the tabs on the cap with the notches on the
filler pipe.
5. Turn the filler cap clockwise 1/8 of a turn until it stops.
If the ªService Engine Soon/Check Engineº indicator comes on and stays
on when you start the engine, the fuel filler cap may not be properly
installed. Turn off the engine, remove the fuel filler cap, align the cap
properly and reinstall it.
If you must replace the fuel filler cap, replace it with a fuel filler
cap that is designed for your vehicle. The customer warranty may
be void for any damage to the fuel tank or fuel system if the
correct genuine Ford or Motorcraft fuel filler cap is not used.
The fuel system may be under pressure. If the fuel filler cap is
venting vapor or if you hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops
before completely removing the fuel filler cap. Otherwise, fuel may
spray out and injure you or others.
If you do not use the proper fuel filler cap, excessive pressure or
vacuum in the fuel tank may damage the fuel system or cause
the fuel system to work improperly in a collision, which may result in
possible personal injury.
Choosing the right fuel
Use only UNLEADED FUEL. The use of leaded fuel is prohibited by law
and could damage your vehicle.
Do not use fuel containing methanol. It can damage critical fuel system
components.
Maintenance and care
154

²Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
²Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
²Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
²Slow down gradually.
²Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 88 km/h [55 mph] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 105 km/h [65 mph]).
²Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
²Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
²Using speed control (if equipped) may improve fuel economy. Speed
control can help maintain a constant speed and reduce speed changes.
You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain as
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gears may occur and
could result in reduced fuel economy.
²Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
²Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
²Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
²Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
²Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
²Use recommended engine oil. Refer toLubricant Specifications.
²Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in your vehicle Scheduled Maintenance Guide.
Conditions
²Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
²Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
2 km/h [1 mpg] is lost for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
Maintenance and care
158

If other than Ford, Motorcraft or Ford-authorized parts are used for
maintenance replacements or for service of components affecting
emission control, such non-Ford parts should be equivalent to genuine
Ford Motor Company parts in performance and durability.
Do not park, idle, or drive your vehicle in dry grass or other dry
ground cover. The emission system heats up the engine
compartment and exhaust system, which can start a fire.
Illumination of the charging system warning light, ªService Engine Soonº
light or the temperature warning light, fluid leaks, strange odors, smoke
or loss of oil pressure, could indicate that the emission control system is
not working properly.
Exhaust leaks may result in entry of harmful and potentially
lethal fumes into the passenger compartment.
Do not make any unauthorized changes to your vehicle or engine. By
law, vehicle owners and anyone who manufactures, repairs, services,
sells, leases, trades vehicles, or supervises a fleet of vehicles are not
permitted to intentionally remove an emission control device or prevent
it from working. Information about your vehicle's emission system is on
the Vehicle Emission Control Information Decal located on or near the
engine. This decal identifies engine displacement and gives some tune up
specifications.
Please consult your ªWarranty Guideº for complete emission warranty
information.
Readiness for Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) testing
In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to pass an I/M test of
the on-board diagnostics system. If your ªCheck Engine/Service Engine
Soonº light is on, refer to the description in theWarning Lights and
Chimessection of theInstrumentationchapter. Your vehicle may not
pass the I/M test with the ªCheck Engine/Service Engine Soonº light on.
If the vehicle's powertrain system or its battery has just been serviced,
the on-board diagnostics system is reset to a ªnot ready for I/M testº
condition. To ready the on-board diagnostics system for I/M testing, a
minimum of 30 minutes of city and highway driving is necessary as
described below:
²First, at least 10 minutes of driving on an expressway or highway.
Maintenance and care
160

²Next, at least 20 minutes driving in stop-and-go, city-type traffic with
at least four idle periods.
Allow the vehicle to sit for at least eight hours without starting the
engine. Then, start the engine and complete the above driving cycle. The
engine must warm up to its normal operating temperature. Once started,
do not turn off the engine until the above driving cycle is complete.
EXTERIOR BULBS
Replacing exterior bulbs
It is a good idea to check the operation of the following lights frequently:
²Headlamps
²Turn signals
²Foglamps (if equipped)
²High-mount brakelamp
²Tail lamps
²Brakelamps
²Backup lamps
²License plate lamp
²Hazard flashers
Do not remove lamp bulbs unless they will be replaced immediately. If a
bulb is removed for an extended period of time, contaminants may enter
the lamp housings and affect performance.
Handle a halogen bulb carefully and keep out of children's reach.
Grasp the bulb only by its plastic base and do not touch the
glass; the oil from your hand could cause the bulb to break the next
time that the headlamps are operated.
Maintenance and care
161

theft alarms - that are equipped with radio transmitters. Any such
equipment installed in your vehicle should comply with FCC or CRTC
regulations and should be installed only by a qualified service
technician.
²Mobile communications systems may harm the operation of your
vehicle, particularly if they are not properly designed for automotive
use or are not properly installed. When operated, such systems may
cause the engine to stumble or stall. In addition, such systems may be
damaged or their performance may be affected by operating your
vehicle. (Citizens band [CB] transceivers, garage door openers and
other transmitters with outputs of five watts or less will not ordinarily
affect your vehicle's operation.)
²Ford cannot assume responsibility for any adverse effects or damage
that may result from the use of such equipment.
ORDERING ADDITIONAL OWNER'S LITERATURE
To order the publications in this portfolio in the United States:
Make checks payable to:
HELM, INCORPORATED
P.O. Box 07150
Detroit, Michigan 48207
For a free publication catalog, order toll free: 1-800-782-4356
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST,
for credit card holders only
To order the publications in this portfolio in Canada:
Make cheques payable to:
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd.
Service Publications
P.O. Box 1580, Station B
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L4Y 4G3
or order toll free: 1-800-387-4966
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST,
for credit card holder orders only
Customer assistance
192

Air bag supplemental
restraint system ..........................71
and child safety seats ..............73
description ................................71
disposal ......................................75
driver air bag ............................73
indicator light ........................8,75
operation ...................................73
passenger air bag .....................73
Air cleaner filter ................146,174
Air conditioning ..........................37
Anti-theft system ...................58,59
arming the system ....................59
disarming a
triggered system ..................59,60
disarming an untriggered
system .......................................59
warning light ...............................9
Automatic transaxle ...................95
driving with ...............................97
fluid, refill capacities ..............174
fluid, specification ..................176
Battery .......................................144
acid, treating emergencies .....144
charging system
warning light .............................10
jumping a disabled battery ....117
maintenance-free ....................144
replacement, specifications ...174
servicing ..................................144
Brakes ..........................................89
anti-lock ................................89,90
anti-lock brake system
(ABS) warning light ..............9,89
brake warning light ....................8
fluid, checking and adding ....134
fluid, refill capacities ..............174
fluid, specifications ..........175,176
lubricant specifications ...175,176
parking ......................................90
shift interlock ............................95
Break-in period .............................2Capacities for refilling fluids ....174
Cargo cover .................................54
Child safety restraints ................76
child safety belts ......................76
child safety seats ......................77
Child safety seats ........................77
attaching with tether straps ....80
built-in child seat .....................77
in front seat ..............................78
in rear seat ................................78
tether anchorage
hardware ..............................80,81
Cleaning your vehicle ...............169
engine compartment ..............171
exterior ....................................170
exterior lamps .........................172
instrument panel ....................172
interior .....................................173
plastic parts ............................172
safety belts ..............................173
washing ....................................170
waxing .....................................170
wheels ......................................171
wiper blades ............................172
Clock ..................................19,25,33
Clutch
fluid ..........................................135
operation while driving ............92
recommended shift speeds ......94
Coolant ........................137,139,140
checking and adding ..............138
refill capacities .................139,174
specifications ...................175,176
Customer Assistance ................181
Ford accessories
for your vehicle ......................188
Ford Extended
Service Plan ............................182
Getting assistance outside the
U.S. and Canada .....................187
Getting roadside assistance ...181
Index
194

Getting the
service you need ....................183
Ordering additional
owner's literature ...................192
The Dispute Settlement
Board .......................................184
Defrost
rear window ..............................42
Dipstick
engine oil .................................130
Driving under special
conditions
through water .........................102
Emergencies, roadside
jump-starting ..........................117
Emission control system ..........159
Engine .................................176,177
check engine/
service engine soon light ...........7
coolant .....................................137
idle speed control ...................144
lubrication
specifications ...................175,176
refill capacities ........................174
service points ...................129,130
starting after a collision .........105
Engine block heater ...................87
Engine oil ..................................130
checking and adding .......130,132
dipstick ....................................130
filter, specifications .........133,174
recommendations ...................133
refill capacities .................130,174
specifications .....130,133,175,176
Exhaust fumes ............................87
Floor mats ...................................54
Fluid capacities .........................174
Foglamps .....................................44
Fuel ............................................152
calculating fuel economy .......156
cap ...........................................154
capacity ...................................174choosing the right fuel ...........154
comparisons with EPA fuel
economy estimates .................159
detergent in fuel .....................155
filling your vehicle
with fuel ....................152,154,156
filter, specifications .........156,174
fuel pump
shut-off switch ...................54,105
gauge .........................................12
improving fuel economy ........156
low fuel warning light ................7
octane rating .............155,176,177
quality ......................................155
running out of fuel .................155
safety information relating to
automotive fuels .....................152
Fuses ..........................................107
Gas cap (see Fuel cap) ............154
Gas mileage
(see Fuel economy) .................156
Gauges .........................................11
engine coolant
temperature gauge ...................12
fuel gauge ..................................12
odometer ...................................13
speedometer .............................13
tachometer ................................13
trip odometer ............................13
GAWR
(Gross Axle Weight Rating) .....100
definition .................................100
driving with a heavy load ......100
location ....................................100
GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating) .............100
calculating ...............................100
definition .................................100
driving with a heavy load ......100
location ....................................100
Hazard flashers .........................105
Head restraints ...........................61
Index
195

Headlamps ...................................42
aiming ...............................168,169
bulb specifications ..................167
daytime running lights .............43
flash to pass ..............................43
high beam ..............................9,43
replacing bulbs .......................162
turning on and off ....................42
warning chime ..........................10
Heating ........................................37
heater only system ...................37
heating and air
conditioning system .................39
Hood ..........................................127
Ignition ................................176,177
positions of the ignition ...........42
Infant seats
(see Safety seats) .......................77
Inspection/
maintenance (I/M) testing .......160
Instrument panel ..........................6
cleaning ...................................172
lighting up panel
and interior ...............................14
location of components ..............6
Jump-starting your vehicle ......117
Keys
key in ignition chime ...............10
positions of the ignition ...........42
Lamps
cargo lamps ...............................14
daytime running light ...............43
fog lamps ...................................44
headlamps ..........................42,162
headlamps, flash to pass ..........43
instrument panel, dimming .....14
interior lamps ....................51,167
replacing bulbs ..161,164,165,166
Lane change indicator
(see Turn signal) ........................43
Lights, warning and indicator ......6
air bag ..........................................8anti-lock brakes (ABS) .........9,89
anti-theft .....................................9
brake ............................................8
charging system ........................10
high beam ...................................9
liftgate ajar ................................10
low fuel ........................................7
oil pressure ...............................10
safety belt ...................................8
service engine soon ....................7
turn signal indicator ...................9
Load limits .................................100
GAWR ......................................100
GVWR ......................................100
trailer towing ..........................100
Locks
childproof ..................................52
Lubricant specifications ....175,176
Manual transaxle .........................92
fluid capacities ........................174
lubricant specifications ..........176
reverse .......................................95
Mirrors
side view mirrors (power) .......14
Moon roof ....................................50
Motorcraft parts .................156,174
Octane rating ............................155
Odometer .....................................13
Panic alarm feature, remote
entry system ................................57
Parking brake ..............................90
Parts (see Motorcraft parts) ....174
Power distribution box
(see Fuses) ...............................110
Power door locks ........................52
Power steering ............................91
fluid, checking and adding ....140
fluid, refill capacity ................174
fluid, specifications ..........175,176
Radio ............................................15
Relays .................................107,113
Remote entry system ............55,57
Index
196