1999 FORD ESCORT fuel cap

Low fuel
Illuminates as an early reminder of a
low fuel condition indicated on the
fuel gauge. The light comes on when
there is approximately 1/16th of a
tank indicated on the fuel gauge
(refer toFuel gaugein this chapter for more information). The ignition
must be in the ON position for this lamp to illuminate. The lamp will also
illuminate for several seconds after the ignition is turned to the ON
position regardless of the fuel level.
Service engine soon
Your vehicle is equipped with a
computer that monitors the engine's
emission control system. This
system is commonly known as the
On Board Diagnostics System (OBD
II). The OBD II system protects the
environment by ensuring that your vehicle continues to meet
government emission standards. The OBD II system also assists the
service technician in properly servicing your vehicle.
TheService Engine Soonindicator light illuminates when the ignition is
first turned to the ON position to check the bulb. If it comes on after the
engine is started, one of the engine's emission control systems may be
malfunctioning. The light may illuminate without a driveability concern being
noted. The vehicle will usually be drivable and will not require towing.
What you should do if the Service Engine Soon light illuminates
Light turns on solid:
This means that the OBD II system has detected a malfunction.
Temporary malfunctions may cause yourService Engine Soonlight to
illuminate. Examples are:
1.
The vehicle has run out of fuel. (The engine may misfire or run poorly.)
2. Poor fuel quality or water in the fuel.
3. The fuel cap may not have been properly installed and securely
tightened.
These temporary malfunctions can be corrected by filling the fuel tank
with good quality fuel and/or properly installing and securely tightening
the gas cap. After three driving cycles without these or any other
LOW
FUEL
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Instrumentation
7

Fuel gauge
Displays approximately how much
fuel is in the fuel tank (when the
key is in the ON position). The fuel
gauge may vary slightly when the
vehicle is in motion. The ignition
should be in the OFF position while
the vehicle is being refueled. When
the gauge first indicates empty,
there is a small amount of reserve
fuel in the tank. When refueling the
vehicle from empty indication, the
amount of fuel that can be added will be less than the advertised
capacity due to the reserve fuel.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
Indicates the temperature of the
engine coolant. At normal operating
temperature, the needle remains
within the normal area (the area
between the ªHº and ªCº). If it enters
the red section, the engine is
overheating. Stop the vehicle as soon
as safely possible, switch off the
engine immediately and let the engine
cool. Refer toEngine coolantin the
Maintenance and carechapter.
Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the engine is
running or hot.
This gauge indicates the temperature of the engine coolant, not the
coolant level. If the coolant is not at its proper level the gauge indication
will not be accurate.
FUEL
FILL
EF
1
2 /
CH
Instrumentation
12

When lifting a plastic-cased battery, excessive pressure on the
end walls could cause acid to flow through the vent caps,
resulting in personal injury and/or damage to the vehicle or battery.
Lift the battery with a battery carrier or with your hands on opposite
corners.
Keep batteries out of reach of children. Batteries contain sulfuric
acid. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Shield your eyes
when working near the battery to protect against possible splashing of
acid solution. In case of acid contact with skin or eyes, flush
immediately with water for a minimum of 15 minutes and get prompt
medical attention. If acid is swallowed, call a physician immediately.
Because your vehicle's engine is electronically controlled by a computer,
some control conditions are maintained by power from the battery. When
the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must
relearn its idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and
performance. To begin this process:
1. Set your parking brake.
2. Put the gearshift in P (Park) (automatic transaxle) or the neutral
position (manual transaxle), turn off all accessories and start the engine.
3. Let the engine idle for at least one minute.
4. The relearning process will automatically complete as you drive the
vehicle.
²The vehicle may need to be driven 16 km (10 miles) or more to
relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy.
²If you do not allow the engine to relearn its idle trim, the idle quality
of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle trim is
eventually relearned.
If the battery has been disconnected or a new battery has been installed,
the clock and the preset radio stations must be reset once the battery is
reconnected.
Maintenance and care
145

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
Important safety precautions
Do not overfill the fuel tank. The pressure in an overfilled tank
may cause leakage and lead to fuel spray and fire.
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.
Automotive fuels can cause serious injury or death if misused or
mishandled.
Observe the following guidelines when handling automotive fuel:
²Extinguish all smoking materials
and any open flames before
fueling your vehicle.
²Always turn off the vehicle before
fueling.
²Automotive fuels can be harmful
or fatal if swallowed. Fuel such as
gasoline is highly toxic and if
swallowed can cause death or
permanent injury. If fuel is
swallowed, call a physician immediately, even if no symptoms are
immediately apparent. The toxic effects of fuel may not be visible for
hours.
²Avoid inhaling fuel vapors. Inhaling too much fuel vapor of any kind
can lead to eye and respiratory tract irritation. In severe cases,
excessive or prolonged breathing of fuel vapor can cause serious
illness and permanent injury.
Maintenance and care
152

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

²Your ªService Engine Soonº indicator may come on. For more
information on the ªService Engine Soonº indicator, refer to the
Instrumentationchapter.
Fuel Filter
For fuel filter replacement, see your dealer or a qualified service
technician. Refer to the Scheduled Maintenance Guide for the
appropriate intervals for changing the fuel filter.
Replace the fuel filter with an authorized Motorcraft part. The
customer warranty may be void for any damage to the fuel system
if an authorized Motorcraft fuel filter is not used.
ESSENTIALS OF GOOD FUEL ECONOMY
Measuring techniques
Your best source of information about actual fuel economy is you, the
driver. You must gather information as accurately and consistently as
possible. Fuel expense, frequency of fillups or fuel gauge readings are
NOT accurate as a measure of fuel economy. We do not recommend
taking fuel economy measurements during the first 1 600 km (1 000
miles) of driving (engine break-in period). You will get a more accurate
measurement after 3 000 km±5 000 km (2 000 miles-3 000 miles).
Filling the tank
The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your vehicle is equal to
the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank as listed in theRefill Capacities
chart in this ªOwner Guideº. The advertised capacity is the amount of
the Indicated Capacity and the Empty Reserve combined. Indicated
Capacity is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank
when the fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty Reserve is the small amount
of usable fuel remaining in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates
empty.
The amount of Empty Reserve varies and should not be relied
upon to increase driving range. When refueling your vehicle after
the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be able to refuel
the full amount of the advertised capacity of the fuel tank due to
the empty reserve still present in the tank.
For consistent results when filling the fuel tank:
²Use the same filling rate setting (low Ð medium Ð high) each time
the tank is filled.
Maintenance and care
156

MOTOCRAFT PART NUMBERS
Component 2.0L SOHC I4 engine 2.0L DOHC Zetec engine
Air filter element FA-1643 FA-1643
Fuel filter FG-862 FG-862
Battery BXT-58 BXT-58
Oil filter FL-400±A FL-2005
PCV valve EV-224 EV-224
Spark plugs* AGSF-34EE** AZFS-32PP**
* Refer to Vehicle Emissions Control Information (VECI) decal for spark
plug gap information.
** If a spark plug is removed for inspection, it must be reinstalled in the
same cylinder.If a spark plug needs to be replaced, use only spark plugs
with the same service part number suffix letter as shown on the engine
decal.
REFILL CAPACITIES
FluidFord Part
NameApplication Capacity
Brake fluid High
Performance
DOT 3 Motor
Vehicle Brake
FluidAll Fill to line on
reservoir
Engine coolant
1Premium Engine
CoolantAutomatic
transaxles6.0L
(6.3 quarts)
Manual
transaxles5.0L
(5.3 quarts)
Engine oil
(includes filter
change)Motorcraft
5W-30 Super
Premium Motor
OilZX2 4.25L
(4.5 quarts)
Sedan/wagon 3.8L
(4.0 quarts)
Fuel tank
capacityN/A All 48.5L
(12.8 gallons)
Power steering
fluidMotorcraft
MERCONtAT FAll Fill to line on
reservoir
Capacities and specifications
174

ItemFord Part
Name or
EquivalentFord Part
NumberFord
Specification
Constant
velocity jointsCV Joint Grease
(High Temp.)E43Z-19590-A ESP-M1C207-A
Engine coolant
1Ford Premium
Engine CoolantE2FZ-19549-AA
(in Oregon,
F5FZ-19549-CC,
in Canada,
Motorcraft
CXC-10)ESE-M97B44-A
Power steering
fluidMotorcraft
MERCONtAT FXT-2-QDX MERCONt
Windshield
washer fluidUltra-Clear
Windshield
Washer
ConcentrateC9AZ-19550-AC ESR-M17P5-A
1DO NOT USE Ford Extended Life Engine Coolant F6AZ-19544-AA,
meeting Ford specification WSS-M97B44-D (orange in color) Refer to
Adding engine coolant,in theMaintenance and Carechapter.
ENGINE DATA
Engine 2.0L SOHC I4
engine2.0L DOHC Zetec
engine
Cubic inches 121 121
Horsepower 110 @ 5000 rpm 130 @ 5750 rpm
Torque 125 lb.-ft.
@ 3750 rpm127 lb.-ft. @ 4250 rpm
Required fuel 87 octane 87 octane
Firing order 1-3-4-2 1-3-4-2
Spark plug gap 1.3-1.4 mm
(0.052-0.056 inch)1.22-1.32 mm
(0.048-0.052 inch)
Ignition system DIS DIS
Compression ratio 9.2:1 9.6:1
Capacities and specifications
176