1999 Mercury Mountaineer maintenance

Habits
²Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
²Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
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.
²Drive at reasonable speeds (traveling at 105 km /h [65 mph] uses 15%
more fuel than traveling at 88 km/h [55 mph]).
²Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
²Use of the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
²Use of 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.
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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).
²Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollover/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
²Use of fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
²Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
12±16 km (8±10 miles) of driving.
²Flat terrain driving improves fuel economy over hilly roads.
²Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
²Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
²Close windows for high speed driving.
EPA window sticker
Every new vehicle should have the EPA window sticker. Contact your
dealer if the window sticker is not supplied with your vehicle. The EPA
window sticker should be your guide for the fuel economy comparisons
with other vehicles.
It is important to note the box in the lower left corner of the window
sticker. These numbers represent the Range of Km/L (MPG) expected on
the vehicle, depending upon the driver's method of operation and
conditions.
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EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
Your vehicle is equipped with various emission control components and a
catalytic converter which will enable your vehicle to comply with
applicable exhaust emission standards. To make sure that the catalytic
converter and other emission control components continue to work
properly:
²Use only unleaded fuel.
²Avoid running out of fuel.
²Do not turn off the ignition while your vehicle is moving, especially at
high speeds.
²Have the items listed in your Scheduled Maintenance Guide performed
according to the specified schedule.
The scheduled maintenance items listed in the Scheduled Maintenance
Guide are essential to the life and performance of your vehicle and to its
emissions system.
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, ªCheck Engineº 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.
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Do not make any unauthorized changes to your vehicle or engine. By
law, vehicle owners and anyone who manufactures, repairs, items, 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 diagnostic (OBD-II) 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 OBD-II system is reset to a ªnot ready for I/M testº condition. To
ready the OBD-II 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.
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
Check the operation of the following lamps frequently:
²Headlamps
²Foglamps
²High-mount brakelamp
²Brakelamps
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²Turn signals
²License plate lamp
²Tail lamps
²Back-up lamps
Do not remove lamp bulbs unless they can be replaced immediately with
new ones. If a bulb is removed for an extended period of time,
contaminants may enter the lamp housings and affect lamp performance.
Replacing headlamp bulbs
Handle a halogen headlamp 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 the headlamps are operated.
If the bulb is accidentally touched, it should be cleaned with rubbing
alcohol before being used.
To remove the headlamp bulb:
1. Make sure headlamp switch is in
OFF position, then lift hood and
open the hinged headlamp cover.
2. Release clip and disconnect the
electrical connector from the bulb.
LIFT
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3. Remove the bulb retaining ring by
rotating it counterclockwise (when
viewed from the rear) about 1/8
turn to free it from the bulb socket,
and slide the ring off the plastic
base. Keep the ring to retain the
new bulb.
4. Remove the old bulb from the lamp assembly by gently pulling it
straight back out of the lamp assembly.
To install the new bulb:
1. With the flat side of the new
bulb's plastic base facing upward,
insert the glass end of the bulb into
the lamp assembly. You may need to
turn the bulb left or right to align
the grooves in the plastic base with
the tabs in the lamp assembly. When
the grooves are aligned, push the bulb into the lamp assembly until the
plastic base contacts the rear of the lamp assembly.
2. Install the bulb retaining ring over the plastic base until it contacts the
rear of the socket by rotating clockwise until you feel a ªstop.º
3. Install the electrical connector into the rear of the plastic base until it
snaps, locking it into position.
4. Turn the headlamps on and make sure they work properly. If the
headlamp was correctly aligned before you changed the bulb, you should
not need to align it again.
Replacing front parking lamp/turn signal bulbs
1. Remove screw from the lamp
assembly.
2. Disengage lamp assembly.
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1. Rotate bulb socket
counterclockwise about1¤4turn and
remove from lamp assembly.
2. Carefully pull bulb straight out of
socket and push in the new bulb.
3. Install bulb socket in lamp
assembly by turning clockwise.
4. Align the parking lamp assembly
and push to snap in place.
5. Install screw on lamp assembly.
Replacing tail lamp/backup lamp bulbs
The tail lamp/backup lamp bulbs are
located in the same portion of the
tail lamp assembly, one just below
the other. Follow the same steps to
replace either bulb:
1. Open the liftgate to expose the
lamp assemblies.
2. Remove the two screws from the
lamp assembly.
3. Carefully remove the lamp
assembly by pulling it rearward.
4. Twist the bulb socket
1¤4turn counterclockwise and remove from lamp
assembly.
5. Pull the bulb straight out of the socket and push in the new bulb.
6. To complete installation, follow the removal procedure in reverse
order.
Replacing foglamp bulbs
1. Remove the bulb socket from the
foglamp by turning
counterclockwise.
2. Disconnect the electrical
connector from the foglamp bulb.
3. Connect the electrical connector to the new foglamp bulb.
4. Install the bulb socket in the foglamp turning clockwise.
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License plate lamp bulbs
To change the license plate bulbs:
1. Remove two screws and the
license plate lamp assembly from
the liftgate.
2. Remove bulb socket from lamp
assembly by turning
counterclockwise.
3. Pull the bulb out from socket and
push in the new bulb.
4. Install the bulb socket in lamp
assembly turning it clockwise,
5. Install the lamp assembly on
liftgate with two screws.
High-mount brakelamp bulbs
For bulb replacement, see a dealer or qualified technician.
Using the right bulbs
Function Number of bulbs Trade number
Park/turn lamps (front) 2 3157 NAK
Headlamps 2 9007
Rear stop/tail lamps 2 3157K
Rear turn lamps 2 3156K
Rear license plate lamps 2 3156K/168
Backup lamp 2 3156K
Rear/turn/sidemarker 2 916NA
Fog lamp 2 899
Cargo lamp 1 211-2
Interior overhead lamp 1 912 (906)
Front door courtesy lamp 1 168
Map lamps 2 168 (T10)
Ashtray lamp 1 161
To replace all instrument panel lights - see your dealer.
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