1999 Mercury Sable fuel

If you do not use the proper fuel cap, the
pressure in the fuel tank can damage the
fuel system or cause it to work improperly in a
collision.
The fuel system may be under pressure. If
the fuel cap is venting vapor or if you hear a
hissing sound, wait until it stops before completely
removing the cap.
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.
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²Avoid getting fuel liquid in your eyes. If fuel is
splashed in the eyes, remove contact lenses (if
worn), flush with water for 15 minutes and seek
medical attention. Failure to seek proper medical
attention could lead to permanent injury.
²Fuels can also be harmful if absorbed through the
skin. If fuel is splashed on the skin and/or
clothing, promptly remove contaminated clothing
and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water.
Repeated or prolonged skin contact with fuel
liquid or vapor causes skin irritation.
²Be particularly careful if you are taking
ªAntabuseº or other forms of disulfiram for the
treatment of alcoholism. Breathing gasoline
vapors, or skin contact could cause an adverse
reaction. In sensitive individuals, serious personal
injury or sickness may result. If fuel is splashed
on the skin, promptly wash skin thoroughly with
soap and water. Consult a physician immediately
if you experience an adverse reaction.
Fuel Filler Cap
Your fuel tank filler cap has an indexed design with
a one-eighth 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 and
reinstall it being careful to align the cap properly.
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159

If you must replace the fuel filler cap, replace
it with a genuine Ford or Motorcraft part. The
customer warranty may be void for any damage
to the fuel tank or fuel system if a 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,
the pressure in the fuel tank can damage
the fuel system or cause it to work improperly in a
collision.
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 gasolines containing methanol. It can
damage critical fuel systems components.
Vehicles certified to meet California emission
standards (indicated on the underhood Vehicle
Emissions Control Information label) are designed to
operate on California cleaner-burning, low-sulfur
gasolines. If you have a California-certified vehicle
and California cleaner-burning gasoline is not
available when you refuel, your engine should
perform adequately. However, the performance of
the emission control devices and systems may be
adversely affected. In New York and Massachusetts,
which have adopted California's emission standards
without requiring the sale of California
cleaner-burning gasoline, repairs to correct the
effects of using non-California fuel may not be
covered by the emissions warranty.
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160

Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel or fuel
additives with metallic compounds, including
manganese-based compounds containing (MMT).
Repairs to correct the effects of using a fuel for
which your vehicle was not designed may not be
covered by your warranty.
Octane recommendations
Your vehicle is
designed to use
ªRegularº unleaded
gasoline with an
(R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. We do not recommend
the use of gasolines labeled as ªRegularº that are
sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in high
altitude areas.
Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes
knocks lightly. However, if it knocks heavily under
most driving conditions while you are using fuel with
the recommended octane rating, see your dealer or
a qualified service technician to prevent any engine
damage.
Fuel quality
If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or
hesitation driveability problems during a cold start,
try a different brand of ªRegularº unleaded gasoline.
ªPremiumº unleaded gasoline is not recommended
(particularly in the United States) because it may
cause these problems to become more pronounced.
If the problems persist, see your dealer or a qualified
service technician.
It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket
products to your fuel tank if you continue to use a
high-quality fuel.
Cleaner air
Ford approves the use of gasolines to improve air
quality, including reformulated gasolines that contain
oxygenates up to 10% ethanol or 15% MTBE.
87(R+M)/2 METHOD
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161

Running out of fuel
Avoid running out fuel because this situation may
have an adverse affect on modern powertrain
components.
If you have run out of fuel:
²You may need to crank the engine several times
before the system starts to pump fuel from the
tank to the engine.
²Your ªService Engine Soonº light may come on.
For more information on the ªService Engine
Soonº light, refer to theInstrumentationchapter.
Fuel Filter
Your vehicle is equipped with a fuel filter that is
mounted on the underbody.
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.
If you replace the fuel filter, replace it 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).
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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 the Refill Capacities chart in this
ªOwner Guide.º 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.
Filling the tank
For consistent results:
²Use the same filling rate setting (low Ð medium
Ð high) each time the tank is filled.
²Allow three automatic click-offs when filling.
²Always use the recommended octane rating of a
known quality gasoline, preferably a national
brand.
²Use the same side of the same pump and have
the vehicle facing the same direction each time
you fill up.
²Have the vehicle loading and distribution the
same every time.
Your results will be most accurate if your filling
method is consistent.
Calculating fuel economy
1. Fill the fuel tank completely and record the initial
odometer reading.
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163

2. Each time you fill the tank, record the amount of
fuel added (in liters or gallons).
3. After at least three to five tank fill-ups, fill the
fuel tank and record the current kilometer (mileage)
reading.
4. Follow one of the simple calculations in order to
determine fuel economy:
Multiply liters used by 100, then divide by total
kilometers traveled.
Divide total miles traveled by total gallons
used.
Keep a record for at least one month and record the
type of driving (city or highway). This will provide
an accurate estimate of the vehicle's fuel economy.
Additionally, keeping records during summer and
winter will show how temperature impacts fuel
economy. In general, lower temperatures give lower
fuel economy.
Driving style Ð good driving and fuel economy
habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you
may be able to change a number of variables and
improve your fuel economy.
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.
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164

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.
Conditions
²Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may
reduce fuel economy at any speed.
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