2000 FORD MUSTANG automatic transmission

FLASH TO PASS
Pull toward you to
activate and release to
deactivate.
POSITIONS OF THE IGNITION
1. ACCESSORY, allows
the electrical
accessories such as the
radio to operate while
the engine is not
running.
2. LOCK, locks the
steering wheel, automatic transmission gearshift
lever and allows key removal.
3. OFF, shuts off the engine and all accessories
without locking the steering wheel.
4. ON, all electrical circuits operational. Warning
lights illuminated. Key position when driving.
5. START, cranks the engine. Release the key as
soon as the engine starts.
TILT STEERING WHEEL (IF EQUIPPED)
Pull the tilt steering
control toward you to
move the steering
wheel up or down.
Hold the control while
adjusting the wheel to
the desired position,
then release the
control to lock the
steering wheel in
position.
OFFHI
LO
3
1
2
5
4
Controls and features
41

AUXILIARY POWER POINT
The power point is an
additional power
source for electrical
accessories.
TRACTION CONTROLY
This control can be
used to turn the
Traction Controlyon
or off. Refer to the
Traction Controly
section of theDriving
chapter for more
information.
OVERDRIVE CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED)
Activating overdrive
(Overdrive) is the normal drive position for the
best fuel economy.
The overdrive function allows automatic upshifts and
downshifts through all available gears.
Deactivating overdrive
Press the Transmission
Control Switch (TCS)
located on the
gearshift. The O/D OFF
indicator light will
illuminate on the
instrument cluster.
TRAC
CTRL
OFF
Controls and features
52

The transmission will operate in all gears except
overdrive. To return to normal overdrive mode, press
the Transmission Control Switch again. The O/D
OFF indicator light will no longer be illuminated.
When you shut off and re-start your vehicle, the
transmission will automatically return to normal
(Overdrive) mode.
For additional information about the gearshift and
the transmission control switch operation refer to
theAutomatic Transmission Operationsection of
theDrivingchapter.
POSITIVE RETENTION FLOOR MAT
(IF EQUIPPED)
Position the floor mat so
that the eyelet is over the
pointed end of the
retention post and rotate
forward to lock in. Make
sure that the mat does not
interfere with the operation
of the accelerator or the
brake pedal. To remove the
floor mat, reverse the installation procedure.
REMOTE ENTRY SYSTEM
The remote entry system allows you to:
²lock or unlock all vehicle doors without a key.
²open the trunk.
²activate the panic alarm.
²confirms that the vehicle is locked with a short
ªbeepº from the horn.
The remote entry features only operate with the
ignition in the OFF position.
If there is any potential remote keyless entry
problem with your vehicle, ensureALL key fobs
(remote entry transmitters) are brought to the
dealership, to aid in troubleshooting.
Controls and features
53

Do not sit on top of a buckled safety belt to
avoid the Belt Minder chime. Sitting on the
safety belt will increase risk of injury in an
accident. To disable (one-time) or deactivate the
Belt Minder feature please follow the directions
stated below.
One time disable
Anytime the safety belt is buckled and then
unbuckled during an ignition ON cycle, Belt Minder
will be disabled for that ignition cycle only.
Deactivating/activating the belt minder feature
Read steps1-9thoroughly before proceeding
with the deactivation/activation programming
procedure.
The Belt Minder feature can be deactivated/activated
by performing the following procedure:
Before following the procedure, make sure that:
²the parking brake is set
²the gearshift is in P (Park) (automatic
transmission) or the neutral position (manual
transmission).
²the ignition switch is in the OFF position
²all vehicle doors are closed
²the driver's safety belt is unbuckled
²the parklamps/headlamps are in OFF position (If
vehicle is equipped with Autolamps, this will not
affect the procedure.)
To reduce the risk of injury, do not
deactivate/activate the Belt Minder feature
while driving the vehicle.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN (or ON)
position. (DO NOT START THE ENGINE)
Seating and safety restraints
73

Important safety precautions
A computer system controls the engine's idle
revolutions per minute (RPM). When the engine
starts, the idle RPM runs faster to warm the engine.
If the engine idle speed does not slow down
automatically, have the vehicle checked. Do not
allow the vehicle to idle for more than 10 minutes at
high engine RPM.
Before starting the vehicle:
1. Make sure all vehicle occupants have buckled
their safety belts. For more information on safety
belts and their proper usage, refer to theSeating
and safety restraintschapter.
2. Make sure the headlamps and vehicle accessories
are off.
If starting a vehicle with an automatic transmission:
²Make sure the
parking brake is set.
²Make sure the gearshift is in P (Park).
If starting a vehicle with a manual transmission:
²Make sure the parking brake is set.
²Push the clutch
pedal to the floor.
Starting
91

(when the ignition is turned ON) until the parking
brake is released.
Always set the parking brake fully and make
sure that the gearshift is securely latched in
P (Park) (automatic transmission) or in 1 (First
Gear) (manual transmission).
The parking brake is not recommended to stop a
moving vehicle. However, if the normal brakes fail,
the parking brake can be used to stop your vehicle
in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies
only the rear brakes, the vehicle's stopping distance
will increase greatly and the handling of your vehicle
will be adversely affected.
To release the parking
brake, the brake handle
may need to be pulled
up slightly to release
pressure before
pushing in the button.
Push the button on the
end of the parking
brake handle and push the handle down as far as
possible. Driving with the parking brake applied will
cause the brakes to wear out quickly and reduce fuel
economy.
TRACTION CONTROLY
Your vehicle may be equipped with the optional
Traction Controlysystem. This system helps you
maintain the stability and steerability of your
vehicle. It is especially useful on slippery road
surfaces. The system operates by detecting and
controlling wheel spin. The system borrows many of
the electronic and mechanical elements already
present in the anti-lock braking system (ABS).
Wheel-speed sensors allow excess rear wheel spin to
be detected by the Traction Controlyportion of the
ABS computer. Any excessive wheel spin is
Driving
98

STEERING
Your vehicle is equipped with power steering. Power
steering uses energy from the engine to help steer
the vehicle.
To prevent damage to the power steering pump:
²Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme
right or the extreme left for more than a few
seconds when the engine is running.
²Do not operate the vehicle with a low power
steering pump fluid level.
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the
engine is turned off), you can steer the vehicle
manually, but it takes more effort.
If the steering wanders or pulls, the condition could
be caused by any of the following:
²underinflated tire(s) on any wheel(s)
²high crown in center of road
²high crosswinds
²wheels out of alignment
²loose or worn components in steering linkage
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OPERATION
(IF EQUIPPED)
Brake-shift interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock
feature that prevents the gearshift lever from being
moved from P (Park) when the ignition is in the ON
position unless brake pedal is depressed.
If you cannot move the gearshift lever out of P
(Park) with ignition in the ON position and the
brake pedal depressed:
1. Apply the parking brake, turn ignition key to
LOCK, then remove the key.
2. Insert the key and turn it to OFF. Apply the brake
pedal and shift to N (Neutral).
3. Start the vehicle.
Driving
100

Driving with an automatic overdrive
transmission with console gearshift and O/D off
switch
Your automatic
overdrive transmission
provides fully
automatic operation in
either D (Overdrive) or
with the O/D OFF
switch depressed.
Driving with the
gearshift lever in D
(Overdrive) gives the
best fuel economy for
normal driving
conditions. For manual control, start in 1 (First) and
then shift manually.
Driving with a 4±speed automatic transmission
(if equipped)
Use the following
procedure to put your
vehicle in gear.
1. Start the engine.
2. Depress and hold
the brake pedal.
3. Push and hold the
thumb button.
4. Move gearshift lever
out of P (Park).
Hold the brake pedal down while you move
the gearshift lever from P (Park) to another
position. If you do not hold the brake pedal down,
your vehicle may move unexpectedly and injure
someone.
Driving
102