2002 Mercury Mountaineer air condition

Inand, if the outside temperature is about 6°C (43°F) or
higher, the air conditioner will automatically dehumidify the air to reduce
fogging. However, the A/C indicator will be off and the A/C override
control cannot be selected.
The air conditioning compressor can operate in all modes except OFF.
However, the air conditioning will only function if the outside
temperature is about 6°C (43°F) or higher.
Since the air conditioner removes considerable moisture from the air
during operation, it is normal if clear water drips on the ground under
the air conditioner drain while the system is working and even after you
have stopped the vehicle.
When AUTO is selected, the A/C operates automatically for existing
conditions. However, the A/C indicator will not be lit. If A/C is selected
when in AUTO operation, the DEATC system will be disabled and you
will return to manual operation with the A/C indicator lit.
To return to automatic A/C operation, press AUTO.
•Recirculation control
(air recirculation)—Used to manually enable or disable
recirculated air operation in all modes except
and. The use of
recirculated air when the air conditioning is operating helps to reduce
the amount of time to cool down the interior of the vehicle in very hot
conditions. Recirculated air may also help to keep undesired outside
odors from reaching the vehicle interior. It is recommended to allow the
DEATC system to automatically control the selection of outside or
recirculated air.
The recirculation control cannot be selected in
or, as interior
fogging may occur.
When AUTO is selected, the recirculated air feature operates
automatically for existing conditions. However, the air recirculation
AUTO DUALOFFA/C
R EXT
F C
FF
Controls and features
45

indicator will not be lit. If the recirculated air is selected while in AUTO
operation, the DEATC system will be disabled and you will return to
manual operation with the recirculated air indicator lit and with the A/C
operating.
To return to automatic recirculated air operation, press AUTO.
Do not leave the DEATC system in recirculated air operation for
extended periods of time while the system is in a heating mode or in
cold/damp conditions as this may cause interior fogging of the front, side
and rear windows.
Manual override controls
The manual override controls allow you to manually determine where
airflow is directed. To return to fully automatic control, press AUTO.
When a manual airflow override control is selected, the DEATC system
will turn off the AUTO indicator and display the indicators of all
operating override controls. More than one override control indicator
may turn on when an override control is selected.
•Airflow direction control
(panel)—Distributes air through the instrument panel registers.
(panel/floor)—Distributes air through the instrument panel
registers and the front seat floor ducts. For added customer comfort, the
air distributed through the floor ducts may be slightly warmer than the
air sent to the instrument panel registers.
(floor)—Distributes air through the front seat floor ducts. The
system will allow some airflow out the window defroster ducts and the
demister outlets.
(floor/defrost)—Distributes outside air through the windshield
defroster ducts, the demister outlets and the front and rear seat floor
AUTO DUAL
A/C
R EXT
F C
FF
OFF
Controls and features
46

ducts. If the temperature is about 6°C (43°F) or higher, the air
conditioner will automatically dehumidify the air to reduce fogging.
(Note that the A/C indicator does not illuminate when this mode is
selected.) Recirculation and A/C override controls cannot be selected.
For added customer comfort, the air distributed through the floor ducts
may be slightly warmer than the air sent to the windshield defroster
ducts.
(defrost)—Distributes outside air through the windshield
defroster ducts and the demister outlets. It can be used to clear ice or
fog from the windshield. If the outside air temperature is about 6°C
(43°F) or higher, the air conditioner will automatically dehumidify the air
to reduce fogging. (Note that the A/C indicator does not illuminate when
this mode is selected.) Recirculation and A/C override controls cannot be
selected. For added customer comfort, the system will allow some airflow
through the floor ducts in this mode.
•Turn DEATC off
OFF-Outside air is shut out. The fan, heating and air conditioning will
not operate. The outside temperature will still display when selected
with the ignition in the ON position.
R(rear window defroster)—Refer toRear window defroster.
Displaying outside temperature
Press EXT to display the outside air temperature. It will remain selected
until the EXT control is pressed again.
If the driver or passenger temperature or the fan speed is changed, or
the AUTO or
modes are selected while the outside temperature is
displayed, the driver and passenger temperature display will be displayed
for 4 seconds. Following this, the outside temperature display will return
to the window.
AUTO DUALOFFA/C
R EXT
EXT TEMP
F C
F
Controls and features
47

If the outside temperature is displayed while the DEATC system is in the
OFF mode and the DEATC is turned on, the driver and passenger
temperatures will be displayed for 4 seconds. Following this, the outside
temperature display will return to the window.
The outside temperature reading is most accurate when the vehicle is
moving. Higher readings may be obtained when the vehicle is not
moving. The readings that you get may not agree with temperatures
given on the radio due to differences in vehicle and station locations.
Operating tips
•In humid weather conditions, place the climate control system in
orRbefore driving. This will reduce fogging on your windshield.
Once the windshield has been cleared, operate the climate control
system as desired.
•To reduce humidity buildup inside the vehicle in cold weather
conditions, don’t drive with the climate control system in the OFF
position or
.
•To reduce humidity buildup inside the vehicle in warm weather
conditions, don’t drive with the climate control system in the OFF
position.
•Under normal weather conditions, your vehicle’s climate control
system should be left in any position other than OFF or
when
the vehicle is parked. This allows the vehicle to“breathe”through the
outside air inlet duct.
•Under snowy or dirty weather conditions, your vehicle’s climate
control system should be left in the OFF position when the vehicle is
parked. This allows the climate control system to be free from
contamination of outside pollutants.
•If your vehicle has been parked with the windows closed during warm
weather conditions, the air conditioner will perform more efficiently in
cooling the vehicle if driven for two or three minutes with the
windows open. This will force most of the hot, stale air out of the
vehicle. Once the vehicle has been“aired out”, operate the climate
control system as desired.
•Remove any snow, ice or leaves from the air intake area at the base of
the windshield.
•Do not place objects over the defroster outlets. These objects can
block airflow and reduce your ability to see through your windshield.
Avoid placing small objects on top of the instrument panel. These
Controls and features
48

objects may fall down into the defroster outlets and block airflow, in
addition to damaging the climate control system.
To aide in side window defogging/demisting in cold weather conditions:
1. Select
2. Set the temperature control to full heat
3. Select A/C
4. Set the fan speed to High
5. Direct the outer panel vents towards the side windows
In order to increase the airflow to the outer panel vents, close the
central panel vents.
Do not place objects on top of the instrument panel, as these
objects may become projectiles in a collision or sudden stop.
Auxiliary climate controls (if equipped)
Your vehicle may be equipped with auxiliary climate controls which are
located in the overhead console of the first row and in the headliner for
second row seating. The auxiliary climate control feature provides
increased capacity to quickly heat or cool your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with a manual heating and air conditioning
system, the auxiliary climate controls are dependent on the main climate
control system. If the main climate control system is in the OFF position,
the auxiliary climate controls will not work.
If your vehicle is equipped with a DEATC system, the auxiliary climate
controls are independent of the main climate control system. If the main
climate control system is in the OFF position, the auxiliary climate
controls will still work. However, the A/C function will not operate unless
the A/C control has been selected on the main climate control system.
Controls and features
49

SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System
The Personal Safety System provides an improved overall level of frontal
crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help further
reduce the risk of air bag-related injuries. The system is able to analyze
different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating the
appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of occupants in
a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety System consists of:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage air bag supplemental restraints.
•Front safety belts with pretensioners, energy management retractors,
and safety belt usage sensors.
•Driver’s seat position sensor.
•Front crash severity sensor.
•Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors.
•Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
•The electrical wiring for the air bags, crash sensor(s), safety belt
pretensioners, front safety belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, and indicator lights.
How does the personal safety system work?
The Personal Safety System can adapt the deployment strategy of your
vehicle’s safety devices according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors provides
information to the Restraints Control Module (RCM). During a crash, the
RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and/or either one or both
stages of the dual-stage air bag supplemental restraints based on crash
severity and occupant conditions.
The fact that the pretensioners or air bags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with
the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety System determined the
accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not
appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front air bags are designed
to activate only in frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollovers,
side-impacts, or rear-impacts unless the collision causes sufficient
longitudinal deceleration.
Driver and passenger dual-stage air bag supplemental restraints
The dual-stage air bags offer the capability to tailor the level of air bag
inflation energy. A lower, less forceful energy level is provided for more
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133

common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher energy level is used for
the most severe impacts. Refer toAir bag Supplemental Restraints
section in this chapter.
Front crash severity sensor
The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the
severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable
information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This
allows your Personal Safety System to distinguish between different
levels of crash severity and modify the deployment strategy of the
dual-stage air bags and safety belt pretensioners.
Driver’s seat position sensor
The driver’s seat position sensor allows your Personal Safety System to
tailor the deployment level of the driver dual-stage air bag based on seat
position. The system is designed to help protect smaller drivers sitting
close to the driver air bag by providing a lower air bag output level.
Front safety belt usage sensors
The front safety belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger safety belts are fastened. This information
allows your Personal Safety System to tailor the air bag deployment and
safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Refer toSafety Beltsection in this chapter.
Front safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners are designed to tighten the safety belts
firmly against the occupant’s body during a collision. This maximizes the
effectiveness of the safety belts and helps properly position the occupant
relative to the air bag to improve protection. The safety belt
pretensioners can be either activated alone or, if the collision is of
sufficient severity, together with the air bags.
Front safety belt energy management retractors
The front safety belt energy management retractors allow webbing to be
pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled manner in
response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps reduce the
risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by limiting the load
on the occupant. Refer toSafety Beltsection in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System is operational
The Personal Safety System uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
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134

9. After receiving confirmation, the deactivation/activation procedure is
complete.
Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged. Inspect the safety belts to make sure
there are no nicks, tears or cuts. Replace if necessary. All safety belt
assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat belt buckle
assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped), shoulder
belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide on seatback (if
equipped), child safety seat tether bracket assemblies (if equipped),
LATCH child seat tether anchors and lower anchors (if equipped), and
attaching hardware, should be inspected after a collision. Ford Motor
Company recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in vehicles
involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor
and a qualified technician finds that the belts do not show damage and
continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced. Safety
belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the safety belt
assembly under the above conditions could result in severe
personal injuries in the event of a collision.
Refer toCleaning and maintaining the safety beltsin theCleaning
chapter.
AIR BAG SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS)
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and diagnostic module
which records information about the air bag and sensor systems. In the
Seating and safety restraints
149