2002 Mercury Mountaineer Owner's Manuals

•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs.
Unnecessary shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel
economy.
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toLubricant specificationsin
theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in your vehicle scheduled maintenance guide.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
12–16 km (8–10 miles) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
•Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
•Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
Flex fuel (E-85) cruising range
Because E-85 fuel contains less energy per gallon than gasoline, you will
experience an increase in fuel consumption. You can expect your Miles
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Per Gallon (MPG) and your driving range to decrease by about 30%
compared to gasoline operation.
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 L/100 km (MPG)
expected on the vehicle under optimum conditions. Your fuel economy
may vary depending upon the method of operation and conditions.
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:
•Use only the specified fuel listed.
•Avoid running out of fuel.
•Do not turn off the ignition while your vehicle is moving, especially at
high speeds.
•Have 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“Check Engine”light, charging system warning light
or the temperature warning light, fluid leaks, strange odors, smoke or
loss of engine power, could indicate that the emission control system is
not working properly.
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Exhaust leaks may result in entry of harmful and potentially
lethal fumes into the passenger compartment.
Do not make any unauthorized changes to your vehicle or engine. By
law, vehicle owners and anyone who manufactures, repairs, services,
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 yourWarranty Guidefor 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 diagnostics system. If your“Check Engine/Service Engine
Soon”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“Check Engine/Service Engine Soon”light on.
If the vehicle’s powertrain system or its battery has just been serviced,
the on-board diagnostics system is reset to a“not ready for I/M test”
condition. To ready the on-board diagnostics system for I/M testing, a
minimum of 30 minutes of city and highway driving is necessary as
described below:
•First, at least 10 minutes of driving on an expressway or highway.
•Next, 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.
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BULBS
Replacing exterior bulbs
Check the operation of the following lamps frequently:
•Headlamps
•Foglamps
•High-mount brakelamp
•Brakelamps•Turn signal lamps
•Side marker lamps
•License plate lamp
•Tail lamps
•Back-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
To remove the headlamp bulb:
1. Make sure headlamp switch is in
OFF position, then open the hood.
2. At the back of the headlamp, pry
up and remove the two retainer pins
to release the headlamp assembly
from the vehicle and pull headlamp
forward.
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3. Remove the protective dust cap
from the housing by turning
counterclockwise (when viewed
from the rear).
4. Disconnect the electrical
connector from the bulb by pulling
rearward.
5. Remove the bulb retaining ring by
rotating it counterclockwise.
6. Remove the old bulb from the lamp assembly by pulling it straight out
of the lamp assembly.
To install the new bulb:
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.
1. Install the new bulb in lamp
assembly by pushing straight in with
the flat surface of the bulb’s plastic
base facing upward. You may need
to turn the bulb slightly to align the
grooves in the plastic base with the
tabs in the lamp assembly.
2. Install the bulb retaining ring over
the plastic base and lock the ring by
rotating clockwise until it snaps into place.
3. Connect the electrical connector to the bulb.
4. Install the protective dust cap and lock by rotating the cap clockwise
until it locks into position.
5. Install the headlamp on vehicle by aligning the lamp on the vehicle,
push rearward to fully seat the lamp assembly then insert and push the
two retainer pins down.
6. 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.
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Replacing front parking lamp/turn signal bulbs
1. Make sure headlamp switch is in
OFF position, then open the hood.
2. At the back of the headlamp, pry
up and remove the two retainer pins
to release the headlamp assembly
from the vehicle and pull headlamp
forward.
3. Rotate the bulb socket
counterclockwise and remove from
lamp assembly.
4. Carefully pull bulb straight out of
socket and push in the new bulb.
5. Install bulb socket in lamp
assembly by turning clockwise.
6. Install the headlamp on vehicle by
aligning the lamp on the vehicle,
push rearward to fully seat the lamp
assembly then insert and push the
two retainer pins down.
7. Turn the lamps on and make sure
they work properly.
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270

Replacing side repeater bulbs
1. Carefully pry the lamp assembly
away from the fender.
2. Rotate the bulb socket
counterclockwise and remove from
lamp assembly.
3. Carefully pull bulb straight out of
socket and push in the new bulb.
4. Install the bulb socket in lamp
assembly by turning clockwise.
5. Carefully install the lamp
assembly on the fender snapping it in place.
Replacing front/rear side marker bulbs
1. Reach under the side of the front
or rear bumper, rotate bulb socket
counterclockwise 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.
Replacing tail/brake/turn/backup lamp bulbs
The tail/brake/turn/backup bulbs are located in the tail lamp assembly,
one just below the other. Follow the same steps to replace each bulb:
1. Open the liftgate to expose the
lamp assemblies.
2. Remove the two screws from the
lamp assembly.
3. Pull the lamp assembly towards
the rear and side of the vehicle at
an angle carefully removing it from
the vehicle.
4. Rotate the bulb socket
counterclockwise and remove from
lamp assembly.
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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. Reach under the front of the
front bumper and 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.
Replacing license plate lamp 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. Carefully pull the bulb from the
socket and push in the new bulb.
4. Install the lamp assembly on
liftgate with two screws.
Replacing license plate lamp 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. Carefully pull the bulb from the
socket and push in the new bulb.
4. Install the lamp assembly on
liftgate with two screws.
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272