2004 FORD MUSTANG tow

WASHING THE EXTERIOR
Wash your vehicle regularly with cool or lukewarm
water and a neutral Ph shampoo, such as Motorcraft
Detail Wash (ZC-3–A), which is available from your
dealer.
•Never use strong household detergents or soap,
such as dish washing or laundry liquid. These
products can discolor and spot painted surfaces.
•Never wash a vehicle that is“hot to the touch”or
during exposure to strong, direct sunlight.
•Always use a clean sponge or carwash mitt with
plenty of water for best results.
•Dry the vehicle with a chamois or soft terry cloth
towel in order to eliminate water spotting.
•It is especially important to wash the vehicle
regularly during the winter months, as dirt and
road salt are difficult to remove and cause
damage to the vehicle.
•Immediately remove items such as gasoline, diesel
fuel, bird droppings and insect deposits because
they can cause damage to the vehicle’s paintwork
and trim over time.
•Remove any exterior accessories, such as
antennas, before entering a car wash.
•Suntan lotions and insect repellents can
damage any painted surface; if these
substances come in contact with your
vehicle, wash off as soon as possible.
WAXING
Applying a polymer paint sealant to your vehicle
every six months will assist in reducing minor
scratches and paint damage.
•Wash the vehicle first.
•Do not use waxes that contain abrasives.
•Do not allow paint sealant to come in contact with
any non-body (low-gloss black) colored trim, such
as grained door handles, roof racks, bumpers, side
2004 Mustang(mus)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Cleaning
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•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel
economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 88 km/h
[55 mph] uses 15% less fuel than traveling at
105 km/h [65 mph]).
•Revving the engine before turning it off may
reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce
fuel economy.
•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 this chapter.
•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).
2004 Mustang(mus)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
190

Safety practices
Driving habits have a great deal to do with your tire
mileage and safety.
•Observe posted speed limits
•Avoid fast starts, stops and turns
•Avoid potholes and objects on the road
•Do not run over curbs or hit the tire against a
curb when parking
If you vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,do
notrapidly spin the tires; spinning the tires can tear
the tire and cause an explosion. A tire can explode
in as little as three to five seconds.
Tire explosions can cause death, personal
injury or property damage. Do not allow
anyone to stand near, or directly ahead or behind
the spinning tire.
Never spin the tires in excess of the 55 km/h
(35 mph) point indicated on the speedometer.
Highway hazards
No matter how carefully you drive there’s always the
possibility that you may eventually have a flat tire on
the highway. Drive slowly to the closest safe area
out of traffic. This may further damage the flat tire,
but your safety is more important.
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance
while driving or you suspect your tire or vehicle has
been damaged, immediately reduce your speed.
Drive with caution until you can safely pull off the
road. Stop and inspect the tire for damage. If the
tire is under-inflated or damaged, deflate it, remove
wheel and replace it with your spare tire and wheel.
If you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest repair facility or tire dealer to have
the vehicle inspected.
2004 Mustang(mus)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
213

Speed control ............ 46
Starting your
vehicle ........ 99–100, 103jump starting ........ 136
Steering wheel tilting ....................... 44
T
Tilt steering wheel .... 44
Tires ................. 200–201 changing 130–132, 135
snow tires and
chains .................... 214
tire grades ............. 201
treadwear .............. 201
Towing ..................... 120 recreational
towing .................... 120
trailer towing ........ 120
wrecker .................. 141
Traction control ...... 107
Traction-lok rear
axle .......................... 108
Transmission automatic
operation ............... 108
brake-shift interlock
(BSI) ...................... 108
fluid, checking
and adding
(automatic) ........... 196
fluid, checking and
adding (manual) ... 199 fluid, refill
capacities ............... 215
lubricant
specifications. 218, 221
manual operation .. 114
Trunk ......................... 54 remote release .. 50, 57
Turn signal ................ 38
V
Vehicle dimensions . 221
Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN) ......... 222
Vehicle loading ........ 117
Ventilating your
vehicle ...................... 104
W
Warning lights
(see Lights) ............... 10
Washer fluid ............ 167
Water, Driving
through .................... 116
Windows power ....................... 45
Windshield washer
fluid and wipers ........ 43 checking and
adding fluid ........... 167
replacing wiper
blades ...................... 43
Wrecker towing ....... 141
2004 Mustang (mus)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Index
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