2004 Mercury Mountaineer tow

•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).
•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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Never spin the tires in excess of the 35 mph (55 km/h) 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 tires for damage. If a 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.
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)(if equipped)
When the tire pressure monitoring
system warning light is lit, one or
more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible,
and inflate them to the proper pressure as indicated on the vehicle’s tire
information placard (label). Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the
vehicle’s handling and stopping ability. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with a tire pressure monitoring system, it is still important that you
manually check the inflation pressure of your tires regularly. Each tire,
including the spare, should be checked monthly when cold and set to the
recommended inflation pressure as specified on the vehicle placard
(label) and in the owner’s manual.
Note:The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) monitors tire
pressure in each pneumatic tire. The pressure in each tire is dependent
upon several factors, one of them being the contained air temperature
(temperature of the air inside the tire). As the contained air temperature
increases, the tire pressure also increases. While driving in a normal
manner, a typical passenger tire inflation pressure may increase
approximately 2 to 4 psi (14 to 28 kPa) from a cold start situation. This
increase in tire pressure is due to an increase in the contained air
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Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Driving .....................................156
Maintenance and
Specifications ..........................259
Roadside Emergencies ...........186
Warning Displays ................15, 69
Tires ...........................186, 246–248
alignment ................................255
care ..........................................253
changing ..................186, 191, 194
checking the pressure ............253
label .........................................253
replacing ..........................191, 258
rotating ....................................255
safety practices .......................258
sidewall information ...............248
snow tires and chains ............261
spare tire .................186, 188, 190
terminology .............................248
tire grades ...............................247
treadwear ........................247, 257
Towing .......................................167
recreational towing .................172
trailer towing ..........................167
wrecker ....................................200
Transfer case
fluid checking .........................245
Transmission .............................145
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....145fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................245
fluid, refill capacities ..............263
lubricant specifications ..265, 267
Trunk ...........................................82
Turn signal ..................................36
V
Vehicle dimensions ...................267
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................269
Vehicle loading ..........................161
Ventilating your vehicle ...........138
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......10
Washer fluid ..............................219
Water, Driving through .............161
Windows
power .........................................48
rear wiper/washer .....................44
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................43
checking and adding fluid .....219
liftgate reservoir .....................219
replacing wiper blades .............44
Wrecker towing .........................200
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Index
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