2004 Mercury Mountaineer fuel tank

Tachometer:Indicates the engine
speed in revolutions per minute.
Driving with your tachometer
pointer continuously at the top of
the scale may damage the engine.
Battery voltage gauge:Indicates
the battery voltage when the
ignition is in the ON position. If the
pointer moves and stays outside the
normal operating range (as
indicated by arrows), have the
vehicle’s electrical system checked
as soon as possible.
Engine oil pressure gauge:
Indicates engine oil pressure. The
needle should stay in the normal
operating range (between “L” and
“H”). If the needle falls below the
normal range, stop the vehicle, turn
off the engine and check the engine
oil level. Add oil if needed. If the oil
level is correct, have your vehicle
checked at your dealership or by a
qualified technician.
Fuel gauge:Indicates
approximately how much fuel is left
in the fuel tank (when the ignition
is in the ON position). The fuel
gauge may vary slightly when the
vehicle is in motion or on a grade.
The arrow next to the fuel pump
icon indicates which side of the
vehicle the fuel filler door is located.
Refer toFilling the tankin theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter for more information.
2004 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Instrument Cluster
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Average fuel economy for FFV-equipped vehicles
Upon refueling, your vehicle must determine the percentage of Ethanol
in the fuel. For the first several minutes, or few miles of driving, the
message “COMPUTING FUEL” or “– – –” will appear in the message
center. The correct fuel economy will appear within approximately five
miles of driving.
Trip elapsed drive time
Select this function from the INFO
menu to display a timer.
To operate the Trip Elapsed Drive
Time perform the following:
1. Press and release RESET in order
to start the timer.
2. Press and release RESET to pause the timer.
3. Press and hold RESET for 2 seconds in order to reset the timer.
Distance to empty (DTE)
Selecting this function from the
INFO menu estimates approximately
how far you can drive with the fuel
remaining in your tank under
normal driving conditions.
Remember to turn the ignition OFF
when refueling to allow this feature to correctly detect the added fuel.
The DTE function will display LOW FUEL LEVEL and sound a tone for
one second when you have approximately 80 km (50 miles) to empty. If
you RESET this warning message, this display and tone will return
within 10 minutes.
DTE is calculated using a running average fuel economy, which is based
on your recent driving history of 800 km (500miles). This value is not
the same as the average fuel economy display. The running average fuel
economy is reinitialized to a factory default value if the battery is
disconnected.
2004 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Driver Controls
66

Starting the engine
1. Turn the key to 3 (ON) without
turning the key to 4 (START). If
there is difficulty in turning the key,
rotate the steering wheel until the
key turns freely. This condition may
occur when:
•the front wheels are turned
•a front wheel is against the curb
2. Turn the key to 4 (START), then
release the key as soon as the engine starts. Excessive cranking could
damage the starter.
Note:If the engine does not start within five seconds on the first try,
turn the key to OFF, wait 10 seconds and try again. If the engine still
fails to start, press the accelerator to the floor and try again; this will
allow the engine to crank with the fuel shut off in case the engine is
flooded with fuel.
Cold weather starting (flexible fuel vehicles only)
As the outside temperature approaches freezing, ethanol fuel distributors
should supply winter grade ethanol (same as with unleaded gasoline). If
summer grade ethanol is used in cold weather conditions, you may
experience increased cranking times, rough idle or hesitation until the
engine has warmed up. Consult your fuel distributor for the availability of
winter grade ethanol.
Do not crank the engine for more than 30 seconds at a time as starter
damage may occur. If the engine fails to start, turn the key to OFF and
wait 30 seconds before trying again.
Do not use starting fluid such as ether in the air intake system (see Air
Cleaner decal). Such fluid could cause immediate explosive damage to
the engine and possible personal injury.
If you should experience cold weather starting problems on E
85ethanol,
and neither an alternative brand of E
85ethanol nor an engine block
heater is available, the addition of unleaded gasoline to your tank will
improve cold starting performance. Your vehicle is designed to operate
on E
85ethanol alone, unleaded gasoline alone, or any mixture of the two.
SeeChoosing the right fuelin theMaintenance and specifications
chapter for more information on ethanol.
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3
2
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2004 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English(fus)
Driving
137

DRIVING THROUGH WATER
If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially if the depth is not known. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the hubs (for trucks) or the bottom of
the wheel rims (for cars). Traction or brake capability may be limited
and your vehicle may stall. Water may also enter your engine’s air intake
and severely damage your engine.
Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your vehicle
slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do
not stop the vehicle as quickly as dry brakes.Driving through deep
water where the transmission vent tube is submerged may allow
water into the transmission and cause internal transmission
damage.
VEHICLE LOADING – WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Safety Certification Label and Tire Label:
Base Curb Weight– is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight– is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
Payload– is the combined weight of cargo and passengers that the
vehicle is carrying. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found
on the Tire Label on the driver’s door or door pillar. Look for“THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR XXX lbs”for maximum payload. The
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Driving
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Driving the vehicle without repairing the engine problem
increases the chance of engine damage. Take your vehicle to a
service facility as soon as possible.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
Important safety precautions
Do not overfill the fuel tank. The pressure in an overfilled tank
may cause leakage and lead to fuel spray and fire.
The fuel system may be under pressure. If the fuel filler cap is
venting vapor or if you hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops
before completely removing the fuel filler cap. Otherwise, fuel may
spray out and injure you or others.
If you do not use the proper fuel filler cap, excessive pressure or
vacuum in the fuel tank may damage the fuel system or cause
the fuel cap to disengage in a collision, which may result in possible
personal injury.
Automotive fuels can cause serious injury or death if misused or
mishandled.
Fuel ethanol and gasoline may contain benzene, which is a
cancer-causing agent.
Observe the following guidelines when handling automotive fuel:
•Extinguish all smoking materials
and any open flames before
fueling your vehicle.
•Always turn off the vehicle before
fueling.
•Automotive fuels can be harmful
or fatal if swallowed. Fuels such as gasoline and ethanol are highly
toxic and if swallowed can cause death or permanent injury. If fuel is
swallowed, call a physician immediately, even if no symptoms are
immediately apparent. The toxic effects of fuel may not be visible for
hours.
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•Avoid inhaling fuel vapors. Inhaling too much fuel vapor of any kind
can lead to eye and respiratory tract irritation. In severe cases,
excessive or prolonged breathing of fuel vapor can cause serious
illness and permanent injury.
•Avoid getting fuel liquid in your eyes. If fuel is splashed in the eyes,
remove contact lenses (if worn), flush with water for 15 minutes and
seek medical attention. Failure to seek proper medical attention could
lead to permanent injury.
•Fuels can also be harmful if absorbed through the skin. If fuel is
splashed on the skin and/or clothing, promptly remove contaminated
clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Repeated or
prolonged skin contact with fuel liquid or vapor causes skin irritation.
•Be particularly careful if you are taking “Antabuse” or other forms of
disulfiram for the treatment of alcoholism. Breathing gasoline and/or
ethanol vapors, or skin contact could cause an adverse reaction. In
sensitive individuals, serious personal injury or sickness may result. If
fuel is splashed on the skin, promptly wash skin thoroughly with soap
and water. Consult a physician immediately if you experience an
adverse reaction.
•FFV fuel tanks may contain zero to 85 percent ethanol. Any fuel
blends containing gasoline and ethanol should be treated the same as
“Fuel Ethanol ”. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check your VIN
or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When checking the
VIN look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If your vehicle
is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a “K.”
Pure ethanol is the alcohol which is the intoxicating agent in liquor, beer
and wine. It is distilled from the fermentation of plants such as field corn
and sugar cane. When ethanol is used in the making of motor fuels, a
small amount of a bad tasting chemical is added to discourage beverage
use. The resulting fuel is called E
d100 meaning 100% pure ethanol
diluted by 2% to 5% gasoline as the “denaturant.”
Fuel ethanol (summer blend
d) is then made by adding 15% more
unleaded gasoline. The resulting fuel also has a higher octane rating than
unleaded regular gasoline and other properties which allow engine
designs with greater efficiency and power.
Winter blends may contain up to 30% (E70)unleaded gasoline (25% plus
the denaturant) to enhance cold engine starts. Severely cold weather
may require additional measures for reliable starting. Refer toCold
Weather Startingin theDrivingchapter.
Ethanol is more chemically active than gasoline. It corrodes some metals
and causes some plastic and rubber components to swell, break down or
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these additives can cause your vehicle’s emission control system to
deteriorate more rapidly. In Canada, many fuels contain critical fuel
system components.
Do not use fuel containing methanol. It can damage critical fuel system
components.
Repairs to correct the effects of using a fuel for which your vehicle was
not designed may not be covered by your warranty.
Octane recommendations
Do not be concerned if your engine
sometimes knocks lightly. However,
if it knocks heavily under most
driving conditions while you are
using fuel with the recommended
octane rating, see your dealer or a qualified service technician to prevent
any engine damage.
Unleaded Gasoline engines
Your vehicle is designed to use “Regular” unleaded gasoline with an
(R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. We do not recommend the use of gasolines
labeled as “Regular” that are sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in
high altitude areas.
FFV engine (if equipped)
Your vehicle is designed to use (E85) Fuel Ethanol, “Regular” unleaded
gasoline or any percentage of the two fuels combined.
U.S. government regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing
pumps to have a small, square, orange and black label with the
common abbreviation or the appropriate percentage for that
region. Use of other fuels such as Fuel Methanol may cause
powertrain damage, a loss of vehicle performance, and your
warranty may be invalidated.
Fuel quality
Many of the world’s automakers approved the World-wide Fuel Charter
that recommends gasoline specifications to provide improved
performance and emission control system protection for your vehicle.
Gasolines that meet the World-wide Fuel Charter should be used when
available. Ask your fuel supplier about gasolines that meet the
World-wide Fuel Charter.
It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket products to your fuel
tank if you continue to use high quality fuel of the recommended octane
87(R+M)/2 METHOD
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rating. Aftermarket products could cause damage to the fuel system.
Repairs to correct the effects of using an aftermarket product in your
fuel may not be covered by your warranty.
Unleaded Gasoline engines
If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability
problems during a cold start, try a different brand of “Regular” unleaded
gasoline. “Premium” unleaded gasoline is not recommended (particularly
in the United States) because it may cause these problems to become
more pronounced. If the problems persist, see your dealer or a qualified
service technician.
FFV engine (if equipped)
Your FFV will operate well on ordinary “Regular” unleaded gasoline, but
only the highest quality fuel ethanol will provide the same level of
protection and performance. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check
your VIN or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When
checking the VIN, look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If
your vehicle is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a “K.”
If you operate your vehicle 50% or more of the time on ethanol, you
should follow a different maintenance schedule. See theScheduled
Maintenance Guidefor more information.
If you are experiencing a rough or rolling idle after start-up with the
outside temperature above 27° C (80° F), the idle should improve within
10 to 30 seconds. If the problems persist below this temperature, see
your dealer or a qualified service technician.
Cleaner air
Ford endorses the use of reformulated “cleaner-burning” gasolines to
improve air quality.
Running out of fuel
Avoid running out of fuel because this situation may have an adverse
affect on powertrain components.
If you have run out of fuel:
•You may need to cycle the ignition from OFF to ON several times after
refueling, to allow the fuel system to pump the fuel from the tank to
the engine.
Fuel Filler Cap
Your fuel tank filler cap has an indexed design with a 1/4 turn on/off
feature.
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