2005 LINCOLN TOWN CAR traction control

Seating and Safety Restraints 162
Seating 162
Safety restraints 167
Air bags 182
Child restraints 193
Tires, Wheels and Loading 204
Tire Information 205
Changing tires 209
Wheel lug nut torque 215
Vehicle loading 225
Trailer towing 231
Recreational towing 234
Driving 235
Starting 235
Brakes 238
Traction control 241
Air suspension 243
Transmission operation 243
Roadside Emergencies 251
Getting roadside assistance 251
Hazard flasher switch 252
Fuel pump shut-off switch 252
Fuses and relays 253
Jump starting 260
Wrecker towing 266
Customer Assistance 267
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 275
Cleaning 276
Table of Contents
2
2005 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English(fus)

Safety belt:Reminds you to fasten
your safety belt. A chime will also
sound to remind you to fasten your
safety belt, refer to theSeating and
Safety Restraintschapter.
Charging system:Illuminates when
the battery is not charging properly.
Engine oil pressure:Illuminates
when the oil pressure falls below the
normal range, refer toEngine oilin
theMaintenance and
Specificationschapter.
Traction control
active:Flashes
when the Traction control
system
is active. If the light remains on,
have the system serviced
immediately, refer to theDriving
chapter for more information.
Check gage:Illuminates when the
engine coolant temperature is high.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible,
switch off the engine and let cool.
Refer toEngine coolantin the
Maintenance and Specifications
chapter.
Air suspension:Illuminates when
the air suspension is turned OFF or
the air suspension system requires
servicing.


2005 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English(fus)
Instrument Cluster
12

A driver’s first responsibility is the safe operation of the vehicle.
The most important thing you can do to prevent a crash is to
avoid distractions and pay attention to the road. Wait until it is safe to
operate Mobile Communications Equipment.
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTER
The electronic message center only works when the ignition is in the ON
position.
The message center allows you to:
•see problems such as door ajar
and trunk ajar.
•check the on/off status of air
suspension and speed control
systems.
•see a more accurate speed while
driving (this may not show the
same speed as your analog
speedometer).
•see how many miles/kilometers
you can drive before running out
of fuel.
•monitor the average fuel
economy.
•monitor the average speed.
•check the distance traveled during a trip on either Trip A or Trip B.
You can select different features for the message center to display by
using the message center controls located in the center of the
instrument panel.

2005 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English(fus)
Driver Controls
138

INFORMATION ABOUT UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
New vehicles are fitted with tires
that have a rating on them called
Tire Quality Grades. The Quality
grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
•Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
These Tire Quality Grades are determined by standards that the United
States Department of Transportation has set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new pneumatic tires for use on passenger
cars. They do not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or limited production tires as defined in
Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation-Tire quality grades:The U.S.
Department of Transportation requires Ford to give you the following
information about tire grades exactly as the government has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices, and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The
grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
2005 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
204

The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature A B C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by
law.
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
TIRES
Tires are designed to give many thousands of miles of service, but they
must be maintained in order to get the maximum benefit from them.
Glossary of tire terminology
•Tire label:A label showing the OE (Original Equipment) tire sizes,
recommended inflation pressure and the maximum weight the vehicle
can carry.
•Tire Identification Number (TIN):A number on the sidewall of
each tire providing information about the tire brand and
manufacturing plant, tire size and date of manufacture.
•Inflation pressure:A measure of the amount of air in a tire.
•Standard load:A class of P-metric or Metric tires designed to carry a
maximum load at 35 psi [37 psi (2.5 bar) for Metric tires]. Increasing
the inflation pressure beyond this pressure will not increase the tire’s
load carrying capability.
•Extra load:A class of P-metric or Metric tires designed to carry a
heavier maximum load at 41 psi [43 psi (2.9 bar) for Metric tires].
2005 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
205

12.Treadwear, Traction and Temperature Grades
•Treadwear:The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1
12) times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
•Traction:The traction grades, from highest to lowest are AA, A, B,
and C. The grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement
as measured under controlled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
•Temperature:The temperature grades are A (the highest), B and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
13.Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure:Indicates the tire
manufacturers’ maximum permissible pressure and/or the pressure at
which the maximum load can be carried by the tire. This pressure is
normally higher than the manufacturer’s recommended cold inflation
pressure which can be found on either the tire label or certification label
which is located on the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door. The cold
inflation pressure should never be set lower than the recommended
pressure on the vehicle label.
The tire suppliers may have additional markings, notes or warnings such
as standard load, radial tubeless, etc.
2005 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
218

If the parking brake fails to release
after completing this procedure, use
the manual parking brake release
lever.
Pull the lever to manually release
the parking brake.
TRACTION CONTROL
For Traction Control
warning lights refer toWarning Lightsin the
Instrument clusterchapter.
Your vehicle is equipped with a Traction Control
system (except on
commercial conversion packages). This system helps you maintain the
stability and steerability of your vehicle, especially on slippery road
surfaces such as snow- or ice-covered roads and gravel roads. The
system will allow your vehicle to make better use of available traction in
these conditions.
During Traction Control
operation, you may hear an electric motor
type of sound coming from the engine compartment and the engine will
not “rev-up” when you push further on the accelerator. This is normal
system behavior and should be no reason for concern.
The Traction Control
switch,
located on the left side of the
instrument panel, allows the driver
to enable and disable the system.
The Traction Control
system will
automatically turn on every time the
ignition is turned OFF and RUN.
If you should become stuck in snow
or ice or on a very slippery road surface, try switching the Traction
Control
system off. This may allow excess wheel spin to “dig” the
vehicle out and enable a successful “rocking” maneuver.
2005 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English(fus)
Driving
241

Aggressive driving in any road conditions can cause you to lose
control of your vehicle increasing the risk of severe personal
injury or property damage. The occurrence of a Traction Control

event is an indication that at least some of the tires have exceeded
their ability to grip the road; this may lead to an increased risk of loss
of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death. If you
experience a severe road event, SLOW DOWN.
STEERING
To prevent damage to the power steering system, never hold the steering
wheel at its furthest turning points (until it stops) for more than a few
seconds when the engine is running.
It is also important to maintain a proper power steering fluid level in the
power steering fluid reservoir:
•Do not operate the vehicle with a low power steering pump fluid level
(below the MIN mark on the reservoir).
•Some noise is normal during operation. If the noise is excessive, check
for low power steering pump fluid level before seeking service by your
dealer.
•Heavy or uneven steering efforts may be caused by low power steering
pump fluid level. Check for low power steering pump fluid level before
seeking service by your dealer.
•Do not fill the power steering pump reservoir above the MAX mark on
the reservoir, as this may result in leaks from the reservoir.
If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned
off), you can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes more effort.
If the steering wanders or pulls, check for:
•an improperly inflated tire
•uneven tire wear
•loose or worn suspension components
•loose or worn steering components
•improper steering alignment
Speed sensitive steering
The steering in your vehicle is speed sensitive. At high speeds, steering
assist will decrease to improve steering feel. At lower speeds,
maneuverability will be increased.
2005 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA_English(fus)
Driving
242