2006 LINCOLN TOWN CAR warning

Setup menu
Press this control for the following displays:
•System Check
•Display (odometer/speedometer)
•Font Size (normal/large)
•Units (English/Metric)
•Language
•Compass Zone/Calibration
•Oil Minder Start Value
System check
Selecting this function from the
SETUP menu causes the message
center to cycle through each of the
systems being monitored. For each
of the monitored systems, the
message center will indicate either
an OK message or a warning
message for three seconds.
Pressing the SELECT control cycles the message center through each of
the systems being monitored.
The sequence of the system check report and how it appears in the
message center is as follows:
1. OIL LIFE
— PRESS RESET IF NEW OIL
2. WASHER FLUID
3. AIR SUSPENSION
4. RECONFIGURABLE TELLTALES
—OK
— FAILED RED
— FAILED AMBER
2006 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driver Controls
126

Reverse Sensing System (Park Aid)
This feature sounds a warning tone to warn the driver of obstacles near
the rear bumper, and functions only when R (Reverse) gear is selected.
1. Before you disable/enable the
reverse sensing system feature, put
the vehicle in R (Reverse).
2. Press the RESET control to turn
the park aid ON or OFF.
System warnings
System warnings alert you to possible problems or malfunctions in your
vehicle’s operating systems.
In the event of a multiple warning situation, the message center will
cycle the display to show all warnings by displaying each one for 4
seconds.
The message center will display the last selected feature if there are no
more warning messages. This allows you to use the full functionality of
the message center after you acknowledge the warning by pressing the
RESET control and clearing the warning message.
Warning messages that have been reset are divided into three categories:
•They cannot be reset until the condition is corrected.
•They will reappear on the display ten minutes from the reset.
•They will not reappear until an ignition OFF-ON cycle has been
completed.
This acts as a reminder that these warning conditions still exist within
the vehicle.
Warning display Status
Door Ajar Warning cannot be reset
Coolant over temperature Warning returns after 10 minutes
Powertrain malfunction
Check fuel cap
Check air suspension
Low fuel
2006 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driver Controls
130

Warning display Status
Park aid ON/OFF Warning returns after the ignition key
is turned from OFF to ON.
Overdrive ON/OFF
Trunk ajar
Check compass module
Low washer fluid
Change engine oil
DOOR AJAR.Displayed when a door is not completely closed.
POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTIONDisplayed when the powertrain is not
operating properly. If the warning stays on or continues to come on,
contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
COOLANT OVER TEMPERATURE.Displayed when the engine
coolant is overheating. Stop the vehicle as soon as safely possible, turn
off the engine and let it cool. Check the coolant and coolant level. Refer
toEngine coolantin theMaintenance and Specificationschapter. If
the warning stays on or continues to come on, contact your authorized
dealer as soon as possible.
Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the engine is
running or hot.
CHECK FUEL CAP.Displayed when the fuel filler cap is not properly
installed. Check the fuel filler cap for proper installation. Refer toFuel
filler capin theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
CHECK AIR SUSPENSION.Displayed when the air suspension system
is not operating properly. If this message is displayed while driving, pull
off the road as soon as safely possible. For more information, refer toAir
suspensionin theDrivingchapter.
LOW FUEL.Displayed as an early reminder of a low fuel condition.
Warning message can be reset by pressing the RESET button, but will
return after 10 minutes. If any other button is pressed besides RESET,
the message ’’PRESS RESET TO CLEAR’’ will appear in the Message
Center. Once this message disappears (after approximately 2 seconds),
press RESET to clear the warning.
TRUNK AJAR.Displayed when the trunk is not completely closed.
OVERDRIVE ON/OFF.Displayed when the overdrive is enabled or
disabled.
2006 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driver Controls
131

PARK AID ON/OFF.Displayed when the transmission is in R (Reverse)
and the Reverse Sensing System (Park Aid) is enabled or disabled. Refer
toReverse Sensing System (Park Aid)in this section to enable.
CHECK COMPASS MODULE.Displayed when the compass is not
operating properly. If the warning stays on or continues to come on,
contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible.
LOW WASHER FLUID.Indicates the washer fluid reservoir is less than
one quarter full. Check the washer fluid level. Refer toWindshield
washer fluidin theMaintenance and Specificationschapter.
CHANGE ENGINE OIL.Displayed when the engine oil life remaining is
5 percent or less. When oil life left is between 5% and 0%, the CHANGE
OIL SOON message will be displayed. When oil life left reaches 0%, the
OIL CHANGE REQUIRED message will be displayed.
An oil change is required whenever indicated by the message center and
according to the recommended maintenance schedule. USE ONLY
RECOMMENDED ENGINE OILS.
To reset the oil monitoring system to 100% after each oil change
[approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) or 180 days] perform the
following:
1. Press and hold the RESET
control for 2 seconds and release.
Oil life is set to 100% and “OIL LIFE
XXX% HOLD RESET IF NEW OIL”
is displayed.
2. Press and hold the RESET
control for 3 seconds and release.
Oil life is set to 100% and “OIL LIFE
START VALUE SET TO XXX%” is
displayed.
2006 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driver Controls
132

the appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of
occupants in a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety System
consists of the following items:
•Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
•Driver and front passenger side airbags
•Front safety belts with pretensioners, energy management retractors,
and safety belt usage sensors
•Driver’s seat position sensor
•Front passenger sensing system
•Front crash severity sensor
•Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors
•Restraint system warning light and back-up tone
•The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), safety belt
pretensioners, front safety belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, and indicator lights
How does the Personal Safety Systemwork?
The Personal Safety System
can adapt the deployment strategy of your
vehicle’s safety devices according to crash severity and occupant
conditions. A collection of crash and occupant sensors provides
information to the Restraints control module (RCM). During a crash, the
RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and/or either one or both
stages of the dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints based on crash
severity and occupant conditions.
The fact that the pretensioners or airbags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with
the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety System
determined
the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not
appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front airbags are designed
to activate only in frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollovers,
side-impacts, or rear-impacts unless the collision causes sufficient
longitudinal deceleration.
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
The dual-stage airbags offer the capability to tailor the level of airbag
inflation energy. A lower, less forceful energy level is provided for more
common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher energy level is used for
the most severe impacts. Refer toAirbag supplemental restraints
section in this chapter.
2006 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
159

encouraged to always properly restrain children in the rear seat. The
sensor also turns off the passenger front airbag and passenger
seat-mounted side airbag (if equipped) when the passenger seat is empty
and the safety belt is unbuckled, or when a child or a small person
occupies the front passenger seat and the safety belt is unbuckled.
When the front passenger seat is occupied and the sensing system has
turned off the passenger’s frontal airbag, the “pass airbag off” indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal
airbag is off. SeeFront passenger sensing systemin the airbags section
of this chapter.
Front safety belt usage sensors
The front safety belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger safety belts are fastened. This information
allows your Personal Safety System
to tailor the airbag deployment and
safety belt pretensioner activation depending upon safety belt usage.
Refer toSafety beltsection in this chapter.
Front safety belt pretensioners
The safety belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the safety belts firmly against the occupant’s body
during frontal collisions, and in side collisions and rollovers when the
vehicle is equipped with the Safety Canopy
system. This helps increase
the effectiveness of the safety belts. In frontal collisions, the safety belt
pretensioners can be activated alone or, if the collision is of sufficient
severity, together with the front airbags.
Front safety belt energy management retractors
The front outboard safety belt energy management retractors allow
webbing to be pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled
manner in response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps
reduce the risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by
limiting the load on the occupant. Refer toEnergy management feature
section in this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety Systemis operational
The Personal Safety System
uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to theWarning lightsection in theInstrument clusterchapter. Routine
maintenance of the Personal Safety System
is not required.
2006 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
161

The Restraints control module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, and the driver
seat position sensor. In addition, the RCM also monitors the restraints
warning light in the instrument cluster. A difficulty with the system is
indicated by one or more of the following.
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System
serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Safety restraints precautions
Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap
belt snug and low across the hips.
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit in the back
seat where they can be properly restrained.
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from
injury in a collision.
All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always
properly wear their safety belts, even when an airbag
supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area, inside or
outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to
ride in any area of your vehicle that is not equipped with seats and
safety belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and using a
safety belt properly.
2006 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
162

Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
BeltMinder
The BeltMinderfeature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders by
intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning
light in the instrument cluster when the driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belt is unbuckled.
The BeltMinderfeature uses information from the front passenger
sensing system to determine if a front seat passenger is present and
therefore potentially in need of a warning. To avoid activating the
BeltMinderfeature for objects placed in the front passenger seat,
warnings will only be given to large front seat occupants as determined
by the front passenger sensing system.
Both the driver’s and passenger’s safety belt usages are monitored and
either may activate the BeltMinderfeature. The warnings are the same
for the driver and the front passenger. If the BeltMinderwarnings have
expired (warnings for approximately 5 minutes) for one occupant (driver
or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the BeltMinder
feature.
2006 Town Car(tow)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
168