2008 Mercury Grand Marquis wheel alignment

•the vehicle is not in Park
Always remember to turn on your headlamps at dusk or during
inclement weather. The Daytime Running Light (DRL) System
does not activate your tail lamps and generally may not provide
adequate lighting during these conditions. Failure to activate your
headlamps under these conditions may result in a collision.
PANEL DIMMER CONTROL
Use to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel during headlamp
and parklamp operation.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from left
to right to brighten the
instrument panel.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from right
to left to dim the instrument
panel.
Domelamp Control
The panel dimmer control also controls the domelamp operation.
•Rotate the thumbwheel fully to the right, past detent to activate the
domelamp.
•In order to turn off the domelamp, rotate the thumbwheel to the left.
AIMING THE HEADLAMPS
The headlamps on your vehicle are properly aimed at the assembly plant.
If your vehicle has been in an accident the alignment of your headlamps
should be checked by your authorized dealer.
Vertical aim adjustment
1. Park the vehicle directly in front of a wall or screen on a level surface,
approximately 25 feet (7.6 meters) away. Check your headlamp
alignment at night or in a dark area so that you can see the headlamp
beam pattern.
2008 Grand Marquis(grn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Lights
40

If your 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.
Do not spin the wheels at over 35 mph (56 km/h). The tires may
fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
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 and wheel alignment
A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can cause the front end of your
vehicle to become misaligned or cause damage to your tires. If your
vehicle seems to pull to one side when you’re driving, the wheels may be
out of alignment. Have an authorized dealer check the wheel alignment
periodically.
Wheel misalignment in the front or the rear can cause uneven and rapid
treadwear of your tires and should be corrected by an authorized dealer.
Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles and those with an independent rear
suspension (if equipped) may require alignment of all four wheels.
The tires should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
Tire rotation
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
scheduled maintenance informationthat comes with your vehicle) will
help your tires wear more evenly, providing better tire performance and
longer tire life.
2008 Grand Marquis(grn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
151

•Rear Wheel Drive (RWD)
vehicles/Four Wheel Drive
(4WD)/ All Wheel Drive (AWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
Sometimes irregular tire wear can be corrected by rotating the tires.
Note:If your tires show uneven wear ask an authorized dealer to check
for and correct any wheel misalignment, tire imbalance or mechanical
problem involved before tire rotation.
Note:Your vehicle may be equipped with a dissimilar spare tire/wheel. A
dissimilar spare tire/wheel is defined as a spare tire and/or wheel that is
different in brand, size or appearance from the road tires and wheels. If
you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel it is intended for temporary use
only and should not be used in a tire rotation.
Note:After having your tires rotated, inflation pressure must be checked
and adjusted to the vehicle requirements.
INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL
Both U.S. and Canada Federal regulations require tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the sidewall of all tires. This
information identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics of
the tire and also provides a U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number for
safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
2008 Grand Marquis(grn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
152

•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
•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 the top gears 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 toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] 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.
•Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) 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.
2008 Grand Marquis(grn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
254

Remote entry system ...........88, 92
illuminated entry ......................91
locking/unlocking doors ...........88
opening the trunk .....................89
panic alarm ...............................89
replacement/additional
transmitters ...............................90
replacing the batteries .............89
Roadside assistance ..................191
S
Safety Belt Maintenance ..........114
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ..................105, 109–114
Safety defects,
reporting ............................221–222
Safety restraints ........105, 109–114
Belt-Minder...........................115
extension assembly ................113
for adults .........................110–113
for children .............................132
lap belt ....................................111
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................107
safety belt maintenance .........114
warning light and chime ........115
Safety seats for children ..........136
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................267
Seats ..........................................100
child safety seats ....................136
front seats ...............................100
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ....................................94, 97
Servicing your vehicle ..............230
Setting the clock
AM/FM single CD .....................22
AM/FM stereo ...........................19AM/FM/In-dash 6 CD ................31
AM/FM/Tape/CD .......................26
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................262, 266
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................263
Speed control ..............................65
Starting a flex fuel vehicle .......175
Starting your vehicle ........173–175
jump starting ..........................208
Steering
speed sensitive .......................184
Steering wheel
controls ......................................68
tilting .........................................51
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................51
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....158
Tires ...................................143–144
alignment ................................151
care ..........................................147
changing ..................................205
checking the pressure ............147
inflating ...................................145
label .........................................157
replacing ..................................149
rotating ....................................151
safety practices .......................150
sidewall information ...............152
snow tires and chains ............163
spare tire .........................202–203
terminology .............................144
tire grades ...............................144
treadwear ........................143, 148
Towing .......................................169
2008 Grand Marquis(grn)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
275