2008 Mercury Mountaineer heating

Descend a hill in the same gear you
would use to climb up the hill to
avoid excessive brake application
and brake overheating. Do not
descend in neutral; instead,
disengage overdrive or manually
shift to a lower gear. When
descending a steep hill, avoid
sudden hard braking as you could
lose control. When you brake hard,
the front wheels can’t turn and if
they aren’t turning, you won’t be
able to steer. The front wheels have to be turning in order to steer the
vehicle.
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, apply the brakes steadily. Do not
“pump” the brakes.
Driving on snow and ice
AWD vehicles have advantages over 2WD vehicles in snow and ice but
can skid like any other vehicle.
Should you start to slide while driving on snowy or icy roads, turn the
steering wheel in the direction of the slide until you regain control.
Avoid sudden applications of power and quick changes of direction on
snow and ice. Apply the accelerator slowly and steadily when starting
from a full stop.
Avoid sudden braking as well. Although an AWD vehicle may accelerate
better than a two-wheel drive vehicle in snow and ice, it won’t stop any
faster, because as in other vehicles, braking occurs at all four wheels. Do
not become overconfident as to road conditions.
Make sure you allow sufficient distance between you and other vehicles
for stopping. Drive slower than usual and consider using one of the lower
gears. In emergency stopping situations, avoid locking of the wheels. Use
a “squeeze” technique, push on the brake pedal with a steadily increasing
force which allows the wheels to brake yet continue to roll so that you
may steer in the direction you want to travel. If you lock the wheels,
release the brake pedal and repeat the squeeze technique. If your vehicle
is equipped with a four wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS), apply the
brake steadily. Do not “pump” the brakes. Refer to theBrakessection of
this chapter for additional information on the operation of the anti-lock
brake system.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
276

Adding engine coolant
When adding coolant, make sure it is a 50/50 mixture of engine coolant
and distilled water. Add the mixture to the coolant reservoir,when the
engine is cool,until the appropriate fill level is obtained.
Do not add engine coolant when the engine is hot. Steam and
scalding liquids released from a hot cooling system can burn you
badly. Also, you can be burned if you spill coolant on hot engine parts.
Do not put engine coolant in the windshield washer fluid
container. If sprayed on the windshield, engine coolant could
make it difficult to see through the windshield.
•Add Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant or equivalent
meeting Ford specification WSS-M97B51-A1.Refer to
Maintenance product specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
Note:Use of Motorcraft Cooling System Stop Leak Pellets or an
equivalent product meeting Ford specification WSS-M99B37-B6, may
darken the color of Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant from
yellow to golden tan.
•Do not add/mix an orange-colored, extended life coolant such
as Motorcraft Specialty Orange Engine Coolant, meeting Ford
specification WSS-M97B44-D, or DEX-COOL
brand with the
factory-filled coolant.Mixing Motorcraft Specialty Orange Engine
Coolant or any orange-colored extended life product such as
DEX-COOL
brand with your factory filled coolant can result in
degraded corrosion protection.
•A large amount of water without engine coolant may be added, in case
of emergency, to reach a vehicle service location. In this instance, the
cooling system must be drained and refilled with a 50/50 mixture of
engine coolant and distilled water as soon as possible. Water alone
(without engine coolant) can cause engine damage from corrosion,
overheating or freezing.
•Do not use alcohol, methanol, brine or any engine coolants
mixed with alcohol or methanol antifreeze (coolant).Alcohol
and other liquids can cause engine damage from overheating or
freezing.
•Do not add extra inhibitors or additives to the coolant.These
can be harmful and compromise the corrosion protection of the engine
coolant.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
338

Your cooling system may have a leak. Operating an engine with a low
level of coolant can result in engine overheating and possible engine
damage.
Recycled engine coolant
Ford Motor Company does NOT recommend the use of recycled engine
coolant in vehicles originally equipped with Motorcraft Premium Gold
Engine Coolant since a Ford-approved recycling process is not yet
available.
Used engine coolant should be disposed of in an appropriate
manner. Follow your community’s regulations and standards for recycling
and disposing of automotive fluids.
Coolant refill capacity
To find out how much fluid your vehicle’s cooling system can hold, refer
toMaintenance product specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
Fill your engine coolant reservoir as outlined inAdding engine coolant
in this section.
Severe climates
If you drive in extremely cold climates (less than –34°F [–36°C ]):
•It may be necessary to increase the coolant concentration
above 50%.
•NEVER increase the coolant concentration above 60%.
•Increased engine coolant concentrations above 60% will
decrease the overheat protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
•Refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the
coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate
freeze protection at the temperatures in which you drive in the
winter months.
If you drive in extremely hot climates:
•It is still necessary to maintain the coolant concentration
above 40%.
•NEVER decrease the coolant concentration below 40%.
•Decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will
decrease the corrosion protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
340

Child safety seats - booster
seats ...........................................197
Cleaning your vehicle
engine compartment ..............317
instrument panel ....................319
interior .....................................320
plastic parts ............................318
washing ....................................315
waxing .....................................316
wheels ......................................316
wiper blades ............................318
Climate control (see Air
conditioning or Heating) ............79
Clock adjust
6-CD in dash .............................34
AM/FM/CD .................................26
Compass, electronic
set zone adjustment ...............124
Console ................................99–100
overhead ....................................98
rear ..........................................100
Controls
power seat ...............................154
steering column ......................107
Coolant
checking and adding ..............336
refill capacities ................340, 359
specifications ..........................359
Cruise control
(see Speed control) ..................105
Customer Assistance ................278
Ford Extended Service
Plan ..........................................311
Getting assistance outside
the U.S. and Canada ..............312
Getting roadside assistance ...278
Getting the service you
need .........................................307Ordering additional owner’s
literature .................................313
Utilizing the Mediation/
Arbitration Program................311
D
Daytime running lamps
(see Lamps) ................................86
Defrost
rear window ..............................83
Dipstick
automatic transmission
fluid ..........................................354
engine oil .................................329
Driveline universal joint and
slip yoke ....................................356
Driving under special
conditions ..................268, 272, 275
sand .........................................274
snow and ice ...........................276
through water .................274, 277
Dual automatic temperature
control (DATC) ...........................79
DVD system .................................49
E
Electronic message center .......115
Emergencies, roadside
jump-starting ..........................300
Emergency Flashers .................280
Emission control system ..........351
Engine ........................................363
cleaning ...................................317
coolant .....................................336
fail-safe cooling .......................341
idle speed control ...................334
lubrication specifications .......359
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
369

refill capacities ........................359
service points ..................325–326
starting after a collision .........280
Engine block heater .................251
Engine oil ..................................329
checking and adding ..............329
dipstick ....................................329
filter, specifications ........332, 358
recommendations ...................332
refill capacities ........................359
specifications ..........................359
Event data recording ....................7
Exhaust fumes ..........................250
F
Fail safe cooling ........................341
Family entertainment system ....49
Floor mats .................................131
Fluid capacities .........................359
Foglamps .....................................85
Four-Wheel Drive vehicles
driving off road .......................271
preparing to drive your
vehicle .....................................259
Fuel ............................................343
calculating fuel
economy ..........................117, 348
cap ...........................................345
capacity ...................................359
choosing the right fuel ...........346
comparisons with EPA fuel
economy estimates .................351
detergent in fuel .....................347
filling your vehicle
with fuel ..................343, 345, 348
filter, specifications ........342, 358
fuel pump shut-off switch .....280
improving fuel economy ........348octane rating ...................346, 363
quality ......................................346
running out of fuel .................347
safety information relating to
automotive fuels .....................343
Fuses ..................................282–283
G
Garage door opener ....................99
Gas cap (see Fuel cap) ............345
Gas mileage
(see Fuel economy) .................348
Gauges .........................................17
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight
Rating)
calculating ...............................239
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)
calculating ...............................239
H
Hazard flashers .........................280
Head restraints .........................152
Headlamps ...................................85
aiming ........................................87
bulb specifications ....................90
daytime running lights .............86
flash to pass ..............................86
high beam .................................86
turning on and off ....................85
Heating
heating and air conditioning
system .................................77, 79
Homelink wireless control
system ........................................111
Hood ..........................................324
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
370