2008 Mercury Mountaineer spare wheel

Location of the spare tire and tools
The spare tire and tools for your vehicle are stowed in the following
locations:
Tool Location
Spare tire Under the vehicle, just in front of
the rear bumper. The spare tire
winch drive nut is located at the
rear center of the cargo area
under a lid.
Jack, lug nut wrench, jack handle,
wheel chockBehind the rear seat under the
carpeted floor lid in the cargo
floor. The tools are located in a
bag attached to the jack.
Removing the jack and tools
1. Open liftgate and remove the
carpeted floor lid.
2. Turn jack screw eyelet (1)
counterclockwise to release
pressure.
3. Rotate the locking pin (2)
clockwise until loose then pull out
until it stops and remove the jack
and tool bag from the bracket.
4. Remove the chock and jack tools
from the provided bag rotate the
wrench socket out from the handle.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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Roadside Emergencies
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3. Turn the wrench
counterclockwise until the tire is
lowered to the ground and the cable
has slack. When turning the wrench,
make sure that it does not scuff the
kick plate.
4. Slide the tire rearward, lift one
side and remove the retainer from
the spare tire.
Changing the spare tire
When one of the rear wheels is off the ground, the transmission
alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving or slipping off the
jack, even if the transmission is in P (Park).
To help prevent the vehicle from moving when you change a tire,
be sure the parking brake is set, then block the wheel that is
diagonally opposite (other end of the vehicle) to the tire being
changed.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone else could be
seriously injured.
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close
to moving traffic. Pull far enough off the road to avoid the
danger of being hit when operating the jack or changing the wheel.
Turn off the running boards (if equipped) before working under
the vehicle, jacking, or placing any object under the vehicle.
Never place your hand in the hinge assemblies. A moving running
board may cause injury.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
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5. Position the jack according to the
illustrated guides and turn the jack
handle clockwise until the tire is a
maximum of 1 inch (25 mm) off the
ground.
Note:Do not use the running
boards, front and rear hinge
assemblies, running board motors,
or the running board underbody
mounts to lift the vehicle with the
jack.
To lessen the risk of
personal injury, do not put
any part of your body under the
vehicle while changing a tire. Do
not start the engine when your
vehicle is on the jack. The jack is
only meant for changing the tire.
•Never use the front or rear
differential as a jacking point.
6. Remove the lug nuts with the lug wrench.
7. Replace the flat tire with the spare tire, making sure the valve stem is
facing outward. Reinstall the lug nuts, cone side in, until the wheel is
snug against the hub. Do not fully tighten the lug nuts until the wheel
has been lowered.
8. Lower the wheel by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
297

9. Remove the jack and fully tighten
the lug nuts in the order shown.
Refer toWheel lug nut torque
specificationslater in this chapter
for the proper lug nut torque
specification.
Stowing the flat/spare tire
Note:Failure to follow spare tire stowage instructions may result in
failure of cable or loss of spare tire.
1. Lay the tire on the ground with the valve stem facing up, toward the
vehicle.
2. Slide the wheel partially under the vehicle and install the retainer
through the wheel center. Pull on the cable to align the components at
the end of the cable.
3. Turn the lug wrench clockwise until the tire is raised to its stowed
position underneath the vehicle. The effort to turn the jack handle
increases significantly and the spare tire carrier ratchets or slips when
the tire is raised to the maximum tightness. Tighten to the best of your
ability, to the point where the ratchet/slip occurs, if possible. The spare
tire carrier will not allow you to overtighten. If the spare tire carrier
ratchets or slips with little effort, take the vehicle to your authorized
dealer for assistance at your earliest convenience.
4. Check that the tire lies flat against the frame and is properly
tightened. Try to push or pull, then turn the tire to be sure it will not
move. Loosen and retighten, if necessary. Failure to properly stow the
spare tire may result in failure of the winch cable and loss of the tire.
5. If your vehicle is equipped with a spare tire lock and key, be sure to
install the spare tire lock into the bumper drive tube with the spare tire
lock key and jack handle.
6. Repeat this tightness check procedure when servicing the spare tire
pressure (every six months, perscheduled maintenance information),
or at any time that the spare tire is disturbed through service of other
components.1
4 3
2 5
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
298

Special notice
ambulance conversions ..............8
utility-type vehicles ....................8
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................359
Speed control ............................105
Starting your vehicle .......247–248,
250
jump starting ..........................300
Steering wheel
controls ....................................107
tilting .........................................97
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................97
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Roadside Emergencies ...........290
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....228
Warning Displays ..............12, 126
Tires ...........................213–215, 290
alignment ................................221
care ..........................................218
changing ..........................290, 295
checking the pressure ............218
inflating ...................................216
label .........................................227
replacing ..........................219, 295
rotating ....................................222
safety practices .......................221
sidewall information ...............223
snow tires and chains ............233
spare tire .................290, 293–294
terminology .............................215
tire grades ...............................214
treadwear ........................214, 218
Towing .......................................240
recreational towing .................245
trailer towing ..........................240wrecker ....................................305
Transfer case
fluid checking .........................355
Transmission .............................260
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....260
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................354
fluid, refill capacities ..............359
lubricant specifications ..........359
Turn signal ..................................89
U
USB port ......................................42
V
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................364
Vehicle loading ..........................233
Ventilating your vehicle ...........250
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......12
Washer fluid ..............................327
Water, Driving through .............277
Windows ....................................142
power .......................................101
rear wiper/washer .....................97
Windshield
defrosting ..................................83
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................96
checking and adding fluid .....327
liftgate reservoir .....................327
replacing wiper blades ...........328
Wrecker towing .........................305
2008 Mountaineer(mnt)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
373