2008 Mercury Sable tires

Once through water, always try the brakes. Wet brakes do not stop the
vehicle as effectively as dry brakes. Drying can be improved by moving
your vehicle slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal.
Be cautious of sudden changes in vehicle speed or direction when you
are driving in mud. Even AWD vehicles can lose traction in slick mud. As
when you are driving over sand, apply the accelerator slowly and avoid
spinning your wheels. If the vehicle does slide, steer in the direction of
the slide until you regain control of the vehicle.
If the transmission, AWD system components or axles are submerged in
water, their fluids should be checked and changed, if necessary.
Driving through deep water may damage the transmission.
If the front or rear axle is submerged in water, the axle lubricant and
PTU (Power Transfer Unit) lubricant should be checked and changed if
necessary.
After driving through mud, clean off residue stuck to rotating driveshafts
and tires. Excess mud stuck on tires and rotating driveshafts causes an
imbalance that could damage drive components.
“Tread Lightly” is an educational
program designed to increase public
awareness of land-use regulations
and responsibilities in our nations
wilderness areas. Ford Motor
Company joins the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management in encouraging you to help preserve our national forest and
other public and private lands by “treading lightly.”
Driving on hilly or sloping terrain
Although natural obstacles may make it necessary to travel diagonally up
or down a hill or steep incline, you should always try to drive straight up
or straight down.Avoid driving crosswise or turning on steep
slopes or hills.A danger lies in losing traction, slipping sideways and
possibly rolling over. Whenever driving on a hill, determine beforehand
the route you will use. Do not drive over the crest of a hill without
seeing what conditions are on the other side. Do not drive in reverse
over a hill without the aid of an observer.
When climbing a steep slope or hill, start in a lower gear rather than
downshifting to a lower gear from a higher gear once the ascent has
started. This reduces strain on the engine and the possibility of stalling.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
241

If you do stall out, Do not try to turnaround because you might roll over.
It is better to back down to a safe location.
Apply just enough power to the wheels to climb the hill. Too much
power will cause the tires to slip, spin or lose traction, resulting in loss of
vehicle control.
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
Note:Excessive tire slippage can cause transaxle damage.
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, apply the brake steadily. Since
your vehicle is equipped with a four wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS),
do not “pump” the brakes. Refer to theBrakessection of this chapter
for additional information on the operation of the anti-lock brake system.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Driving
242

Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingPower Distribution Box
Description
45 10A** Speed control deactivate switch, Mass
air flow sensor, Inline module VPWR2
46 10A** A/C clutch relay, VPWR3
47 15A** PCM VPWR1
48 15A** PCM VPWR4
49 15A** Heated mirrors
50 Full ISO relay PCM relay
51 — Not used
52 — Not used
53 Full ISO relay Rear defrost relay
54 Full ISO relay Blower motor relay
55 Full ISO relay Starter relay
56 — Not used
57 Full ISO relay Front wiper relay
58 — Not used
* Cartridge Fuses ** Mini Fuses
CHANGING THE TIRES
If you get a flat tire while driving:
•do not brake heavily.
•gradually decrease the vehicle’s speed.
•hold the steering wheel firmly.
•slowly move to a safe place on the side of the road.
Note:The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) indicator light will
illuminate when the spare is in use. To restore the full functionality of
the monitoring system, all road wheels equipped with tire pressure
monitoring sensors must be mounted on the vehicle.
Have a flat serviced by an authorized dealer in order to prevent damage
to the TPMS sensor, refer toChanging tires with TPMSin theTires,
Wheels and Loadingchapter. Replace the spare tire with a road tire as
soon as possible.
The use of tire sealants may damage your Tire Pressure
Monitoring System and should not be used.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
253

Refer toTire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)in the
Tires, Wheels and Loadingchapter for important information. If
the tire pressure monitor sensor becomes damaged, it will no longer
function.
Dissimilar spare tire/wheel information
Failure to follow these guidelines could result in an increased
risk of loss of vehicle control, injury or death.
If you have a dissimilar spare tire/wheel, then it is intended for
temporary use only. This means that if you need to use it, you should
replace it as soon as possible with a road tire/wheel that is the same size
and type as the road tires and wheels that were originally provided by
Ford. If the dissimilar spare tire or wheel is damaged, it should be
replaced rather than repaired.
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
and can be one of three types:
1.T-type mini-spare:This spare tire begins with the letter “T” for tire
size and may have “Temporary Use Only” molded in the sidewall
2.Full-size dissimilar spare with label on wheel:This spare tire has
a label on the wheel that states: “THIS TIRE AND WHEEL FOR
TEMPORARY USE ONLY”
When driving with one of the dissimilar spare tires listed above,do not:
•Exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
•Load the vehicle beyond maximum vehicle load rating listed on the
Safety Compliance Label
•Tow a trailer
•Use snow chains on the end of the vehicle with the dissimilar spare
tire
•Use more than one dissimilar spare tire at a time
•Use commercial car washing equipment
•Try to repair the dissimilar spare tire
Use of one of the dissimilar spare tires listed above at any one wheel
location can lead to impairment of the following:
•Handling, stability and braking performance
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Roadside Emergencies
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•Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
•Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•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.
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
304

Rear seat entertainment
system ..........................................44
Relays ........................................247
Remote entry system .......129–130illuminated entry ............133–134
locking/unlocking doors .........130
opening the trunk ...................131
panic alarm .............................130
replacement/additional
transmitters .............................132
replacing the batteries ...........132
Reverse sensing system ...........236
Roadside assistance ..................244
S
Safety Belt Maintenance ..........158
Safety belts (see Safety
restraints) ..................150, 154–157
Safety Canopy ...................172, 174
Safety defects, reporting ..274–275
Safety restraints ........150, 154–158 Belt-Minder
...........................159
extension assembly ................158
for adults .........................155–157
for children .....................177–178
Occupant Classification
Sensor ......................................152
safety belt maintenance .........158
warning light and chime ........159
Safety seats for children ..........182
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................317
Satellite Radio Information ........41
Seats ..........................................142 child safety seats ....................182
front seats .......................142, 144
heated ................................78, 147 memory seat ...................131, 148
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ........................................137
Servicing your vehicle ..............283
Setting the clock AM/FM single CD .....................21
AM/FM/In-dash 6 CD ................29
Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...........256
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................312, 316
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................313
Speed control ............................101
Starting your vehicle ........221–223 jump starting ..........................261
Steering wheel controls ....................................104
tilting .........................................93
SYNC ............................................73
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................93
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) Roadside Emergencies ...........253
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....205
Tires ...........................190–191, 253 alignment ................................198
care ..........................................194
changing ..........................253, 256
checking the pressure ............194
inflating ...................................192
label .........................................204
replacing ..................................196
rotating ....................................198
safety practices .......................197
2008 Sable (mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Index
325

sidewall information ...............200
snow tires and chains ............210
spare tire .................................254
terminology .............................191
tire grades ...............................191
treadwear ........................190, 195
Towing .......................................217
recreational towing .................219
trailer towing ..........................217
wrecker ....................................266
Traction control ........................230
Transaxle
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................309
fluid, refill capacities ..............313
lubricant specifications ..........313
Transmission .............................232
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....232
Trunk .................................128, 131
remote release ........................120
Turn signal ..................................86
U
USB port ......................................38V
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
..........................................317
Vehicle loading
..........................211
Ventilating your vehicle
...........224
W
Warning lights (see Lights)
.......10
Washer fluid
..............................286
Water, Driving through
.............243
Windows
power
.........................................96
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers
..........................................92
checking and adding fluid
.....286
replacing wiper blades
...........287
Wrecker towing
.........................266
2008 Sable(mgo)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
326