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PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
WARNINGS
Airbags do not inflate slowly or gently,
and the risk of injury from a deploying
airbag is the greatest close to the trim
covering the airbag module. All occupants of your vehicle, including
the driver, should always properly wear
their safety belts, even when an airbag
supplemental restraint system is provided.
Failure to properly wear your safety belt
could seriously increase the risk of injury or
death. Always transport children 12 years old
and under in the back seat and always
properly use appropriate child restraints.
Failure to follow this could seriously increase
the risk of injury or death. Never place your arm over the airbag
module as a deploying airbag can
result in serious arm fractures or other
injuries. WARNINGS
Airbags can kill or injure a child in a
child seat. Never place a rear-facing
child seat in front of an active airbag. If you
must use a forward-facing child seat in the
front seat, move the seat upon which the
child seat is installed all the way back. Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the airbag supplemental
restraint systems or its fuses as you could
be seriously injured or killed. Contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible. Several airbag system components get
hot after inflation. To reduce the risk
of injury, do not touch them after inflation. If the airbag has deployed, the airbag
will not function again and must be
replaced immediately. If the airbag is not
replaced, the unrepaired area will increase
the risk of injury in a crash. The airbags are a supplemental restraint
system and are designed to work with the
safety belts to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain upper
body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a deploying
airbag.
Note:
You will hear a loud bang and see a
cloud of harmless powdery residue if an
airbag deploys. This is normal.
The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly upon
activation. After airbag deployment, it is
normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery
residue or smell the burnt propellant. This
may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder (to
lubricate the bag) or sodium compounds (for
example, baking soda) that result from the
combustion process that inflates the airbag.
Small amounts of sodium hydroxide may be
present which may irritate the skin and eyes,
but none of the residue is toxic.
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MKZ (), enUSA Supplementary Restraints System
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•
Do not allow wax to come in contact with
any non-body (low-gloss black) colored
trim. The wax will discolor or stain the
parts over time.
•Roof racks.
• Bumpers.
• Grained door handles.
• Side moldings.
• Mirror housings.
• Windshield cowl area.
• Do not apply wax to glass areas.
• After waxing, your car's paint should feel
smooth, and be free of streaks and
smudges.
CLEANING THE ENGINE
Engines are more efficient when they are
clean because grease and dirt buildup keep
the engine warmer than normal. When washing:
•
Take care when using a power washer
to clean the engine. The high-pressure
fluid could penetrate the sealed parts
and cause damage.
• Do not spray a hot engine with cold water
to avoid cracking the engine block or
other engine components.
• Spray Motorcraft Engine Shampoo and
Degreaser on all parts that require
cleaning and pressure rinse clean. In
Canada, use Motorcraft Engine Shampoo.
• Never wash or rinse the engine while it
is hot or running; water in the running
engine may cause internal damage.
• Never wash or rinse any ignition coil,
spark plug wire or spark plug well, or the
area in and around these locations.
• Cover the battery, power distribution box,
and air filter assembly to prevent water
damage when cleaning the engine. CLEANING THE WINDOWS AND
WIPER BLADES
Car wash chemicals and environmental
fallout can result in windshield and wiper
blade contamination. Dirty windshield and
wipers will result in poor windshield wiper
operation. Keep the windshield and wiper
blades clean to maintain windshield wiper
performance.
To clean the windshield and wiper blades:
•
Clean the windshield with a non-abrasive
glass cleaner.
• For windshields contaminated with tree
sap, chemicals, wax or bugs, clean the
entire windshield using steel wool (no
greater than 0000 grade) in a circular
motion and rinse with water.
• Clean the wiper blades with isopropyl
rubbing alcohol or windshield washer
fluid.
Note: Do not use razor blades or other
sharp objects to clean or remove decals from
the inside of the heated rear window. The
vehicle warranty does not cover damage
caused to the heated rear window grid lines.
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General
•
Store all vehicles in a dry, ventilated
place.
• Protect from sunlight, if possible.
• If vehicles are stored outside, they
require regular maintenance to protect
against rust and damage.
Body
• Wash your vehicle thoroughly to remove
dirt, grease, oil, tar or mud from exterior
surfaces, rear-wheel housing and the
underside of front fenders.
• Periodically wash your vehicle if it is
stored in exposed locations.
• Touch-up exposed or primed metal to
prevent rust.
• Cover chrome and stainless steel parts
with a thick coat of auto wax to prevent
discoloration. Re-wax as necessary when
you wash your vehicle.
• Lubricate all hood, door and trunk lid
hinges, and latches with a light grade oil. •
Cover interior trim to prevent fading.
• Keep all rubber parts free from oil and
solvents.
Engine
• The engine oil and filter should be
changed prior to storage because used
engine oil contains contaminates that
may cause engine damage.
• Start the engine every 15 days for a
minimum of 15 minutes. Run at fast idle
with the climate controls set to defrost
until the engine reaches normal
operating temperature.
• With your foot on the brake, shift through
all the gears while the engine is running.
• We recommend that you change the
engine oil before you use your vehicle
again.
Fuel system
• Fill the fuel tank with high-quality fuel
until the first automatic shutoff of the fuel
pump nozzle. Cooling system
•
Protect against freezing temperatures.
• When removing your vehicle from
storage, check coolant fluid level.
Confirm that there are no cooling system
leaks and that fluid is at the
recommended level.
Battery
• Check and recharge as necessary. Keep
connections clean.
• If storing your vehicle for more than 30
days without recharging the battery, we
recommend that you disconnect the
battery cables to maintain battery charge
for quick starting.
Note: It is necessary to reset memory
features if battery cables are disconnected.
Brakes
• Make sure the brakes and parking brake
release fully.
Tires
• Maintain recommended air pressure.
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MKZ (), enUSA Vehicle Care