Mercury Tracer (1998 year). Manual

Make sure the corresponding lights
illuminate briefly. If a light fails to
illuminate, have the vehicle
serviced.
• If the driver’s safety belt is

fastened, the light (

) will not

illuminate.

THEFT

CHECK

COOLANT

SERVICE

ENGINE

SOON

BRAKE

ABS

–

MPH

FUEL FILL

100

110

120

100

120

140

160

180

200

km/h

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0

LOW
FUEL

THEFT

CHECK

COOLANT

SERVICE

ENGINE

SOON

BRAKE

ABS

–

MPH

FUEL FILL

100

110

120

100

120

140

160

180

200

km/h

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0

RPMx1000

4 5

LOW
FUEL

Starting

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STARTING THE ENGINE

1. Turn the key to 4 (START)
without pressing the accelerator
pedal and release as soon as the
engine starts. The key will return
to 3 (ON).

2. If the engine does not start
within five seconds, wait ten
seconds and try again.

3. If the engine does not start in
two attempts OR if the
temperature is below -12°C (10°F),
depress the accelerator and start
the engine while holding the
accelerator down. Release the
accelerator when the engine starts.

4. After idling for a few seconds,
apply the brake and release the
parking brake.

Using the engine block heater
(if equipped)

An engine block heater warms the
engine coolant, which improves
starting, warms up the engine
faster and allows the
heater-defroster system to respond
quickly. They are strongly
recommended if you live in a
region where temperatures reach
-23°C (-10°F) or below.

For best results, plug the heater in
at least three hours before starting
the vehicle. Using the heater for
longer than three hours will not

III

Starting

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

harm the engine, so the heater can
be plugged in the night before
starting the vehicle.

To prevent electrical
shock, do not use your

heater with ungrounded
electrical systems or
two-pronged (cheater) adapters.

Guarding against exhaust
fumes

Although odorless and colorless,
carbon monoxide is present in
exhaust fumes. Take precautions
to avoid its dangerous effects.

If you ever smell exhaust
fumes of any kind inside

your vehicle, have your dealer
inspect and fix your vehicle
immediately. Do not drive if you
smell exhaust fumes. These
fumes are harmful and could kill
you.

Have the exhaust and body
ventilation systems checked
whenever:
• the vehicle is raised for service
• the sound of the exhaust system

changes

• the vehicle has been damaged in

a collision

Starting

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BRAKES

Your brakes are self-adjusting.
Refer to the “Service Guide” for
scheduled maintenance.

Occasional brake noise is normal
and often does not indicate a
performance concern with the
vehicle’s brake system. In normal
operation, automotive brake
systems may emit occasional or
intermittent squeal or groan noises
when the brakes are applied. Such
noises are usually heard during the
first few brake applications in the
morning; however, they may be
heard at any time while braking
and can be aggravated by
environmental conditions such as
cold, heat, moisture, road dust, salt
or mud. If a “metal-to-metal,”
“continuous grinding” or
“continuous squeal” sound is
present while braking, the brake
linings may be worn-out and
should be inspected by a qualified
service technician.

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
(if equipped)

On vehicles equipped with an
anti-lock braking system (ABS), a
noise from the hydraulic pump
motor and pulsation in the pedal
may be observed during ABS
braking events. Pedal pulsation
coupled with noise while braking
under panic conditions or on loose
gravel, bumps, wet or snowy roads
is normal and indicates proper
functioning of the vehicle’s
anti-lock brake system. If the

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

vehicle has continuous vibration or
shudder while braking, felt mainly
in the steering wheel, the vehicle
most likely needs service.

The ABS operates by detecting the
onset of wheel lock up during
brake applications and
compensating for this tendency.
The front wheels are prevented
from locking even when the brakes
are firmly applied. The
accompanying illustration depicts
the advantage of an ABS equipped
vehicle (on bottom) to a non-ABS
equipped vehicle (on top) during
hard braking.

ABS warning lamp

The

ABS

warning lamp in the

instrument cluster illuminates for
about five seconds when starting
the vehicle. If an ABS fault is
detected, the light will remain on
and your vehicle should be
serviced as soon as possible.

Normal braking is still effective
unless the BRAKE warning lamp is
also illuminated.

Using ABS

• In an emergency or when

maximum efficiency from the
ABS is required, apply
continuous full force on the
brake. The ABS will be activated
immediately, thus allowing you
to retain full steering control of
your vehicle and, providing

BRAKE

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

there is sufficient space, will
enable you to avoid obstacles
and bring the vehicle to a
controlled stop.

• We recommend that you

familiarize yourself with this
braking technique. However,
avoid taking any unnecessary
risks.

Parking brake

Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, pull the handle up.

The BRAKE warning lamp in the
instrument cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned ON) until the
parking brake is released.

The parking brake is not designed
to stop a moving vehicle. However,
if the normal brakes fail, the
parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency.
Since the parking brake applies
only the rear brakes, the vehicle’s
stopping distance will be adversely
affected.

BRAKE

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Always set the parking
brake fully and make sure

that the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park) (automatic
transaxle) or in 1 (First)
(manual transaxle).

Push the control on the end of the
parking brake and push the handle
down to release the brake. Driving
with the parking brake on will
cause the brakes to wear out
quickly and reduce fuel economy.

TRANSAXLE OPERATION

Manual transaxle (if equipped)

Using the clutch

Vehicles equipped with a manual
transaxle have a starter interrupt
interlock that prevents cranking of
the engine unless the clutch pedal
is depressed.

When starting a vehicle with a
manual transaxle, you must:

1. Put the gearshift in the neutral
position.

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Hold down the brake pedal.

3. Depress the clutch pedal.

4. Turn the ignition key to 4
(START), then let the engine idle
for a few seconds.

5. Release the brake pedal, then
slowly release the clutch pedal
while pressing down slowly on the
accelerator pedal.

Do not drive with your foot resting
on the clutch pedal and do not use
the clutch pedal to hold your
vehicle at a standstill while waiting
on a hill. These actions will
seriously reduce clutch life.

Recommended shift speeds

Upshift according to the following
charts for best fuel economy:

Sedan/Wagon

Upshifts when cruising (recommended for best fuel economy)

1-2

18 km/h (11 mph)

2-3

32 km/h (20 mph)

3-4

46 km/h (29 mph)

4-5

61 km/h (38 mph)

III

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Turn engine off and remove the
key.

Do not park your vehicle
in Neutral, it may move

unexpectedly and injure
someone. Use 1 (First) gear and
set the parking brake fully.

Reverse

Make sure that your vehicle is at a
complete stop before you shift into
R (Reverse). Failure to do so may
damage the transaxle.

Put the gearshift into the neutral
position and wait at least three
seconds before shifting into R
(Reverse).

You can shift into R (Reverse) only
by moving the gearshift from left
of 3 (Third) and 4 (Fourth) gears
before you shift into R (Reverse).
This is a special lockout feature
which prevents you from shifting

III

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Overdrive)

The overdrive position is the
normal driving position for an
automatic overdrive transaxle. It
works the same way as D (Drive)
but shifts to a fourth gear-an
overdrive gear-when your vehicle
cruises at a constant speed for any
length of time. This fourth gear
will increase your fuel economy
when you travel at cruising speeds

Overdrive may not be appropriate
for certain terrains. If the transaxle
shifts back and forth between third
and fourth gears while you are
driving hilly roads or if your
vehicle requires additional power
for climbing hills, shift into D
(Drive).

D (Drive)

D (Drive) eliminates the needless
shifting between third and fourth
gears that your vehicle may do
when driving in hilly terrain. It also
gives more engine braking than
overdrive to slow your vehicle on
downgrades.

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

L (Low)

Use L (Low) when added engine
braking is desired or when
descending steep hills.

The automatic transaxle will shift
into the proper gear to ascend any
grade without any need to shift to
L (Low).

Do not go faster than 61 km/h (38
mph) when in this gear. You can
upshift from L (Low) to

(overdrive) at any time.

When parking, do not use
the gearshift in place of

the parking brake. Always set
the parking brake fully and make
sure that the gearshift is
securely latched in Park (P).
Turn off the ignition whenever
you leave your vehicle. Never
leave your vehicle unattended
while it is running. If you do not
take these precautions, your
vehicle may move unexpectedly
and injure someone.

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VEHICLE LOADING

Before loading a vehicle, familiarize
yourself with the following terms:
• Base Curb Weight: Weight of

the vehicle including any
standard equipment, fluids,
lubricants, etc. It does not
include passengers or
aftermarket equipment.

• Payload: Combined maximum

allowable weight of cargo,
passengers and optional
equipment. The payload equals
the gross vehicle weight rating
minus base curb weight.

• GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight):

Base curb weight plus payload
weight. The GVW is not a limit
or a specification.

• GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight

Rating): Maximum total weight
of the base vehicle, passengers,
optional equipment and cargo.
The GVWR is specific to each
vehicle and is listed on the
Safety Compliance Label on the
driver’s door pillar.

• GAWR (Gross Axle Weight

Rating): Carrying capacity for
each axle system. The GAWR is
specific to each vehicle and is
listed on the Safety Compliance
Label on the driver’s door pillar.

• GCWR (Gross Combined

Weight Rating): Maximum
combined weight of towing
vehicle (including passengers
and cargo) and the trailer. The

Driving

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mercury Tracer (1998 year). Manual - part 6