1997 Ford Contour Owner's Manual - Page 118

Starting Your Engine To start your engine: 1. Follow the steps under Preparing to Start Your Vehicle at the beginning of this section. 2. Keep your foot on the brake pedal and turn the ignition key to the ON position. 3. DO NOT depress the accelerator pedal when starting your engine. DO NOT use the accelerator while the vehicle is parked. 4. Turn the key to the START position (cranking) until the engine starts. Allow the key to return to the ON position after the engine has started. If you have difficulty in turning the key, rotate the steering wheel slightly because it may be binding. For a cold engine: 2.0L engine: s At temperatures below -10˚F (-23˚C): Turn the key to ON, crank the engine and depress the accelerator about 1/4 of the way down and hold that position for five (5) seconds. If the engine fails to start, continue to crank with the accelerator depressed about 1/4 of the way down and hold that position until the engine starts. DO NOT crank for more than 30 seconds, or you could damage the starter. If the engine fails to start on the first try, turn the key to OFF and wait two (2) minutes before trying again. Allow engine to warm up for a few minutes before putting transaxle into gear. 118