1996 Mercury Sable Owner's Manual - Page 228

NOTE: If the O/D OFF indicator light is flashing on and off repeatedly when the vehicle is started or does not come on when the O/D OFF switch is pushed, it means that there is a transaxle electronic system malfunction. You should contact your dealer as soon as possible or damage to the transaxle could occur. The transaxle will be in the "overdrive on" mode when the vehicle is started even if the O/D OFF mode was selected when the vehicle was last shut off. When to use 2 (Second) Use Second for start-up on slippery roads or to give you more engine braking to slow your vehicle on downgrades. When to use 1 (First) Use 1 (First) when added engine braking is desired when descending steep hills. The automatic transaxle will shift to the proper gear to ascend any grade without any need to shift to 1 (First). Do not go faster than 38 mph (61 km/h) in this gear. You can upshift from 1 (First) to D (Overdrive) at any speed. P (Park) Always come to a complete stop before you shift into P (Park). Make sure that the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park). This locks the transaxle and prevents the front wheels from rotating. If your vehicle has a console mounted gearshift, the gearshift indicator in the cluster is illuminated in P (Park) only when the gearshift button is released. 201