1997 Mercury Cougar Owner's Manual - Page 156

Traction Assist TM (If equipped) Your vehicle may be equipped with the optional Traction AssistTM system. This system helps prevent wheel spin in order to improve tire traction and is an especially useful feature when you drive in hilly areas or on slippery, icy or snowy roads. Traction AssistTM works automatically by rapidly applying and releasing the brakes to prevent one or both of the rear drive wheels from spinning during acceleration. The Traction AssistTM system can be manually turned off, to allow wheelspin if you want, by pushing the Traction Assist switch (located in the console). When the vehicle is not in the Traction AssistTM mode the "T/A OFF" indicator light (located on the cluster) will illuminate to indicate the system is off. The Traction AssistTM system will automatically be on each time the engine is started. During ordinary driving, it is recommended to leave the system turned on. The Traction AssistTM system will then always be ready to operate when needed. The Traction AssistTM switch 155