1997 Mercury Grand Marquis Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 162

In general, this system improves your vehicle's stability and acceleration performance when road conditions warrant. Traction AssistTM is fully effective up to approximately 25 mph (40 km/h). At 25 mph (40 km/h) the function begins to taper off until it no longer operates above 34 mph (55 km/h). If the Traction AssistTM system is cycled excessively, the system will shut down to prevent the rear brakes from overheating. During this shutdown period, the word OFF in the traction assist switch will be illuminated showing that the traction assist system is inoperative. A cooling down period is required to prevent damage to the rear brakes. This time period varies and depends on brake usage during the cooling down period. Anti-Lock braking is not affected and will function normally during the cool down period. NOTE: Traction-Lok axles are not an available option on vehicles equipped with traction assist. Steering Your Vehicle Your vehicle comes with power steering. Power steering uses energy from the engine to help steer your vehicle. If the amount of effort needed to steer your vehicle changes at a constant vehicle speed, have the power steering system checked. If the power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned off), you can steer the vehicle manually but it takes more effort. 162