1997 Mercury Mountaineer Scheduled Maintenance Guide 1st Printing - Page 5

Maintenance schedule and record Wheel lug nuts Wheel lug nuts must be retightened to proper torque specifications at 500 miles (800 km) of new vehicleoperation. Proper torque specifications are provided in your Owner's Guide. Also retighten to propertorque specification at 500 miles (800 km) after (1) any wheel change or (2) any other time the wheel lugnuts have been loosened. PRE-DELIVERY CHECK • Pre-delivery service inspection completed DEALER AUTHORIZATION Date: Mileage: WHAT MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE SHOULD YOU FOLLOW? Follow the Normal Schedule for most normal everyday driving conditions. Follow the Severe Duty Schedule if driving habits frequently include one or more of the followingconditions: • Towing a trailer or carrying a heavy load. • Operating in severe dust conditions. • Extensive idling, such as police, taxi or door-to-door delivery service. • Off-road operation. • Short trips of less than 10 miles (16 km) when outside temperatures remain below 0°F(18°C). Idling the engine for extended periods will accumulate more hours of use on your vehicle than is actuallyindicated by the odometer. Consequently, the odometer reading can be often misleading when determiningthe right time to change your engine oil and filter. If you are using your Ford vehicle in a manner which allows it to remain stationary while the engine isrunning for long periods (door-to-door delivery, taxi, police, power/utility company trucks, or similar duty),then Ford recommends you increase the frequency of oil and filter changes to an interval equivalent to 200engine hours of use. Since most vehicles are not equipped with hourmeters, it may be necessary for youto approximate your idle time and plan oil/filter changes accordingly. 4