1998 Mercury Grand Marquis Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 89
1998 Mercury Grand Marquis Manual
Page 89 highlights
Driving gears one through three. Drive provides more engine braking than Overdrive and is useful when: • driving with a heavy load • towing a trailer up or down steep hills • additional engine braking is desired. If towing a trailer, refer to Driving while you tow in the Towing a trailer chapter. To return to Overdrive mode, press the transmission control switch. The O/D OFF indicator light will no longer be illuminated. Each time the vehicle is started, the transmission will automatically return to normal Overdrive mode. Every time the vehicle is shut off and restarted, you must press the transmission control switch to cancel overdrive operation if the Overdrive mode is not desired. 2 (Second) Use 2 (Second) to start-up on slippery roads or to provide additional engine braking on downgrades. 1 (First) Use 1 (Low) to provide maximum engine braking on steep downgrades. Upshifts can be made by shifting to 2 (Second) or to Overdrive. Selecting 1 (Low) at higher speeds causes the transmission to shift to a lower gear, and will shift to 1 (Low) after vehicle decelerates to the proper speed. VEHICLE LOADING Before loading a vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms: • Base Curb Weight: Weight of the vehicle including any standard equipment, fluids, lubricants, etc. It does not include passengers or aftermarket equipment. • Payload : Combined maximum allowable weight of cargo, passengers and optional equipment. The payload equals the gross vehicle weight rating minus base curb weight. 89