1998 Mercury Villager Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 228

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. If your vehicle is on an extremely slippery surface, the Electronic Transaxle Control Module may receive a signal indicating a rapid increase or decrease in wheel speed. If the module detects this condition, it will limit the transaxle operation to Third gear and Reverse. This reduces tire slippage and protects the transaxle. The transaxle will operate normally in Reverse, but will lack power during acceleration in Drive. If this happens, stop your vehicle as soon as possible and turn the ignition off for 3 seconds. Restart the vehicle. If the condition still exists, contact your dealer as soon as possible. NOTE: If the O/D OFF indicator light is flashing on and off repeatedly when the vehicle is started, there is a transaxle electronic system malfunction. Contact your dealer as soon as possible. When to use 2 (Second) Use Second (2) when driving on slippery roads or to provide additional engine braking on downgrades. This position provides Second gear operation only. Do not exceed 68 mph (108 km/h) in this position. When to use 1 (First) Use First (1) to provide maximum engine braking on steep downgrades. Upshifts from First can be made by manually shifting to Second (2) or Overdrive (D). First (1) gear provides only first gear operation. If you select First while driving at higher speeds, the transaxle will shift to Second (2), and then shift back to First (1) after the vehicle decelerates to the proper speed. Do not exceed 35 mph (56 km/h) in this position. 224