2001 Mercury Cougar Owner Guide 2nd Printing - Page 160

Driving 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 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. Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme right or left for more than five seconds if the engine is running. This can damage the power steering pump. TRANSAXLE OPERATION Automatic transaxle (if equipped) Your 2.5 l V6 automatic transaxle electronically controls the shift feel by using an adaptive learning strategy. This feature is designed to optimize shift smoothness. It is normal for your transaxle to adjust during the first few hundred kilometers (miles) of operation until the adaptive strategy has been learned. The adaptive learning strategy is maintained by power from the battery. When the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the transaxle must relearn its adaptive strategy. Optimal shifting will resume within a few hundred kilometers (miles) of operation.