2004 Mercury Mountaineer Owner's Manual - Page 137

Driving Starting the engine 1. Turn the key to 3 (ON) without 3 turning the key to 4 (START). If there is difficulty in turning the key, 2 rotate the steering wheel until the key turns freely. This condition may 4 occur when: • the front wheels are turned • a front wheel is against the curb 1 2. Turn the key to 4 (START), then release the key as soon as the engine starts. Excessive cranking could damage the starter. Note: If the engine does not start within five seconds on the first try, turn the key to OFF, wait 10 seconds and try again. If the engine still fails to start, press the accelerator to the floor and try again; this will allow the engine to crank with the fuel shut off in case the engine is flooded with fuel. Cold weather starting (flexible fuel vehicles only) As the outside temperature approaches freezing, ethanol fuel distributors should supply winter grade ethanol (same as with unleaded gasoline). If summer grade ethanol is used in cold weather conditions, you may experience increased cranking times, rough idle or hesitation until the engine has warmed up. Consult your fuel distributor for the availability of winter grade ethanol. Do not crank the engine for more than 30 seconds at a time as starter damage may occur. If the engine fails to start, turn the key to OFF and wait 30 seconds before trying again. Do not use starting fluid such as ether in the air intake system (see Air Cleaner decal). Such fluid could cause immediate explosive damage to the engine and possible personal injury. If you should experience cold weather starting problems on E85 ethanol, and neither an alternative brand of E85 ethanol nor an engine block heater is available, the addition of unleaded gasoline to your tank will improve cold starting performance. Your vehicle is designed to operate on E85 ethanol alone, unleaded gasoline alone, or any mixture of the two. See Choosing the right fuel in the Maintenance and specifications chapter for more information on ethanol. 137 2004 Mountaineer (mnt) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA English (fus)