2004 Mercury Mountaineer Owner's Manual - Page 238

Maintenance and Specifications possible. Fuel expense, frequency of fill-ups or fuel gauge readings are NOT accurate as a measure of fuel economy. We do not recommend taking fuel economy measurements during the first 1,600 km (1,000 miles) of driving (engine break-in period). You will get a more accurate measurement after 3,000 km-5,000 km (2,000 miles-3,000 miles). Filling the tank The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your vehicle is equal to the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank as listed in the Refill capacities section of this chapter. The advertised capacity is the amount of the indicated capacity and the empty reserve combined. Indicated capacity is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty reserve is the small amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty. The amount of usable fuel in the empty reserve varies and should not be relied upon to increase driving range. When refueling your vehicle after the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be able to refuel the full amount of the advertised capacity of the fuel tank due to the empty reserve still present in the tank. For consistent results when filling the fuel tank: • Turn the engine/ignition switch to the off position prior to refueling, an error in the reading will result if the engine is left running. • Use the same filling rate setting (low - medium - high) each time the tank is filled. • Allow no more than 2 automatic click-offs when filling. • Always use fuel with the recommended octane rating. • Use a known quality gasoline, preferably a national brand. • Use the same side of the same pump and have the vehicle facing the same direction each time you fill up. • Have the vehicle loading and distribution the same every time. Your results will be most accurate if your filling method is consistent. Filling the tank for FFV equipped vehicles Your vehicle will operate on both unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87, or E-85 fuel, or any mixture of these two. For best results it is recommended that you do not add less than 5 gallons of fuel when refueling. Observing this precaution will avoid possible hard starting and/or deterioration in drivability during warm up. 238 REVIEW COPY: 2004 Explorer (exp), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) (own2002), Market: USA English (fus)