2004 Mercury Sable Owner Guide 3rd Printing - Page 205

Maintenance and Specifications Unleaded Gasoline engines Your vehicle is designed to use "Regular" unleaded gasoline with an (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. We do not recommend the use of gasolines labeled as "Regular" that are sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in high altitude areas. FFV engine (if equipped) Your vehicle is designed to use (E85) Fuel Ethanol, "Regular" unleaded gasoline or any percentage of the two fuels combined. U.S. government regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing pumps to have a small, square, orange and black label with the common abbreviation or the appropriate percentage for that region. Use of other fuels such as Fuel Methanol may cause powertrain damage, a loss of vehicle performance, and your warranty may be invalidated. Fuel quality Many of the world's automakers approved the World-wide Fuel Charter that recommends gasoline specifications to provide improved performance and emission control system protection for your vehicle. Gasolines that meet the World-wide Fuel Charter should be used when available. Ask your fuel supplier about gasolines that meet the World-wide Fuel Charter. It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket products to your fuel tank if you continue to use high quality fuel of the recommended octane rating. Aftermarket products could cause damage to the fuel system. Repairs to correct the effects of using an aftermarket product in your fuel may not be covered by your warranty. Unleaded Gasoline engines If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability problems during a cold start, try a different brand of "Regular" unleaded gasoline. "Premium" unleaded gasoline is not recommended (particularly in the United States) because it may cause these problems to become more pronounced. If the problems persist, see your dealer or a qualified service technician. FFV engine (if equipped) Your FFV will operate well on ordinary "Regular" unleaded gasoline, but only the highest quality fuel ethanol will provide the same level of protection and performance. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check your VIN or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When 205 2004 Sable (sab) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA English (fus)