2008 Mercury Mountaineer Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 271
2008 Mercury Mountaineer Manual
Page 271 highlights
Driving Autolock operation (4.6L engine vehicles only) If the AWD system begins to overheat, the system will place itself in the Autolock mode: • the 4X4 indicator light will illuminate in the instrument cluster and AWD DISABLED will be displayed in the message center. • AWD LOCKED will be displayed in the message center for four seconds and a warning chime will sound. This condition may clear without any action being taken by the driver. • the 4X4 indicator light in the instrument cluster will turn off when the AWD system cools down. Driving off-road with truck and utility vehicles AWD vehicles are specially equipped for driving on sand, snow, mud and rough terrain and have operating characteristics that are somewhat different from conventional vehicles, both on and off the road. How your vehicle differs from other vehicles Truck and utility vehicles can differ from some other vehicles. Your vehicle may be higher to allow it to travel over rough terrain without getting hung up or damaging underbody components. The differences that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle differently than an ordinary passenger car. Maintain steering wheel control at all times, especially in rough terrain. Since sudden changes in terrain can result in abrupt steering wheel motion, make sure you grip the steering wheel from the outside. Do not grip the spokes. Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from concealed objects such as rocks and stumps. You should either know the terrain or examine maps of the area before driving. Map out your route before driving in the area. To maintain steering and braking control of your vehicle, you must have all four wheels on the ground and they must be rolling, not sliding or spinning. Basic operating principles • Drive slower in strong crosswinds which can affect the normal steering characteristics of your vehicle. • Be extremely careful when driving on pavement made slippery by loose sand, water, gravel, snow or ice. 271 2008 Mountaineer (mnt) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA (fus)