1996 Ford Contour Owner's Manual - Page 160

6 Driving Your Contour When you tow up or down steep hills, move the manual transaxle gearshift to a lower gear. This will increase engine power on upgrades and engine braking on downgrades. When you tow in steep hills, move the automatic transaxle to 1 (First) when descending. This will give more engine braking on downgrades. The automatic transaxle will automatically downshift to the proper gear on upgrades. If you use the speed control while you are towing on very long, steep grades, the speed control may shut off. Servicing Your Vehicle If You Tow If you tow a trailer for a long distance, your vehicle will need to be serviced more frequently than usual. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule and Record booklet for additional information. 161