1996 Ford Escort Owner's Manual - Page 110

Before you start your vehicle, do the following: 1. Make sure all occupants in the vehicle buckle their safety belts. See Safety Restraints in the Index for more details. Make sure the headlamps and other accessories are turned off when starting. If you have an automatic transaxle, make sure that the gearshift is in P (Park) and the parking brake is set before you turn the key. If you have an automatic transaxle, your vehicle has a special shift-lock safety feature. It prevents you from moving the gearshift lever out of the P (Park) position unless the ignition is in the ON position and your foot is on the brake. To move the gearshift lever, you must also depress the thumb button. If you have a manual transaxle, make sure that the parking brake is fully set, push the clutch pedal to the floor, and put the gearshift into Neutral before you turn the key. (Remember, the starter will operate only if the clutch pedal is pushed all the way to the floor.) 4. Before you start your vehicle, you should check the warning lights on the instrument panel to make sure that they work. Refer to the Warning Lights and Gauges chapter. 2. 3. Starting Your Engine To start your engine: 1. 2. 3. Follow the steps under Preparing to Start Your Vehicle at the beginning of this section. Turn the ignition key to the ON position. DO NOT depress the accelerator pedal when starting your engine. DO NOT use the accelerator while the vehicle is parked. 109