1996 Ford Explorer Owner's Manual - Page 372

Help Us Protect Our Environment Ford Motor Company strongly recommends that used lead-acid batteries be returned to an authorized recycling facility for disposal. Battery recycling symbol Because your vehicle's engine is electronically controlled by a computer, some control conditions are maintained by power from the battery. If you ever disconnect the battery, install a new battery, or experience a dead battery, you must allow the computer to "relearn" its idle conditions before your vehicle will idle at its best. To let the engine do this, apply the parking brake, put the gearshift in Park (automatic transmission) or Neutral (manual transmission), turn off all the accessories, and start the vehicle. Let the engine idle for at least one minute. If you do not let the engine relearn its idle, the idle quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle is relearned. Your vehicle will eventually relearn its idle while you drive it, but it takes much longer than if you use the previous procedure. 372