1996 Mercury Sable Owner's Manual - Page 297

Running Out of Fuel If your vehicle runs out of fuel, try to stop on level ground away from traffic. Add at least one gallon (four liters) of fuel to start your vehicle again. If your vehicle is not on level ground, you may need as much as five gallons (20 liters) of fuel to start it. You may need to crank the engine several times before the fuel system starts to pump fuel from the tank to the engine. If the engine does not start, check the fuel pump shut-off switch and reset as required. See Fuel pump shut-off switch in the Index. RWARNING Never pour fuel in the throttle body or attempt to start the engine with the air cleaner removed. Doing so could result in fire and personal injury. Calculating the Fuel Economy Fuel economy is an estimate. It tells you approximately the distance you can drive for each gallon (liter) of fuel that your vehicle uses. Do not calculate the fuel economy during your vehicle's break-in period. This would not be an accurate estimate of how much fuel your vehicle will normally use. To calculate fuel economy: 1. Make sure the fuel tank is full when you record the first odometer reading. 270