1996 Mercury Tracer Owner's Manual - Page 88

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. 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. Turn the key to the START position (cranking) until the engine starts. Allow the key to return to the ON position after the engine has started. If you have difficulty in turning the key, rotate the steering wheel slightly because it may be binding. 85 4.