1997 Mercury Villager Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 238

Driving 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. See the Maintenance Schedule booklet in the Owner's portfolio. Trailer Towing Tips Before starting on a trip, practice turning, stopping and backing in an area away from heavy traffic. Get to know the "feel" of the vehicle/trailer combination. Practice backing up. Back up very slowly, with someone outside at the rear of your trailer to guide you. Place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and move it in the direction you want the rear of the trailer to swing. Slight movement of the steering wheel results in a much larger movement of the rear of the trailer. When turning, drive slightly beyond the normal turning point so the trailer wheels will clear curbs or other obstructions. Allow more room for stopping with a trailer attached. Trailer brakes should be applied first, whether manually or automatically controlled, when approaching a stop. For an easy-to-operate vehicle/trailer combination, the trailer tongue load should be approximately 10-15% of the loaded trailer weight. Make a thorough check of your equipment before starting out on the road. After you have traveled about 50 miles (80 km), stop in a protected area and double-check your hitch and electrical connections. Also check trailer wheel lug nuts for tightness. When stopped in traffic for long periods of time in hot weather, place the gearshift selector lever in Park (P) to increase the engine idle speed. This aids in engine cooling and air conditioner efficiency. If the engine overheats, press the air 239