Ford Contour 1996 Owner's Manual

Table of Contents

Introductory Information ............... 1

Safety Restraints ................... 7

Starting Your Contour ................. 41

Warning Lights and Gauges ..............53

Instrument Panel Controls ............... 69

Steering Column Controls ...............83

Features .......................93

Electronic Sound Systems .............. 115

Driving Your Contour ................ 139

Roadside Emergencies ................ 163

Customer Assistance ................ 179

Reporting Safety Defects ............. 185

Accessories ..................... 189

Servicing Your Contour ............... 195

Quick Index .................... 261

Index........................ 273

Service Station Information ............. 292

Introductory Information

At Ford Motor Company, excellence is the continuous commitment to achieve the best result possible. It is dedication to learning what you want, determination to develop the right concept, and execution of that concept with care, precision, and attention to detail. In short, excellence means being the standard by which others are judged.

Our Guiding Principles

■ Quality comes first. For your satisfaction, the quality of our

products and services must be our number one priority.

■ You are the focus of everything we do. Our work must be

done with you in mind, providing better products and services than our competition.

■ Continuous improvement is essential to our success. We

must strive for excellence in everything we do: in our products — in their safety and value — and in our services, our human relations, our competitiveness, and our profitability.

■ Employee involvement is our way of life. We are a team.

We must treat one another with trust and respect.

■ Dealers and suppliers are our partners. We must maintain

mutually beneficial relationships with dealers, suppliers, and our other business associates.

■ Integrity is never compromised. Our conduct worldwide

must be pursued in a manner that is socially responsible and commands respect for its integrity and for its positive contributions to society.

Congratulations on the purchase of your new vehicle. This guide has information about the equipment and the options for your new vehicle. You may not have bought all of the options available to you. If you do not know which information applies to your vehicle, talk to your dealer.

This guide describes equipment and gives specifications for equipment that was in effect when this guide was approved for printing. Ford may discontinue models or change specifications or design without any notice and without incurring obligation.

As you read through your owner guide, carefully read all Warnings because they tell you how toavoid endangering yourself, your passengers, and other people.

NOTES and WARNINGS

NOTES give you additional information about the subject matter you are referencing.

WARNINGS remind you to be especially careful in those areas where carelessness can cause damage to your vehicle or personal injury to yourself, your passengers or other people. Please read all WARNINGS carefully.

RWARNING

Finding Information in This Guide

After you have read this guide once, you will probably return to it when you have a specific question or need additional information. To help you find specific information quickly, you can use the Quick Index or the Index.

Introductory Information

The Quick Index at the end of the book provides a page number following each item which indicates where detailed information can be found.

To use the Index, turn to the back of the book and search in the alphabetical listing for the word that best describes the information you need. If the word you chose is not listed, think of other related words and look them up. We have designed the Index so that you can find information under a technical term.

Canadian Owners — French Version

French Owner Guides can be obtained from your dealer or by writing to Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, Service Publications, P.O. Box 1580, Station B, Mississauga, Ontario L4Y 4G3.

Booklet

The Maintenance Schedule and Record booklet lists the services that are most important for keeping your vehicle in good condition. A record log is also provided to help you keep track of all services performed.

Your vehicle is covered by three types of warranties: Basic

Vehicle Warranty, Extended Warranties on certain parts, and Emissions Warranties.

Read your Warranty Information Booklet carefully to find out about your vehicle’s warranties and your basic rights and responsibilities.

If you lose your Warranty Information Booklet, you can get a new one free of charge. Contact any Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer, or refer to the addresses and phone numbers on the first page of this owner guide.

Buying a Ford Extended Service Plan

If you bought your vehicle in the U.S., you can buy a Ford Extended Service Plan for your vehicle. This optional contract provides service protection for a longer period of time than the basic warranty that comes with your vehicle.

You do not have to buy this option when you buy your vehicle. However, your option to purchase the Ford Extended Service Plan runs out after 18 months or 18,000 miles. See your dealer for more details about the Ford Extended Service Plan.

If you purchased a Canadian vehicle and did not take advantage of the Ford Extended Service Plan at the time of purchase, you may still be eligible. See your dealer for the details.

Your new vehicle goes through an adjustment or break-in period during the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) that you drive it. During the break-in period, you need to pay careful attention to how you drive your vehicle.

■ Avoid sudden stops. Because your vehicle has new brake

linings, you should take these steps: — Watch traffic carefully so that you can anticipate when to

stop. — Begin braking well in advance. — Apply the brakes gradually. The break-in period for new brake linings lasts for 100 miles

(160 km) of city driving or 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of highway driving.

■ Use only the type of engine oil that Ford recommends. See

Engine oil recommendations in the Index. Do not use special “break-in” oils.

Introductory Information

Pollen, bird droppings and tree sap can damage the paint, especially in hot weather. Wash your vehicle as often as necessary to keep it clean.

Take similar precautions if your vehicle is exposed to chemical industrial fallout.

Paint damage resulting from fallout is not related to a defect in paint materials or workmanship and therefore is not covered by warranty. Ford, however, believes that continual improvement in customer satisfaction is a high priority. For this reason, Ford has authorized its dealers to repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of new vehicles damaged by environmental fallout within 12 months or 12,000 miles (20,000 km) of purchase, whichever comes first. Customers may be required to bring their vehicle in for inspection by a Ford representative.

Washing and Polishing Your Vehicle

Wash the outside of your vehicle, including the underside, with a mild detergent.

DO NOT:

■ Wash your vehicle with hot water

■ Wash your vehicle while it sits in direct sunlight

■ Wash your vehicle while the body is hot

Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits and protect the finish.

Cleaning Chrome and Aluminum Parts

Wash chrome and aluminum parts with a mild detergent. Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, fuel or strong detergents.

Cleaning Plastic Parts

Some of your vehicle’s exterior trim parts are plastic. Clean with a tar and road oil remover if necessary. Use a vinyl cleaner for routine cleaning.

Do not clean plastic parts with thinners, solvents or petroleum-based cleaners.

If you have your vehicle rustproofed, remove oversprayed rustproofing with a tar and road oil remover. If rustproofing is not removed from plastic and rubber parts, it can cause deterioration.

Safety Restraints

The use of safety belts helps to restrain you and your passengers in case of a collision. In most states and in Canada the law requires their use.

Safety belts provide best restraint when:

■ the seatback is upright

■ the occupant is sitting upright (not slouched)

■ the lap belt is snug and low on the hips

■ the shoulder belt is snug against the chest

■ the knees are straight forward

To help you remember to fasten your safety belt, a warning light may come on and a chime may sound. See Safety Belt Warning Light and Chime in the Warning Lights and Gauges chapter.

See the following sections in this chapter for directions on how to properly use these safety belts. Also see Safety Restraints for Children in this chapter for special instructions about using safety belts for children.

RWARNING

Make sure that you and your passengers wear safety belts. Always drive and ride with your seatback upright and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.

RWARNING

Never wear the shoulder belt under the arm. Never swing it around the neck over the inside shoulder. Never use a single belt for more than one person or across more than one seating position. Each seating position in your vehicle has a specific safety belt assembly which is made up of one buckle and one tongue that are designed to be used as a pair. Failure to follow these precautions could increase the risk and/or severity of injury in a collision.

RWARNING

Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies and attaching hardware should be inspected by a qualified technician after any collision. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.

RWARNING

To reduce the risk of serious injury in a collision, children should always ride with the seatback upright.

Safety Restraints

RWARNING

Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision.

Lock the doors of your vehicle before driving to lessen the risk of the door coming open in a collision.

While your vehicle is in motion, the combination lap and shoulder belt adjusts to your movement. However, if you brake hard, turn hard, or if your vehicle receives an impact of 5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the lap and shoulder belt locks and helps reduce your forward movement.

After you get into your vehicle, close the door and lock it. Then adjust the seat to the position that suits you best.

Pull the combination lap/shoulder belt from the retractor so that the shoulder portion of the belt crosses your shoulder and chest. Be sure the belt is not twisted. If it is, remove the twist. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on tongue.

Fastening the front seat lap and shoulder belt

NOTE: Be sure to read and understand Important Safety Belt

Information at the beginning of this chapter.

To adjust the lap part of the belt, pull up on the shoulder belt until the lap belt fits snugly and as low as possible around your hips.

Unfastening the combination lap and shoulder belts

While the belt retracts, guide the tongue to its original position to prevent it from striking you or the vehicle.

Safety Restraints

Dual Locking Mode Lap/Shoulder Belt Retractor

The front passenger seat and the rear outer seat combination lap and shoulder belts are equipped with a dual locking mode retractor on the shoulder belt portion of the lap/shoulder belt. This retractor can be switched from vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode to automatic locking mode by pulling the belt webbing all of the way out of the retractor. The retractor modes function as follows.

Vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode

In this operating mode, the lap/shoulder belt retractor will allow the occupant freedom of movement, locking tight only on hard braking, hard cornering or impacts of approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) or more.

Automatic locking mode

This mode must be used when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat and rear seats where dual locking retractors are provided. To switch the retractor from the emergency locking mode to the automatic locking mode, perform the following steps:

RWARNING

Rear facing infant seats should never be placed in the front seat.

until all of the belt is extracted and a click is heard. At this time, the retractor is in the automatic locking mode (child restraint mode).

the belt retracts. This indicates that the retractor is in the automatic locking mode.

NOTE: When the combination lap/shoulder belt is unbuckled

and allowed to retract completely, the retractor will switch to the vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode. See the detailed instructions under Safety Seats for Children in this chapter.

Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment

Driver and right front passenger

You can adjust the shoulder belt height to one of four (4) positions.

To adjust the belt down, push the release button (see figures 1 and 2). To adjust the belt up, slide the adjuster up. (You do not have to push the release button.)

Figure 1 — The shoulder belt height adjuster

Safety Restraints

Figure 2 — Adjusting the shoulder belt height

Make sure the adjuster is firmly in one of the four positions. The belt should be adjusted up or down until the belt rests on your shoulder near your neck.

RWARNING

Position the shoulder belt height adjuster so that the belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Be sure the shoulder belt is properly positioned on your shoulder each time you use the belt. If the shoulder belt is off your shoulder, on your upper arm or neck, there is a greater risk of severe injury in a collision.

The lap belt in the center of the rear seat does not adjust automatically. You must adjust it to fit snugly and as low as possible around your hips. Do not wear it around your waist.

Pull the belt across your hips and insert the tongue into the correct buckle on your seat until you hear a snap and feel it lock. Make sure the buckle is securely fastened.

If you need to lengthen the belt, unfasten it and tip the belt tongue at a right angle to the belt. Pull the belt tongue over your lap until it reaches the buckle.

If you need to shorten the belt, pull on the loose end of the webbing until the belt fits snugly.

To unfasten the belt, push the release button on the end of the buckle. This allows the tongue to unlatch from the buckle.

Unfastening the lap belt in center rear seating position

Safety Belt Extension Assembly

For some people, the safety belt may be too short even when it is fully extended. You can add about eight inches (20 cm) to the belt length with a safety belt extension assembly (part number 611C22). Safety belt extensions are available at no cost from your dealer.

Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on the label. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too short for you when fully extended. Do not use extension to change the fit of the shoulder belt across the torso.

Safety Restraints

RWARNING

Failure to follow these instructions will affect the performance of the safety belts and increase the risk of personal injury.

Check the safety belt systems periodically to make sure that they work properly and are not damaged.

All safety belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat belt buckle support assemblies (slide bar) (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket assemblies (if equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after any collision. Ford recommends that all safety belt assemblies used in vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and a qualified technician finds that the belts do not show damage and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced. Safety belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.

Safety Belt Warning Label

A warning label has been placed on the buckle of each of your vehicle’s front seat safety belts.

In a collision of sufficient severity while the safety belt is in use, the safety belt buckle will pull out of the sleeve so that all or part of the orange portion of the label is visible.

RWARNING

Whenever the orange portion of the label is visible, the safety belt must be replaced.

The warning label on the front seat safety belt buckle

Cleaning the Safety Belts

Clean the safety belts with any mild soap solution that is recommended for cleaning upholstery or carpets. Do not bleach or dye the belt webbing because this may weaken it.

(SRS)

The driver and right front passenger air bags are Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS), provided at these seating positions in addition to the lap/shoulder belt, and are designed to supplement the protection provided to properly belted occupants in moderate to severe frontal collisions. The supplemental air bag system does not provide restraint to the lower body.

Safety Restraints

The Importance of Wearing Safety Belts

RWARNING

All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, should always wear their safety belts, even when an air bag Supplemental Restraint System is provided.

There are four very important reasons to use safety belts even with an air bag system. Use your safety belts to:

■ help keep you in the proper position (away from the air bag)

when it inflates

■ reduce the risk of harm in rollover, side or rear impact

collisions, because an air bag is not designed to inflate in such situations

■ reduce the risk of harm in frontal collisions that are not

severe enough to activate the supplemental air bag

■ reduce the risk of being thrown from your vehicle

The Importance of Being Properly Seated

RWARNING

If a passenger is not properly seated and restrained, an inflating air bag could cause serious injury.

In a collision, the air bag must inflate extremely fast to help provide additional protection for you. In order to do this, the air bag must inflate with considerable force. If you are not seated in a normal riding position with your back against the seatback, the air bag may not protect you properly and could possibly hurt you as it inflates.

RWARNING

Rear-facing infant seats should never be placed in the front seat.

In rear-facing infant seats, the infant’s head is closer to the air bag. The force of the rapidly inflating air bag could push the top of the rear-facing seat against the vehicle seatback or center armrests (if so equipped), or center console (if so equipped). REAR-FACING INFANT CARRIERS MUST ALWAYS BE SECURED IN THE REAR SEAT, and other child safety seats and infant seats should be secured in the rear seat whenever possible.

RWARNING

When using forward-facing child seats move the passenger seat as far back from the instrument panel as possible. NEVER SECURE REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS IN THE FRONT SEAT.

Your vehicle is equipped with a right front passenger air bag. Air bags deploy with great force, faster than the blink of an eye. Front passengers, especially children and small adults, must never sit on the front edge of the seat, stand near the glove compartment of the instrument panel, or lean over near the air bag cover when the vehicle is moving. All occupants should sit with their backs against the seatback, move the seat to the most rearward position if possible and use the safety belts. Children weighing less than 40 lbs. (18 kg) always should use child or infant seats.

Safety Restraints

RWARNING

Do not place objects or mount equipment on or near the air bag cover on the steering wheel or in front seat areas that may come in contact with a deploying air bag. Failure to follow this instruction may increase the risk of personal injury in the event of a collision.

For further information about the proper mounting of equipment in the front seat of this vehicle, please refer to Ford’s brochure entitled Some Important Information About Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System which can be obtained by calling Helm Inc. at 1-800-782-4356. Ask for brochure FPS-8602.

For additional important safety information on the proper use of seat belts, child seats, and infant seats, please read the other sections of this part of the Owner Guide, especially sections entitled Safety Belts for Children and Safety Seats for Children.

How the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System Operates

The driver air bag is in the center of the steering wheel. The front passenger seat air bag is located in the center of the instrument panel ledge above the glove compartment. Both air bags are designed to stay out of sight until they are activated.

The location of air bags and warning labels

Safety Restraints

If a collision occurs, the sensors sense the severity of the impact and activate the air bags if necessary. The air bag system is designed to deploy in frontal and front-angled collisions more severe than hitting a parked vehicle (of similar size and weight) head-on at about 28 mph (45 km/h). Because the system senses the crash severity rather than vehicle speed, some frontal collisions at speeds above 28 mph (45 km/h) will not inflate the air bag.

When the sensors activate the system, the air bags inflate rapidly, filling with non-toxic nitrogen gas in a fraction of a second. Immediately after inflation, the air bags deflate by releasing the nitrogen gas through vent holes. The whole process takes place in a matter of seconds.

RWARNING

Air bag system components get hot after inflation. Do not touch them after inflation.

Inflated driver-side air bag

Safety Restraints

Inflated passenger-side air bag

RWARNING

If the air bag is inflated, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT FUNCTION AGAIN AND MUST BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. If the air bag is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a collision.

To ensure that the air bag system will operate as intended in a crash, the system is equipped with a diagnostic module, which controls a readiness lamp and a warning tone. The diagnostic module monitors its own circuits, the air bag electrical system, the air bag readiness light, the air bag power, and the air bag inflators.

The air bag system uses a readiness light on the instrument cluster and a tone to indicate the condition of the system. When you turn the ignition key to the ON position, this light will illuminate for approximately six (6) seconds and then turn off. This indicates that the system is operating normally. NOTE: Maintenance of the air bag system is not required.

A problem with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:

■ the readiness light will either flash or stay lit,

■ or it will not light immediately after ignition is turned on,

■ or a group of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will

repeat periodically until the problem and light are repaired.

If any of these things happen, have the air bag system serviced at your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer immediately. Unless serviced, the air bag supplemental restraint system may not function properly in the event of a collision.

RWARNING

Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the Air Bag Supplemental Restraint System or its fuses. See your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer.

Disposal of air bags or air bag equipped vehicles

For disposal of air bags or air bag equipped vehicles, see your local Ford or Lincoln-Mercury dealer. Air bags MUST be disposed of by qualified personnel.

Safety Restraints

In the U.S. and Canada, you are required by law to use safety restraints for children. If small children ride in your vehicle — this generally includes children who are four years old or younger and who weigh 40 pounds (18 kg) or less — you must put them in safety seats that are made specially for children. Safety belts alone do not provide maximum protection for these children. Check your local and state laws for specific requirements.

RWARNING

Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision.

RWARNING

Passengers should not be allowed to ride in the cargo area. Persons not riding in a seat with a fastened seat belt are much more likely to suffer serious injury in a collision. Cargo should always be secured to prevent it from shifting and causing damage to the vehicle or harm to passengers.

When possible, put children in the rear seat of your vehicle. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating positions.

RWARNING

Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions included with the safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or collision.

RWARNING

Safety belts and seats can become hot in a vehicle that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn a small child. Check seat covers and buckles before you place a child anywhere near them.

RWARNING

Never leave a child unattended in your vehicle.

Safety Seats for Children

Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the child. Always follow the safety seat manufacturer’s instructions when installing and using the safety seat.

Ford recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position which is capable of providing a tether anchorage. For more information on top tether straps see Attaching Safety Seats With Tether Straps in this chapter.

Safety Restraints

RWARNING

When using forward-facing child seats move the passenger seat as far back from the instrument panel as possible. NEVER SECURE REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS IN THE FRONT SEAT.

THE FORCE OF THE RAPIDLY INFLATING PASSENGER AIR BAG COULD PUSH THE TOP OF THE REAR-FACING SEAT AGAINST THE VEHICLE SEATBACK, ARMRESTS OR CONSOLE. REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS MUST ALWAYS BE SECURED IN THE REAR SEAT. Failure to follow these instructions could result in serious injury.

All child restraint systems are designed to be secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or by the lap portion of a lap-shoulder belt.

RWARNING

If you do not properly secure the safety seat, the child occupying the seat may be injured during a collision or sudden stop. An unsecured safety seat could also injure other passengers.

RWARNING

When installing a child safety seat, be sure to use the correct safety belt buckle for that seating position, and make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the buckle.

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