Ford Escort 1996 Owner's Manual
Table of Contents
Introductory Information ............................... 1
Safety Restraints .............................................. 9
Starting Your Escort .................................... 105
Warning Lights and Gauges ..................... 117
Instrument Panel Controls ........................ 135
Steering Column Controls ........................ 159
Features .......................................................... 169
Electronic Sound Systems ......................... 197
Driving Your Escort .................................... 223
Roadside Emergencies ................................ 243
Customer Assistance ................................... 259
Reporting Safety Defects ...................... 266
Accessories .................................................... 271
Servicing Your Escort ................................. 279
Quick Index .................................................. 353
Index ................................................................ 371
Service Station Information ...................... 388
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.
1
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.
This Guide
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.
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, Table of Contents, or the
Index.
The Quick Index at the end of the book
provides a page number following each item
which indicates where detailed information can
be found.
2
Your vehicle may not look exactly like the
vehicles shown in the Quick Index illustrations.
Some features and components shown in the
illustrations may not apply to your particular
vehicle. Your vehicle may also have equipment
that is not illustrated or mentioned in the Quick
Index. If you do not know which illustrated
features and components apply to your vehicle,
talk to your dealer.
This guide has a table of contents at the
beginning of the book to show chapter titles.
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.
Record 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.
3
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.
Your vehicle is equipped with an Electronic
Powertrain Control Module that limits engine
and/or vehicle speeds with a cut-out mode to
promote durability.
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.
4
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.
5
Vehicle
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
❑
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.
Polish your vehicle to remove harmful deposits
and protect the finish.
6
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.
7
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/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.
9
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.
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
Never drive or ride with a twisted or
jammed safety belt. If you cannot untwist
or unjam the safety belt, see the nearest
qualified technician immediately.
10
RWARNING
Children should always ride with the
seatback in the fully upright position.
When the seatback is not fully upright,
there is a greater risk that the child will
slide under the safety belt and be
seriously injured in a collision.
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
Lock the doors of your vehicle before
driving to lessen the risk of the door
coming open in a collision.
Motorized Shoulder Belt Passive Restraint
System (Not available on Canadian
vehicles)
The front seat shoulder belts automatically adjust
and together with the manual lap belt, help to
provide added restraint in the event of a
collision.
While you drive, the shoulder belt adjusts to
your movement. However, if you brake hard,
turn hard, or if your car receives an impact of
5 mph (8 km/h) or more, the shoulder belt
locks and helps reduce your forward movement.
11
The proper position of the front lap safety belt
RWARNING
The lap belts should fit snugly and as low
as possible around the hips, not around
the waist.
To operate the motorized shoulder belt:
1. Get into your vehicle and close the door.
Check to be sure the shoulder belt is latched
to the emergency release buckle.
2. If it is not latched, pull the shoulder belt
from the retractor and buckle it to the
emergency release buckle. Note the twist in
the shoulder belt as in Figures 1 and 2.
3. Turn the ignition key to the ON position.
A motor causes the shoulder belt to slide along
its track from the A-pillar to the B-pillar until it
locks in place.
12
If the belt does not lie flat against you, or the
belt has a twist in it at the retractor, unlatch the
belt at the buckle, remove twist, and relatch the
belt into the buckle.
The shoulder belt sliding along its track
13
The shoulder belt in the locked position
The shoulder belt in the locked position
14
If the driver does not fasten the lap belt before
the ignition key is turned to ON, the chime will
sound for four (4) to eight (8) seconds. The
safety belt warning indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster will also illuminate for one to
two minutes. In the unlikely event the shoulder
belt should stall before it reaches the B-pillar, the
indicator light will flash continuously until the
shoulder belt is in its locked position at the
B-pillar. If the indicator lamp remains
illuminated for more than one minute, check to
be sure that both shoulder belts are latched to
the emergency release buckle. If the indicator
lamp remains illuminated with both front seat
shoulder belts latched to the emergency release
buckles, refer to the section titled What To Do If
Your Shoulder Belt Does Not Engage Properly
before driving the vehicle.
Use the shoulder belt on the outside shoulder
only. Never wear the shoulder belt under the
arm. Never swing it around your neck over the
inside shoulder. Never use a single belt for more
than one person. Failure to follow these
precautions could increase the risk and/or
severity of injury in a collision.
When the ignition is in any position and the
door is opened, the shoulder belt will move
forward to the A-pillar. This will allow ample
room for the driver or passenger to exit from
the vehicle. DO NOT use the belt as an assist
handle when entering or exiting the vehicle. The
door should not be opened while the vehicle is
in motion.
NOTE: Be sure to read and understand
Important Safety Belt Information at
the beginning of this chapter.
15
RWARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury in a
collision, always drive and ride with your
seatback upright and the lap belt snug
and low across the hips.
Important For Your Safety
Before driving your vehicle, read the label on
the back of the sun visor or on the headliner
above the driver’s seat (Canadian vehicles). See
the following figures.
Driver and passenger sun visor labels
16
Label located on headliner (U.S. vehicles only)
An additional warning label is located on the
headliner (U.S. vehicles only). On vehicles
equipped with a moon roof, the label is located
on the manual override access panel.
What To Do If Your Shoulder Belt Does
Not Engage Properly
If your shoulder belt does not move all the way
across to the locked position on the B-pillar,
follow these steps:
1. Make sure the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position.
2. Make sure your door is fully closed. The
shoulder belt does not work if your door is
open and will remain in the forward
position at the A-pillar.
17
RWARNING
The vehicle should not be driven unless
the doors are fully closed and the
shoulder belts are in the locked position.
3. Unbuckle the shoulder belt by pressing the
red emergency release button on the buckle.
Then, reinsert the shoulder belt tongue into
the buckle until you hear a snap and feel the
latch engage.
4. Turn the key to the ON position.
5. If the shoulder belt doesn’t move across you,
turn the ignition switch to the LOCK
position and then release the shoulder belt
from the buckle.
6. Remove the access cap located in the lower
portion of the trim panel, rearward of the
front door opening.
7. Pull the electrical wiring harness out through
the access hole and disconnect the connector.
The electrical wiring harness is located near
the internal hex nut. To disconnect the
connector, pull the left and right sides apart.
You may have to loosen the tape to
disconnect the electrical connector.
8. Then, insert the emergency handle into the
hex nut inside the access hole. The
emergency handle is stored in the owner
portfolio in the glove compartment.
18
Moving the shoulder belt manually — 2-door model
19
Moving the shoulder belt manually — 4-door model
20
9. Turn the emergency handle to move the
buckle rearward until you hear a click. To
move the driver’s buckle, turn the handle
clockwise. To move the passenger’s buckle,
turn the handle counterclockwise.
10. Reinsert the shoulder belt tongue into the
buckle.
RWARNING
If it is necessary to use the emergency
handle to put the shoulder belt in
position, have the system serviced by a
qualified technician as soon as possible.
Manual Front Lap Belts (U.S. vehicles
equipped with motorized passive restraint)
You should always wear the lap belt in addition
to the shoulder belt.
RWARNING
The lap belts should fit snugly and as low
as possible around the hips, not around
the waist.
RWARNING
Front and rear seat occupants, including
pregnant women, should wear both lap
and shoulder belts for optimum protection
in a collision.
To fasten the lap belt: Pull the belt out of the
retractor and bring it across your lap. Insert the
tongue into the buckle until it snaps and locks in
place.
21
The lap 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. The
retractor can be made to lock by jerking on the
belt.
Front passenger safety belts with dual locking
mode retractors can also be locked to tightly
secure a child safety seat.
Refer to the section Front Passenger Lap Belt
Retractor (U.S. vehicles equipped with motorized
passive restraint) or Front Passenger Lap/Shoulder
Belt Retractor (Canadian 2-door vehicles only) in this
chapter for complete information on vehicle
sensitive and automatic locking modes.
Buckling the lap belt
22
The lap belt fastened
The lap and shoulder belts in place
23
Front Passenger Lap Belt Retractor (U.S.
vehicles equipped with motorized passive
restraint)
Your vehicle is equipped with a dual locking
mode retractor for the front seat passenger, and
the lap belt has the following label:
Seat belt label
The retractor modes function as follows:
Vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode
In this operating mode, the lap 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. The retractor can be made to
lock by jerking on the belt.
24
Automatic locking mode
In this operating mode, the lap belt retractor will
remain locked and does not allow the occupant
freedom of movement. This mode provides the
following:
A tight lap belt on the hips.
❑
Forward-facing child seat installation.
❑
RWARNING
Rear-facing infant seats should never be
placed in the front seat.
This mode must be used when installing a
forward-facing child seat on the front passenger
seat. To switch the retractor from the emergency
locking mode, perform the following steps:
1. Buckle the lap belt.
2. Grasp the lap belt below the child seat label.
Pull upward until all of the belt is extracted
and a click is heard. At this time, the lap
belt retractor is in the automatic locking
mode (child restraint mode).
3. A clicking sound will contnue to be heard as
the belt is allowed to retract.
4. Pull down on the belt to remove slack in the
belt.
NOTE: When the lap 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.
25
Shoulder Belt Emergency Release Buttons
If the shoulder belt locks up in a collision, it
may stay locked. To unlock the belt, press the
emergency release button on the shoulder belt
buckle. This allows the tongue to unlatch from
the buckle. If the shoulder belt is unlatched and
partially retracted, a warning light in the
instrument panel lights up and remains on; the
warning chime sounds for about five (5) seconds.
To insert the tongue back into the shoulder belt
buckle, push it in until you hear a click.
If the belt does not lie flat against you, or the
belt has a twist in it at the retractor, unlatch the
belt at the buckle, remove twist, and relatch the
belt into the buckle.
The emergency release button for the shoulder belt
After a collision, refer to Safety Belt Maintenance
in this section.
26
If your shoulder belts stop working after a
collision, the fuel pump shut-off switch may
have been triggered. Minor parking lot bumping
and severe road impacts (such as potholes) may
trigger the switch even when there is no
apparent body damage. In many instances, you
might not even know that the switch has been
triggered. The shut-off switch cuts power to the
motors that move the shoulder belts in addition
to stopping the flow of fuel to the engine. To
reset the switch, see Engine, starting after a
collision in the Index.
If your shoulder belts are not working properly,
get your vehicle serviced as soon as possible.
If the fuel pump shut-off switch is not the cause
for the shoulder belt not moving, have the
system serviced by a qualified technician as soon
as possible.
RWARNING
If the shoulder belt is released from the
emergency release buckle, store the tongue
end away from the seat tracks. Failure to
do this may result in the seat belt being
cut or torn when the seat is adjusted
forward or back. Any damaged shoulder
belt must be replaced.
Manual Front Lap and Shoulder Belt
(Available only on Canadian vehicles)
While 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.
The retractor can be made to lock by jerking on
the belt.
27
Front passenger safety belts with dual locking
mode retractors can also be locked to tightly
secure a child safety seat.
After you get into your vehicle, close the door
and lock it. Then adjust the driver or passenger
seat to the position that suits you best.
To fasten the belt, find the long strap of the belt,
pull it across your shoulder and chest, and insert
the tongue into the proper buckle on your seat
until you hear a snap and feel it lock. Be sure to
use the correct buckle and check to make sure
the tongue is securely fastened to the buckle.
Fastening the front seat lap and shoulder belt
RWARNING
The lap belts should fit snugly and as low
as possible around the hips, not around
the waist.
RWARNING
Front and rear seat occupants, including
pregnant women, should wear both lap
and shoulder belts for optimum protection
in a collision.
28
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