Ford Probe 1997 Owner's Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction ....................................................1

Instrumentation .............................................. 7

Electronic Sound Systems ......................... 21

Controls and Features ................................ 47

Seating and Safety Restraints .................. 89

Starting ......................................................... 125

Driving ......................................................... 133

Roadside Emergencies .............................. 155

Maintenance and Care ............................. 183

Capacities and Specifications ................. 237

Reporting Safety Defects

(U.S. Only) .................................................. 243

Customer Assistance ................................. 245

Accessories .................................................. 257

Quick Index ................................................ 265

Index ............................................................. 275

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.

1

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.

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, 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

Introductory Information

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.

3

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.

VEHICLES

As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an accident. Be
sure to read the Additional Special Driving Instructions for Utility
Vehicles in this book and the special supplement included with
four-wheel drive vehicles entitled 4-Wheeling with Ford.

Although this special supplement is primarily directed to
four-wheel drive vehicle operators, these principles of safe
driving also apply to operators of the two-wheel drive Explorer.
Even though you may not select a 4WD or AWD option for
your Explorer, many of its operating characteristics are similar
to those of a four-wheel drive vehicle. For this reason, Ford
urges you to read and understand the contents of the 4-Wheeling
with Ford supplement.

4

Introductory Information

RWARNING

Do not use this vehicle as an ambulance.

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.

■ Wheel lug nuts must be retightened to proper torque

specifications at 500 miles/800 km of new vehicle operation.
Proper torque specifications are provided in this guide. Also
retighten to proper torque specification at 500 miles/800 km
after any wheel change or any other time the wheel lug nuts
have been loosened.

■ 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

Some vehicles are equipped with a Powertrain Control Module
that limits engine speeds with a cut-out mode to promote
durability.

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.

6

Introductory Information

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.

Because your vehicle’s side mouldings are painted in lacquer, do
not use thinners or solvents to clean them.

7

Instrumentation

The instrument panel (dashboard) on your
vehicle is divided into several different sections.
The illustrations on the following pages show
the major parts of the instrument panel that are
described in this chapter. Some items shown
may not be on all vehicles.

In your vehicle, the warning lights and gauges
are grouped together on the instrument panel.
We call this grouping an instrument cluster.

7

Instrument cluster

8

Warning light locations on the instrument cluster

9

The instrument cluster on the Probe GT model is
similar to the one shown. The two exceptions
are: the speedometer on the GT model shows
140 mph (225 km/h) and it has a 7,000 rpm
red-line tachometer.

GT model speedometer and tachometer

The following warning lights and gauges are on
the cluster. All of the warning lights and gauges
alert you to possible problems with your vehicle.
The following sections detail what each of these
indicators means.

10

Safety Belt Warning Light and Chime

This warning light and chime remind you to
fasten your safety belt. If you do not fasten your
safety belt before the ignition is turned to ON,
the chime will sound for 4 to 8 seconds and the
warning light will illuminate for 1 to 2 minutes,
or until the safety belt is fastened. If you fasten
the safety belt before the ignition is turned to
ON, neither the light nor chime will activate.

Safety belt light

Air Bag Readiness Light

This light illuminates for six seconds when the
ignition is turned to the ON position. If the light
fails to illuminate, continues to flash, remains on,
or if a series of five beeps is heard, have the
system serviced as soon as possible.

Air bag readiness light

11

RWARNING

If any of these things happen, even
intermittently, have the air bag system
serviced at your Ford or Lincoln-Mercury
dealer immediately.

Brake System Warning Light

Your vehicle has a divided brake system. If one
part isn’t working, the other part can still work
and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both systems working well. If the warning
light illuminates, there could be a problem. Have
your brake system inspected right away.

This light should illuminate as you start the
vehicle. If it doesn’t illuminate then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a
problem.

Brake system and parking brake light

This light illuminates briefly when you turn the
ignition key to START. It normally goes off
shortly after the engine starts and you release
the parking brake, but it may stay on for up to
60 seconds. If the light stays on for longer than
60 seconds or comes on after you have fully
released the parking brake, have the hydraulic
brake system serviced.

12

This light will also illuminate if the parking
brake does not release fully. If it does stay on
after the parking brake is fully released, it
means there may be a brake problem. Pull off
the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is harder to push, the pedal may go
closer to the floor, or it may take longer to stop
the vehicle. Try the brakes again after you have
stopped.

RWARNING

The BRAKE light indicates that the brakes
may not be working properly. Have the
brakes checked immediately.

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light

When the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position, the anti-lock brake system warning
light will illuminate. When the engine is started,
the anti-lock brake system control unit will
determine if all components of the system are
operating correctly. The warning light could
remain on for two to four seconds.

The anti-lock brake system warning light

RWARNING

If the anti-lock brake system warning
light remains on or comes on while
driving, have the braking system checked
by a qualified service technician as soon
as possible.

13

NOTE: If a fault occurs in the anti-lock

system, and the brake warning light is
not lit, the anti-lock system is disabled
but normal brake function remains
operational.

NOTE: If your vehicle must be jump-started

because of a low battery, the Anti-Lock
Brake System warning light could
remain on. This is due to low battery
voltage and does not indicate a
malfunction in the system. Under these
circumstances, you should drive your
vehicle only after the battery has had
time to charge and the light has gone
out.

The Low Fuel Light

This light illuminates when fuel level in your
tank has reached approximately 2-3 gallons (7-10
liters).

Low fuel light

14

High Beam Light

This light illuminates when the headlamps are
turned to high beam or when you flash the
lights.

High beam light

Check Engine Warning Light

This light illuminates when the electronic engine
control system is not working properly. This is
the computer that controls the operating
conditions of the engine.

Check engine warning light

This light illuminates briefly when you turn the
ignition to the ON position, but should turn off
when the engine starts. If the light does not
come on when you turn the ignition to the ON
position or if it comes on and stays on when
you are driving, have your vehicle serviced as
soon as possible. This indicates a possible
problem with one of the engine’s emission
control systems. You do not need to have your

vehicle towed in.

15

If the light flashes briefly while you are driving,
it means that the condition is no longer present.

O/D OFF Light (If equipped)

This light tells you that the overdrive off (O/D
OFF) button on the shift selector has been
pushed. When the light is on, the transaxle will
not shift into overdrive. Depressing the button
on the shift selector again will return the vehicle
to “overdrive on” mode. The transaxle will be in
the “overdrive on” mode when the vehicle is
started even if the O/D OFF mode was selected
when the vehicle was last shut off. Refer to the
Driving chapter for more information.

If the light does not illuminate when the O/D
OFF button is pressed, or if the light flashes
when you are driving, have your vehicle
serviced at the first opportunity. If this condition
persists, damage could occur to the transaxle.

Overdrive OFF light

Fuel Gauge

The fuel gauge displays approximately how
much fuel you have in the fuel tank.

The ignition must be turned off while putting
fuel in the tank in order to get a correct fuel
gauge reading after the ignition is turned on.

16

The fuel gauge indicator may vary slightly while
the vehicle is in motion. This is the result of fuel
movement within the tank. You can get a more
accurate reading with the vehicle on smooth,
level ground.

Charging System Gauge

This gauge tells you your battery’s voltage when
you turn your ignition key to ON. When you
start your engine, the pointer should move to
the NORMAL range if you are not operating
any electrical accessories. (If electrical accessories
are operating and the engine is not running, the
pointer may move into the red area).

If the pointer moves into the red area when no
electrical accessories are operating, have the
vehicle’s electrical system checked.

Engine Oil Pressure Gauge

The gauge needle should stay in the NORMAL
range (indicating normal engine oil pressure). If
the needle drops below the NORMAL range into
the low range, there is a loss of oil pressure.

If this happens:

1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible.

2. Shut off the engine immediately or severe
engine damage could result.

3. Check the oil level when the vehicle is on
level ground.

4. Add only as much oil as the engine needs
before you drive the vehicle again. Do not
overfill the oil reservoir. For more
information, see Adding engine oil in the
Index.

17

Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge

This gauge indicates the temperature of the
engine coolant, not the coolant level. If the
coolant is not at its proper level or mixture, the
gauge indication will not be accurate.

The pointer usually moves from C (cold) into
the NORMAL band as your vehicle warms up.
Under most driving conditions, the pointer
should stay in the NORMAL band. If you are
driving in heavy traffic or on an extended grade
in hot weather, the pointer may reach to the top
of the NORMAL band.

If, under any circumstances, the pointer moves
above the NORMAL band, the engine is
overheating and continued operation may cause
engine damage.

If your engine overheats:

1. Pull off the road as soon as it is safely
possible.

2. Shut off the engine immediately or severe
engine damage could result.

3. Let the engine cool.

4. Check the coolant level following the
instructions on checking and adding coolant
to your engine. (See Engine coolant in the
Index.) If you do not follow these
instructions, you or others could be injured.

For instructions on checking and adding coolant
to your engine, see Engine coolant in the Index. If
you do not follow these instructions, you or
others could be injured.

18

5. Refer to Adding Engine Coolant in the
Maintenance and Care chapter. Add as much

coolant as your engine needs. If the engine
continues to overheat, have the cooling
system serviced.

Speedometer

The speedometer tells you how many miles
(kilometers) per hour your vehicle is moving.

Odometer

The odometer tells you the total number of miles
(kilometers) your vehicle has been driven.

Trip Odometer

Use the trip odometer to track your mileage.
Simply set the trip odometer to zero by pressing
the reset button.

Tachometer

The tachometer indicates approximate engine
revolutions per minute, and is located on the
right-hand side of the instrument cluster. The
tachometer pointer may move slightly when the
key is placed in the ACC or ON position, with
the engine off. This pointer movement is normal,
and will not affect the accuracy of the
tachometer once the engine is running.

19

21

Compact Disc Radio

Electronic Sound Systems

The Compact Disc Radio combines the Electronic
Stereo Radio with the Ford Compact Disc Player.

Using the Controls on Your New Radio/CD
Player

Most of the features of this unit work for both
radio and CD operation, depending on which
mode the unit is in. Also, some of the buttons
control several different functions, so be sure to
read all of the operating instructions carefully.

How to turn the radio on and off

Press the “POWER” button to turn the radio on.
Press it again to turn it off.

How to adjust the volume

Press the (R/S) side of the “VOL” button to
increase/decrease the volume. Bars illuminate in
the display to show the relative volume level.

NOTE: If the volume level is set above a

certain listening level when the
ignition switch is turned off, when the
ignition switch is turned back on, the
volume will come back to a “nominal”
listening level. However, if the radio
power is turned off, the volume will
remain in the position it was set at
when radio power was switched off.

Selecting the AM or FM frequency band

Push the “AM/FM” button to select the desired
frequency band. When in the radio mode,
pushing the button more than once will alternate
between AM, FM1 and FM2. These functions are
used with the station memory buttons described
under How to tune radio stations.

22

How to tune radio stations

There are four ways for you to tune in a
particular station. You can manually locate the
station using the “SCAN/TUNE” button,
“SEEK” the station, “SCAN” to the station or
select the station by using the memory buttons,
which you can set to any desired frequency.
These four methods are described below.

Using the “SCAN/TUNE” button to manually

❑

tune

You can change the frequency up or down
one increment at a time (FM changes in
increments of 200kHz; AM changes in
increments of 10kHz) by first pressing the
“SCAN/TUNE” button twice (display shows
“TUNE”), then — within approximately five
seconds —pressing and releasing either the
top (b) or bottom (a) half of the “SEEK”
button. To change frequencies quickly, press
and hold down either the top or bottom half
of the “SEEK” button.

Manual tuning adjusts your radio to any
allowable broadcast frequency, whether or
not a station is present on that frequency.
(See All About Radio Frequencies in this
section.)

Using the “SEEK” function

❑

This feature on your radio allows you to
automatically select listenable stations up or
down the frequency band. Press the top (a)
half of the “SEEK” button to select the next
listenable station up the frequency band.
Press the bottom (b) half of the button to
select the next listenable station down the
frequency band. By pressing and holding the
button, listenable stations can be passed over
to reach the desired station.

23

Using the “SCAN/TUNE” button to scan

❑

radio stations

Pressing the “SCAN/TUNE” button once
enters the scan mode (display will indicate
“SCN”). Pushing the top (a) half of the
“SEEK” button will begin the scan mode up
the frequency band, stopping on each
listenable station for approximately five
seconds. Pushing the bottom (b) half of the
“SEEK” button will begin the scan mode
down the frequency band, again stopping on
each listenable station for approximately five
seconds.

To stop the scan mode on the presently
sampled station, press the “SCAN/TUNE”
button again.

Setting the Station Memory Preset buttons

❑

Your radio is equipped with 5 station
memory buttons. These buttons can be used
to select up to 5 preset AM stations and 10
FM stations (5 in FM1 and 5 in FM2). Follow
the easy steps below to set these buttons to
the desired frequencies.

1. Select a band, then select a frequency.

2. Press one of the memory preset buttons and
hold the button until the sound returns. That
station is now held in memory on that
button.

3. Follow the two steps above for each station
memory preset button you want to set.

NOTE: If the vehicle’s battery is disconnected,

the clock and station memory preset
buttons will need to be reset.

24

Using the Automatic Memory Load feature

❑

You can activate the Auto Memory Load
feature by pressing and holding the “AUTO
PRESET” button for approximately three
seconds. Auto Memory Load sets all memory
buttons in AM, FM1 and FM2 sequentially by
seeking out the first five strong stations for
the respective band and storing them in
memory buttons 1-5. (FM2 will store the
second set of strong stations from the FM
band.)

With Auto Memory Store, you can continually
set strong stations into your memory buttons
without losing your existing memory presets,
which is especially helpful while traveling. Your
radio will automatically set your memory
buttons to the strong local stations so you don’t
have to continually manually tune to existing
stations.

Activate Auto Memory Store by pushing the
“AUTO PRESET” button once. Your radio will
set the first five strong stations of the band you
are in (AM, FM1 or FM2) into the memory
buttons. The display will show “AUTO,” then
run through the frequencies, stopping
momentarily on the stations being set into the
memory buttons. The radio is now in the
“AUTO” mode and the display will show
“AUTO” each time a preset is activated.

NOTE: If there are fewer than five strong

stations in the frequency band, the
remaining unfilled buttons will store
the last strong station detected on the
band.

After all stations have been filled, the radio will
begin playing the station stored on memory
button 1.

25

To deactivate the Auto Memory Store mode and
return to the manually-set memory button
stations (or those stations set using Auto
Memory Load), simply push the “AUTO
PRESET” button. Display will show “AUTO”
then “OFF.” The next time Auto Memory Store
is activated on that band, the radio will store the
next set of five strong stations.

Using the “AUDIO” button to adjust the
tone balance and speaker output

Increasing or decreasing bass response

❑

Push the “AUDIO” button repeatedly until
the display reads “BASS.” Push the “+” side
of the “VOL” button to increase bass (more
“lows”), and push the “-” side to decrease
bass (less “lows”).

Increasing or decreasing treble response

❑

Push the “AUDIO” button repeatedly until
the display reads “TREB.” Push the “+” side
of the “VOL” button to increase treble (more
“highs”), and push the “-” side to decrease
treble (less “highs”).

Adjusting speaker balance

❑

Balance control allows you to adjust the
sound distribution between the right and left
speakers. Push the “AUDIO” button
repeatedly until the display reads “BAL.”
Push the “+” side of the “VOL” button to
shift the sound to the right speakers, and
push the “-” side to shift the sound to the
left speakers.

26

Adjusting speaker fader

❑

Fade control allows you to adjust the sound
distribution between the front and rear
speakers. Push the “AUDIO” button
repeatedly until the display reads “FADE.”
Push the “+” side of the “VOL” button to
shift the sound to the front speakers, and
push the “-” side to shift the sound to the
rear speakers.

NOTE: Illuminated bars in the display show

relative levels of bass and treble and
positions of speaker balance and fader
functions after adjustments are made,
then revert to volume level set.

Clock operation

When in the radio mode, push the “CLOCK”
button to switch from radio frequency to clock.
Only the clock numerals will be displayed in the
clock mode — there is no A.M./P.M. indication.
When in the clock mode, the time will be
displayed until the button is pushed again.
However, if you retune the radio while it is in
the clock mode, the new radio frequency will be
displayed for approximately ten seconds and
then change back to clock.

When in the CD mode, push the “CLOCK”
button to change the display from elapsed time
mode to track number mode to clock mode. If
the CD track selection is changed when you are
in the clock or elapsed time mode, the new track
number will be displayed for approximately ten
seconds and then revert back to the previous
mode.

27