Ford 1996 Aerostar Manual page 283

If the electrolyte level in your battery gets low,
you can add plain tap water to the battery, as
long as you don't use hard water, or water with
a high mineral or alkali content. If possible,
however, try to only fill the battery cell with
distilled water. If the battery needs water often,
have the charging system checked.
Help Us Protect Our Environment
Ford Motor Company strongly recommends that
used lead-acid batteries be returned to an
authorized recycling facility for disposal.
Battery recycling symbol
Because your vehicle's engine is electronically
controlled by a computer, some control
conditions are maintained by power from the
battery. If you ever disconnect the battery, install
a new battery, or experience a dead battery you
must allow the computer to "relearn" its idle
conditions before your vehicle will drive
properly. To let the engine do this, put the
gearshift in P (Park), turn off all the accessories,
and start the vehicle. Let the engine idle for at
least one minute.
If you do not let the engine relearn its idle, the
idle quality of your vehicle may be adversely
affected until the idle is relearned. Your vehicle
will eventually relearn its idle while you drive
it, but it takes much longer than if you use the
previous procedure.
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