Mercury 1996 Sable Manual page 228

NOTE: If the O/D OFF indicator light is
flashing on and off repeatedly when
the vehicle is started or does not come
on when the O/D OFF switch is
pushed, it means that there is a
transaxle electronic system malfunction.
You should contact your dealer as soon
as possible or damage to the transaxle
could occur.
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.
When to use 2 (Second)
Use Second for start-up on slippery roads or to
give you more engine braking to slow your
vehicle on downgrades.
When to use 1 (First)
Use 1 (First) when added engine braking is
desired when descending steep hills.
The automatic transaxle will shift to the proper
gear to ascend any grade without any need to
shift to 1 (First).
Do not go faster than 38 mph (61 km/h) in this
gear. You can upshift from 1 (First) to D
(Overdrive) at any speed.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before you shift
into P (Park). Make sure that the gearshift is
securely latched in P (Park). This locks the
transaxle and prevents the front wheels from
rotating.
If your vehicle has a console mounted gearshift,
the gearshift indicator in the cluster is
illuminated in P (Park) only when the gearshift
button is released.
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