Mercury 1996 Sable Manual page 243

Connecting the trailer's lights
Do not connect a trailer's lighting system
wiring directly to your vehicle's lighting system
wiring. To get the proper equipment for
hooking up your trailer's lights, see your local
trailer dealer and your Ford dealer. Be sure to
follow their instructions carefully.
If you do not install trailer lights correctly, you
may cause damage to the vehicle's lighting system.
Driving While You Tow
Be especially careful when driving while you
tow a trailer. Never drive faster than 45 mph
(70 km/h) when you tow in hilly country on
hot days. Also, anticipate stops so that you can
brake gradually.
When you tow in steep hills, move the
automatic transaxle to 1 (First) (vehicles without
O/D OFF switch) or 2 (Second) (vehicles with
O/D OFF switch) when descending. This will
give more engine braking on downgrades. The
automatic transaxle will automatically downshift
to the proper gear on upgrades.
If you tow in Overdrive while riding through
hilly country, your vehicle may frequently shift
between Overdrive and Third gears. To prevent
your vehicle from shifting too much, move the
gearshift to D (Drive) (column shift without
O/D OFF switch) or push the O/D OFF switch
(column or console shift). This will also give
better braking going down hills.
If you use the speed control while you are
towing on very long, steep grades, the speed
control may shut off.
Servicing Your Vehicle When You Tow
If you tow a trailer for a long distance, your
vehicle will need to be serviced more frequently
than usual. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule and
Record booklet for additional information.
216