Ford 1996 Contour Manual page 145

6
The positions of the floor-mounted gearshift
Always push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor when you
shift. You should upshift according to the speeds given in the
shift speed chart.
Backing up
To shift into R (Reverse):
Completely stop your vehicle.
1.
Depress the clutch pedal to the floor and place the gearshift
2.
lever in the Neutral position. Do not release the clutch pedal.
NOTE: If the following step is not followed, a grinding noise
Wait a minimum of three seconds before attempting to shift
3.
into R (Reverse) gear.
Push the gearshift lever completely to the right, pull up the
4.
ring on the stalk of the gearshift lever, and then pull
rearward on the gearshift lever to engage the R (Reverse)
gear.
If the R (Reverse) gear is engaged, slowly release the clutch
5.
pedal from the floor.
146
may occur.