Driving Through Water; Vehicle Loading - With And Without A Trailer; Base Curb Weight; Vehicle Curb Weight - Mercury 2004 Mountaineer Owner's Manual

DRIVING THROUGH WATER

If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially if the depth is not known. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the hubs (for trucks) or the bottom of
the wheel rims (for cars). Traction or brake capability may be limited
and your vehicle may stall. Water may also enter your engine's air intake
and severely damage your engine.
Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your vehicle
slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do
not stop the vehicle as quickly as dry brakes. Driving through deep
water where the transmission vent tube is submerged may allow
water into the transmission and cause internal transmission
damage.
VEHICLE LOADING – WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle's weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle's
Safety Certification Label and Tire Label:
Base Curb Weight – is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight – is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
Payload – is the combined weight of cargo and passengers that the
vehicle is carrying. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found
on the Tire Label on the driver's door or door pillar. Look for "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX kg OR XXX lbs" for maximum payload. The
REVIEW COPY:
2004 Explorer (exp), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) (own2002),
Market: USA English (fus)
Driving
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