Mercury Mountaineer (2010 year). Instruction — part 20

Location of the spare tire and tools

The spare tire and tools for your vehicle are stowed in the following
locations:

Tool

Location

Spare tire

Under the vehicle, just in front of
the rear bumper. The spare tire
winch drive nut is located at the
rear center of the cargo area
under a lid.

Jack, lug nut wrench, jack handle,

wheel chock

Behind the rear seat under the
carpeted floor lid in the cargo
floor. The tools are located in a
bag attached to the jack.

Removing the jack and tools

1. Open liftgate and remove the
carpeted floor lid.

2. Turn jack screw eyelet (1)
counterclockwise to release
pressure.

3. Rotate the locking pin (2)
clockwise until loose then pull out
until it stops and remove the jack
and tool bag from the bracket.

4. Remove the chock and jack tools
from the provided bag rotate the
wrench socket out from the handle.

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Removing the spare tire

Do not use an impact wrench on the winch drive nut. This will
damage the spare tire winch.

1. Open the cover from the carpeting on cargo floor to expose the winch
drive nut.

2. Insert the lug wrench on the
winch drive nut.

The wrench will stop moving and
forward resistance to turning will be
felt when properly engaged.

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3. Turn the wrench
counterclockwise until the tire is
lowered to the ground and the cable
has slack. When turning the wrench,
make sure that it does not scuff the
kick plate.

4. Slide the tire rearward, lift one
side and remove the retainer from
the spare tire.

Changing the spare tire

WARNING: When one of the rear wheels is off the ground, the
transmission alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving or

slipping off the jack, even if the transmission is in P (Park).

WARNING: To help prevent the vehicle from moving when you
change a tire, be sure the parking brake is set, then block the

wheel that is diagonally opposite (other end of the vehicle) to the tire
being changed.

WARNING: If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone else
could be seriously injured.

WARNING: Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the
vehicle close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off the road to

avoid the danger of being hit when operating the jack or changing the
wheel.

WARNING: Turn off the running boards (if equipped) before
working under the vehicle, jacking, or placing any object under

the vehicle. Never place your hand in the hinge assemblies. A moving
running board may cause injury.

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Note: Passengers should not remain in the vehicle when the vehicle is
being jacked.

1. Block the wheel that is diagonally
opposite of the flat tire using the
wheel chock provided with your
vehicle.

2. Use the tip of the lug wrench to
remove the beauty cap by twisting
the tip under the cap. On
5–passenger vehicles, the carpeted
floor lid can be used as a kneeling
pad.

3. Loosen each wheel lug nut by half
a turn, but do not remove them
until the wheel is raised off the
ground.

4. Assemble the jack handle
extension on the lug nut wrench by
sliding the square end of the jack
handle through the plastic grommet
on the lug nut wrench and into the
square hole on the other side.

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5. Position the jack according to the
illustrated guides and turn the jack
handle clockwise until the tire is a
maximum of 1 inch (25 mm) off the
ground.

Note: Do not use the running
boards, front and rear hinge
assemblies, running board motors,
or the running board underbody
mounts to lift the vehicle with the
jack.

WARNING: To lessen the
risk of personal injury, do

not put any part of your body
under the vehicle while changing a
tire. Do not start the engine when
your vehicle is on the jack. The
jack is only meant for changing
the tire.

• Never use the front or rear differential as a jacking point.
6. Remove the lug nuts with the lug wrench.

7. Replace the flat tire with the spare tire, making sure the valve stem is
facing outward. Reinstall the lug nuts, cone side in, until the wheel is
snug against the hub. Do not fully tighten the lug nuts until the wheel
has been lowered.

8. Lower the wheel by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.

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9. Remove the jack and fully tighten
the lug nuts in the order shown.
Refer to Wheel lug nut torque
specifications later in this chapter
for the proper lug nut torque
specification.

Stowing the flat/spare tire

Note: Failure to follow spare tire stowage instructions may result in
failure of cable or loss of spare tire.

1. Lay the tire on the ground with the valve stem facing up, toward the
vehicle.

2. Slide the wheel partially under the vehicle and install the retainer
through the wheel center. Pull on the cable to align the components at
the end of the cable.

3. Turn the lug wrench clockwise until the tire is raised to its stowed
position underneath the vehicle. The effort to turn the jack handle
increases significantly and the spare tire carrier ratchets or slips when
the tire is raised to the maximum tightness. Tighten to the best of your
ability, to the point where the ratchet/slip occurs, if possible. The spare
tire carrier will not allow you to overtighten. If the spare tire carrier
ratchets or slips with little effort, take the vehicle to your authorized
dealer for assistance at your earliest convenience.

4. Check that the tire lies flat against the frame and is properly
tightened. Try to push or pull, then turn the tire to be sure it will not
move. Loosen and retighten, if necessary. Failure to properly stow the
spare tire may result in failure of the winch cable and loss of the tire.

5. If your vehicle is equipped with a spare tire lock and key, be sure to
install the spare tire lock into the bumper drive tube with the spare tire
lock key and jack handle.

6. Repeat this tightness check procedure when servicing the spare tire
pressure (every six months, per scheduled maintenance information),
or at any time that the spare tire is disturbed through service of other
components.

1

4

3

2

5

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Re-stowing the jack and tools

1. Unblock the wheels.

2. Stow the wheel ornament (if removed) in a safe location in the vehicle
(such as the glove box or jack stowage compartment) so it will not
become damaged. Re-install the wheel ornament onto the wheel once the
tire is repaired or replaced.

3. Stow the jack and tools in their respective locations, making sure they
are fully secured so they do not rattle when you drive.

WHEEL LUG NUT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS

Retighten the lug nuts to the specified torque within 100 miles (160 km)
after any wheel disturbance (rotation, flat tire, wheel removal, etc.).

Lug nut socket

size/Bolt size

Wheel lug nut torque*

lb.ft.

N

•m

Lug nut socket size:

3

⁄

4

inch (19 mm) hex
Bolt size:

1

⁄

2

x 20

100

135

* Torque specifications are for nut and bolt threads free of dirt and
rust. Use only Ford recommended replacement fasteners.

WARNING: When a wheel is installed, always remove any
corrosion, dirt or foreign materials present on the mounting

surfaces of the wheel or the surface of the wheel hub, brake drum or
brake disc that contacts the wheel. Ensure that any fasteners that
attach the rotor to the hub are secured so they do not interfere with
the mounting surfaces of the wheel. Installing wheels without correct
metal-to-metal contact at the wheel mounting surfaces can cause the
wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to come off while the vehicle is in
motion, resulting in loss of control.

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Note: Inspect the wheel pilot hole
prior to installation. If there is
visible corrosion in wheel pilot hole,
remove loose particles by wiping
with clean rag and apply grease.
Apply grease only to the wheel pilot
hole surface by smearing a “dime”
(1 square cm) sized glob of grease
around the wheel pilot surface (1)
with end of finger. DO NOT apply
grease to lugnut/stud holes or
wheel-to-brake surfaces.

RUNNING OUT OF FUEL

If you have run out of fuel and need to refill the vehicle with a portable
fuel container, see Running out of fuel in the Maintenance and
Specifications chapter for proper fuel filling method using a portable
fuel container and the included fuel filler funnel. Do not insert the
nozzle of portable fuel containers or any type of aftermarket funnels into
the Easy Fuel™ “no cap” fuel system as it can be damaged. You must
use the included funnel in such circumstances.

WARNING: Do not insert the nozzle of portable fuel containers
or aftermarket funnels into the Easy Fuel™ system. This could

damage the fuel system and its seal, and may cause fuel to run onto
the ground instead of filling the tank, all of which could result in
serious personal injury.

JUMP STARTING

WARNING: The gases around the battery can explode if
exposed to flames, sparks, or lit cigarettes. An explosion could

result in injury or vehicle damage.

WARNING: Batteries contain sulfuric acid which can burn skin,
eyes and clothing, if contacted.

Do not attempt to push-start your automatic transmission
vehicle. Automatic transmissions do not have push-start
capability. Attempting to push-start a vehicle with an automatic
transmission may cause transmission damage.

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Preparing your vehicle

When the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the
automatic transmission must relearn its shift strategy. As a result, the
transmission may have firm and/or soft shifts. This operation is
considered normal and will not affect function or durability of the
transmission. Over time, the adaptive learning process will fully update
transmission operation.

1. Use only a 12–volt supply to start your vehicle.

2. Do not disconnect the battery of the disabled vehicle as this could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system.

3. Park the booster vehicle close to the hood of the disabled vehicle
making sure the two vehicles do not touch. Set the parking brake on
both vehicles and stay clear of the engine cooling fan and other moving
parts.

4. Check all battery terminals and remove any excessive corrosion before
you attach the battery cables. Ensure that vent caps are tight and level.

5. Turn the heater fan on in both vehicles to protect from any electrical
surges. Turn all other accessories off.

Connecting the jumper cables

1. Connect the positive (+) jumper cable to the positive (+) terminal of
the discharged battery.

Note: In the illustrations, lightning bolts are used to designate the
assisting (boosting) battery.

+

–

+

–

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2. Connect the other end of the positive (+) cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the assisting battery.

3. Connect the negative (-) cable to the negative (-) terminal of the
assisting battery.

+

–

+

–

+

–

+

–

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4. Make the final connection of the negative (-) cable to the ground stud
located toward the front of the vehicle (forward of the battery) on the
radiator support. Keep the negative (-) cable away from the battery and
the carburetor/fuel injection system.

Note: Do not attach the negative (-) cable fuel lines, engine rocker
covers, the intake manifold or electrical components as grounding
points.

WARNING: Do not connect the end of the second cable to the
negative (-) terminal of the battery to be jumped. A spark may

cause an explosion of the gases that surround the battery.

5. Ensure that the cables are clear of fan blades, belts, moving parts of
both engines, or any fuel delivery system parts.

+

+

-

-

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Jump starting

1. Start the engine of the booster vehicle and run the engine at
moderately increased speed.

2. Start the engine of the disabled vehicle.

3. Once the disabled vehicle has been started, run both engines for an
additional three minutes before disconnecting the jumper cables.

Removing the jumper cables

Remove the jumper cables in the reverse order that they were
connected.

1. Remove the jumper cable from the ground metal surface.

2. Remove the jumper cable on the negative (-) connection of the
booster vehicle’s battery.

+

–

+

–

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3. Remove the jumper cable from the positive (+) terminal of the booster
vehicle’s battery.

4. Remove the jumper cable from the positive (+) terminal of the
disabled vehicle’s battery.

After the disabled vehicle has been started and the jumper cables
removed, allow it to idle for several minutes so the engine computer can
relearn its idle conditions.

+

–

+

–

+

–

+

–

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WRECKER TOWING

Note: Turn off the power running boards (if equipped) prior to
preparing the vehicle for towing. Refer to Power deployable running
boards in the Driver Controls chapter.

If you need to have your vehicle towed, contact a professional towing
service or, if you are a member of a roadside assistance program, your
roadside assistance service provider.

It is recommended that your vehicle be towed with a wheel lift or flatbed
equipment. Do not tow with a slingbelt. Ford Motor Company has not
approved a slingbelt towing procedure.

If the vehicle’s battery is discharged, refer to Automatic transmission
operation in the Driving chapter for directions on how to move the
gearshift lever out of the P (Park) position, for proper towing.

On 4x2 vehicles, it is acceptable to tow the vehicle with the front wheels
on the ground (without dollies) and the rear wheels off the ground.

On AWD vehicles, it is required that your vehicle be towed with a wheel
lift and dollies or flatbed equipment with all the wheels off the ground.

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If the vehicle is towed by other means or incorrectly, vehicle
damage may occur.

Ford Motor Company produces a towing instruction for all authorized tow
truck operators. Have your tow truck operator refer to this instruction for
proper hook-up and towing procedures for your vehicle.

Emergency towing

In case of a roadside emergency with a disabled vehicle (without access
to wheel dollies, car hauling trailer, or flatbed transport vehicle) your
vehicle (regardless of transmission powertrain configuration) can be flat
towed (all wheels on the ground) under the following conditions:
• Vehicle is facing forward so that it is being towed in a forward

direction.

• Place the transmission in N (Neutral). Refer to Brake shift interlock

in the Driving chapter for specific instructions if you cannot move the
gear shift lever into N (Neutral).

• Maximum speed is not to exceed 35 mph (56 km/h).
• Maximum distance is 50 miles (80 km).

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GETTING THE SERVICES YOU NEED

Warranty repairs to your vehicle must be performed by an authorized
Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury dealer. While any authorized dealer handling
your vehicle line will provide warranty service, we recommend you
return to your selling authorized dealer who wants to ensure your
continued satisfaction.

Please note that certain warranty repairs require special training and/or
equipment, so not all authorized dealers are authorized to perform all
warranty repairs. This means that, depending on the warranty repair
needed, you may have to take your vehicle to another authorized dealer.

A reasonable time must be allowed to perform a repair after taking your
vehicle to the authorized dealer. Repairs will be made using Ford or
Motorcraft parts, or remanufactured or other parts that are authorized by
Ford.

Away from home

If you are away from home when your vehicle needs service, contact the
Ford Customer Relationship Center or use the online resources listed
below to find the nearest authorized dealer.

In the United States:

Mailing address
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, MI 48121

Telephone
1-800-392-3673 (FORD)
(TDD for the hearing impaired: 1-800-232-5952)

Online
Additional information and resources are available online at
www.genuineservice.com.
• U.S. dealer locator by Dealer Name, City/State, or Zip Code

• Owner Guides

• Maintenance Schedules

• Recalls

• Ford Extended Service Plans

• Ford Genuine Accessories

• Service specials and promotions.

Customer Assistance

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