Lincoln 1999 Town Car - Manual (Page 150)

What you should know about fail-safe cooling
If the engine coolant supply is depleted, this feature allows the vehicle to
be driven temporarily before incremental component damage is incurred.
The “fail-safe” distance depends on ambient temperatures, vehicle load
and terrain.
How fail-safe cooling works
If the engine begins to overheat:
• the engine coolant temperature
gauge will move to the H (hot)
area.
• the
symbol will illuminate.
• a tone will sound 3 times.
• the Service Engine Soon
indicator light will illuminate.
If the engine reaches a preset over-temperature condition, the engine
will automatically switch to alternating cylinder operation. Each disabled
cylinder acts as an air pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs the vehicle will still operate, however:
• the engine power will be limited.
• the air conditioning system will be disabled.
Continued operation will increase the engine temperature:
• the
symbol will begin to flash.
• a tone will sound 5 times.
• the engine will completely shut down, causing steering and braking
effort to increase.
Once the engine temperature cools, the engine can be re-started. Take
your vehicle to a service facility as soon as possible to minimize engine
damage.
H
Maintenance and care
150