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Driving – Mercury Tracer 1997 User Manual

Page 101

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• Do not drive with your foot

resting on the clutch pedal and do
not use the clutch pedal to hold
the vehicle at a standstill. These
actions will reduce clutch life.

• Downshift on steep hills to

reduce the vehicle’s chances of
stalling and to prevent
unnecessary brake wear.

LOADING YOUR VEHICLE

Before loading a vehicle, familiarize
yourself with these terms:
Base curb weight — weight of

the vehicle including any
standard equipment, fluids,
lubricants, etc. It does not
include passengers or
aftermarket equipment.

Payload — combined maximum

allowable weight of cargo,
passengers and optional
equipment.

GVW (Gross vehicle weight)

base curb weight plus the
payload weight (including
passengers, cargo and optional
equipment). Remember, the
GVW is not a limit or a
specification.

GVWR (Gross vehicle weight

rating) — maximum total
weight of the base vehicle,
passengers, optional equipment,
and cargo. The GVWR is specific
to each vehicle and is listed on
the Safety Compliance
Certification Label on the
driver’s door pillar.

Driving

101