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Manufacturer Brochure - 1998 Ford Contour
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| Updated |
Jun 3, 2004 17:28:40 |
| Rating |
 83 ( -14 -16.86% ) |
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Description:
Ford Motor Company's global approach to efficient car design moves ahead for the 1998 model year with a new Contour compact sedan that builds on its European-driving characteristics while introducing 103 customer-driven refinements.
The 1998 Ford Contour gets a new look. Additional upgrades enhance comfort, refine driving dynamics, reduce emissions and provide a higher level of safety and security.
A new SVT Contour model with more power and a fortified chassis gives the Contour line a second, higher-level entry in the sports sedan class--above the Contour SE. (The new SVT model is discussed in detail in the SVT section.)
The 1998 Contour's front combination lamps and chrome grille ellipse provides a bright, distinctive face and clean aerodynamic design. Park and turn indicators are positioned with halogen low- and high beam light sources behind one smooth polycarbonate lens per side. Complex-surface reflectors inside each lamp unit that are computer modeled for optimum lighting facilitate this crystal-clear treatment. Fixed lenses fit snugly against surrounding body surfaces while the reflectors are moved to adjust the aim. A special lens coating resists scratching and stone damage. 1A and SE editions of the Contour have coordinated fog lamps mounted low in the reshaped body-color front fascia.
"We've used a bright finish to give the Contour more finesse and to emphasize the high level of craftsmanship that goes into this automobile," said Contour chief designer Gert Hohenester.
"Customers are very interested in the design statement presented by their cars, so we gave this second edition of the Contour a more distinctive character."
The Contour hood sweeps nearly the width of the car. The front end has the Ford trademark oval-within-an-oval design. At the rear, the combination of wraparound taillamps with a wide reflector and chrome top bar emphasizes Contour's clean lines. An attractive decklid spoiler is standard SE equipment, along with new 15-inch, 12-spoke alloy wheels.
The cohesive integration of Contour's interior hasn't changed, but there are subtle improvements. Airflow through four barrel-type vent registers in the dash is easier to aim. The central console has three molded cup holders (two in front, one in back) and maintains a lower profile to accentuate the open roominess of the interior compartment. Instruments and displays are backlit with a soft green glow. The heated rear-window switch has been moved to the lower edge of the instrument cluster where it's easier to find. New seat and door-panel trim features brighter colors and better coordination.
Seating is improved to enhance comfort and convenience. A lever adjusts the front-bucket seat back angle, replacing a hand wheel that required more effort. Head restraints for all outboard seating positions are teardrop in shape and adjustable for height and tilt. The driver's seat has a new fold-down armrest. In back, the front seat cushion has been recontoured to increase passenger knee room by 0.7 inches. The Contour now has nearly 2 inches more legroom in the rear than the original design. Center passengers should feel more secure thanks to the addition of a shoulder belt. A child safety seat is available in all Contour models built with a 60/40 split-fold rear seat back (optional on GL; standard on LX, SE).
The Contour has earned a reputation for balance between driving fun and riding comfort. Several changes for 1998 are aimed at polishing this facet of the car's personality. Friction has been reduced in both the front suspension struts and the rack and pinion steering system to improve ride and control. The shape and location of the front coil springs were revised to increase from 60 percent to 92 percent the degree they are able to compensate for bending stresses in the strut. Reduced bending stress means lower friction, which cuts suspension-system resistance to wheel movement over small bumps. The net friction reduction required a slightly stiffer front spring rate and modest increases in front and rear damping to maintain Contour's crisp handling response. The result is a more supple-feeling ride with excellent maneuverability.
Incorporating new rack-and-pinion ball joints and tie-rod ends has eliminated about half the steering system's friction. Initial steering effort is reduced but road feel is increased. The result is more precise steering. The Contour's technically advanced standard power plant was improved for 1998. The 2.0-liter, 125-horsepower, 16-valve, DOHC Zetec I-4 was refined to reduce noise, vibration and harshness. Pistons are lighter and connecting rods longer, diminishing unbalanced reciprocating forces by 13 percent. A special ladder-frame structure was added below the cast-iron cylinder block. A stiffer block is less susceptible to vibration caused by pistons and connecting rods cycling up and down inside the engine. The oil pan is shorter to provide room for the ladder-frame. It is reinforced with ribs to make it stiffer. The cam cover was redesigned to cut noise originating at the top of the engine. The front cover is a new structural design that permits direct attachment of the right-side engine mount. The net effect of these structural improvements is a 50 percent reduction in engine noise throughout the full operating range.
One means of stretching the benefits available from the Zetec four-valve combustion chamber design is called variable cam timing (ACT). Zetec four-cylinder is the first Ford North American engine to apply VCT technology.
During the overlap period at the end of each combustion cycle, both the intake and the exhaust valves are temporarily open, which permits internal exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). While an optimum amount of EGR can reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, too much can cause a rough idle and poor drivability. VCT eliminates overlap variability and places it under the control of the Zetec engine's electronic control module.
The new component that activates the VCT is a sliding sleeve between the exhaust camshaft and its drive sprocket. The sleeve is activated by a servo motor. Helical gears on internal and external surfaces of the sleeve produce the desired phase change when the sleeve is moved axially by engine oil pressure under the command of the engine control computer. A maximum 60 degrees of exhaust valve timing change is possible with this VCT system. The ability to specify exactly the optimum amount of overlap for engine operating conditions results in the following benefits:
o Conventional external EGR is eliminated
o City driving fuel efficiency is improved by approximately 1 mpg
o Hydrocarbon (HC) and NOx emissions are reduced
o Idle stability is noticeably improved.
Thanks to Ford's VCT technology, Zetec engines mated to an automatic transmission now meet California requirements as Transitional Low Emission Vehicles. Full-throttle output is not affected by this new system. The Zetec I-4 delivers 125 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and a peak torque of 130 foot-pounds at 4,000 rpm. More than 90 percent of maximum h.p. is available from 2,200 to 5,700 rpm.
For more power, Contour offers a 2.5-liter, 24-valve Duratec V-6 rated at 170 horsepower at 6,250 rpm. Both Contour engines are under the command of a fifth-generation controller called Electronic Engine Control - fifth series (EEC-V). This comprises over 80,000 transistors in the form of a dozen integrated circuits. That module processes information 20 percent faster and has the ability to store 66 percent more calibration data than the previous generation controller. As a result of these enhanced capabilities, Duratec-powered Contour models now are equipped with the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system that immobilizes the engine if any attempt to start the car is made without a correctly coded ignition key.
Other powertrain-related refinements are:
o A new flexible cable system replaces direct acting rods between the gear shift and the 5-speed manual transaxle. Shift feel is improved and a transmission path for noise and vibration is eliminated. Engine motion no longer causes movement of the shift lever.
o A hydraulically actuated low-inertia clutch assembly reduces pedal effort and pedal travel during engagement. Take-up is smoother and shifting through the gears is easier. The Contour GL with 2.0-liter Zetec I-4 gasoline engine can be converted to natural gas.
Several innovative features that Contour introduced to the compact car segment carry on with little change. Some highlights:
o A standard-equipment particulate air filtration system uses a multilayer sandwich of polymer fiber sheets to trap more than 90 percent of airborne particles larger than 3 microns (pollen, mold spores, road dust). The filter cassette is easily replaced after 15,000 miles of normal use. This is especially attractive to hay fever and asthma sufferers.
o A hydroformed steel front subframe is rubber-mounted to the Contour body structure to provide isolated support for powertain, suspension and steering systems. The engine-transaxle assembly is mounted to the car through its torque axis to minimize the transmission of noise, vibration and harshness.
o Bumper reinforcements, battery casings, wheel-arch liners, and air-filter housings are manufactured from recycled materials. All plastic parts are coded to make separation for recycling easier. |
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