Radio goes into search mode when selecting pre-set stations

most work like this turn the knob to the desired station , press the pre-select button and hold in until it is saved
then turn the knob to another station and hold in a different button until it is saved and so on until you have all of the stations on the pre-select buttons

Hi,

Here is the link to the owners manual which you can download if you wish:

http://owner.ford.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Owner/Page/OwnerGuidePage&year=1996&make=Lincoln&model=Continental

Here/below are the specific instructions on the radio programming (pg. 159 of above link).

Good luck & please flag if "HELPFUL". Thanks!

(from section) Luxury Audio System

Selecting the AM or FM frequency band

Push the "AM" or "FM1/FM2" button to select the desired frequency band. Pushing the "FM1/FM2" button more than once will alternate between FM1 and FM2. These functions are used with the station memory buttons described under How to tune radio stations.

HOW to tune radio stations

There are four ways for you to tune in a particular station. You can use the "TUNE", "SEEK", 'SCAN"or memory buttons.

• Using the "TUNE" function: You can change the frequency up or down one increment at a time by Pressing and releasing either the left (< arrow/up) or - right (> arrow/down) side of the "TUNE" or "TUNE DISCS" button. To change frequencies quickly, press and hold down either the right or left side of the button.

Manual tuning adjusts your radio to any allowable broadcast frequency, whether or not a station is present on that frequency. (See All About Radio Frequencies in this section.)

• Using the "SEEK" function: Press the right *) side of the "SEEK" button to select the next listenable station up the frequency band. Press the left (.4) side of the button to select the next listenable station down the frequency band. By holding the button down, listenable stations can be passed over to reach the desired station. Pressing the "SCAN" button will begin the scan mode up the frequency band, stopping on each listenable station for approximately five seconds. To stop the scan mode on the presently sampled station, press the "SCAN" button again.

Setting the station MEMORY PRESET buttons: Your radio is equipped with 6 station memory buttons. These buttons can be used to select up to 6 preset AM stations and 12 FM stations (6 in FMI and 6 in FM2)

1. Select a band, then select a frequency.

2. Press one of the memory buttons and hold until the sound returns and the lamp above the memory button lights up. That
memory button is now set.

3. Follow the above steps for each memory preset button.

NOTE: Custom memory presets can be recalled using the keyless entry system. See Memory Profile System in the Features chapter.

Using the Automatic Memory Store feature ("AUTOSET"): If the memory buttons have been set, either by using the Auto Memory Load feature or if you have set them manually, the system is prepared tolet you use a convenient feature called Automatic Memory Store.

With Auto Memory Store, you can continually set strong stations into your memory buttons without losing your originally set stations. Your radio will automatically set your memory buttons to the strong local stations.

Activate Auto Memory Store by pushing the "AUTOSET" button once. Your radio will set the first six strong stations of the band you are in (AM, FMI or FM2) into the memory buttons. The display will flash "AUTO" and display the autoset icon "A" while the stations are being set in the memory buttons.

NOTE: If there are less than six strong stations in the frequency band, the remaining unfilled buttons will store the last strong station detected on the band. After all stations have been filled, the radio will begin playing the station stored on memory button 1.

To deactivate the Auto Memory Store mode and return to the manually-set memory button stations, simply push the "AUTOSET" button. Display will show "AUTO" then "OFF". The next time Auto Memory Store is activated on that band, the radio will store the next set of six strong stations.

1. Connect the FM antenna and the AM loopantenna at the back of the unit. Rotate the AM loop for better reception.
2. Press AM/FM.
3. Tune a station by pressing TUNER+/-repeatedly until the desired station is found.Alternatively, you can press and hold thesame buttons down for about one second toactivate the automatic search function. Inthis mode the unit will automatically tunefrequencies until it finds a station.
4. Repeat step 3 to tune to another radio station.
5. Press AM/FMto select between FM and AM.Storing Radio Stations

The unit can store up to 40 radio stations (30 preset stations for FM and 10 preset stations for AM) in its memory. You can enter every single radio station yourself or the unit can store all available radio stations automatically in ascending order

Automatic Preset Programming
1. Press AM/FM to enter the AM/FM mode.
2. Press and hold AM/FM for two seconds to start automatic preset programming.
3. Radio frequencies will be browsed and radiostations stored automatically. When all the available radio stations are stored or all 40(30 preset stations for FM and 10 preset stations for AM) memory locations are full,the auto preset programming function will stop.

Manual Preset
1. Tune to a radio station (see "Manual tuning"for details).
2. Press MEMORY. While the Program Preset number is still flashing, input your desired preset number using the numeric buttons or press CH+/-, then press MEMORY to store it.

Retrieving Preset Stations
1. Press AM/FM to enter the Tuner mode.
2. Press CH +/- to search up or down for thepreset stations or directly press the numeric buttons.

If radio has save button then tune your station push save button then push a number on preset you want it saved to. The radio automatticlly stores the strongest station in your area.

Select the AM or FM wave band.
Tune the radio to a station then press and hold down the 1 or 2 or 3 pre tune station button until it beeps. Then this radio station is then set to which pre tune button you have selected.
Repeat to set the buttons for other radio stations.

AM / FM RADIO
Setting Preset Stations
The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your
favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations (six AM,
six FMI and six FM2) by performing the following
steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press AM FM to select AM, FMI or FM2.
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered pushbutton, the station you set will return.
5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.


RADIO WITH CD ( BASE LEVEL)
Setting Preset Stations
The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 18 stations (six AM, six FMI and six FM2) by performing the following steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press AM FM to select AM, FM1 or FM2
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press and hold one of the six numbered pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered pushbutton, the station you set will return.
5. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.


RADIO WITH CD (UP LEVEL)
Setting Preset Stations
The six numbered pushbuttons let you return to your favorite stations. You can set up to 30 stations (six AM, six FMI and six FM2, six XM1 and six XM2 (USA only, if equipped), by performing the following steps:
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press BAND to select AM, FMl, FM2, or XMI, or
3. Tune in the desired station.
4. Press EQ to select the equalization.
5. Press and hold one of the six numbered XM2. pushbuttons until you hear a beep. Whenever you press that numbered pushbutton, the station you set will return and the equalization that you selected will also be automatically selected for that pushbutton.
6. Repeat the steps for each pushbutton.


Additional details could find in your Owners Manual; hope this helps (remember to rate this answer)

Select the station you want to pre-set, then hold one of the numbered pre-set buttons down for about 3 seconds to store the station into memory.

TRY THIS. GO TO THE STATION YOU WANT. PUSH AND HOLD THE SELECTED PRE-SET BUTTON YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROGRAM. PUSH AND HOLD TILL THE DISPLAY OF THE STATION BLINKS OR THE RADIO BEEPS. IT WILL BE FOR A FEW SECONDS. TO CHECK, TO THE STATION THEN PRESS THE PRE-SET BUTTON TO SEE IF IT STORED YOUR STATION. LET ME KNOW.

Make sure you have the radio code found inside your model information packet inside your glovebox…it will be on the radio and communications pamphlet. It is in safe-mode right now, so press and hold the FM button and the scan button until 1000, or whatever number is stored in your safe mode, appears. Enter your code by selecting the pre-set radio station buttons until the corresponding number appears; press and hold the FM button and scan button again and your radio should be reset.

The Ford Focus has a stereo problem where the display blinks on and off, with or without the ignition on. This is not a power problem.

This problem occurs when attempting to store a radio station when a blank RDS signal is being transmitted.
To restore your stereo:

• Insert a CD, stereo will turn on in CD mode.
  
• Press MENU button
  
• Select DEFAULT RESET by turning the right rotary knob and press to select
  
• Select YES by tuning the right rotary knob and press select
  
• Press BACK button
  
• Press the RDS button once, display will read RDS OFF
  
• Stereo will now work properly
  

To prevent this problem from occurring again, be sure some text is in the top line of the display when setting a stereo station. Do not set a station when the station name is blank in display.