1997 FORD EXPEDITION Owners Manual

Guarding against exhaust
fumes
Although odorless and colorless,
carbon monoxide is present in
exhaust fumes. Take precautions
to avoid its dangerous effects.
If you ever smell exhaust
fumes of any kind inside
your vehicle, have your dealer
inspect and fix your vehicle
immediately. Do not drive if you
smell exhaust fumes. These
fumes are harmful and could kill
you.
Have the exhaust and body
ventilation systems checked
whenever:
²the vehicle is raised for service
²the sound of the exhaust system
changes
²the vehicle has been damaged in
a collision
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106

BRAKES
Brakes
Your brakes are self-adjusting.
Refer to the ªService Guideº for
maintenance scheduling.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) (if
equipped)
The ABS operates by detecting the
onset of wheel lock up during
brake applications and
compensating for this tendency.
The front wheels are prevented
from locking even when the brakes
are firmly applied. The
accompanying illustration depicts
the advantage of an ABS equipped
vehicle (on bottom) to a non-ABS
equipped vehicle (on top) during
hard braking.
Using ABS
²In an emergency, apply full force
on the brake. The ABS will be
activated immediately, thus
allowing you to retain full
steering control of your vehicle
and, providing there is sufficient
space, will enable you to avoid
obstacles and bring the vehicle
to a quiet stop.
²We recommend that you
familiarize yourself with this
braking technique. However,
avoid taking any unnecessary
risks.com_brakes.01
com_abs.01
com_using_abs.01
exd_braking_abs_sys
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Braking with ABS
On vehicles with ABS, the wheels
will not lock and slide when you
press down hard on the brake
pedal. The ABS automatically
releases and reapplies the front
and rear brakes independently
whenever the wheels start to lock.
When this happens, you will feel
the brake pedal pulse. This pulse
may be unfamiliar feeling, but it is
a normal indication that the ABS is
working as designed.
Do not ªpumpº the brake pedal of
vehicles with ABS.
exd_parking_brake
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Parking brake
To engage the parking brake:
To disengage the parking brake:
Always set the parking
brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely
latched in P (Park) (automatic
transmission) or in 1 (First)
(manual transmission).
STEERING
Your vehicle is equipped with
power steering. Power steering
uses energy from the engine to
help steer the vehicle.
BRAKE
exd_steering
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109

Never hold the steering wheel to
the extreme right or the extreme
left for more than a few seconds
when the engine is running. This
action could damage the power
steering pump.
Speed sensitive steering
The steering in your vehicle is
speed sensitive. At high speeds,
steering assist will decrease to
improve steering feel. At lower
speeds, maneuverability will be
increased.
If the amount of effort required to
steer your vehicle changes at a
constant vehicle speed, have the
power steering system checked by
your dealer or a qualified service
technician.
exd_speed_sensitive_steering
com_traction-lok.01
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UNDERSTANDING THE
TRACTION-LOKTREAR AXLE
(IF EQUIPPED)
This axle provides added traction
on slippery surfaces, particularly
when one or more wheels are on a
surface with poor traction.
Extended use of other than
matching size tires on a
Traction-Loktrear axle could
result in a permanent reduction in
effectiveness. This loss of
effectiveness does not affect
normal driving and should not be
noticeable to the driver.
To avoid injury, never run
the engine with one wheel
off the ground, such as when
changing a tire.
AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM (IF
EQUIPPED)
The air suspension system is
designed to improve ride, handling
and general vehicle performance
for static, on and off road driving
conditions.
The load leveling feature of the air
suspension system automatically
keeps the vehicle at a constant
level if a load is added or removed
from the vehicle.
The height adjustment feature
(4x4 air suspension system only)
automatically controls the vehicle
height over a range of
approximately 5 cm (2 in) based
on vehicle speed, ignition position
exd_air_suspension
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111

and selection of two or four-wheel
drive modes.
The air suspension system places
the vehicle at its lowest height to
provide easy entry and exit when
the vehicle is parked, the ignition
is turned off and all doors are
closed.
The air suspension system raises
the vehicle approximately 2.5 cm
(1 in) to its normal ride position
when the ignition is turned on, the
transmission is initially shifted into
the drive or reverse mode and all
doors are closed.
In 4WD Low, the air suspension
system raises the vehicle an
additional 2.5 cm (1 in) above the
normal ride height to improve
vehicle ground clearance. However,
if the vehicle speed exceeds 40
km/h (25 mph), the system will
lower the vehicle to its normal ride
height to maximize ride comfort.
The vehicle will raise again if
vehicle speed is less than 13 km/h
(8 mph) for one minute. In 4WD
Low, do not exceed 56 km/h (35
mph).
As a safety consideration,
whenever a door is opened
(including the liftgate and liftgate
glass) the system memorizes and
maintains the height at the
moment the door was opened. The
system will maintain this height
until all doors are closed or until
vehicle speed exceeds 16 km/h (10
mph).
Driving
112

An on board air compressor and
solenoids are used to raise and
lower the vehicle. It is normal to
occasionally hear a buzz or clicking
from the vehicle even when the
ignition is turned off. The system
stays energized for 40 minutes
after the ignition is turned off to
compensate for any load changes
made after the vehicle is parked.
Air suspension service system
switch
The air suspension service system
switch is located below the glove
box at the lower right side of the
passenger foot well. Normal vehicle
operation does not require any
action by the driver. If this switch
is in the OFF position, the air
suspension system will not operate
and the CHECK SUSP warning
light in the instrument cluster will
illuminate.
On vehicles equipped with
Air Suspension, turn OFF
the Air Suspension switch prior
to jacking, hoisting or towing
your vehicle.
Check air suspension light
The warning and indicator light
CHECK SUSP illuminates when the
air suspension switch is turned off
or an air suspension system fault
has been detected.
OFF
CHECK
SUSP
exd_air_susp_service_switch
exd_check_air_susp_light
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