1997 FORD EXPEDITION Owners Manual

Relearning idle conditions
Because your vehicle's engine is
electronically controlled by a
computer, some control conditions
are maintained by power from the
battery. When the battery is
disconnected or a new battery is
installed, the computer must
ªrelearnº its idle conditions before
your vehicle will drive properly. To
complete this process:
1. Put the gearshift in P(Park).
2. Turn off all accessories, and
start the engine.
3. Let the engine idle for at least
one minute.
4.The relearning process will
automatically complete as you
drive the vehicle.
²If you do not allow the engine to
relearn its idle, the idle quality
of your vehicle may be adversely
affected until the idle is
eventually relearned.
²If the battery has been
disconnected or a new battery
has been installed, the clock and
preset radio stations must be
reset once the battery is
reconnected.
²
Always dispose of used
automotive batteries in a
responsible manner. Follow your
community's standards for
disposal. Call your local
recycling center to find out
more about recycling automotive
batteries.
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Maintenance and care
178

AIR CLEANER FILTER
MAINTENANCE
Refer to the ªService Guideº for
the appropriate intervals for
changing the air cleaner filter.
Do not start your engine
with the air cleaner
removed and do not remove it
while the engine is running.
CHANGING THE AIR FILTER
1. Loosen the clamp that secures
the air cleaner in place.
2. Separate the two halves of the
air cleaner.
3. Remove the air filter element
from the open end of the engine
air cleaner and replace it with a
new element. Be careful not to
crimp the filter edges between
halves. This could cause filter
damage if not properly seated.
4. Replace the two halves of the
air cleaner and secure the clamp.
For information on replacement air
filter elements, refer to the
Capacities and specifications
chapter.
CHECKING AND REPLACING
WIPER BLADES
Checking wiper blades
Check the windshield wiper blades
at least twice a year or whenever
they seem to work less effectively
than usual. Substances such as
tree sap and some hot wax
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Maintenance and care
179

treatments used by commercial car
washes can reduce the
effectiveness of wiper blades.
To make reaching the wiper blades
easier, simply:
1. Turn the ignition to the 3(On)
position.
2. Turn the wipers on.
3. Wait for the wipers to reach a
vertical position and turn the
ignition to 2(Lock).
²Do not move the wipers
manually across the windshield,
this may cause damage to both
wipers and windshield.
Replacing front wiper blades
If the wiper blades do not function
properly after cleaning,
replacement of the blade assembly
or the blade element may be
necessary.
The blade lengths for your vehicle
are as follows:
²Front wiper blades Ð
approximately 56 cm (22 in)
²Rear wiper blades Ð
approximately 41 cm (16 in)
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
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Maintenance and care
180

To replace the wiper blades:
1. Pull the wiper arm away from
the windshield and lock into
service position (front wiper only).
2. Turn the blade at an angle from
the wiper arm. Push the lock pin
with a screwdriver to release the
blade and pull the wiper blade
down toward the windshield to
remove it from the wiper arm.
3. Attach the new wiper blade to
the wiper arm and press it in place
until a click is heard.
Replacing rear wiper blades
Unlike the front wiper, the rear
wiper arm does not have a service
position. Instead, follow these
steps to change the rear wiper
blade:
1. Lift the rear wiper arm out of
the ramp position.
2. Pull out the arm and release the
blade latch.
3. Manipulate the blade to remove
it.
²To rotate the liftgate wiper for
removal, lift the wiper arm out
of stop and pull the wiper arm
away from liftgate at a 45É
angle.
4. Attach the new wiper blade to
the wiper arm and press into place
until a click is heard.
exd_rear_wiper_replace
exd_maint-tires
Maintenance and care
181

IMPORTANT TIRE
MAINTENANCE INFORMATION
Information about tire quality
grades
New vehicles are fitted with tires
that have their Tire Quality Grade
(described below) molded into the
tire's sidewall. These Tire Quality
Grades are determined by
standards that the United States
Department of Transportation has
set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on
passenger cars. They do not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver or temporary use
spare tires, tires with nominal rim
diameters of 10 to 12 inches or
limited production tires as defined
in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 575.104(c)(2).
U.S. Department of
Transportation-Tire quality
grades:The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires Ford to
give you the following information
about tire grades exactly as the
government has written it.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course.
For example, a tire grade 150
would wear one and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire grade
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Maintenance and care
182

100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices,
and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction A B C
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest are A, B, and C, and they
represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured
under test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
braking (straightahead) traction
tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A B C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing
the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can
lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of
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Maintenance and care
183

performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required
by law.
The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a
tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Checking the tire pressure
Check the tire pressure
periodically and inflate tires as
necessary. To check the tire
pressure, insert the tire pressure
gauge into the valve system.
The cold pressure amount is listed
on the Safety Compliance
Certification label.
Improperly inflated tires
can affect vehicle handling
and can fail suddenly, possibly
resulting in loss of vehicle
control.
Rotating the tires
Rotate your tires at regular
intervals for even wear. Rotation
intervals are listed in the ªService
Guideº.
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exd_rotating_tires
Maintenance and care
184

²Four tire rotation
²Five tire rotation
Replacing the tires
Replace the tires when the wear
band is visible through the tire
treads.
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Maintenance and care
185