2001 FORD F250 brakes

To turn speed control off
•Press OFF or
•Turn off the vehicle ignition.
Once speed control is switched off,
the previously programmed set
speed will be erased.
To set a speed
•Press SET ACCEL. For speed
control to operate, the speed
control must be ON and the
vehicle speed must be greater
than 48 km/h (30 mph).
If you drive up or down a steep hill, your vehicle speed may vary
momentarily slower or faster than the set speed. This is normal.
Speed control cannot reduce the vehicle speed if it increases above the
set speed on a downhill. If your vehicle speed is faster than the set
speed while driving on a downhill, you may want to shift to the next
lower gear or apply the brakes to reduce your vehicle speed.
If your vehicle slows down more than 16 km/h (10 mph) below your set
speed on an uphill, your speed control will disengage. This is normal.
Pressing RES will re-engage it.
Do not use the speed control in heavy traffic or on roads that
are winding, slippery, or unpaved.
ON
OFF
RES
SET
ACCEL
COAST
Controls and features
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The front and rear outboard safety restraints in the vehicle are
combination lap and shoulder belts. The front passenger and rear seat
outboard safety belts have two types of locking modes described below:
Vehicle sensitive mode
The vehicle sensitive mode is the normal retractor mode, allowing free
shoulder belt length adjustment to your movements and locking in
response to vehicle movement. For example, if the driver brakes
suddenly or turns a corner sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of
approximately 8 km/h (5 mph) or more, the combination safety belts will
lock to help reduce forward movement of the driver and passengers.
On SuperCab and CrewCab models, the front seat belt system can also
be made to lock manually by quickly pulling on the shoulder belt.
Rear seat belts (if equipped) cannot be made to lock up by pulling
quickly on the belt.
Automatic locking mode
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-locked. The belt will
still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not available on the driver safety belt.
When to use the automatic locking mode
•Any timea child safety seat is installed in a passenger front or
outboard rear seating position (if equipped). Children 12 years old and
under should be properly restrained in the rear seat whenever
possible. Refer toSafety Restraints for ChildrenorSafety Seats for
Childrenlater in this chapter.
Seating and safety restraints
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BRAKES
Your service brakes are self-adjusting. Refer to the scheduled
maintenance guide for scheduled maintenance.
Occasional brake noise is normal and often does not indicate a
performance concern with the vehicle’s brake system. In normal
operation, automotive brake systems may emit occasional or intermittent
squeal or groan noises when the brakes are applied. Such noises are
usually heard during the first few brake applications in the morning;
however, they may be heard at any time while braking and can be
aggravated by environmental conditions such as cold, heat, moisture,
road dust, salt or mud. If a “metal-to-metal,” “continuous grinding” or
“continuous squeal” sound is present while braking, the brake linings
may be worn-out and should be inspected by a qualified service
technician.
Four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS)
This vehicle is equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). A noise
from the hydraulic pump motor and pulsation in the pedal may be
observed during ABS braking events. Pedal pulsation coupled with noise
while braking under panic conditions or on loose gravel, bumps, wet or
snowy roads is normal and indicates proper functioning of the vehicle’s
anti-lock brake system. If the vehicle has continuous vibration or shudder
in the steering wheel while braking, the vehicle should be inspected by a
qualified service technician.
The ABS operates by detecting the
onset of wheel lockup during brake
applications and compensates for
this tendency. The 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 with loss of front braking
traction.
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Using four wheel ABS
•In an emergency or when maximum efficiency from the four wheel
ABS is required, apply continuous force on the brake. The four wheel
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
controlled stop.
•The anti-lock system does not decrease the time necessary to apply
the brakes or always reduce stopping distance. Always leave enough
room between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to stop.
•We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this braking
technique. However, avoid taking any unnecessary risks.
ABS warning lamp
ABS
TheABSwarning lamp in the instrument cluster momentarily illuminates
when the ignition is turned to the ON position. If the light does not
illuminate momentarily at start up, remains on or continues to flash, the
ABS needs to be serviced.
With the ABS light on, the anti-lock
brake system is disabled and normal
braking is still effective unless the
brake warning light also remains
illuminated with parking brake
released. (If your brake warning lamp illuminates, have your vehicle
serviced immediately.)
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Parking brake
Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, press the parking
brake pedal down until the pedal
stops.
The BRAKE warning lamp in the
instrument cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned ON) until the
parking brake is released.
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).
The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the
rear brakes, the vehicle’s stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
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Pull the release lever to release the
brake. Driving with the parking
brake on will cause the brakes to
wear out quickly and reduce fuel
economy.
STEERING YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle is equipped with power steering. Power steering uses energy
from the engine to help steer the vehicle.
Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme right or the extreme left
position for more than a few seconds when the engine is running. This
action could damage the power steering pump.
If the amount of effort needed to steer your vehicle changes at a
constant vehicle speed, have the power steering system checked. If the
power steering system breaks down (or if the engine is turned off), you
can steer the vehicle manually, but it takes more effort.
After any severe impact such as striking large potholes, sliding into curbs
on icy roads or a collision involving the front end, have the front
suspension and steering checked for possible damage.
TRACTION-LOK AXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
This axle provides added traction on slippery surfaces, particularly when
one wheel is on a poor traction surface. Under normal conditions, the
Traction-Lok axle functions like a standard rear axle.
Extended use of other than the manufacturer’s specified size tires on a
Traction-Lok rear 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.
PULL
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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OPERATION (IF EQUIPPED)
Brake-shift interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock feature that prevents
the gearshift lever from being moved from P (Park) when the ignition is
in the ON position unless brake pedal is depressed.
If you cannot move the gearshift lever out of P (Park) with ignition in
the ON position and the brake pedal depressed:
1. Apply the parking brake, turn ignition to the LOCK position, then
remove the key.
2. Reinsert the key and turn the ignition to the OFF position.
3. Press and hold down the brake pedal and shift into N (Neutral).
4. Start the vehicle.
If it is necessary to use the above procedure to move the gearshift lever,
it is possible that a fuse has blown or the vehicle’s brakelamps are not
operating properly. Refer toFuses and relaysin theRoadside
emergencieschapter.
Do not drive your vehicle until you verify that the brakelamps
are working.
If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow it may be rocked out by
shifting from forward and reverse gears, stopping between shifts, in a
steady pattern. Press lightly on the accelerator in each gear.
Do not rock the vehicle for more than a few minutes. The
transmission and tires may be damaged or the engine may
overheat.
Always set the parking brake fully and make sure the gearshift is
latched in P (Park). Turn off the ignition whenever you leave
your vehicle.
If the parking brake is fully released, but the brake warning lamp
remains illuminated, the brakes may not be working properly.
See your dealer or a qualified service technician.
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Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from concealed objects such as
rocks and stumps.
You should either know the terrain or examine maps of the area before
driving. Map out your route before driving in the area. For more
information on driving off-road, read the “Four Wheeling” supplement in
your owner’s portfolio.
If your vehicle gets stuck
If the vehicle is stuck it may be rocked out by shifting from forward and
reverse gears, stopping between shifts, in a steady pattern. Press lightly
on the accelerator in each gear.
Do not rock the vehicle if the engine is not at normal operating
temperature or damage to the transmission may occur.
Do not rock the vehicle for more than a few minutes or damage
to the transmission and tires may occur or the engine may
overheat.
Do not spin the wheels at over 56 km/h (35 mph). The tires may
fail and injure a passenger or bystander.
Sand
When driving over sand, try to keep all four wheels on the most solid
area of the trail. Do not reduce the tire pressures but shift to a lower
gear and drive steadily through the terrain. Apply the accelerator slowly
and avoid spinning the wheels.
Mud and water
If you must drive through high water, drive slowly. Traction or brake
capability may be limited.
When driving through water, determine the depth; avoid water higher
than the bottom of the hubs (if possible) and proceed slowly. If the
ignition system gets wet, the vehicle may stall.
Once through water, always try the brakes. Wet brakes do not stop the
vehicle as effectively as dry brakes. Drying can be improved by moving
your vehicle slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal.
After driving through mud, clean off residue stuck to rotating driveshafts
and tires. Excess mud stuck on tires and rotating driveshafts causes an
imbalance that could damage drive components.
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