2002 FORD ESCAPE tires

Seating and Safety Restraints 113
Seating 113
Safety restraints 125
Air bags 136
Child restraints 144
Driving 154
Starting 154
Brakes 158
Transmission operation 163
Vehicle loading 178
Trailer towing 181
Recreational towing 185
Roadside Emergencies 186
Getting roadside assistance 186
Hazard flasher switch 187
Fuel pump shut-off switch 187
Fuses and relays 189
Changing tires 195
Jump starting 200
Wrecker towing 206
Customer Assistance 208
The dispute settlement board 211
Utilizing the mediation/arbitration 214
Getting assistance outside the U.S. and Canada 214
Ordering additional owner's literature 215
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 217
Cleaning 218
Cleaning your vehicle 218
Underbody preservation 224
Table of Contents
2

PREPARING TO DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than
other types of vehicles.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely
to die than a person wearing a seat belt.
Your vehicle has special design and equipment features to make it
capable of performing in a wide variety of circumstances. These special
design features, such as larger tires and increased ground clearance, give
the vehicle a higher center of gravity than a passenger car.
Vehicles with a higher center of gravity such as utility and
four-wheel drive vehicles handle differently than vehicles with a
lower center of gravity. Utility and four-wheel drive vehicles arenot
designed for cornering at speeds as high as passenger cars any more
than low-slung sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions. Avoid sharp turns, excessive speed and abrupt
maneuvers in these vehicles. Failure to drive cautiously could result in
an increased risk of vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
Loaded vehicles, with a higher center of gravity, may handle
differently than unloaded vehicles. Extra precautions, such as
slower speeds and increased stopping distance, should be taken when
driving a heavily loaded vehicle.
Your vehicle has the capability to haul more cargo and people than most
passenger cars. Depending upon the type and placement of the load,
hauling people and cargo may raise the center of gravity of the vehicle.
Use extra caution while becoming familiar with your vehicle. Know the
capabilities and limitations of both you as a driver and your vehicle.
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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.
Always set the parking brake fully and make sure the gearshift is
latched in P (Park). Turn the ignition to the LOCK position and
remove the key 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.
Driving with an automatic overdrive transaxle
Your automatic transaxle electronically controls the shift feel by using an
adaptive learning strategy. This feature is designed to optimize shift
smoothness. It is normal for your transaxle to shift firmly during the first
few hundred kilometers (miles) of operation until the adaptive strategy
has been learned. The adaptive learning strategy is maintained by power
from the battery. When the battery is disconnected or a new battery is
installed, the transaxle must relearn its adaptive strategy. Optimal
shifting will resume within a few hundred kilometers (miles) of
operation.
Your automatic overdrive transaxle
provides fully automatic operation in
either D (Overdrive) or with the
O/D OFF switch depressed. Driving
with the gearshift lever in D
(Overdrive) gives the best fuel
economy for normal driving
conditions.
For manual control, start in 1 (First) and then shift manually.
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²The 4x4 ON mode provides
four-wheel drive with full power
to both axles at all times. It is
only intended for severe or
off-road driving conditions, such
as deep snow and ice (where no
dry or wet pavement remains
uncovered) and shallow sand or
mud.
²The vehicle should not be operated in the 4x4 ON mode on dry
or merely wet pavement. Doing so will produce excessive noise,
increase tire wear and may damage driveline components. The
4x4 ON mode is intended for use only on consistently slippery
or loose surfaces.
²If your vehicle is equipped with this 4x4 system, a spare tire of
a different diameter than the road tires should never be used.
Such a tire could result in damage to driveline components and
make the vehicle difficult to control.
Utility and four-wheel drive vehicles arenotdesigned for
cornering at speeds as high as passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions. Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers in these
vehicles.
4x4 system indicator lights
The 4x4 mode indicator light illuminates only under the following
conditions. If the indicator light illuminates when driving in the 4x4
AUTO mode, contact your Ford dealer as soon as possible.
This light steadily illuminates when
the 4x4 ON mode is engaged.
4x4
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²Be extremely careful when driving on pavement made slippery by
loose sand, water, gravel, snow or ice.
If your vehicle goes off the edge of the pavement
²If your vehicle goes off the edge of the pavement, slow down, but
avoid severe brake application, ease the vehicle back onto the
pavement only after reducing your speed. Do not turn the steering
wheel too sharply while returning to the road surface.
²It may be safer to stay on the apron or shoulder of the road and slow
down gradually before returning to the pavement. You may loose
control if you do not slow down or if you turn the steering wheel too
sharply or abruptly.
²It often may be less risky to strike small inanimate objects, such as
highway reflectors, with minor damage to your vehicle rather than
attempt a sudden return to the pavement which could cause the
vehicle to slide sideways out of control or roll over. Remember, your
safety and the safety of others should be your primary concern.
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 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.
Emergency maneuvers
²In an unavoidable emergency situation where a sudden sharp turn
must be made, remember to avoid ªover-drivingº your vehicle, i.e.,
turn the steering wheel only as rapidly and as far as required to avoid
the emergency. Excessive steering will result in less vehicle control,
not more. Additionally, smooth variations of the accelerator and/or
brake pedal pressure should be utilized if changes in vehicle speed are
called for. Avoid abrupt steering, acceleration or braking. Use all
available road surface to return the vehicle to a safe direction of
travel.
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²In the event of an emergency stop, avoid skidding the tires and do not
attempt any sharp steering wheel movements.
²If the vehicle goes from one type of surface to another (i.e., from
concrete to gravel) there will be a change in the way the vehicle
responds to a maneuver (steering, acceleration or barking). Again,
avoid these abrupt inputs.
Sand
When driving over sand, try to keep all four wheels on the most solid
area of the trail. Avoid reducing the tire pressures but shift to a lower
gear and drive steadily through the terrain. Apply the accelerator slowly
and avoid spinning the wheels.
If you must reduce the tire pressure for whatever reason in sand, make
sure you re-inflate the tires as soon as possible.
Avoid excessive speed because vehicle momentum can work against you
and cause the vehicle to become stuck to the point that assistance may
be required from another vehicle. Remember, you may be able to back
out the way you came if you proceed with caution.
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.
Be cautious of sudden changes in vehicle speed or direction when you
are driving in mud. Even 4x4 vehicles can lose traction in slick mud. As
when you are driving over sand, apply the accelerator slowly and avoid
spinning your wheels. If the vehicle does slide, steer in the direction of
the slide until you regain control of the vehicle.
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If the transmission, transfer case or front axle are submerged in water,
their fluids should be checked and changed, if necessary.
Water intrusion into the transmission may damage the
transmission.
If the front or rear axle is submerged in water, the axle lubricant should
be replaced.
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.
ªTread Lightlyº is an educational
program designed to increase public
awareness of land-use regulations
and responsibilities in our nations
wilderness areas. Ford joins the U.S.
Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in encouraging you
to help preserve our national forest and other public and private lands by
ªtreading lightly.º
Driving on hilly or sloping terrain
Although natural obstacles may make it necessary to travel diagonally up
or down a hill or steep incline, you should always try to drive straight up
or straight down.Avoid driving crosswise or turning on steep
slopes or hills. A danger lies in losing traction, slipping sideways and
possibly rolling over. Whenever driving on a hill, determine beforehand
the route you will use. Do not drive over the crest of a hill without
seeing what conditions are on the other side. Do not drive in reverse
over a hill without the aid of an observer.
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When climbing a steep slope or hill,
start in a lower gear rather than
downshifting to a lower gear from a
higher gear once the ascent has
started. This reduces strain on the
engine and the possibility of stalling.
If you do stall out, Do not try to
turnaround because you might roll
over. It is better to back down to a
safe location.
Apply just enough power to the wheels to climb the hill. Too much
power will cause the tires to slip, spin or lose traction, resulting in loss of
vehicle control.
Descend a hill in the same gear you
would use to climb up the hill to
avoid excessive brake application
and brake overheating. Do not
descend in neutral, disengage
overdrive or manually shift to a
lower gear. When descending a
steep hill, avoid sudden hard
braking as you could lose control.
When you brake hard, the front
wheels can't turn and if they aren't
turning, you won't be able to steer.
The front wheels have to be turning in order to steer the vehicle. Rapid
pumping of the brake pedal will help you slow the vehicle and still
maintain steering control.
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, apply the brakes steadily. Do not
ªpumpº the brakes.
Driving on snow and ice
4x4 vehicles have advantages over 2WD vehicles in snow and ice but can
skid like any other vehicle.
Should you start to slide while driving on snowy or icy roads, turn the
steering wheel in the direction of the slide until you regain control.
Avoid sudden applications of power and quick changes of direction on
snow and ice. Apply the accelerator slowly and steadily when starting
from a full stop.
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