SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size
and weight of the child. Carefully follow all of the
manufacturer's instructions with the safety seat you
put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a
sudden stop or collision.
When installing a child safety seat:
²Review and follow
the information
presented in theAir
Bag Supplemental
Restraint System
(SRS) section in this
chapter.
²Use the correct
safety belt buckle for that seating position (the
buckle closest to the direction the tongue is
coming from).
²Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until
you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the
tongue is securely fastened in the buckle.
Seating and Safety Restraints
128
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Do not drive quickly through standing water,
especially if the depth is unknown. Traction or brake
capability may be limited and if the ignition system
gets wet, your engine may stall. Water may also
enter your engine's air intake and severely damage
your engine.
If driving through deep or standing water is
unavoidable, proceed very slowly. Never drive
through water that is higher than the bottom of the
hubs (for trucks) or the bottom of the wheel rims
(for cars).
Once through the 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.
Driving through deep water where the
transmission vent tube is submerged may allow
water into the transmission and cause internal
transmission damage.
VEHICLE LOADING
Before loading a vehicle, familiarize yourself with the
following terms:
²Base Curb Weight:Weight of the vehicle
including any standard equipment, fluids,
lubricants, etc. It does not include occupants or
aftermarket equipment.
²Payload:Combined maximum allowable weight of
cargo, occupants and optional equipment. The
payload equals the gross vehicle weight rating
minus base curb weight.
²GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight):Base curb weight
plus payload weight. The GVW is not a limit or a
specification.
Driving
158
²GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating):
Maximum permissable total weight of the base
vehicle, occupants, optional equipment and cargo.
The GVWR is specific to each vehicle and is listed
on the Safety Certification Label on the driver's
door pillar.
²GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating):Carrying
capacity for each axle system. The GAWR is
specific to each vehicle and is listed on the Safety
Certification Label on the driver's door pillar.
²GCW (Gross Combined Weight):The
combined weight of the towing vehicle (including
occupants and cargo) and the loaded trailer.
²GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating):
Maximum permissable combined weight of towing
vehicle (including occupants and cargo) and the
loaded trailer
²Maximum Trailer Weight Rating:Maximum
weight of a trailer the vehicle is permitted to tow.
The maximum trailer weight rating is determined
by subtracting the vehicle curb weight for each
engine/transmission combination, any required
option weight for trailer towing and the weight of
the driver from the GCWR for the towing vehicle.
²Maximum Trailer Weight:Maximum weight of a
trailer the loaded vehicle (including occupants
and cargo) is permitted to tow. It is determined
by subtracting the weight of the loaded trailer
towing vehicle from the GCWR for the towing
vehicle.
²Trailer Weight Range:Specified weight range
that the trailer must fall within that ranges from
zero to the maximum trailer weight rating.
Remember to figure in the tongue load of your
loaded trailer when figuring the total weight.
Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR
specified on the certification label.
Driving
159
Do not use replacement tires with lower load
carrying capacities than the originals because they
may lower the vehicle's GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit
than the originals do not increase the GVWR and
GAWR limitations.
The Safety Certification Label, found on the driver's
door pillar, lists several important vehicle weight
rating limitations. Before adding any additional
equipment, refer to these limitations. If you are
adding weight to the front of your vehicle,
(potentially including weight added to the cab), the
weight added should not exceed the front axle
reserve capacity (FARC). Additional frontal weight
may be added to the front axle reserve capacity
provided you limit your payload in other ways (i.e.
restrict the number of occupants or amount of cargo
carried).
Always ensure that the weight of occupants, cargo
and equipment being carried is within the weight
limitations that have been established for your
vehicle including both gross vehicle weight and front
and rear gross axle weight rating limits. Under no
circumstance should these limitations be exceeded.
Exceeding any vehicle weight rating
limitation could result in serious damage to
the vehicle and/or personal injury.
Driving
160
Conditions
²Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may
reduce fuel economy at any speed.
²Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel
economy (approximately 0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost
for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
²Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for
example bug deflectors, rollbars/light bars,
running boards, ski/luggage racks) may reduce
fuel economy.
²Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel
economy.
²Fuel economy may decrease with lower
temperatures during the first 12±16 km
(8±10 miles) of driving.
²Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel
economy as compared to driving on hilly terrain.
²Transmissions give their best fuel economy when
operated in the top cruise gear and with steady
pressure on the gas pedal.
²Close windows for high speed driving.
EPA window sticker
Every new vehicle should have the EPA window
sticker. Contact your dealer if the window sticker is
not supplied with your vehicle. The EPA window
sticker should be your guide for the fuel economy
comparisons with other vehicles.
It is important to note the box in the lower left
corner of the window sticker. These numbers
represent the Range of L/100 km (MPG) expected
on the vehicle under optimum conditions. Your fuel
economy may vary depending upon the method of
operation and conditions.
Maintenance and Specifications
231
For maximum vehicle performance, keep the
following information in mind when adding
accessories or equipment to your vehicle:
²When adding accessories, equipment, passengers
and luggage to your vehicle, do not exceed the
total weight capacity of the vehicle or of the front
or rear axle (GVWR or GAWR as indicated on the
Safety compliance certification label). Consult
your dealer for specific weight information.
²The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
and Canadian Radio Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC) regulate the use of mobile
communications systems - such as two-way
radios, telephones and theft alarms - that are
equipped with radio transmitters. Any such
equipment installed in your vehicle should comply
with FCC or CRTC regulations and should be
installed only by a qualified service technician.
²Mobile communications systems may harm the
operation of your vehicle, particularly if they are
not properly designed for automotive use or are
not properly installed. When operated, such
systems may cause the engine to stumble or stall
or cause the transmission to be damaged or
operate improperly. In addition, such systems may
be damaged or their performance may be affected
by operating your vehicle. (Citizens band [CB]
transceivers, garage door openers and other
transmitters with outputs of five watts or less will
not ordinarily affect your vehicle's operation.)
²Ford cannot assume responsibility for any adverse
effects or damage that may result from the use of
such equipment.
Accessories
257
low fuel warning
light .......................... 13
octane rating.. 225, 251
quality .................... 226
running out of fuel 226
safety information
relating to automotive
fuels ....................... 221
Fuses ................ 165±166
G
Gas cap
(see Fuel cap) ... 13, 224
Gas mileage (see
Fuel economy) ........ 227
Gauges ....................... 16
battery voltage
gauge ....................... 17
engine coolant
temperature gauge... 16
engine oil pressure
gauge ....................... 17
fuel gauge ................ 18
odometer ................. 18
speedometer ........... 18
tachometer .............. 19
trip odometer .......... 19
GAWR (Gross Axle
Weight Rating) ........ 158
definition ............... 158
driving with a
heavy load ............. 158
location .................. 158
GVWR (Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating) ........ 158
calculating ............. 158
definition ............... 158
driving with a
heavy load ............. 158
location .................. 158H
Hazard flashers ....... 163
Head restraints ....... 104
Headlamps ................. 71
aiming ...................... 73
bulb specifications .. 75
daytime running
lights ........................ 71
flash to pass ............ 72
high beam ......... 10, 72
replacing bulbs ....... 76
turning on and off .. 71
warning chime ........ 15
Heating
heating and air
conditioning
system ..................... 67
Hood ........................ 203
I
Ignition ............. 136, 251
removing the key .. 157
Infant seats
(see Safety seats) ... 128
Inspection/maintenance
(I/M) testing ............ 233
Instrument panel
cleaning ................. 197
cluster .............. 10, 198
lighting up panel
and interior ............. 72
J
Jack .......................... 170
positioning ............. 170
storage ................... 170
Jump-starting your
vehicle ...................... 174
Index
261