2003 FORD ESCAPE air condition

INTERIOR
For fabric, carpets, cloth seats, safety belts and seats equipped with side
air bags:
•Remove dust and loose dirt with a vacuum cleaner.
•Remove light stains and soil with Ford Extra Strength Upholstery
Cleaner (E8AZ-19523–AA).
•If grease or tar is present on the material, spot-clean the area first
with Motorcraft Spot and Stain Remover (ZC-14).
•Never saturate the seat covers with cleaning solution.
•Do not use household cleaning products or glass cleaners, which can
stain and discolor the fabric and affect the flame retardant abilities of
the seat materials.
Do not use cleaning solvents, bleach or dye on the vehicle’s
safety belts, as these actions may weaken the belt webbing.
LEATHER SEATS (IF EQUIPPED)
Your leather seating surfaces have a clear, protective coating over the
leather.
•To clean, use a soft cloth with Motorcraft Deluxe Leather and Vinyl
Cleaner (ZC-11–A). Dry the area with a soft cloth.
•To help maintain its resiliency and color, use the Motorcraft Deluxe
Leather Care Kit (ZC-11–D), available from your authorized dealer.
•Do not use household cleaning products, alcohol solutions, solvents or
cleaners intended for rubber, vinyl and plastics, or oil/petroleum-based
leather conditioners. These products may cause premature wearing of
the clear, protective coating.
UNDERBODY
Flush the complete underside of your vehicle frequently. Keep body and
door drain holes free from packed dirt.
Cleaning
181

Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel or fuel additives with metallic
compounds, including manganese-based compounds containing MMT.
Repairs to correct the effects of using a fuel for which your vehicle was
not designed may not be covered by your warranty.
Octane recommendations
Your vehicle is designed to use
“Regular”unleaded gasoline with
pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87.
We do not recommend the use of
gasolines labeled as“Regular”that
are sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in high altitude areas.
Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes knocks lightly. However, if
it knocks heavily under most driving conditions while you are using fuel
with the recommended octane rating, see your dealer or a qualified
service technician to prevent any engine damage.
Fuel quality
If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability
problems during a cold start, try a different brand of“Regular”unleaded
gasoline.“Premium”unleaded gasoline is not recommended (particularly
in the United States) because it may cause these problems to become
more pronounced. If the problems persist, see your dealer or a qualified
service technician.
It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket products to your fuel
tank if you continue to use high quality fuel of the recommended octane
rating. Aftermarket products could cause damage to the fuel system.
Repairs to correct the effects of using an aftermarket product in your
fuel may not be covered by your warranty.
Many of the world’s automakers
issued the World-wide Fuel Charter
that recommends gasoline
specifications to provide improved
performance and emission control
system protection for your vehicle.
Gasolines that meet the World-wide
Fuel Charter should be used when
available. Ask your fuel supplier
about gasolines that meet the
World-wide Fuel Charter. In Canada,
look for fuels that display theAuto Makers’Choice
logo.
87(R+M)/2 METHOD
Maintenance and Specifications
202

economy under current driving conditions. Additionally, keeping records
during summer and winter will show how temperature impacts fuel
economy. In general, lower temperatures give lower fuel economy.
Driving style—good driving and fuel economy habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you may be able to change
a number of variables and improve your fuel economy.
Habits
•Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
•Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
•Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
•Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
•Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
•Slow down gradually.
•Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 88 km/h [55 mph] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 105 km/h [65 mph]).
•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
•Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
•You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs.
Unnecessary shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel
economy.
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toLubricant specificationsin
this chapter.
Maintenance and Specifications
205

interior trim ............................180
plastic parts ............................179
washing ....................................177
waxing .....................................177
wheels ......................................178
wiper blades ............................180
Climate control (see Air
conditioning or Heating) ......30–31
Clutch
fluid ..................................209, 212
operation while driving ..........125
recommended shift speeds ....126
Console ........................................52
overhead ....................................45
Controls
power seat .................................75
Coolant
checking and adding ..............194
refill capacities ................198, 218
specifications ..................221, 223
Cruise control (see Speed
control) ........................................49
Customer Assistance
Ford accessories for your
vehicle .....................................182
Ford Extended Service
Plan ..........................................169
Getting assistance outside
the U.S. and Canada ..............173
Getting the service you
need .........................................167
Ordering additional owner’s
literature .................................174
The Dispute Settlement
Board .......................................170
Utilizing the
Mediation/Arbitration
Program ...................................173D
Daytime running lamps
(see Lamps) ................................33
Defrost
rear window ..............................32
Dipstick
automatic transmission
fluid ..........................................209
engine oil .................................188
Doors
lubricant specifications ..........221
Driving under special
conditions ..................124, 131, 133
sand .........................................132
snow and ice ...........................134
through water .................132, 138
E
Emergencies, roadside
jump-starting ..........................159
Emission control system ..........206
Engine ........................................223
cleaning ...................................178
coolant .....................................194
idle speed control ...................192
lubrication
specifications ..................221, 223
refill capacities ........................218
service points ..................185–186
starting after a collision .........146
Engine block heater .................117
Engine oil ..................................188
checking and adding ..............188
dipstick ....................................188
filter, specifications ........191, 218
recommendations ...................191
refill capacities ........................218
specifications ..................221, 223
Index
232