2003 FORD EXCURSION cooling

Recycled engine coolant
Ford Motor Company recommends the use of a recycled engine coolant
produced by Ford-approved processes in vehicles originally equipped
with Motorcraft Premium Engine Coolant (green-colored). However, not
all coolant recycling processes produce coolant that meets Ford
specification ESE-M97B44–A. Use of such coolant may harm the engine
and cooling system components.
Ford Motor Company does NOT recommend the use of recycled engine
coolant in vehicles originally equipped with Motorcraft Premium Gold
Engine Coolant since a Ford-approved recycling process is not yet
available.
Used engine coolant should be disposed of in an appropriate
manner. Follow your community’s regulations and standards for recycling
and disposing of automotive fluids.
Coolant refill capacity
To find out how much fluid your vehicle’s cooling system can hold, refer
toRefill capacitiesin this chapter.
Fill your engine coolant reservoir as outlined inAdding engine coolant
in this chapter.
Severe climates
If you drive in extremely cold climates (less than –36° C [–34° F]):
•It may be necessary to increase the coolant concentration
above 50%.
•NEVER increase the coolant concentration above 60%.
•Increased engine coolant concentrations above 60% will
decrease the overheat protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
•Refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the
coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate
freeze protection at the temperatures in which you drive in the
winter months.
If you drive in extremely hot climates:
•It is still necessary to maintain the coolant concentration
above 40%.
•NEVER decrease the coolant concentration below 40%.
Maintenance and Specifications
201

•Decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will
decrease the corrosion protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
•Decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will
decrease the freeze protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
•Refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the
coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate
protection at the temperatures in which you drive.
Vehicles driven year-round in non-extreme climates should use a 50/50
mixture of engine coolant and distilled water for optimum cooling system
and engine protection.
What you should know about fail-safe cooling (if equipped)
If the engine coolant supply is depleted, this feature allows the vehicle to
be driven temporarily before incremental component damage is incurred.
The “fail-safe” distance depends on ambient temperatures, vehicle load
and terrain.
How fail-safe cooling works
If the engine begins to overheat:
•The engine coolant temperature
gauge will move to the red (hot)
area.
•The
andsymbol will
illuminate.
•TheService Engine Soon
indicator light will illuminate.
If the engine reaches a preset
over-temperature condition, the engine will automatically switch to
alternating cylinder operation. Each disabled cylinder acts as an air
pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs the vehicle will still operate. However:
•The engine power will be limited.
•The air conditioning system will be disabled.
Continued operation will increase the engine temperature and the engine
will completely shut down, causing steering and braking effort to
increase.
Maintenance and Specifications
202

Exhaust fumes ..........................127
F
Fail safe cooling ........................202
Fluid capacities .........................222
Foglamps .....................................46
Four-Wheel Drive vehicles .......136
driving off road .......................138
electronic shift ................137–138
indicator light .........................136
manual locking hubs ..............137
preparing to drive your
vehicle .....................................130
Fuel ............................................203
calculating fuel economy .......208
cap ...........................................205
capacity ...................................222
choosing the right fuel ...........206
comparisons with EPA fuel
economy estimates .................211
detergent in fuel .....................207
filling your vehicle
with fuel ..................203, 205, 208
filter, specifications ........207, 222
fuel pump shut-off switch .....155
improving fuel economy ........208
octane rating ...........206, 227–228
quality ......................................206
running out of fuel .................207
safety information relating to
automotive fuels .....................203
Fuses ..................................156–157
G
Garage door opener ..............56, 68
Gas cap (see Fuel cap) ............205Gas mileage (see
Fuel economy) ..........................208
Gauges .........................................13
GAWR (Gross Axle
Weight Rating) ..........................147
calculating ...............................149
definition .................................147
driving with a heavy load ......147
location ....................................147
GVWR (Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating) ..........................147
calculating .......................147, 149
definition .................................147
driving with a heavy load ......147
location ....................................147
H
Head restraints ...........................91
Headlamps ...................................45
aiming ........................................47
autolamp system .......................45
bulb specifications ....................49
daytime running lights .............46
flash to pass ..............................47
high beam .................................46
replacing bulbs .........................50
turning on and off ....................45
Heating
heater only system ...................43
heating and air conditioning
system .................................40–41
HomeLink universal
transceiver (see
Garage door opener) ......68–69, 71
Hood ..........................................190
I
Ignition .......................124, 227–228
Index
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