2003 FORD EXPEDITION load capacity

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.
Avoid sudden braking as well. Although a four–wheel drive vehicle may
accelerate better than a two-wheel drive vehicle in snow and ice, it won’t
stop any faster, because as in other vehicles, braking occurs at all four
wheels. Do not become overconfident as to road conditions.
Make sure you allow sufficient distance between you and other vehicles
for stopping as well as drive slower than usual and consider using one of
the lower gears. In emergency stopping situations, apply the brake
forcefully and steadily. Do not“pump”the brakes. Refer to theBrakes
section of this chapter for additional information on the operation of the
anti-lock brake system.
Tires, Replacement Requirements
Do not use a size and type of tire and wheel other than that
originally provided by Ford Motor Company because it can affect
the safety and performance of your vehicle, which could lead to loss of
vehicle control or roll over and serious injury.
Make sure all tires and wheels on the vehicle are of the same size, type,
tread design, brand and load-carrying capacity. If you have questions
regarding tire replacement, see an authorized Ford or Lincoln/Mercury
dealer.
If you nevertheless decide to equip your four–wheel drive for off-road
use with tires larger than what Ford Motor Company recommends, you
should not use these tires for highway driving.
If you use any tire/wheel combination not recommended by Ford Motor
Company, it may adversely affect vehicle handling and could cause
steering, suspension, axle or transfer case failure.
Do not use“aftermarket lift kits”or other suspension modifications,
whether or not they are used with larger tires and wheels.
These“aftermarket lift kits”could adversely affect the vehicle’s handling
characteristics, which could lead to loss of vehicle control or roll over
and serious injury.
Tires can be damaged during off-road use. For your safety, tires that are
damaged should not be used for highway driving because they are more
likely to blow out or fail.
You should carefully observe the recommended tire inflation pressure
found on the safety compliance certification label attached to the left
Driving
217

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. Have the fluid checked and, if
water is found, replace the fluid.
VEHICLE LOADING
Before loading a vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms:
•Base Curb Weight:Weight of the vehicle including any standard
equipment, fluids, lubricants, etc. It does not include occupants or
aftermarket equipment.
•Payload:Combined maximum allowable weight of cargo, occupants
and optional equipment. The payload equals the gross vehicle weight
rating minus base curb weight.
•GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight):Base curb weight plus payload
weight. The GVW is not a limit or a specification.
•GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating):Maximum permissible 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.
•GAWR (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.
•GCW (Gross Combined Weight):The combined weight of the
towing vehicle (including occupants and cargo) and the loaded trailer.
•GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating):Maximum permissible
combined weight of towing vehicle (including occupants and cargo)
and the loaded trailer
Driving
219

•Maximum 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.
•Maximum 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.
•Trailer 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.
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
220

Tire rotation
Because your vehicle’s tires perform different jobs, they often wear
differently. To make sure your tires wear evenly and last longer, rotate
them as indicated in the scheduled maintenance guide. If you notice that
the tires wear unevenly, have them checked.
•Four tire rotation
Replacing the tires
Replace the tires when the wear
band is visible through the tire
treads.
When replacing full size tires, never mix radial bias-belted, or
bias-type tires. Use only the tire sizes that are listed on the
Certification Label. Make sure that all tires are the same size, speed
rating, and load-carrying capacity. Use only the tire combinations
recommended on the label. If you do not follow these precautions,
your vehicle may not drive properly and safely.
Maintenance and Specifications
297

Make sure that all replacement tires are of the same size, type,
load-carrying capacity and tread design (e.g.,“All Terrain”,
“Touring”, etc.), as originally offered by Ford.
Do not replace your tires with“high performance”tires or larger
size tires.
Failure to follow these precautions may adversely affect the
handling of the vehicle and make it easier for the driver to lose
control and roll over.
Tires that are larger or smaller than your vehicle’s original tires may also
affect the accuracy of your speedometer.
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system provides the driver with a warning
message indicating when tire pressure is severely low or high. This
system is a supplement to normal tire maintenance including regular
manual inspections. The device will inform the operator of severe low or
high inflation pressures, but may not illuminate for less severe
discrepancies in inflation pressure.
The system uses radio-frequency pressure sensors to monitor the tire
pressure on all tires including the spare. The sensors transmit the tire
pressure readings to the receiver module located in the vehicle. The
receiver module then transmits the status to the message center. For
more tire warning information, refer to theMessage Centerin the
Driver controlschapter.
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules and with RS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device
must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
The tire pressure monitoring system is NOT a substitute for
checking tire pressure. The tire pressure should be checked
periodically (at least monthly) using a tire gauge, seeChecking the
tire pressurein this chapter. Failure to properly maintain your tire
pressure could increase the risk of tire failure and the potential for
personal injury.
Maintenance and Specifications
298

cleaning ...................................260
coolant .....................................274
fail-safe coolant ......................279
idle speed control ...................272
lubrication
specifications ..................303, 305
refill capacities ........................300
service points ..................267–268
starting after a collision .........228
Engine block heater .................194
Engine oil ..................................269
change oil soon warning,
message center .......................269
checking and adding ..............269
dipstick ....................................269
filter, specifications ........271, 300
recommendations ...................271
refill capacities ........................300
specifications ..................303, 305
Exhaust fumes ..........................194
F
Fail safe cooling ........................279
Floor mats .................................126
Fluid capacities .........................300
Foglamps .....................................81
Four-Wheel Drive
vehicles ................................14, 208
control trac .............................208
description ..............................209
driving off road .......................211
electronic shift ........................210
indicator light .........................208
preparing to drive
your vehicle ............................198
Fuel ............................................280
calculating fuel
economy ..........................116, 285
cap ...........................................282capacity ...................................300
choosing the right fuel ...........283
comparisons with EPA
fuel economy estimates .........288
detergent in fuel .....................284
filling your vehicle
with fuel ..................280, 282, 285
filter, specifications ........284, 300
fuel pump shut-off switch .....228
gauge .........................................17
improving fuel economy ........285
low fuel warning light ..............12
octane rating ...................283, 305
quality ......................................284
running out of fuel .................284
safety information relating
to automotive fuels ................280
Fuses ..................................230–231
G
Garage door opener ..................108
Gas cap (see Fuel cap) ............282
Gas mileage
(see Fuel economy) .................285
Gauges .........................................15
battery voltage gauge ...............16
engine coolant temperature
gauge .........................................15
engine oil pressure gauge ........16
fuel gauge ..................................17
odometer ...................................17
speedometer .............................17
tachometer ................................18
trip odometer ............................18
GAWR (Gross Axle
Weight Rating) ..........................219
calculating ...............................221
definition .................................219
driving with a heavy load ......219
location ....................................219
Index
315

cruise indicator .........................13
door ajar ....................................13
engine oil pressure ...................13
high beam .................................13
low fuel ......................................12
low washer fluid .......................12
overdrive off ..............................14
safety belt .................................12
service engine soon ..................10
speed control ..........................106
turn signal indicator .................13
Limited-slip axle .......................198
Load limits .................................219
GAWR ......................................219
GVWR ......................................219
trailer towing ..........................219
Loading instructions .................221
Locks
childproof ................................128
doors ........................................128
Lubricant specifications ...303, 305
Lumbar support, seats .............143
M
Message center .........................114
english/metric button .............119
system check button ..............120
warning messages ...................120
Mirrors .........................................95
automatic dimming rearview
mirror ......................................100
fold away .................................102
heated ......................................101
programmable
memory ...........................131, 144
side view mirrors
(power) ...................................101
Moon roof ....................................96
Motorcraft parts ................284, 300O
Octane rating ............................283
Odometer .....................................17
Oil (see Engine oil) ..................269
Overdrive ...................................124
P
Panic alarm feature,
remote entry system ................130
Parking brake ............................196
Parts (see Motorcraft parts) ....300
Pedals (see Power
adjustable foot pedals) .............102
Power distribution box
(see Fuses) ...............................231
Power door locks ......................128
Power point .................................97
Power steering ..................197–198
fluid, checking and adding ....289
fluid, refill capacity ................300
fluid, specifications .........303, 305
Power Windows ...........................99
Preparing to drive your
vehicle ........................................198
R
Radio ..........................19, 27, 37–38
Radio reception ...........................56
Rear window defroster ...............80
Relays ........................................230
Remote entry system .......129–130
illuminated entry ....................133
locking/unlocking
doors ........................128–130, 135
Index
317