2003 FORD F750 engine

excessive or prolonged breathing of fuel vapor can cause serious
illness and permanent injury.
•Avoid getting fuel liquid in your eyes. If fuel is splashed in the eyes,
remove contact lenses (if worn), flush with water for 15 minutes and
seek medical attention. Failure to seek proper medical attention could
lead to permanent injury.
•Fuels can also be harmful if absorbed through the skin. If fuel is
splashed on the skin and/or clothing, promptly remove contaminated
clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Repeated or
prolonged skin contact with fuel liquid or vapor causes skin irritation.
If you must replace the fuel filler cap, replace it with a genuine
Ford or Motorcraft part. The customer warranty may be void for
any damage to the fuel tank or fuel system if a genuine Ford or
Motorcraft fuel filler cap is not used.
If you do not use the proper fuel filler cap, excessive pressure or
vacuum in the fuel tank may damage the fuel system or cause
the fuel system to work improperly in a collision, which may result in
possible personal injury.
Choosing the right fuel
At operating temperatures below 0°C (32°F), use a blend of No. 1D and
No. 2D Diesel fuels, also known as winterized No. 2D.
Do not use diesel fuel blended with waste oil in engines equipped with a
catalytic converter-muffler. Blending waste oil in with the fuel will plug
the catalytic converter-muffler, resulting in a significant loss of engine
power. Your emissions warranty will be voided if blending waste oil with
diesel fuel is practiced.
Use low sulfur (less than 0.05% by weight) fuel as required by the EPA
for emission compliance.
Do not mix diesel fuel with gasoline, gasohol or alcohol. This
could cause an explosion resulting in personal injury.
Do not use starting fluid such as ether or gasoline. Such fluids
can cause immediate explosive damage to the engine and
possible personal injury.
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193

Running out of fuel
Avoid running out of fuel as this will allow air to enter the fuel system,
which will make restarting the vehicle difficult.
If you have run out of fuel:
•If your vehicle is equipped with dual fuel tanks,add at least
15–19 liters (4–5 gallons) of fuel to each tank before attempting to
restart the engine.
•If your vehicle is equipped with the Caterpillar 3126 B engine,
the fuel system must be primed before attempting to restart the
engine. Refer to the engine operator’s manual for instructions on
priming the engine.
•Use caution not to overheat and damage the starterby cranking
the engine for an excessive period of time. You may need to crank the
engine for a longer time than normal. If the engine fails to start in 30
seconds, turn the ignition to the OFF position and wait for two
minutes before cranking the engine again.
•Any remaining trapped air will self-purge from the fuel system once
the engine starts running.
•The engine may run rough and produce white smoke while air is in
the fuel system. This is normal and should stop after a short period of
time.
Fuel filter/water separator
Do not drain water separator while engine is running. Fuel may
ignite if separator is drained while engine is running or vehicle is
moving.
The fuel filter/water separator removes any contaminated particles
and/or water from the fuel before the fuel enters the engine.
The fuel filter/water separator should be drained as recommended in the
general maintenance information section.
Maintenance and Specifications
194

Draining the fuel filter/water separator—Caterpillar 3126 B engine
1. With the engine off, open the
drain valve located at the bottom of
the fuel filter/water separator by
turning it counterclockwise.
2. Drain the filter until clear fuel is visible.
3. Turn the drain valve clockwise to close the valve. Do not overtighten
the drain valve as this could cause damage to the fuel filter/water
separator.
Draining the fuel filter/water separator—7.3L Power Stoke engine
1. With the engine off, open the
drain valve located on the side of
the fuel filter/water separator using
your hand.
2. Drain the filter until clear fuel is visible.
3. Close the drain valve completely.
Draining the fuel filter/water separator—Cummins B engine
Refer to your engine operator’s manual for service procedures.
Maintenance and Specifications
195

Fuel filter replacement—Caterpillar 3126 B engine
The fuel filter/water separator is
located on the left side of the
engine. Replace the fuel filter/water
separator as recommended in the
general maintenance information
section, or sooner if it becomes
plugged. Vehicles operated on fuel
with more than average impurities
may require replacement of the fuel
filter more frequently. The spin-on
filter has a water drain valve built
into the bottom of the filter canister.
Removal
1. Using an oil filter wrench, remove the filter.
2. Carefully clean the mating surfaces.
Installation
1. Fill the filter with clean, fresh diesel fuel.
2. Coat the filter seal with clean, fresh diesel fuel.
3. Hand-tighten the filter until it seats firmly against the mount, then
tighten (by hand) an additional
1⁄3to1⁄2turn.
4. Start the engine and check for fuel leaks.
Maintenance and Specifications
196

Fuel filter replacement—7.3L Power Stroke engine
The fuel filter/water separator is
located on the right side of the
engine. Replace the fuel filter/water
separator as recommended in the
general maintenance information
section, or sooner if it becomes
plugged. Vehicles operated on fuel
with more than average impurities
may require replacement of the fuel
filter more frequently. The filter has
a water drain valve built into the
bottom of the filter housing.
Removal
1. Remove the fuel filter cap by
turning counterclockwise. The fuel
filter element will come out with the
cap.
2. Remove and discard the bevel gasket. Carefully clean the mating
surfaces.
3. Press in on the fuel filter element locking tabs to separate the element
from the cap.
Installation
Note:The engine will not run properly if the fuel filter is not installed in
housing.
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197

1. Apply a coating of clean diesel fuel to the new bevel gasket and install
it onto the fuel filter housing.
2. Install the new fuel filter element onto the cap. Place the new fuel
filter element and cap into the fuel filter housing. Allow fuel to soak into
the fuel filter element.
3. Tighten cap onto the fuel filter housing until cap contacts the housing.
4. Start the engine and check for fuel leaks.
After changing the fuel filter, the engine will purge the trapped air as it
runs. Engine may run roughly and smoke until the air is completely
eliminated.
Fuel filter replacement—Cummins B engine
Refer to your engine operator’s manual for service intervals and
procedures.
ESSENTIALS OF GOOD FUEL ECONOMY
Measuring techniques
Your best source of information about actual fuel economy is you, the
driver. You must gather information as accurately and consistently as
possible. Fuel expense, frequency of fillups or fuel gauge readings are
NOT accurate as a measure of fuel economy. We do not recommend
taking fuel economy measurements during the first 1 600 km (1 000
miles) of driving (engine break-in period). You will get a more accurate
measurement after 3 000 km–5 000 km (2 000 miles-3 000 miles).
The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank(s) on your vehicle is equal
to the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank(s) as listed inFuel Tank
Capacitiesin this chapter. The advertised capacity is the amount of the
Indicated Capacity and the Empty Reserve combined. Indicated Capacity
is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the
fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty Reserve is the small amount of usable
fuel remaining in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty.
The amount of Empty Reserve varies and should not be relied
upon to increase driving range. When refueling your vehicle after
the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be able to refuel
the full amount of the advertised capacity of the fuel tank due to
the empty reserve still present in the tank.
Your vehicle may be equipped with dual fuel tanks. If so, you will have a
selector control. For information on the Dual Fuel Tank Selector Control
refer to theDriving Tipssection in the7.3 Liter Power Stroke Direct
Injection Turbo Diesel Owner’s Guide Supplement.
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198

Filling the tank
For consistent results:
•Use the same fill rate setting (low—medium—high) each time
during filling.
•Allow three automatic click-offs when filling.
•Always use fuel of a known quality, preferably a national brand.
•Have the vehicle loading and distribution the same every time.
•When refueling a vehicle equipped with dual fuel tanks, if the two
tanks are not filled equally, the fuel gauge reading may fluctuate
slightly until the fuel level between the two tanks balance out and
become equal.
Your results will be most accurate if your filling method is consistent.
Note:For vehicles equipped with dual fuel tanks, engine performance
may degrade if fuel is not added to both tanks when refueling.
Calculating fuel economy
1. Fill the fuel tank(s) completely and record the initial odometer
reading (in kilometers or miles).
2. Each time you fill the tank(s), record the amount of fuel added (in
liters or gallons).
3. After at least three to five tank fill-ups, fill the fuel tank(s) and record
the current odometer reading.
4. Subtract your initial odometer reading from the current odometer
reading.
5. Follow one of the simple calculations in order to determine fuel
economy:
•Multiply liters used by 100, then divide by total kilometers traveled.
•Divide total miles traveled by total gallons used.
Keep a record for at least one month and record the type of driving (city
or highway). This will provide an accurate estimate of the vehicle’s fuel
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.
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199

CHECKING AND ADDING POWER STEERING FLUID
Checking power steering fluid level
Check the power steering fluid level using the following procedure. Refer
to the general maintenance information section for the recommended
service intervals. If adding fluid is necessary, use only MERCONAT F.
1. Set the parking brake, shift into N
(Neutral) (automatic transmission)
or 1 (First) (manual transmission)
and turn the engine off.
2. Open the hood.
3. Clean the top of the power
steering fluid reservoir.
4. Remove the dipstick from the
reservoir and wipe the dipstick
clean.
5. Reinstall the dipstick. Remove it again and check the fluid level.
•If the fluid temperature is at
approximately 20°C-49°C (68°F
- 120°F) (fluid cool or warm to
the touch), check the COLD side
of the dipstick. The fluid level
should be within the FULL range
•If the fluid level is below the ADD
line, add fluid in small amounts,
continuously checking the level until it reaches the proper level.
•If the fluid temperature is at
approximately 80°C - 110°C
(176°F - 230°F) (fluid too hot
to touch), check the HOT side of
the dipstick. The fluid level
should be within the FULL range.
•If the fluid level is below the ADD
line, add fluid in small amounts,
continuously checking the level until it reaches the proper level.
A low fluid level may indicate a leak in the power steering system.
Inspect the power steering system and repair the leak. If necessary, see
your dealer or a qualified service technician.
ADD MAX. COLDFULL
ADD MAX. HOTFULL
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201