2003 FORD FOCUS tow

Seating and Safety Restraints 72
Seating 72
Safety restraints 76
Air bags 89
Child restraints 95
Driving 107
Starting 107
Brakes 111
Traction control 112
Transmission operation 115
Trailer towing 122
Roadside Emergencies 125
Getting roadside assistance 125
Hazard flasher switch 126
Fuel pump shut-off switch 126
Fuses and relays 127
Changing tires 134
Jump starting 138
Wrecker towing 144
Customer Assistance 145
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 153
Cleaning 154
Table of Contents
2

SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION
Warning symbols in this guide
How can you reduce the risk of personal injury and prevent possible
damage to others, your vehicle and its equipment? In this guide, answers
to such questions are contained in comments highlighted by the warning
triangle symbol. These comments should be read and observed.
Warning symbols on your vehicle
When you see this symbol, it is
imperative that you consult the
relevant section of this guide before
touching or attempting adjustment
of any kind.
Protecting the environment
We must all play our part in
protecting the environment. Correct
vehicle usage and the authorized
disposal of waste cleaning and
lubrication materials are significant
steps towards this aim. Information in this respect is highlighted in this
guide with the tree symbol.
BREAKING-IN YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle does not need an extensive break-in. Try not to drive
continuously at the same speed for the first 1,600 km (1,000 miles) of
new vehicle operation. Vary your speed to allow parts to adjust
themselves to other parts.
Do not add friction modifier compounds or special break-in oils during
the first few thousand kilometers (miles) of operation, since these
additives may prevent piston ring seating. SeeEngine oilin the
Maintenance and specificationschapter for more information on oil
usage.
Introduction
5

•CD-R media is supported, but CD-RW is not.
•If more than one session is written to the CD, only the first session
will be detected.
RADIO FREQUENCIES
AM and FM frequencies are established by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC). Those frequencies are:
AM - 530, 540–1700, 1710 kHz
FM- 87.7, 87.9–107.7, 107.9 MHz
RADIO RECEPTION FACTORS
There are three factors that can affect radio reception:
•Distance/strength: The further you travel from an FM station, the
weaker the signal and the weaker the reception.
•Terrain: Hills, mountains, tall buildings, power lines, electric fences,
traffic lights and thunderstorms can interfere with your reception.
•Station overload: When you pass a broadcast tower, a stronger signal
may overtake a weaker one and play while the weak station frequency
is displayed.
CASSETTE/PLAYER CARE
Do:
•Use only cassettes that are 90 minutes long or less.
•Tighten very loose tapes by inserting a finger or pencil into the hole
and turning the hub.
•Remove loose labels before inserting tapes.
•Allow tapes which have been subjected to extreme heat, humidity or
cold to reach a moderate temperature before playing.
•Clean the cassette player head with a cassette cleaning cartridge after
10–12 hours of play to maintain good sound/operation.
Don’t:
•Expose tapes to direct sunlight, extreme humidity, heat or cold.
•Leave tapes in the cassette player for a long time when not being
played.
Entertainment Systems
33

To aid in side window defogging/demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
2. Set the temperature control to full heat
3. Set the fan speed to HI
4. Direct the outer instrument panel vents towards the side windows
To increase airflow to the outer instrument panel vents, close the vents
located in the middle of the instrument panel.
Do not place objects on top of the instrument panel as these
objects may become projectiles in a collision or sudden stop.
MANUAL HEATING AND AIR
CONDITIONING SYSTEM
1.Air flow selections:Controls
the direction of the airflow in the
vehicle. See the following for a brief
description on each control.
:Distributes outside air through
the instrument panel vents.
:Distributes outside air through
the instrument panel vents and the
floor vents.
:Distributes outside air through the floor vents.
:Distributes outside air through the windshield defroster vents and
floor vents.
:Distributes outside air through the windshield defroster vents. The
air conditioner will automatically turn on to dehumidify the air.
2.Fan speed adjustment:Controls the volume of air circulated in the
vehicle.
3.Rear Defrost (if equipped):Refer toRear Defrost.
4.Recirculated air:
Press to toggle between outside air and recirculated
air. Use with A/C for the most fast and efficient cooling of the vehicle. May
help reduce undesirable odors from entering the vehicle. Recirculated air
will not function in
or any position in betweenand
5.A/C:Uses outside air to cool the vehicle. Air flows from the
instrument panel vents only.
6.Temperature selection:Controls the temperature of the airflow in
the vehicle.
1
3
26
54
Climate Controls
36

Operating tips
•To reduce fog build up on the windshield during humid weather, place
the air flow selector in the
position.
•To reduce humidity build up inside the vehicle: do not drive with the
air flow selector in the OFF or MAX A/C position.
•Under normal weather conditions, do not leave the air flow selector in
MAX A/C or OFF when the vehicle is parked. This allows the vehicle
to“breathe”using the outside air inlet vents.
•Do not put objects under the front seats that will interfere with the
airflow to the back seats.
•Remove any snow, ice or leaves from the air intake area at the base of
the windshield.
To aid in side window defogging/demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
2. Select A/C
3. Modulate the temperature control to maintain comfort.
4. Set the fan speed to HI
5. Direct the outer instrument panel vents towards the side windows
To increase airflow to the outer instrument panel vents, close the vents
located in the middle of the instrument panel.
Do not place objects on top of the instrument panel as these
objects may become projectiles in a collision or sudden stop.
REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER
The rear defroster control is located on the instrument panel.
Press the rear defroster control to clear the rear window of thin ice and
fog.
•A small LED will illuminate when the rear defroster is activated.
The ignition must be in the ON position to operate the rear window
defroster.
The defroster turns off automatically after 14 minutes or when the
ignition is turned to the OFF position. To manually turn off the defroster
before 14 minutes have passed, push the control again.
Climate Controls
37

Lights
HEADLAMP CONTROL
Turns the lamps off.
Turns on the parking
lamps, instrument panel lamps,
license plate lamps and tail lamps.
Turns the headlamps on.
Foglamp control (if equipped)
The headlamp control also operates
the foglamps. The foglamps can be
turned on when the headlamp
control is in the
or
the
position and the high
beams are not turned on.
Pull headlamp control towards you
to turn foglamps on. The foglamp
indicator light
will illuminate.
Daytime running lamps (DRL) (if equipped)
Turns the headlamps on with a reduced output.
To activate:
•the ignition must be in the ON position and
•the headlamp control is in the OFF, parking lamp or autolamp
position.
Always remember to turn on your headlamps at dusk or during
inclement weather. The Daytime Running Lamp (DRL) system
does not activate with your tail lamps and generally may not provide
adequate lighting during these conditions. Failure to activate your
headlamps under these conditions may result in a collision.
Lights
38

High beams
Push the lever toward the
instrument panel to activate. Pull
the lever towards you to deactivate.
Flash to pass
Pull toward you slightly to activate
and release to deactivate.
PANEL DIMMER CONTROL
Use to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel during headlight
and parklamp operation.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from left
to right to brighten the
instrument panel.
•Rotate the thumbwheel from right to left to dim the instrument panel.
Domelamp Control
The panel dimmer control also controls the domelamp operation.
•Rotate the thumbwheel fully to the right, past detent to activate the
domelamp.
•In order to turn off the domelamp, rotate the thumbwheel to the left.
VERTICAL AIM ADJUSTMENT
Your vehicle is fitted with eitherVOR(conventional halogen) orVOL
(High Intensity Discharge - HID) headlamps. The adjustment procedure
depends on the type of headlamps that are equipped on your vehicle.
VORorVOLis marked on the bottom of the headlamp in the center of
the lamp. Please check the lens markings prior to adjusting the vehicle
aim.
Lights
39

Driver ControlsMULTI-FUNCTION LEVER
Windshield wiper:Move the lever
down for a single wipe.
For intermittent operation, move
control up one position and adjust
the rotary control to the desired
speed.
For normal operation, move control
up two positions.
For high speed operation, move control up three positions.
Mist function:To mist, push and
release the windshield washer
control quickly. The wipers will
cycle two or three times to clear the
windshield.
Windshield washer:To activate
the windshield washer, push the
windshield washer control. Release
control to stop washer fluid spray. The wipers will provide three wipes
after the wash is turned off.
Rear window wiper/washer
(if equipped)
Wiper
Pull the lever towards you for
intermittent wiping.
Washer
Pull the lever further to operate the
washer.
Driver Controls
50