2003 LINCOLN AVIATOR Vent

When lifting a plastic-cased battery, excessive pressure on the
end walls could cause acid to flow through the vent caps,
resulting in personal injury and/or damage to the vehicle or battery.
Lift the battery with a battery carrier or with your hands on opposite
corners.
Keepbatteries out of reach of children. Batteries contain sulfuric
acid. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Shield your eyes
when working near the battery to protect against possible splashing of
acid solution. In case of acid contact with skin or eyes, flush
immediately with water for a minimum of 15 minutes and get prompt
medical attention. If acid is swallowed, call a physician immediately.
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and
lead compounds.Wash hands after handling.
Because your vehicle’s engine is electronically controlled by a computer,
some control conditions are maintained by power from the battery. When
the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must
relearn its idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and
performance. To begin this process:
1. With the vehicle at a complete stop, set the parking brake.
2. Put the gearshift lever in P (Park), turn off all accessories and start
the engine.
3. Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature.
4. Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
5. Turn the A/C on and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
6. Drive the vehicle to complete the relearning process.
•The vehicle may need to be driven to relearn the idle and fuel trim
strategy.
•If you do not allow the engine to relearn its idle trim, the idle
quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle
trim is eventually relearned.
When the battery is disconnected or a new battery installed, the
transmission must relearn its adaptive strategy. As a result of this, the
transmission may shift firmly. This operation is considered normal and
will not affect function or durability of the transmission. Over time the
adaptive learning process will fully update transmission operation to its
optimum shift feel.
Maintenance and Specifications
250

When fail-safe mode is activated
You have limited engine power when in the fail-safe mode, so drive the
vehicle with caution. The vehicle will not be able to maintain high speed
operation and the engine will run rough. Remember that the engine is
capable of completely shutting down automatically to prevent engine
damage, therefore:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible and turn off the engine.
2. Arrange for the vehicle to be taken to a service facility.
3. If this is not possible, wait a short period for the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level and replenish if low.
Never remove the coolant reservoir capwhile the engine is
running or hot.
5. Restart the engine and take your vehicle to a service facility.
Driving the vehicle without repairing the engine problem
increases the chance of engine damage. Take your vehicle to a
service facility as soon as possible.
WHATYOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUTAUTOMOTIVE FUELS
Important safety precautions
Do not overfill the fuel tank. The pressure in an overfilled tank
may cause leakage and lead to fuel spray and fire.
The fuel system may be under pressure. If the fuel filler cap is
venting vapor or if you hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops
before completely removing the fuel filler cap. Otherwise, fuel may
spray out and injure you or others.
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 capto disengage in a collision, which may result in possible
personal injury.
Automotive fuels can cause serious injury or death if misused or
mishandled.
Maintenance and Specifications
255

The fuel system may be under pressure. If the fuel filler cap is
venting vapor or if you hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops
before completely removing the fuel filler cap. Otherwise, fuel may
spray out and injure you or others.
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 capto disengage in a collision, which may result in possible
personal injury.
Choosing the right fuel
Use only UNLEADED FUEL. The use of leaded fuel is prohibited by law
and could damage your vehicle.
Do not use fuel containing methanol. It can damage critical fuel system
components.
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
“Premium” unleaded gasoline with
an (R+M)/2 octane rating of 91 or
higher for optimum performance.
The use of gasolines with lower
octane ratings may degrade performance. The use of gasolines labeled as
“Premium” in high altitude areas that are sold with octane ratings of less
than 91 is not recommended.
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 gasoline. If the
problems persist, see your dealer or a qualified service technician.
91(R+M)/2 METHOD
Maintenance and Specifications
258

permitted to intentionally remove an emission control device or prevent
it from working. Information about your vehicle’s emission system is on
the Vehicle Emission Control Information Decal located on or near the
engine. This decal identifies engine displacement and gives some tune up
specifications.
Please consult yourWarranty Guidefor complete emission warranty
information.
Readiness for Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) testing
In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to pass an I/M test of
the on-board diagnostics system. If your “Check Engine/Service Engine
Soon” light is on, refer to the description in theWarning lights and
chimessection of theInstrument clusterchapter. Your vehicle may not
pass the I/M test with the “Check Engine/Service Engine Soon” light on.
If the vehicle’s powertrain system or its battery has just been serviced,
the on-board diagnostics system is reset to a “not ready for I/M test”
condition. To ready the on-board diagnostics system for I/M testing, a
minimum of 30 minutes of city and highway driving is necessary as
described below:
•First, at least 10 minutes of driving on an expressway or highway.
•Next, at least 20 minutes driving in stop-and-go, city-type traffic with
at least four idle periods.
Allow the vehicle to sit for at least eight hours without starting the
engine. Then, start the engine and complete the above driving cycle. The
engine must warm up to its normal operating temperature. Once started,
do not turn off the engine until the above driving cycle is complete.
CHECKING AND ADDING POWER STEERING FLUID
Check the power steering fluid. Refer to the scheduled maintenance
guide for the service interval schedules. If adding fluid is necessary, use
only Ford Premium Power Steering Fluid or MERCONAT F.
Maintenance and Specifications
264

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 handling may be affected which can lead to loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and/or personal injury.
Make sure that all replacement tires are of the same size, type,
speed rating, 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 increase the risk of loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and/or personal injury.
Tires that are larger or smaller than your vehicle’s original tires may also
affect the accuracy of your speedometer.
SNOW TIRES AND CHAINS
Snow tires must be the same size and grade as the tires you
currently have on your vehicle.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and chains.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and chains:
•Use only cable type chains or chains offered by Ford as an accessory
or equivalent. Other conventional link type chains may contact and
cause damage to the vehicle’s wheel house and/or body.
•Do not install chains on the front wheels. Chains on the front wheels
may interfere with suspension components.
•Install chains securely, verifying that the chains do not touch any
wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
Maintenance and Specifications
269

•Drive cautiously. If you hear the chains rub or bang against your
vehicle, stopand re-tighten the chains. If this does not work, remove
the chains to prevent damage to your vehicle.
•If possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle.
•Remove the tire chains when they are no longer needed. Do not use
tire chains on dry roads.
•The suspension insulation and bumpers will help prevent vehicle
damage. Do not remove these components from your vehicle when
using snow tires and chains.
•Do not exceed 48 km/h (30 mph) with tire chains on your vehicle.
MOTORCRAFTPARTNUMBERS
Component 4.6L DOHC V8 engine
Engine air filter element FA-1695
Fuel filter FG-1068
Battery BXT-65-650
Oil filter FL-820-S
PCV valve EV-261
Spark plugs* AWSF-32EM
* Refer to Vehicle Emissions Control Information (VECI) decal for spark
plug gap information.
REFILL CAPACITIES
Fluid Ford Part
NameApplication Capacity
Brake fluid Motorcraft High
Performance
DOT 3 Motor
Vehicle Brake
FluidAll Fill to max line
on reservoir
Engine oil
(including filter
change)Motorcraft SAE
5W-20 Premium
Synthetic Blend
Motor Oil4.6L 5.7L
(6.0 quarts)
Maintenance and Specifications
270

Fluid Ford Part
NameApplication Capacity
Fuel tank N/A All 85.2L
(22.5 gallons)
Power steering
fluidMotorcraft
MERCONAT FAll Fill between the
MIN and MAX
lines on
reservoir
Transmission
fluid
1Motorcraft
MERCONV
AT FAutomatic
transmissions
only.10.4L
(11.4 quarts)2
Transfer case Motorcraft
MERCONAT FAWD 1.25L
(1.3 quarts)
4WD 1.4L
(1.5 quarts)
Engine coolant
3Motorcraft
Premium Engine
Coolant
(green-colored)
orMotorcraft
Premium Gold
Engine Coolant
(yellow-colored)4.6L 19.0L
(20.1 quarts)
Front axle
lubricantMotorcraft SAE
80W-90
Premium Rear
Axle Lubricant4x4/AWD
vehicles1.3L
(1.4 quarts)
Rear axle
lubricant
4Motorcraft SAE
75W-140 High
Performance
Synthetic Rear
Axle LubricantConventional
Axle1.7L
(3.5 pints)
Maintenance and Specifications
271

Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................277
Vehicle loading ..........................191
Ventilating your vehicle ...........167
W
Warning chimes ...........................14
Warning lights (see Lights) .......10
Washer fluid ..............................245
Water, Driving through .............190Windows
power .........................................70
rear wiper/washer .....................66
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers
checking and adding fluid .....245
checking and cleaning
..............66
liftgate reservoir
.....................245
operation
...................................65
replacing wiper blades
.............66
Wrecker towing
.........................224
Index
287