2004 FORD THUNDERBIRD trailer

Seating and Safety Restraints 73
Seating 73
Safety restraints 76
Air bags 86
Child restraints 97
Driving 109
Starting 109
Brakes 112
Traction control/AdvanceTrac 113
Transmission operation 115
Vehicle loading 121
Trailer towing 124
Roadside Emergencies 125
Getting roadside assistance 125
Hazard flasher switch 126
Fuel pump shut-off switch 127
Fuses and relays 127
Changing tires 136
Jump starting 141
Wrecker towing 147
Customer Assistance 148
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 156
Cleaning 157
2004 Thunderbird(tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Table of Contents
2

DRIVING THROUGH WATER
If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially if the depth is not known. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the hubs (for trucks) or the bottom of
the wheel rims (for cars). Traction or brake capability may be limited
and your vehicle may stall. Water may also enter your engine’s air intake
and severely damage your engine.
Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your vehicle
slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do
not stop the vehicle as quickly as dry brakes. Driving through deep
water where the transmission vent tube is submerged may allow
water into the transmission and cause internal transmission
damage.
VEHICLE LOADING –WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle ’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle ’s
Safety Certification Label and Tire and Load Information Label:
Base Curb Weight –is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight –is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
Cargo Weight –includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load
or king pin weight is also part of cargo weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight) –is the total weight placed on each axle
(front and rear) –including vehicle curb weight and all payload.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
121

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)–is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear). These
numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label
located on the driver ’s door or door pillar. The total load on each
axle must never exceed its GAWR.
Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle weight rating limits
could result in substandard vehicle handling, performance,
engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious damage to the
vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
Note: For trailer towing information refer to Trailer Towingfound in
this chapter or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your
dealership.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) –is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo +
passengers.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating) –is the maximum
allowable weight of the fully loaded
vehicle (including all options,
equipment, passengers and cargo).
The GVWR is shown on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label located on the driver ’s
door or door pillar. The GVW
must never exceed the GVWR.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
122

Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle weight rating limits
could result in substandard vehicle handling, performance,
engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious damage to the
vehicle, loss of control and personal injury.
GCW (Gross Combined Weight) –is the weight of the loaded vehicle
(GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) –is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer –including all cargo and
passengers –that the vehicle can handle without risking damage.
(Important: The towing vehicle ’s braking system is rated for operation at
GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe
control of towed vehicles and for trailers weighing more than 680 kg
[1,500 lbs]). The GCW must never exceed the GCWR.
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight –is the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of
10 –15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15 –25% (fifth wheel
trailer), and driver only (68 kg [150 lbs]). Consult your dealership (or
the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your dealership) for
more detailed information.
Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel King Pin Weight –refers to the amount
of the weight that a trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch.
Examples: For a 2268 kg (5000 lbs.) conventional trailer, multiply 5000
by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load range of 227 to 340 kg
(500 to 750 lbs.). For an 5216 kg (11,500 lbs.) fifth wheel trailer,
multiply by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 782
to 1304 kg (1,725 to 2,875 lbs.)
Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the
certification label.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
123

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.
Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could result in
serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle is not equipped to tow. No towing packages are available
through Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealers.
RECREATIONAL TOWING (ALL WHEELS ON THE GROUND)
Follow these guidelines for your specific powertrain combination to tow
your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground (such as behind a
recreational vehicle).
These guidelines are designed to ensure that your transmission is not
damaged due to insufficient lubrication.
All Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) vehicles:
This applies to all cars and 4x2 trucks/sport utilities with rear wheel
drive capability.
• Place the transmission in N (Neutral)
• Maximum speed is 56 km/h (35 mph)
• Maximum distance is 80 km (50 miles)
If a distance of 80 km (50 miles) or a speed of 56 km/h (35 mph) must
be exceeded, you must disconnect the driveshaft.
Ford recommends the driveshaft be removed/installed only by a
qualified technician. Improper removal/installation of the
driveshaft may cause damage to the driveshaft and internal
transmission components. See your local dealer for driveshaft
removal/installation.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Driving
124

When driving with the temporary spare tiredo not:
• exceed 80 km/h (50 mph)
• load the vehicle beyond maximum vehicle load rating listed on the
Safety Compliance Label
• tow a trailer
• use tire chains
• drive through an automatic car wash, because of the vehicle ’s reduced
ground clearance
• try to repair the temporary spare tire or remove it from its wheel
• drive for long distances when the temporary-use spare is on
• use the wheel for any other type of vehicle
• use more than one temporary spare tire at a time
Use of a temporary spare tire at any one wheel location can lead to
impairment of the following:
• Handling, stability and braking performance
• Comfort and noise
• Ground clearance and parking at curbs
• Winter driving capability
Tire change procedure
To help prevent the vehicle from moving when you change a tire,
be sure the parking brake is set, then block (in both directions)
the wheel that is diagonally opposite (other side and end of the
vehicle) to the tire being changed.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone else could be
seriously injured.
1. Park on a level surface, activate
hazard flashers and set parking
brake.
2. Place gearshift lever in P (Park),
turn engine OFF, and block the
diagonally opposite wheel.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Roadside Emergencies
137

•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
• Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
• Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
• Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
• Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
• Use recommended engine oil. Refer to Lubricant specificationsin
this chapter.
• Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in your vehicle scheduled maintenance guide.
Conditions
• Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
• Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
• Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
• Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
• Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
12–16 km (8 –10 miles) of driving.
• Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
• Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
• Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
• Close windows for high speed driving.
EPA window sticker
Every new vehicle should have the EPA window sticker. Contact your
dealer if the window sticker is not supplied with your vehicle. The EPA
window sticker should be your guide for the fuel economy comparisons
with other vehicles.
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
182

belt minder ...............................81
extension assembly ..................85
for adults .............................77–80
for children ...............................97
safety belt maintenance ...........85
warning light and chime ..........81
Safety seats for children ..........100
Seat belts
(see Safety restraints) ...............76
Seats ............................................73 child safety seats ....................100
Select Shift Transmission
(SST) shifter .............................118
Servicing your vehicle ..............163
Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...........136
Spark plugs,
specifications .....................201, 205
Specification chart,
lubricants ...........................203, 205
Speed control ..............................42
Starting your vehicle ........109 –111
jump starting ..........................141
Steering speed sensitive .......................115
Steering wheel controls ......................................45
tilting .........................................39
T
Tilt steering wheel ......................39
Tires ...........................136, 188 –189
changing ..................136 –137, 141
snow tires and chains ............200
tire grades ...............................189 treadwear ................................189
Towing .......................................124 recreational towing .................124
trailer towing ..........................124
wrecker ....................................147
Traction control ........................113
Transmission .............................115 brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....115
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................186
fluid, refill capacities ..............201
lubricant specifications ..203, 205
Trunk ...........................................62 remote release ....................41, 65
Turn signal ..................................30
V
Vehicle dimensions ...................205
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................207
Vehicle loading ..........................121
Ventilating your vehicle ...........112
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......10
Washer fluid ..............................165
Water, Driving through .............121
Windows power .........................................40
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................38 checking and adding fluid .....165
replacing wiper blades .............38
Wrecker towing .........................147
2004 Thunderbird (tbr)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA English (fus)
Index
216