2005 FORD EXCURSION overheating

Speedometer:Indicates the
current vehicle speed.
Engine coolant temperature
gauge:Indicates engine coolant
temperature. At normal operating
temperature, the needle will be in
the normal range (between“H”and
“C”).If it enters the red section,
the engine is overheating. Stop
the vehicle as soon as safely
possible, switch off the engine
and let the engine cool.
Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the engine is
running or hot.
Odometer:Registers the total miles
(kilometers) of the vehicle.
Trip odometer:Registers the miles
(kilometers) of individual journeys.
Press the control once to switch
from the odometer to the trip
odometer. To reset the trip, press
the control again until the trip reading is 0.0 miles.
Tachometer:Indicates the engine
speed in revolutions per minute.
Driving with your tachometer
pointer continuously at the top of
the scale may damage the engine.
DPRND2
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Instrument Cluster
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Yellow area(warning)—the
transmission fluid is higher than
normal operating temperature. This
can be caused by special operation
conditions (i.e. towing or off road
use). Refer toSpecial Operating
Conditionsin theScheduled
Maintenance Guidefor
instructions. Operating the
transmission for extended periods of
time with the gauge in the yellow
area may cause internal transmission damage.
Altering the severity of the driving conditions is recommended to lower
the transmission temperature into the normal range.
Red area(over temperature)—
the transmission fluid is overheating.
Stop the vehicle to allow the
temperature to return to normal
range.
If the gauge is operating in the Yellow or Red area, stop the vehicle and
verify the airflow is not restricted such as snow or debris blocking airflow
through the grill. If the gauge continues to show high temperatures, see
your Ford dealer.
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Instrument Cluster
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Note:If the indicator light blinks rapidly for two seconds and then turns
to a continuous red, proceed with steps 6 through 8 to complete
programming of a rolling code equipped device.
6. At the garage door opener receiver (motor-head unit) in the garage,
locate the“learn”or“smart”button (usually near where the hanging
antenna wire is attached to the unit).
7. Press and release the“learn”or“smart”button. (The name and color
of the button may vary by manufacturer.)
Note:There are 30 seconds in which to initiate step eight.
8. Return to the vehicle and firmly press, hold for two seconds and
release the HomeLinkbutton. Repeat the press/hold/release sequence
again, and, depending on the brand of the garage door opener (or other
rolling code equipped device), repeat this sequence a third time to
complete the programming.
HomeLinkshould now activate your rolling code equipped device. To
program additional HomeLinkbuttons begin with step 2 in the
“Programming”section. For questions or comments, please contact
HomeLink atwww.homelink.comor1–800–355–3515.
Gate Operator & Canadian Programming
During programming, your
hand-held transmitter may
automatically stop transmitting—
not allowing enough time for
HomeLinkto accept the signal
from the hand-held transmitter.
After completing steps 1 and 2
outlined in the“Programming”
section, replace step 3 with the following:
Note:If programming a garage door opener or gate operator, it is
advised to unplug the device during the“cycling”process to prevent
overheating.
•Continue to press and hold the HomeLinkbutton (note step 3 in the
“Programming”section) while you press and release—every two
seconds(“cycle”) your hand-held transmitter until the frequency
signal has been accepted by the HomeLink. The indicator light will
flash slowly and then rapidly after HomeLinkaccepts the radio
frequency signal.
•Proceed with step 4 in the“Programming”section.
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Driver Controls
79

When climbing a steep slope or hill,
start in a lower gear rather than
downshifting to a lower gear from a
higher gear once the ascent has
started. This reduces strain on the
engine and the possibility of stalling.
If you do stall out, do not try to
turn around because you might roll
over. It is better to back down to a
safe location.
Apply just enough power to the wheels to climb the hill. Too much
power will cause the tires to slip, spin or lose traction, resulting in loss of
vehicle control.
Descend a hill in the same gear you
would use to climb up the hill to
avoid excessive brake application
and brake overheating. Do not
descend in neutral; instead,
disengage overdrive or manually
shift to a lower gear. When
descending a steep hill, avoid
sudden hard braking as you could
lose control. When you brake hard,
the front wheels can’t turn and if
they aren’t turning, you won’tbe
able to steer. The front wheels have to be turning in order to steer the
vehicle. Rapid pumping of the brake pedal will help you slow the vehicle
and still maintain steering control.
Apply the brakes steadily. Do not“pump”the brakes.
Driving on snow and ice
4WD vehicles have advantages over 2WD vehicles in snow and ice but
can skid like any other vehicle.
Should you start to slide while driving on snowy or icy roads, turn the
steering wheel in the direction of the slide until you regain control.
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.
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Driving
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Do not put engine coolant in the windshield washer fluid
container. If sprayed on the windshield, engine coolant could
make it difficult to see through the windshield.
•Add Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant
(yellow-colored), VC-7–A (U.S., except CA and OR), VC-7–B
(CA and OR only), meeting Ford Specification
WSS-M97B51–A1.
Note:Use of Motorcraft Cooling System Stop Leak Pellets, VC-6, may
darken the color of Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant from
yellow to golden tan.
•Do not add/mix an orange-colored, extended life coolant such
as Motorcraft Speciality Orange Engine Coolant, VC-2 (US) or
CXC-209 (Canada), meeting Ford specification WSS-M97B44–D
with the factory-filled coolant.Mixing Motorcraft Speciality Orange
Engine Coolant or any orange-colored extended life product with your
factory filled coolant can result in degraded corrosion protection.
•A large amount of water without engine coolant may be added, in case
of emergency, to reach a vehicle service location. In this instance, the
cooling system must be drained and refilled with a 50/50 mixture of
engine coolant and distilled water as soon as possible. Water alone
(without engine coolant) can cause engine damage from corrosion,
overheating or freezing.
•Do not use alcohol, methanol, brine or any engine coolants
mixed with alcohol or methanol antifreeze (coolant).Alcohol
and other liquids can cause engine damage from overheating or
freezing.
•Do not add extra inhibitors or additives to the coolant.These
can be harmful and compromise the corrosion protection of the engine
coolant.
For vehicles with overflow coolant systems with a non-pressurized cap
on the coolant recovery system, add coolant to the coolant recovery
reservoir when the engine is cool. Add the proper mixture of coolant and
water to the“FULL COLD”level. For all other vehicles which have a
coolant degas system with a pressurized cap, or if it is necessary to
remove the coolant pressure relief cap on the radiator of a vehicle with
an overflow system, follow these steps to add engine coolant.
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Maintenance and Specifications
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To reduce the risk of personal injury, make sure the engine is
cool before unscrewing the coolant pressure relief cap. The
cooling system is under pressure; steam and hot liquid can come out
forcefully when the cap is loosened slightly.
1. Before you begin, turn the engine off and let it cool.
2. When the engine is cool, wrap a thick cloth around the coolant
pressure relief cap on the coolant reservoir (a translucent plastic bottle).
Slowly turn cap counterclockwise (left) until pressure begins to release.
3. Step back while the pressure releases.
4. When you are sure that all the pressure has been released, use the
cloth to turn it counterclockwise and remove the cap.
5. Fill the coolant reservoir slowly with the proper coolant mixture (see
above), to within the“COLD FILL RANGE”or the“FULL COLD”level on
the reservoir. If you removed the radiator cap in an overflow system, fill
the radiator until the coolant is visible and radiator is almost full.
6. Replace the cap. Turn until tightly installed. (Cap must be tightly
installed to prevent coolant loss.)
After any coolant has been added, check the coolant concentration (refer
toChecking engine coolant). If the concentration is not 50/50
(protection to–34°F/–36°C), drain some coolant and adjust the
concentration. It may take several drains and additions to obtain a 50/50
coolant concentration.
Whenever coolant has been added, the coolant level in the coolant
reservoir should be checked the next few times you drive the vehicle. If
necessary, add enough 50/50 concentration of engine coolant and
distilled water to bring the liquid level to the proper level.
If you have to add more than 1.0 quart (1.0 liter) of engine coolant per
month, have your dealer check the engine cooling system. Your cooling
system may have a leak. Operating an engine with a low level of coolant
can result in engine overheating and possible engine damage.
Recycled engine coolant
Ford Motor Company does NOT recommend the use of recycled engine
coolant in vehicles originally equipped with Motorcraft Premium Gold
Engine Coolant since a Ford-approved recycling process is not yet
available.
Used engine coolant should be disposed of in an appropriate
manner. Follow your community’s regulations and standards for recycling
and disposing of automotive fluids.
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Maintenance and Specifications
236

Low fluid level
Do not drive the vehicle if the fluid
level is at the bottom of the dipstick
and the ambient temperature is
above 10°C (50°F).
Correct fluid level
The transmission fluid should be
checked at normal operating
temperature 66°C-77°C
(150°F-170°F) on a level surface. The normal operating temperature can
be reached after approximately 30 km (20 miles) of driving.
You can check the fluid without driving if the ambient temperature is
above 10°C (50°F). However, if fluid is added at this time, an overfill
condition could result when the vehicle reaches normal operating
temperature.
The transmission fluid should be in
this range if at normal operating
temperature (66°C-77°C
[150°F-170°F]).
The transmission fluid should be in
this range if at ambient temperature
(10°C-35°C [50°F-95°F]).
High fluid level
Fluid levels above the safe range
may result in transmission failure.
An overfill condition of transmission
fluid may cause shift and/or
engagement concerns and/or
possible damage.
High fluid levels can be caused by
an overheating condition.
Adjusting automatic
transmission fluid levels
Before adding any fluid, make sure the correct type is used. The type of
fluid used is normally indicated on the dipstick and also in the
Lubricant specificationssection in this chapter.
Use of a non-approved automatic transmission fluid may cause
internal transmission component damage.
DON'T ADD IF IN CROSSHATCHED AREA  CHECK WHEN HOT IDLING IN PARK
DON'T ADD IF IN CROSSHATCHED AREA  CHECK WHEN HOT IDLING IN PARK
DON'T ADD IF IN CROSSHATCHED AREA  CHECK WHEN HOT IDLING IN PARK
DON'T ADD IF IN CROSSHATCHED AREA  CHECK WHEN HOT IDLING IN PARK
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Maintenance and Specifications
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