
Warning lights and gauges can alert you to a vehicle condition that may
become serious enough to cause expensive repairs. A warning light may
illuminate when a problem exists with one of your vehicle’s functions.
Many lights will illuminate when you start your vehicle to make sure the
bulbs work. If any light remains on after starting the vehicle, have the
respective system inspected immediately.
If your vehicle is equipped with a Diesel engine, it has a unique cluster,
refer toStarting the engine in your 6.0 Liter Power Stroke Direct
Injection Turbo Diesel Owner’s Guide Supplement.
Service engine soon:TheService
engine soonindicator light
illuminates when the ignition is first
turned to the ON position to check
the bulb. Solid illumination after the engine is started indicates the On
Board Diagnostics System (OBD-II) has detected a malfunction. Refer to
On board diagnostics (OBD-II)in theMaintenance and Specifications
chapter. If the light is blinking, engine misfire is occurring which could
damage your catalytic converter. Drive in a moderate fashion (avoid
heavy acceleration and deceleration) and have your vehicle serviced
immediately.
Under engine misfire conditions, excessive exhaust temperatures
could damage the catalytic converter, the fuel system, interior
floor coverings or other vehicle components, possibly causing a fire.
Electronic throttle control:
Illuminates when the engine has
defaulted to a ’limp-home’ operation.
Report the fault to a dealer at the
earliest opportunity.
On vehicles equipped with a message center, “ENGINE FAILSAFE
MODE” will be displayed, refer toMessage Centerin theDriver
Controlschapter.
Brake system warning light:To
confirm the brake system warning
light is functional, it will
momentarily illuminate when the
ignition is turned to the ON position
when the engine is not running, or in a position between ON and START,
or by applying the parking brake when the ignition is turned to the ON
P!
BRAKE
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Instrument Cluster
13

Odometer:Registers the total miles (kilometers) of the vehicle.
•With Mini Message Center
•With Full Message Center
Refer to Message Center in the
Drivers Controls chapter on how to
switch the display from Metric to
English.
Trip odometer:Registers the miles (kilometers) of individual journeys.
•With Mini Message Center
Press and release the
SELECT/RESET button on the
cluster to toggle between odometer
and trip odometer display. To reset, press and hold for less than 2
seconds.
•With Full Message Center
Press and release the message
center INFO button until TRIP
mode appears in the display. Press
the RESET button to reset.
Engine hour meter:Registers the accumulated time the engine has
been running.
•With Mini Message Center
Press the SELECT/RESET button
until the engine hours display.
•With Full Message Center
Press and release the message
center INFO button until ENG HRS
XXXX.X appears in the display.
Press the RESET button to reset.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Instrument Cluster
17

16.ON/OFF/Volume:Press to turn
ON/OFF. Turn to increase/decrease
volume.
If the volume is set above a certain
level and the ignition is turned off,
the volume will come back on at a
“nominal” listening level when the ignition switch is turned back on.
17.CD:Press to enter CD mode. If
a CD is already loaded into the
system, CD play will begin where it
ended last.
18.LOAD:Press to load a CD, then
select a slot number using the radio
presets 1 through 6. If you don’t
select a slot within 5 seconds, the
radio shall choose the first available
slot for you. Press and hold for 2 seconds to auto load up to six CDs.
19.CD eject:Press to eject a CD,
then select the desired CD slot
using the radio presets 1 through 6.
If a slot is not selected within 5 seconds, the radio shall eject the current
disc. Press and hold for 2 seconds to auto eject all CDs present in the
radio mechanism.
20.CD slot:Insert a CD label side
up.
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.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Entertainment Systems
31

•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.
CD/CD PLAYER CARE
Do:
•Handle discs by their edges only. Never touch the playing surface.
•Inspect discs before playing. Clean only with an approved CD cleaner
and wipe from the center out.
Don’t:
•Expose discs to direct sunlight or heat sources for extended periods
of time.
•Insert more than one disc into each slot of the CD changer magazine.
•Clean using a circular motion.
CD units are designed to play commercially pressed 4.75 in (12 cm)
audio compact discs only. Due to technical incompatibility, certain
recordable and re-recordable compact discs may not function
correctly when used in Ford CD players. Irregular shaped CDs,
CDs with a scratch protection film attached, and CDs with
homemade paper (adhesive) labels should not be inserted into
the CD player. The label may peel and cause the CD to become
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Entertainment Systems
32

To aid in side window defogging/demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
.
2. Modulate the temperature control to maintain comfort.
3. Set the fan speed to the highest setting.
4. Direct the outer instrument panel vents toward 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
(IF EQUIPPED)
1.Fan speed adjustment:Controls the volume of air circulated in the
vehicle.
2.Temperature selection:Controls the temperature of the airflow in
the vehicle.
3.Air flow selections:Controls the direction of the airflow in the
vehicle. See the following for a brief description on each control.
MAX A/C:Distributes recirculated air through the instrument panel
vents and center console vents (if equipped) to cool the vehicle. This
re-cooling of the interior air is more economical and efficient.
Recirculated air may also help reduce undesirable odors from entering
the vehicle. The temperature selection control will not adjust airflow
temperature when in MAX A/C mode.
:Distributes outside air through the instrument panel vents and
center console vents (if equipped).
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Climate Controls
35

:Distributes outside air through the instrument panel vents, floor
vents and center console vents (if equipped).
OFF:Outside air is shut out and the climate system is turned off.
:Distributes outside air through the floor vents.
:Distributes outside air through the windshield defroster vents,
floor vents and demister vents.
:Distributes outside air through the windshield defroster vents and
demister vents.
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 position.
•Do not put objects under the front seats that will interfere with the
airflow to the rear seats.
•Remove any snow, ice or leaves from the air intake area at the base of
the windshield.
•To improve the A/C cool down, drive with the windows slightly open
for 2–3 minutes after start up or until the vehicle has been “aired out.”
For maximum cooling performance (MAX A/C) in MAX A/C mode:
•Move the temperature control to the coolest setting.
•Set the fan to the highest speed initially, then adjust in order to
maintain comfort.
To aid in side window defogging and demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
.
2. Select A/C.
3. Set the temperature control to maintain comfort.
4. Set the fan speed to highest setting.
5. Direct the outer instrument panel vents towards the side windows.
Do not place objects on top of the instrument panel as these
objects may become projectiles in a collision or sudden stop.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Climate Controls
36

6.(Floor): Distributes air through the floor vents.
7.
(Panel/floor): Distributes air through the instrument panel vents,
floor vents and center console vents (if equipped).
8.
(Panel): Distributes air through the instrument panel vents and
center console vents (if equipped).
9.OFF:Outside air is shut out and
the climate control system is turned
off.
10.Manual override controls:
The manual override controls allow
you to change the system operation.
To return to full automatic control, press AUTO. Refer to controls 5–8
for a brief description of each mode.
11.AUTO:Press to engage full
automatic operation, and select the
desired temperature using the
temperature control. The system will automatically determine fan speed,
airflow location, A/C on or off, and outside or recirculated air, to heat or
cool the vehicle to reach the desired temperature.
12.EXT Control (if equipped):
PressEXT TEMPto display outside
temperature. Press again to display
cabin temperature settings.
13.Temperature controls:Press
to increase or decrease the
temperature in the vehicle cabin.
Note:The recommended vehicle
cabin setting is between 72°F (22°C) and 75°F (24°C).
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 with recirculated air engaged.
•Do not put objects under the front seats that will interfere with the
airflow to the rear seats.
•Remove any snow, ice or leaves from the air intake area at the base of
the windshield.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Climate Controls
38

•To improve the A/C cool down, drive with the windows slightly open
for 2–3 minutes after start up or until the vehicle has been “aired out.”
For maximum cooling performance in AUTO mode:
•Press AUTO control and set to desired temperature.
For maximum cooling performance using manual override modes:
•Press
(panel), A/C, with recirculated air. Set the temperature to
60°F (16°C) and the fan to the highest setting.
To aid in side window defogging and demisting in cold weather:
1. Select
.
2. Select A/C.
3. Set the temperature control to maintain comfort.
4. Set the fan speed to highest setting.
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.
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.
REVIEW COPY
2005 F250/350/450/550(f23), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Climate Controls
39