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Driving on hilly or sloping terrain
Although natural obstacles may make it necessary to travel diagonally up
or down a hill or steep incline, you should always try to drive straight up
or straight down.Avoid driving crosswise or turning on steep
slopes or hills.A danger lies in losing traction, slipping sideways and
possibly rolling over. Whenever driving on a hill, determine beforehand
the route you will use. Do not drive over the crest of a hill without
seeing what conditions are on the other side. Do not drive in reverse
over a hill without the aid of an observer.
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’t be
able to steer. The front wheels have to be turning in order to steer the
vehicle.
If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, apply the brakes steadily. Do not
“pump” the brakes.
Driving on snow and ice
Note:Excessive tire slippage can cause transaxle damage.
AWD 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.
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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.
Avoid sudden braking as well. Although an AWD vehicle may accelerate
better than a two-wheel drive vehicle in snow and ice, it won’t stop any
faster, because as in other vehicles, braking occurs at all four wheels. Do
not become overconfident as to road conditions.
Make sure you allow sufficient distance between you and other vehicles
for stopping. Drive slower than usual and consider using one of the lower
gears. In emergency stopping situations, apply the brake steadily. Since
your vehicle is equipped with a four wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS),
do not “pump” the brakes. Refer to theBrakessection of this chapter
for additional information on the operation of the anti-lock brake system.
Maintenance and Modifications
The suspension and steering systems on your vehicle have been designed
and tested to provide predictable performance whether loaded or empty
and durable load carrying capability. For this reason, Ford Motor
Company strongly recommends that you do not make modifications such
as adding or removing parts (such as lift kits or stabilizer bars) or by
using replacement parts not equivalent to the original factory equipment.
Any modifications to a vehicle that raise the center of gravity can make
it more likely the vehicle will rollover as a result of a loss of control.
Ford Motor Company recommends that caution be used with any vehicle
equipped with a high load or device (such as ladder or luggage racks).
Failure to maintain your vehicle properly may void the warranty, increase
your repair cost, reduce vehicle performance and operational capabilities
and adversely affect driver and passenger safety. Frequent inspection of
vehicle chassis components is recommended if the vehicle is subjected to
heavy off-highway usage.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
If driving through deep or standing
water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially when the depth is
not known. Never drive through
water that is higher than the bottom
of the wheel rims (for cars) or the
bottom of the hubs (for trucks).
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ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
Getting roadside assistance
To fully assist you should you have a vehicle concern, Ford Motor
Company offers a complimentary roadside assistance program. This
program is separate from the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. The service
is available:
•24–hours, seven days a week
•for the New Vehicle Limited Warranty period of three years or 36,000
miles (60,000 km), whichever occurs first on Ford and Mercury
vehicles, and four years or 50,000 miles (80,000 km) on Lincoln
vehicles.
Roadside assistance will cover:
•a flat tire change with a good spare (except Ford GT which has a tire
inflation kit)
•battery jump start
•lock-out assistance (key replacement cost is the customer’s
responsibility)
•fuel delivery (2.0 gallons [7.5L], maximum two occurrences within 12
month period)
•towing of your disabled vehicle to the nearest authorized dealer, or
your selling authorized dealer if within 35 miles (56.3 km) of the
nearest authorized dealer (one tow per disablement). Even
non-warranty related tows, like accidents, are covered (some
exclusions apply, such as impound towing or repossession).
Canadian customers refer to your Owner Information Guide for
information on:
•coverage period
•exact fuel amounts
•towing of your disabled vehicle
•emergency travel expense reimbursement
•travel planning benefits
Using roadside assistance
Complete the roadside assistance identification card and place it in your
wallet for quick reference. In the United States, this card is found in the
Owner Guide portfolio in the glove compartment. In Canada, the card is
found in theOwner Information Guidein the glove compartment.
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The fuses are coded as follows.
Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingPassenger Compartment Fuse
Panel Description
F1 20A High beams
F2 15A Interior lamps (Courtesy and
demand lamps), Delayed
accessory (Power windows and
moonroof)
F3 25A Access/Security (Power door lock
actuators, Liftgate lock actuator,
Liftgate solenoid)
F4 15A Adjustable pedal switch
F5 20A Horns
F6 20A Audio (Subwoofer)
F7 7.5A Power/Keep Alive Memory
(KAM): Cluster and Powertrain
Control Module (PCM), Climate
control, Analog clock
F8 15A Park lamps, Side markers, Trailer
tow protect
F9 20A Cigar lighter, Data Link Connector
(DLC)
F10 7.5A Mirrors and memory module
F11 20A Audio, Family Entertainment
System (FES)
F12 10A Back-up lamps, Electrochromatic
mirror, Reverse Sensing System
(RSS), Trailer tow protect
F13 7.5A Audio
F14 7.5A Starter relay coil, PCM
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Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingPassenger Compartment Fuse
Panel Description
F15 10A Delayed accessory (Driver window
motor logic, Auxiliary climate
control switch illumination,
Moonroof, Audio, Driver door lock
switch illumination)
F16 10A Rear defroster indicator, Heated
mirrors
F17 30A Rear defroster
F18 10A PCM relay coil, Shifter Brake-Shift
Interlock (BSI), Passive
Anti-Theft System (PATS)
module, Fuel relay coil, Brake
lamps, Center High-Mounted Stop
Lamp (CHMSL)
F19 10A Anti-lock Brake System
(ABS)/Traction control module,
All Wheel Drive (AWD) module,
RSS, Heated seat modules
F20 7.5A Cluster, Climate control
F21 7.5A Restraint Control Module (RCM)
F22 7.5A Auxiliary climate control relay
coils, Electrochromatic mirror,
Compass module
F23 7.5A Wiper relay coil, Blower relay coil,
Cluster logic
F24 7.5A Occupant Classification Sensor
(OCS), Passenger Airbag
Deactivation (PAD)
C1 30A Circuit
breakerDelayed accessory (Front
passenger window, Rear passenger
windows [via window switch],
Window switch illumination,
Backlighting
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Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingPower Distribution Box
Description
3 50A* Front and rear wipers (fuses 45
and 47)
4 — Not used
5 20A* Moonroof
6 — Not used
7 60A* Engine cooling fan
8 — Not used
9 40A* Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
(Motor)
10 30A* Starter
11 30A* Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
relay
12 20A* ABS (Valves)
13 — Not used
14 20A** Power point (Cargo
compartment)
15 15A** Traction Control Module (TCM)
16 20A** Power point (Console)
17 10A** Alternator
18 40A* Logic feed to SJB, SJB solid state
devices
19 — Not used
20 40A* Rear defroster
21 30A* Power seat motors (passenger)
22 30A* Heated seat modules
23 15A** Fog lamps
24 10A** A/C clutch relay, A/C compressor
clutch
25 — Not used
26 — Not used
27 15A** Fuel relay (Fuel pump driver
module, Fuel pump)
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1. Remove the carpeted floor panel
located in the rear of the vehicle,
remove the wing nut that secures
the spare tire by turning it
counterclockwise.
2. Lift and remove the spare tire
from the trunk.
3. Remove the second wing nut that
secures the jack retention bracket
by turning it counterclockwise,
remove the jack kit from the
vehicle.
4. Remove the jack and the wrench
from the felt bag. Fold down the
wrench socket to use to loosen the
lug nuts and to operate the jack.
Tire change procedure
1. Park on a level surface, activate
hazard flashers and set the parking
brake.
When one of the front wheels is off the ground, the transaxle
alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving or slipping off the
jack, even if the vehicle is in P (Park).
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To help prevent the vehicle from moving when you change a tire,
be sure to place the transaxle in P (Park), set the parking brake
and 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.
2. Place gearshift lever in P (Park),
turn engine OFF, and block the
diagonally opposite wheel.
3. Remove wheel cover (if
equipped) with the lug wrench tip
and loosen each wheel lug nut
one-half turn counterclockwise but
do not remove them until the wheel
is raised off the ground.
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