1. Place tire on end with valve stem
facing rearward, away from vehicle.
2. Place tether into bolt holes in
wheel and attach lug nut using lug
wrench.
3. Lay the tire on the ground with the valve stem facing down. If your
vehicle is equipped with aluminum wheels, remove the wheel ornament.
4. Slide the wheel partially under the vehicle and install the retainer
through the center of the wheel.
5. Turn the jack handle clockwise until the tire is raised to its original
position underneath the vehicle. The effort to turn the jack handle
increases significantly as the tire contacts the frame. The spare tire
carrier will ratchet when the tire is in the fully stowed position. The
spare tire carrier has a built-in ratchet feature that will not allow you to
overtighten. If the spare tire carrier ratchets with very little effort, take
the vehicle to your authorized dealer for assistance at your earliest
convenience.If your vehicle is equipped with a trailer hitch, guide
the tire with one hand; keep the rear of the tire tilted down until
the tire clears the bumper.
6. Check that the tire lies flat against the frame assembly. Push against
the tire to make sure it is tightly seated under the vehicle. Loosen and
retighten, if necessary. Failure to properly stow the spare tire may result
in failure of the winch cable and loss of the spare tire.(Make sure that
the tire does not contact the bumper.)
7. Repeat this tightness check procedure (every six months, per
scheduled maintenance information),when servicing the spare tire
pressure or at any time that the spare tire is disturbed through service of
other components.
WHEEL LUG NUT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
Retighten the lug nuts to the specified torque at 500 miles (800 km)
after any wheel disturbance (tire rotation, changing a flat tire, wheel
removal, etc.).
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•Take care when using a power washer to clean the engine. The
high-pressure fluid could penetrate the sealed parts and cause
damage.
•Do not spray a hot engine with cold water to avoid cracking the
engine block or other engine components.
•Spray Motorcraft Engine Shampoo and Degreaser (ZC-20) on all parts
that require cleaning and pressure rinse clean.
•Cover the highlighted areas to prevent water damage when cleaning
the engine.
•Never wash or rinse the engine while it is running; water in the
running engine may cause internal damage.
•2.3L I4
•3.0L DOHC V6 Duratec Engine
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SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS
To help you service your vehicle, we providescheduled maintenance
informationwhich makes tracking routine service easy.
If your vehicle requires professional service, your authorized dealer can
provide the necessary parts and service. Check yourWarranty Guideto
find out which parts and services are covered.
Use only recommended fuels, lubricants, fluids and service parts
conforming to specifications. Motorcraft parts are designed and built to
provide the best performance in your vehicle.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN SERVICING YOUR VEHICLE
•Do not work on a hot engine.
•Make sure that nothing gets caught in moving parts.
•Do not work on a vehicle with the engine running in an enclosed
space, unless you are sure you have enough ventilation.
•Keep all open flames and other burning (cigarettes) material away
from the battery and all fuel related parts.
Working with the engine off
•Automatic transmission/transaxle:
1. Set the parking brake and shift to P (Park).
2. Turn off the engine and remove the key.
3. Block the wheels.
•Manual transmission/transaxle:
1. Set the parking brake, depress the clutch and place the gearshift in 1
(First).
2. Turn off the engine and remove the key.
3. Block the wheels.
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Working with the engine on
•Automatic transmission:
1. Set the parking brake and shift to P (Park).
2. Block the wheels.
•Manual transmission:
1. Set the parking brake, depress the clutch and place the gearshift in N
(Neutral).
2. Block the wheels.
To reduce the risk of vehicle damage and/or personal burn
injuries do not start your engine with the air cleaner removed
and do not remove it while the engine is running.
OPENING THE HOOD
1. Inside the vehicle, pull the hood
release handle located under the
bottom of the instrument panel.
2. At the front of the vehicle, lift up
on the auxiliary latch handle located
in the center between the hood and
the grille.
3. Lift the hood open and secure it
with the prop rod.
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CHANGING THE WIPER BLADES
1. Pull the wiper blade and arm
away from the glass. Turn the blade
at a right angle to the arm.
2. Squeeze the locking tabs to
release the blade from the arm and
pull the blade away from the arm to
remove it.
3. Attach the new blade to the arm and snap it into place.
Replace wiper blades at least once per year for optimum performance.
Poor wiper quality can be improved by cleaning the wiper blades and the
windshield, refer toWindows and wiper bladesin theCleaning
chapter.
To prolong the life of the wiper blades, it is highly recommended to
scrape off the ice on the windshield before turning on the wipers. The
layer of ice has many sharp edges and can damage the micro edge of the
wiper rubber element.
Changing rear window wiper blade
The rear wiper arm is designed without a service position. This reduces
the risk of damage to the blade in an automatic car wash.
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•3.0L DOHC V6 Duratec engine
•If required, add engine oil to the engine. Refer toAdding engine oil
in this chapter.
•Do not overfill the engine with oil. Oil levels above the MAX
mark or upper hole may cause engine damage.If the engine is
overfilled, some oil must be removed from the engine by an authorized
dealer.
7. Put the indicator back in and ensure it is fully seated.
Adding engine oil
1. Check the engine oil. For instructions, refer toChecking the engine
oilin this chapter.
2. If the engine oil level is not within the normal range, add only certified
engine oil of the recommended viscosity. Remove the engine oil filler cap
and use a funnel to pour the engine oil into the opening.
3. Recheck the engine oil level. Make sure the oil level is not above the
MAX or FULL mark on the engine oil level indicator (dipstick).
4. Install the indicator and ensure it is fully seated.
5. Fully install the engine oil filler cap by turning the filler cap clockwise
1/4 of a turn until it is seated.
To avoid possible oil loss, DO NOT operate the vehicle with the
engine oil level indicator and/or the engine oil filler cap removed.
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Keep batteries 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 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 10 miles (16 km) or more 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.
If the battery has been disconnected or a new battery has been installed,
the clock and the preset radio stations must be reset once the battery is
reconnected.
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Note:Use of Motorcraft Cooling System Stop Leak Pellets or an
equivalent product meeting Ford specification WSS-M99B37-B6, may
darken the color of Motorcraft Premium Gold Engine Coolant from
yellow to golden tan.
Note:For the 2.3L engine, when adding more than 1 quart (.95L) of
coolant it is necessary to use the coolant bleed valve. Failure to bleed
the cooling system when adding engine coolant may cause engine
damage. Refer to the Cooling section of theWorkshop Manual.
•Do not add/mix an orange-colored, extended life coolant such
as Motorcraft Specialty Orange Engine Coolant, meeting Ford
specification WSS-M97B44-D, or DEX-COOLbrand with the
factory-filled coolant.Mixing Motorcraft Specialty Orange Engine
Coolant or any orange-colored extended life product such as
DEX-COOLbrand 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.
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 (an opaque 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.
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