WARNING:If a wheel must be changed, obtain expert tire
service help. Mounting and un-mounting of tires should only be
performed by a qualified technician using necessary safety procedures
and equipment, otherwise the result could be property damage,
personal injury or death.
Driver/Fuel area
Fuel tank(s):Make sure the fuel tank(s) and cap(s) are
secure. Make sure there is no damage to the
tank(s).
Leaks:Check for any leaks from the fuel tank(s).
Underbody of vehicle
Driveshaft:Make sure that the driveshaft is not bent or
cracked. Ensure all driveshaft couplings are
secure.
Exhaust system:Make sure the outside visible parts are
securely mounted. Make sure there are no
cracks, holes or severe dents.
Frame:Check for cracks or bends in longitudinal
frame members. Make sure there are no loose,
cracked, bent, broken or missing
crossmembers or crossmember fasteners.
WARNING:Maintain adequate clearance between all parts of
the exhaust system and all hoses, wires and lines for engine
cooling, brake system, fuel system, power steering system and
electrical system, Heat damage to hoses, wires or lines may cause
vehicle malfunction that could result in property damage, personal
injury or death.
2009 F-650/750(f67)
Supplement
USA(fus)
Vehicle Inspection Guide
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Rear brakes
Drum:Make sure there are no cracks, dents or holes
and no loose or missing bolts. Make sure brake
linings are not worn, dangerously thin or
contaminated by lubricant.
Rear wheels
Spacers:Make sure dual wheels are evenly separated
and that tires are not touching one another.
Rims:Check for damaged or bent rims. Rims should
not have welding repairs and no rust trails that
indicate it is loose on the wheel.
Lug nuts:Make sure all lug nuts are present and not
loose (look for rust trails around the lug nuts).
There should be no cracks radiating from the
lug bolt holes or distortion of the bolt holes.
Trailer
If you are pulling a trailer, an inspection of the trailer similar to that of
the tractor should be done. Such an inspection should follow trailer
manufacturer recommendations and should include at a minimum:
general condition, landing gear, doors, sides, lights, reflectors,
suspension, brakes, tires, wheels, cargo placement, stability and
tie-downs.
Transmission
If your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission, regularly
check the transmission’s neutral start switch. The engine should only
start in the N (Neutral) or P (Park) positions.
WARNING:If the unit starts in gear and/or the neutral start
switch is not functioning correctly, the vehicle may inadvertently
move which could result in property damage, personal injury or death.
Check the transmission fluid level and shift linkage for proper operation.
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Supplement
USA(fus)
Vehicle Inspection Guide
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Although OSHA or some governmental regulations may require the use
of an electrical or mechanical back-up alarm to warn bystanders, such an
alarm does not ensure that the intended path is clear. When in doubt,
get out of the vehicle and visually check the intended path is clear;
back-up slowly as to allow others time to move, if necessary.
If an electrical back-up alarm is installed, it should be connected to the
back-up lamp circuit.
Parking your vehicle
Always use the parking brake. When parking on a grade, block the
wheels and turn the front wheels to one side so that if the vehicle rolls,
the front tires will act against the curb to stop the vehicle. The front
wheels will be more effective at stopping a rolling vehicle than the rear
wheels.
WARNING:When parking your vehicle, do not leave the
transmission in gear; if the key is in the ON position and the
vehicle rolls, the engine could start. Failure to follow these instructions
could result in an unattended vehicle moving, possibly causing personal
injury or property damage.
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. 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, drive axles or the
transmission (through the breather ports).
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.
ENGINE IDLE SHUTDOWN (IF EQUIPPED)
Your vehicle may be equipped with an Engine Idle Shutdown system.
This system will automatically shut down your engine when it has been
idling in P (Park) or N (Neutral) for five minutes (parking brake set) or
15 minutes (parking brake not set). During the engine idle shutdown
process:
•TheService Engine Soonlight will flash, once per second, for the
final 30 seconds just prior to shutdown.
2009 F-650/750(f67)
Supplement
USA(fus)
Driving
97
WARNING:Aggressive driving in any road conditions can cause
you to lose control of your vehicle increasing the risk of severe
personal injury or property damage. The occurrence of a Traction
Control™ event is an indication that at least some of the tires have
exceeded their ability to grip the road; this may lead to an increased
risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and
death. If you experience a severe road event, SLOW DOWN.
AIR SUSPENSION (IF EQUIPPED)
Note:The vehicle must not be operated without air in the suspension
springs. Operating the vehicle without air in the air suspension springs
will damage the suspension, degrade ride performance and may cause
property damage.
The suspension system automatically adjusts to different loads to
maintain a constant frame height. The system allows for ease of vehicle
loading and provides improved vehicle ride and increased driver comfort.
Air suspension dump switch
The system is controlled by a switch
located on the instrument panel.
The switch will operate only when
the ignition is in the ACC
(Accessory) or ON positions and the
air tanks have sufficient pressure to
fill the air springs. When the ignition
is turned off, the suspension will
remain in whatever state it was last
set.
Note:The suspension will dump air when the ignition is in the ACC or
ON position, but will only fill when the ignition is in the ON position.
When the upper portion of the switch is pressed air supplied to the air
spring is exhausted, lowering the frame for loading. Pressing the lower
portion of the switch causes air to fill the air springs so the vehicle will
remain at normal ride height.
2009 F-650/750(f67)
Supplement
USA(fus)
Driving
121
Tractor-trailer connections
WARNING:To reduce the risk of personal injury, use extreme
caution when making brake and light connections. Inclement
weather and accumulated road contamination deposits on handhold
and stepping surfaces require extra care to avoid slip and falls. Provide
adequate lighting of working areas.
WARNING:Do not climb on the back of the tractor unless it
has been provided with a deck plate and handholds. Use a
three-point stance when climbing up and down from a deck plate. Do
not jump from the vehicle. Whenever possible, make all connections
while standing on the ground.
Connecting and disconnecting a trailer with air suspension
When connecting to a trailer:
•Press the lower portion of the switch and air will exhaust from the air
suspension system.
•After making the connection to the trailer, press the upper portion of
the switch, then raise the landing gear.
When disconnecting the trailer:
•Lower the landing gear, then press the lower portion of the switch.
•Disconnect the brake hoses, trailer-side and rear light connectors,
then pull the release lever on the fifth wheel.
The upper portion of the switch must be pressed before operating with a
trailer or operating in the bobtail mode.
Suspension conversions
It is not recommended, or approved, that suspension conversions be
performed. However, it is understood that, on occasion, aftermarket
add-on suspensions are installed by others on the truck chassis which
allow operator control for weight transfer from other axles (i.e., air lift
axles).
WARNING:When operating a loaded vehicle, the driver must
keep all adjustable axles on the ground at all times, supporting
their share of the vehicle’s load. Failure to do so can overload other
axles, tires, wheels, springs, steering components, brakes and frames,
resulting in early component failure, loss of vehicle control, possible
property damage and personal injury.
2009 F-650/750(f67)
Supplement
USA(fus)
Driving
122
Rear axles with locking or limited-slip differentials (if equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped with a locking or limited-slip differential, note
the following:
•Power will be transmitted to the opposite wheel should one of the
wheels begin to slip.
•Both wheels must be raised off the ground should it be necessary to
operate one wheel with the vehicle stationary.
WARNING:If both wheels are not raised off the ground, the
one wheel that is not raised may pull the vehicle off its support,
possibly resulting in personal injury
Driver-controlled differential lock
To prevent the vehicle from moving when servicing the wheels, tires or
brakes, turn the engine off and raise all drive wheels of the locker
differential axle. Axles equipped with NoSPIN Detroit Locker differentials
deliver power to both wheels even when only one wheel is on the ground.
WARNING:Failure to raise all drive wheels with this type of
differential could cause the vehicle to move unexpectedly,
resulting in property damage, personal injury or death.
Care should be taken to avoid sudden accelerations when both drive
wheels are on a slippery surface.
WARNING:Sudden accelerations on slippery surfaces could
cause the wheels to spin, the vehicle to turn sideways on a
crowned road surface or in a turn, possibly resulting in loss of vehicle
control and personal injury.
Some Dana/Spicer drive axles have a driver-controlled differential lock.
The differential lock can lock or unlock the differential when the vehicle
is moving or stopped. When extra traction is required, the differential
lock will provide full power to both axles.
When the differential is locked, the vehicle’s turning radius will increase
(vehicle will “under-steer”)
The differential can be locked or unlocked when the vehicle is moving at
a constant speed of less than 25 mph (40 km/h) and while the wheels
are not slipping. The differential must not be locked when the vehicle is
traveling down steep grades and traction is minimal.
2009 F-650/750(f67)
Supplement
USA(fus)
Driving
133
Note:Never use the differential lock at vehicle speeds above 25 mph
(40 km/h).
The differential lock and differential lock light will automatically
disengage at speeds above 25 mph (40 km/h). The differential lock will
remain off until either the vehicle is restarted or the differential lock
switch is turned off then back on.
Axle conversions
It is not recommended, or approved, for axle conversions to be
performed. However, it is understood that, on occasion, aftermarket
add-on axles are installed by others on the truck chassis which allow
operator control for weight transfer from other axles (i.e., air lift axles).
WARNING:When operating a loaded vehicle, the driver must
keep all adjustable axles on the ground at all times, supporting
their share of the vehicle’s load. Failure to do so can overload other
axles, tires, wheels, springs, steering components, brakes and frames,
resulting in early component failure, loss of vehicle control, possible
property damage and personal injury.
TWO-SPEED REAR AXLE (IF EQUIPPED)
A two-speed rear axle allows the driver to select a LO range for greater
pulling power and a HI range for greater road speed and fuel economy.
These ranges can also be used to provide additional steps between
transmission shifts when driving on steep grades and/or fuel economy
may be factors.
Note:Do not shift between ranges when the speed control is on.
WARNING:Never shift a two-speed axle when descending a
steep grade as this may cause loss of vehicle control and result
in personal injury.
Axle shifting
Manual transmissions:
•To downshift,select the next lower gear, release and depress the
accelerator pedal rapidly, or while holding the accelerator pedal down,
release and engage the clutch rapidly.Note:The clutch method is
recommended when driving at slower speeds.
•To upshift,keep the accelerator pedal down, select the next higher
gear, release the accelerator and pause until the axle upshifts.Note:
De-clutch for smoother axle upshifts when driving at slower speeds.
2009 F-650/750(f67)
Supplement
USA(fus)
Driving
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Under no circumstances should your vehicle be loaded in excess of the
GVWR or GAWR. It is the operator’s responsibility to ensure that neither
the axle capacities, spring capacities, tire capacities nor the vehicle rated
GVWR is exceeded.
WARNING:Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on
the Safety Compliance Certification Label.
WARNING: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.
WARNING:Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could
result in serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
Unloaded or lightly loaded vehicles
The braking system has been designed to safely stop your vehicle when
fully loaded to its GVWR.
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Supplement
USA(fus)
Driving
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