Page 373 of 462
IDENTIFYING COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
3.7L V6 engine
1. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
2. Battery
3. Engine oil dipstick (out of view)
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Engine coolant reservoir
6. Air filter assembly
7. Engine oil filler cap (out of view)
8. Power distribution box
12345
687
Maintenance and Specifications
373
2012 F-150(f12)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 374 of 462
5.0L V8 engine
1. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
2. Battery
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Engine oil dipstick
5. Brake fluid reservoir
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Air filter assembly
8. Power distribution box
123
87
456
Maintenance and Specifications
374
2012 F-150(f12)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 375 of 462
6.2L V8 engine
1. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
2. Engine oil dipstick
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Engine coolant reservoir
5. Air filter assembly
6. Power steering fluid reservoir
7. Power distribution box
8. Engine oil filler cap
9. Battery
1234
98657
Maintenance and Specifications
375
2012 F-150(f12)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 376 of 462
3.5L V6 EcoBoost™ engine
1. Windshield washer fluid reservoir
2. Battery
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Engine oil dipstick
5. Brake fluid reservoir
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Air filter assembly
8. Power distribution box
12356
78
4
Maintenance and Specifications
376
2012 F-150(f12)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 378 of 462

2. Press the retaining clip to
disengage the wiper blade, then pull
the wiper blade down toward the
windshield to remove it from the
arm (2).
3. To install the new wiper blade,
insert the wiper arm hook into the
wiper arm (3).
4. While holding the wiper arm, push the wiper blade up and away from
the windshield.
5. Close the lock cover.
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.
ENGINE OIL
Checking the engine oil
Refer to thescheduled maintenance informationfor the appropriate
intervals for checking the engine oil.
1. Make sure the vehicle is on level ground.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 15 minutes for the oil to drain into the
oil pan.
3. Set the parking brake and ensure the gearshift is securely latched in P
(Park).
4. Open the hood. Protect yourself from engine heat.
Maintenance and Specifications
378
2012 F-150(f12)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 383 of 462

WARNING: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.
WARNING:Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain
lead and lead compounds.Note: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. Flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) must also relearn the ethanol
content of the fuel 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. Release the parking brake. With your foot on the brake pedal and with
the A/C on, put the vehicle in D (Drive) and allow the engine to idle for
at least one minute.
7. 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 along with the ethanol content
for flexible fuel vehicles.
•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.
•
For flexible fuel vehicles, if you are operating on E85, you may
experience poor starts or an inability to start the engine and driveability
problems until the fuel trim and ethanol content have been relearned.
Maintenance and Specifications
383
2012 F-150(f12)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 390 of 462

Continued operation will increase the engine temperature:
•The engine will completely shut down.
•Steering and braking effort will increase.
Once the engine temperature cools, the engine can be re-started. Take
your vehicle to an authorized dealer as soon as possible to minimize
engine damage.
When fail-safe mode is activated
You have limited engine power when in the fail-safe mode, so drive the
vehicle with caution. The vehicle will not be able to maintain high speed
operation and the engine will run rough. Remember that the engine is
capable of completely shutting down automatically to prevent engine
damage, therefore:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible and turn off the engine.
2. Arrange for the vehicle to be taken to an authorized dealer.
3. If this is not possible, wait a short period for the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level and replenish if low.
WARNING:Fail-safe mode is for use during emergencies only.
Operate the vehicle in fail-safe mode only as long as necessary to
bring the vehicle to rest in a safe location and seek immediate repairs.
When in fail-safe mode, the vehicle will have limited power, will not be
able to maintain high-speed operation, and may completely shut down
without warning, potentially losing engine power, power steering assist,
and power brake assist, which may increase the possibility of a crash
resulting in serious injury.
WARNING:Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the
engine is running or hot.
5. Restart the engine and take your vehicle to an authorized dealer.
Driving the vehicle without repairing the engine problem
increases the chance of engine damage. Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
Maintenance and Specifications
390
2012 F-150(f12)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)
Page 402 of 462

•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer toMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiesin this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance information.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
•To maximize the fuel economy, drive with the tonneau cover installed
(if equipped).
•Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
•Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
•Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
Maintenance and Specifications
402
2012 F-150(f12)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)