2012 FORD SUPER DUTY oil level

Vehicle Symbol Glossary
Power Windows
Front/Rear
Power Window Lockout
Child Safety Door
Lock/UnlockInterior Luggage
Compartment Release
Panic AlarmEngine Oil
Engine CoolantEngine Coolant
Temperature
Do Not Open When HotBattery
Avoid Smoking, Flames,
or SparksBattery Acid
Explosive GasFan Warning
Power Steering FluidMaintain Correct Fluid
LevelMAX
MIN
Service Engine SoonEngine Air Filter
Passenger Compartment
Air FilterJack
Check Fuel CapLow Tire Pressure
Warning
Introduction
13
2012 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

GAUGES
Base cluster with automatic transmission shown. Metric similar.
1.Engine oil pressure gauge:Indicates engine oil pressure. The
needle should stay in the normal operating range (between L and H). If
the needle falls below the normal range, stop the vehicle, turn off the
engine and check the engine oil level. Add oil if needed. If the oil level is
correct, have your vehicle checked at your authorized dealer.
2.Engine coolant temperature gauge:Indicates engine coolant
temperature. At normal operating temperature, the needle will be in the
normal range (between H and C).If it enters the red section, the
engine is overheating. Stop the vehicle as soon as safely possible,
switch off the engine and let the engine cool.
WARNING:Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the
engine is running or hot.
3.Transmission fluid temperature gauge:If the gauge is in the:
Normal areaThe transmission fluid is within the normal operating
temperature (between H and C).
1234
65
Instrument Cluster
21
2012 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

System check and vehicle feature customization
Press the SETUP button repeatedly
to cycle the message center through
the following features:
Note:When returning to the SETUP menu and a non-English language
has been selected, HOLD RESET FOR ENGLISH will be displayed to
change back to English. Press and hold the RESET button to change
back to English.
RESET FOR SYSTEM CHECK
When this message appears, press the RESET button and the message
center will begin to cycle through the following systems and provide a
status of the item if needed.
1. OIL LIFE
2. EXHAUST FLUID LEVEL (Diesel only)
3. ENGINE HOURS
4. ENGINE IDLE HOURS
5. CHARGING SYSTEM
6. DOOR
7. BRAKE SYSTEM
8. TBC GAIN = XX.X (if equipped)
9. FUEL LEVEL
10. MYKEY DISTANCE (if MyKeyis programmed)
11. MYKEY(S) PROGRAMMED
12. ADMIN KEYS PROGRAMMED
Note:Some systems show a message only if a condition is present.
Instrument Cluster
25
2012 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

ENGINE IDLED SEE MANUAL EXHAUST FLUID SYSTEM FAULT
(diesel engine only)— Displayed when the SCR system detects a
fault. The engine will enter into an idle only mode. Refer to your diesel
supplement for more information. Contact your authorized dealer as soon
as possible.
ENGINE OIL DILUTED (diesel engine only)— Displays once the
engine oil has become diluted and needs to be changed. Refer to your
diesel supplement for more information.
ENGINE OIL CHANGE SOON— Displayed when the engine oil life
remaining is 5% to 1%. Refer to thescheduled maintenance
informationfor more information.
OIL CHANGE REQUIRED— Displayed when the oil life left reaches
0%. Refer to thescheduled maintenance informationfor more
information.
LOW FUEL PRESSURE SEE MANUAL (diesel engine only)—If
this message appears during a cold start or during cold operation 32°F
(0°C) up to 10 minutes after the initial cold start; monitor the message
center and if it disappears and does not re-appear after the engine has
fully warmed up, the low fuel pressure message is most likely caused by
waxed or gelled fuel. To prevent this, use an anti-gel additive. Refer to
your diesel supplement for more information. The customer warranty
may be void from using additives that do not meet or exceed Ford
specifications. If the low fuel pressure message persistently appears after
re-fueling during the cold start and cold operation conditions defined
previously and then disappear when the engine has fully warmed up,
consider different fuel sources.
•Low Fuel Operation: If the message appears when the vehicle is warm
and during low fuel tank level operation, i.e. the tank level is at or
very near empty, refuel the vehicle and operate the vehicle. If the
message reappears after fueling, see below. If the message does not
come back, the low fuel pressure condition was due to low fuel levels
in the fuel tank.
•Normal Operation: If the message appears during normal operation
when the vehicle / engine is fully warm, and fuel level is not low, the
fuel filters must be changed regardless of the maintenance schedule
interval. If replacement of the fuel filter does not remedy the low fuel
pressure message during normal operation as defined above, please
take the vehicle to your authorized dealer.
Instrument Cluster
39
2012 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

Determine which magnetic zone you
are in for your geographic location
by referring to the zone map.
Vehicle (cont’d)
Compass
(cont’d)Calibration (When choosing Calibration, follow the
on-screen directions to calibrate the compass)
Easy Entry/Exit On/Off
DTE Calculation
(distance to
empty)Normal History Used
Towing History Used
Locks Autolock, On/Off
Autounlock On/Off
Unlocking One Stage or Two Stage
Maintenance Coolant (if
equipped)Hold OK if coolant maintenance
performed
Fuel Filter
(diesel only)Hold OK if Fuel Filter Changed
Menu ControlStandard: with standard set, pressing the up/down
arrows from a lower level menu will escape to the
main menu.
Memory On: with memory on set, pressing the
up/down arrows will navigate to the previous lower
level menu.
Oil Life Reset (if
equipped)Set to XXX% (Press and hold OK to set).
Remote StartDuration 5, 10 or 15 minutes
System Enable/Disable
Windows Remote Open On/Off
Wiper Control On/Off
1 2 3
4
5
6 7 8 9 101112 13 14 15
Instrument Cluster
46
2012 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

System Check
Oil Life
Engine Hours
Engine Idle Hours
Doors
Exhaust Fluid Level (diesel only)
Brakes
Trailer Brake
Ctrl.Gain and Output (when trailer is connected)
No trailer (when no trailer is connected)
Trailer Sway
Park Aid Check Rear Park Aid
Fuel Level (distance to empty)
Some items will only display during a system check if a problem has
been detected. If an issue exists on one of the monitored systems, the
message center will display the number of warnings that need immediate
attention in red and the number of informational warnings will be listed
in amber. Use the up/down arrow buttons to scroll through the list; press
the right arrow button to display specific information on the highlighted
warning.
Compass/transmission indicator displays
The compass heading will display in the upper right corner of the
message center; the transmission gear indicator displays in the right side
of the message center when using the SelectShift Automatic™
transmission feature. These displays will not be shown in all screen
modes. For example: when programming certain vehicle features or in
certain information menus.
System warnings and status messages
System warnings alert you to possible problems or malfunctions in your
vehicle’s operating systems.
In the event of a multiple warning situation, the message center will
cycle the display to show all warnings by displaying each one for four
seconds.
The message center will display the last selected feature if there are no
more warning messages.
Types of messages and warnings:
•Some messages will appear briefly to inform you of something you
may need to take action on or be informed of.
Instrument Cluster
48
2012 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

ENGINE WARMING PLEASE WAIT (diesel engine only)—
Displayed in extremely cold weather, typically below –15°F (–26°C), if
the engine block heater is not utilized. The engine will not respond to
accelerator pedal movement for 30 seconds; this is done so the engine oil
can be properly circulated to avoid engine damage from lack of
lubrication. A timer will begin a countdown from 30 seconds. Once the
counter has reached 0 seconds, OK TO DRIVE will be displayed and the
engine will respond to accelerator pedal movement. Refer to your diesel
supplement for more information.
EXHAUST FILTER DRIVE COMPLETE (diesel engine only)—
Displayed when the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) has been adequately
cleaned after the DRIVE TO CLEAN EXHAUST FILTER followed by
CLEANING EXHAUST FILTER messages have been displayed. This
message is NORMAL. Refer to your diesel supplement for more
information.
EXHAUST FILTER CLEANED (diesel engine only)— Displayed
when the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) has been adequately cleaned by
the manual regeneration process (OCR). Refer to your diesel supplement
for more information.
EXHAUST CLEAN STOPPED (diesel engine only)— Displayed
when the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) manual regeneration process
(OCR) has been stopped. Refer to your diesel supplement for more
information.
EXHAUST FLUID RANGE XXX MI (diesel engine only)— Displays
the distance you can travel before depleting the remaining diesel exhaust
fluid. Refer to your diesel supplement for more information.
IN XX MILES, SPEED LIMITED TO XX MPH EXHAUST FLUID
EMPTY (diesel engine only)— Displayed when the diesel exhaust
fluid is nearing empty. The vehicle’s top speed will become limited in the
displayed distance. The diesel exhaust fluid must be replenished to
resume normal operation of the vehicle. Refer to your diesel supplement
for more information.
SPEED LIMITED TO XX MPH UPON RESTART EXHAUST FLUID
EMPTY (diesel engine only)— Displayed when the remaining diesel
exhaust fluid level is depleted. Speed will be limited upon restart. The
diesel exhaust fluid must be replenished to resume normal operation of
the vehicle. Refer to your diesel supplement for more information.
SPEED LIMITED TO XX MPH EXHAUST FLUID EMPTY (diesel
engine only)— Displayed when the diesel exhaust fluid is empty. The
diesel exhaust fluid must be replenished to resume normal operation of
the vehicle. Refer to your diesel supplement for more information.
Instrument Cluster
52
2012 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)

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.
5. Locate and carefully remove the engine oil dipstick.
•6.2L/6.8L gasoline engines only;
for diesel engine information,
refer to the diesel supplement.
6. Wipe the dipstick clean. Insert the dipstick fully, then remove it again.
•If the oil level isbetween the two holes,the oil level is acceptable.
DO NOT ADD OIL.
•If the oil level is at or below the lower hole, add enough oil to raise
the level to within the two holes.
•Oil levels above the upper hole may cause engine damage. Some oil
must be removed from the engine by a service technician.
Maintenance and Specifications
379
2012 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA(fus)