2013 FORD ESCAPE Owners Manual

Body
•Wash vehicle thoroughly to remove
dirt, grease, oil, tar or mud from exterior
surfaces, rear-wheel housing and
underside of front fenders.
• Periodically wash vehicles stored in
exposed locations.
• Touch-up raw or primed metal to
prevent rust
• Cover chrome and stainless steel parts
with a thick coat of auto wax to prevent
discoloration. Re-wax as necessary
when the vehicle is washed.
• Lubricate all hood, door and trunk lid
hinges, and latches with a light grade
oil.
• Cover interior trim to prevent fading.
• Keep all rubber parts free from oil and
solvents.
Engine
• The engine oil and filter should be
changed prior to storage, as used
engine oil contain contaminates that
may cause engine damage.
• Start the engine every 15 days. Run at
fast idle until it reaches normal
operating temperature
• With your foot on the brake, shift
through all the gears while the engine
is running.
Fuel system
• Fill the fuel tank with high-quality fuel
until the first automatic shutoff of the
fuel pump nozzle. Note:
During extended periods of vehicle
storage (30 days or more), fuel may
deteriorate due to oxidation. Add a quality
gas stabilizer product to the vehicle fuel
system whenever actual or expected
storage periods exceed 30 days. Follow the
instructions on the additive label. The
vehicle should then be operated at idle
speed to circulate the additive throughout
the fuel system.
Cooling system
• Protect against freezing temperatures.
• When removing vehicle from storage,
check coolant fluid level. Confirm there
are no cooling system leaks, and fluid
is at the recommended level.
Battery
• Check and recharge as necessary. Keep
connections clean.
• If storing your vehicle for more than 30
days without recharging the battery, it
may be advisable to disconnect the
battery cables to ensure battery charge
is maintained for quick starting.
Note: If battery cables are disconnected, it
will be necessary to reset memory features.
Brakes
• Make sure brakes and parking brake
are fully released.
Tires
• Maintain recommended air pressure.
Miscellaneous
• Make sure all linkages, cables, levers
and pins under vehicle are covered with
grease to prevent rust.
• Move vehicles at least 25 feet (8
meters) every 15 days to lubricate
working parts and prevent corrosion.
241
Vehicle Care

Removing Vehicle From Storage
When your vehicle is ready to come out of
storage, do the following:
•Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt
or grease film build-up on window
surfaces.
• Check windshield wipers for any
deterioration.
• Check under the hood for any foreign
material that may have collected
during storage (mice/squirrel nests).
• Check the exhaust for any foreign
material that may have collected
during storage.
• Check tire pressures and set tire
inflation per the Tire Label.
• Check brake pedal operation. Drive the
vehicle 15 feet (4.5 meters) back and
forth to remove rust build-up.
• Check fluid levels (including coolant,
oil and gas) to make sure there are no
leaks, and fluids are at recommended
levels.
• If the battery was removed, clean the
battery cable ends and inspect.
Contact your authorized dealer if you have
any concerns or issues.
242
Vehicle Care

GENERAL INFORMATION
Notice to utility vehicle and truck
owners
WARNINGS
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types
of vehicles. To reduce the risk of
serious injury or death from a rollover or
other crash you must avoid sharp turns and
abrupt maneuvers, drive at safe speeds for
the conditions, keep tires properly inflated,
never overload or improperly load your
vehicle, and make sure every passenger is
properly restrained.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat belt.
All occupants must wear seat belts and
children/infants must use appropriate
restraints to minimize the risk of injury or
ejection.
Do not become overconfident in the
ability of four-wheel drive vehicles.
Although a four-wheel drive vehicle
may accelerate better than a two-wheel
drive vehicle in low traction situations, it
won't stop any faster than two-wheel drive
vehicles. Always drive at a safe speed.
Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in the
various driving conditions that are
encountered on streets, highways and
off-road. Utility vehicles and trucks are not
designed for cornering at speeds as high
as passenger cars any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions.
Study your owner's manual and any
supplements for specific information about
equipment features, instructions for safe
driving and additional precautions to
reduce the risk of an accident or serious
injury.
Four-wheel drive system (if
equipped)
WARNING
Do not become overconfident in the
ability of four-wheel drive vehicles.
Although a four-wheel drive vehicle
may accelerate better than a two-wheel
drive vehicle in low traction situations, it
won't stop any faster than two-wheel drive
vehicles. Always drive at a safe speed.
A vehicle equipped with four-wheel drive
(when selected) has the ability to use all
four wheels to power itself. This increases
traction which may enable you to safely
drive over terrain and road conditions that
a conventional two-wheel drive vehicle
cannot.
For four-wheel drive vehicles, a spare tire
of a different size other than the tire
provided should never be used. A dissimilar
spare tire size (other than the spare tire
provided) or major dissimilar tire sized
between the front and rear axles could
cause the four-wheel drive system to stop
functioning and default to front-wheel
drive.
243
Wheels and Tires
E145298

How your vehicle differs from
other vehicles
Sport utility vehicles s and trucks can differ
from some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may be:
•Higher - to allow higher load carrying
capacity and to allow it to travel over
rough terrain without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
• Shorter - to give it the capability to
approach inclines and drive over the
crest of a hill without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
All other things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs
than a vehicle with a longer wheelbase.
• Narrower - to provide greater
maneuverability in tight spaces,
particularly in off-road use.
As a result of the above dimensional
differences, Sport utility vehicles and
trucks often will have a higher center of
gravity and a greater difference in center
of gravity between the loaded and
unloaded condition. These differences that
make your vehicle so versatile also make
it handle differently than an ordinary
passenger car.
244
Wheels and Tires
E145299
E145300

TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform Tire
Quality Grading
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires. The Quality
grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A.
These Tire Quality Grades are determined
by standards that the United States
Department of Transportation has set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires. They do
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver or temporary use spare
tires, light truck or LT type tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
or limited production tires as defined in
Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part
575.104 (c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation Tire
quality grades: The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires Ford Motor
Company to give you the following
information about tire grades exactly as
the government has written it.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (11⁄2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices, and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B CWARNING
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
The traction grades, from highest to lowest
are AA, A, B, and C. The grades represent
the tire ’s ability to stop on wet pavement
as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Temperature A B C
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
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Wheels and Tires
E142542

The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation of heat and
its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 139. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Glossary of Tire Terminology
• Tire label: A label showing the OE
(Original Equipment) tire sizes,
recommended inflation pressure and
the maximum weight the vehicle can
carry.
• Tire Identification Number (TIN): A
number on the sidewall of each tire
providing information about the tire
brand and manufacturing plant, tire
size and date of manufacture. Also
referred to as DOT code.
• Inflation pressure: A measure of the
amount of air in a tire.
• Standard load: A class of P-metric or
Metric tires designed to carry a
maximum load at 35 psi [37 psi (2.5
bar) for Metric tires]. Increasing the
inflation pressure beyond this pressure
will not increase the tire ’s load carrying
capability.
• Extra load: A class of P-metric or
Metric tires designed to carry a heavier
maximum load at 41 psi [43 psi (2.9
bar) for Metric tires]. Increasing the
inflation pressure beyond this pressure
will not increase the tire ’s load carrying
capability. •
kPa: Kilopascal, a metric unit of air
pressure.
• PSI: Pounds per square inch, a
standard unit of air pressure.
• Cold inflation pressure: The tire
pressure when the vehicle has been
stationary and out of direct sunlight for
an hour or more and prior to the vehicle
being driven for 1 mile (1.6 km).
• Recommended inflation pressure:
The cold inflation pressure found on
the Safety Compliance Certification
Label (affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch post, next
to the driver's seating position), or Tire
Label located on the B-Pillar or the
edge of the driver ’s door.
• B-pillar: The structural member at the
side of the vehicle behind the front
door
• Bead area of the tire: Area of the tire
next to the rim.
• Sidewall of the tire: Area between
the bead area and the tread.
• Tread area of the tire: Area of the
perimeter of the tire that contacts the
road when mounted on the vehicle.
• Rim: The metal support (wheel) for a
tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Information Contained on the Tire
Sidewall
Both U.S. and Canada Federal regulations
require tire manufacturers to place
standardized information on the sidewall
of all tires. This information identifies and
describes the fundamental characteristics
of the tire and also provides a U.S. DOT
Tire Identification Number for safety
standard certification and in case of a
recall.
246
Wheels and Tires

Information on P Type Tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a tire
size, load index and speed rating. The
definitions of these items are listed below.
(Note that the tire size, load index and
speed rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
A.P: Indicates a tire, designated by the Tire
and Rim Association (T&RA), that may be
used for service on cars, SUVs, minivans
and light trucks. Note: If your tire size does
not begin with a letter this may mean it is
designated by either ETRTO (European
Tire and Rim Technical Organization) or
JATMA (Japan Tire Manufacturing
Association).
B. 215: Indicates the nominal width of the
tire in millimeters from sidewall edge to
sidewall edge. In general, the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
C. 65: Indicates the aspect ratio which
gives the tire's ratio of height to width.
D. R: Indicates a radial type tire. E.
15: Indicates the wheel or rim diameter
in inches. If you change your wheel size,
you will have to purchase new tires to
match the new wheel diameter.
F. 95: Indicates the tire's load index. It is
an index that relates to how much weight
a tire can carry. You may find this
information in your owner ’s manual. If not,
contact a local tire dealer.
Note: You may not find this information on
all tires because it is not required by federal
law.
G. H: Indicates the tire's speed rating. The
speed rating denotes the speed at which
a tire is designed to be driven for extended
periods of time under a standard condition
of load and inflation pressure. The tires on
your vehicle may operate at different
conditions for load and inflation pressure.
These speed ratings may need to be
adjusted for the difference in conditions.
The ratings range from 81 mph (130 km/h)
to 186 mph (299 km/h). These ratings are
listed in the following chart.
Note: You may not find this information on
all tires because it is not required by federal
law.
Speed rating - mph (km/ h)
Letter rating
81 mph (130 km/h)
M
87 mph (140 km/h)
N
99 mph (159 km/h)
Q
106 mph (171 km/h)
R
112 mph (180 km/h)
S
118 mph (190 km/h)
T
124 mph (200 km/h)
U
130 mph (210 km/h)
H
149 mph (240 km/h)
V
247
Wheels and Tires
H
I
J
KL
M
A
B
CDEFG
E142543

Speed rating - mph (km/h)
Letter rating
168 mph (270 km/h)
W
186 mph (299 km/h)
Y
Note: For tires with a maximum speed
capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacturers sometimes use the letters
ZR. For those with a maximum speed
capability over 186 mph (299 km/h), tire
manufacturers always use the letters ZR.
H. U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number
(TIN): This begins with the letters DOT
and indicates that the tire meets all federal
standards. The next two numbers or letters
are the plant code designating where it
was manufactured, the next two are the
tire size code and the last four numbers
represent the week and year the tire was
built. For example, the numbers 317 mean
the 31st week of 1997. After 2000 the
numbers go to four digits. For example,
2501 means the 25th week of 2001. The
numbers in between are identification
codes used for traceability. This
information is used to contact customers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
I. M+S or M/S: Mud and Snow, or
AT: All Terrain, or
AS: All Season.
J. Tire Ply Composition and Material
Used: Indicates the number of plies or the
number of layers of rubber-coated fabric
in the tire tread and sidewall. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the ply
materials in the tire and the sidewall, which
include steel, nylon, polyester, and others. K.
Maximum Load: Indicates the
maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire. Refer to the
Safety Compliance Certification Label
(affixed to either the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge that
meets the door-latch post, next to the
driver's seating position), for the correct
tire pressure for your vehicle.
L. Treadwear, Traction and
Temperature Grades:
• Treadwear The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified
government test course. For example,
a tire graded 150 would wear one and
one-half times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100.
• Traction: The traction grades, from
highest to lowest are AA, A, B, and C.
The grades represent the tire's ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
• Temperature: The temperature
grades are A (the highest), B and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
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Wheels and Tires