2013 FORD F SERIES MOTORHOME AND COMMERCIAL CHASSIS towing

Cruise Control 46
Usingcruisecontrol....................................46
Load Carrying 48
Vehicle loading........................................48
Towing 54
Trailertowing.........................................54
Wrecker towing.......................................59
Driving Hints 60
Economical driving.....................................60
Roadside Emergencies 62
Getting roadside assistance...............................62
Hazard flasher control..................................63
Jump-starting the vehicle................................64
Customer Assistance 67
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only)........................73
Reporting safety defects (Canada only)......................73
Fuses 74
Changing a fuse.......................................74
Fuse specification chart.................................75
Maintenance 83
General information....................................83
Under hood overview...................................84
Engine oil dipstick.....................................86
Engine oil check.......................................86
Engine coolant check...................................87
Automatic transmission fluid check.........................91
Fuel filter...........................................97
Battery .............................................98
Air filter(s).........................................100
2Table of Contents
2013 Motorhome(mot)
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Transmission Fluid Temperature Gauge
Normal area:The transmission fluid is within the normal operating
temperature (between H and C).
Yellow area:The transmission fluid is higher than normal operating
temperature. This can be caused by special operation conditions (i.e.
snowplowing, towing or off-road use). Operating the transmission for
extended periods of time with the gauge in the yellow area may cause
internal transmission damage. Altering the severity of the driving
conditions is recommended to lower the transmission temperature into
the normal range.
Red area:The transmission fluid is overheating. Stop the vehicle to
allow the temperature to return to normal range.
If the gauge is operating in the yellow or red area, stop the vehicle and
verify the airflow is not restricted such as snow or debris blocking airflow
through the grill. If the gauge continues to show high temperatures, see
your authorized dealer.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
At normal operating temperature, the needle will remain in the center
section. If the needle enters the red section, the engine is overheating.
Stop the engine, switch the ignition off and determine the cause once
the engine has cooled down. SeeEngine Coolant Check.
Note:Do not restart the engine until the cause of overheating has been
resolved.
WARNING:Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the
engine is running or hot.
Fuel Gauge
Switch the ignition on. The fuel gauge will indicate approximately how
much fuel is left in the fuel tank. The fuel gauge may vary slightly when
the vehicle is moving or on a gradient. The arrow adjacent to the fuel
pump symbol indicates on which side of your vehicle the fuel filler door
is located.
Instrument Cluster17
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Brake, Oil, Fuel and
Transmission
MessagesAction / Description
LOW OIL
PRESSUREDisplayed when the engine oil pressure is low.
If this warning message is displayed, check the
level of the engine oil. If the oil level is OK
and this warning persists, shut down the
engine immediately and contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
CHECK TRANS
TEMPERATUREDisplayed when the transmission fluid is
overheating. This warning may appear when
towing heavy loads or when driving in a low
gear at a high speed for an extended period of
time. Stop the vehicle as soon as safely
possible, turn off the engine and let the
transmission cool.
CHECK FUEL CAPDisplayed when the fuel cap is loose, not
seated properly or off. Stop the vehicle when
convenient, turn off the engine and check that
the fuel cap is properly inserted. Rotate the
cap until aclickis heard. The warning
message will be removed after the proper
drive cycle is completed. SeeOn Board
Diagnostics OBDII section for drive cycle
explaination. If the warning message remains
on or continues to comes back on, see your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
26Information Displays
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Calculating fuel economy
Do not measure fuel economy during the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of
driving (this is your engine’s break-in period); a more accurate
measurement is obtained after 2,000 miles–3,000 miles (3,200 km–4,800
km). Also, fuel expense, frequency of fill-ups or fuel gauge readings are
not accurate ways to measure fuel economy.
1. Fill the fuel tank completely and record the initial odometer reading.
2. Each time you fill the tank, record the amount of fuel added.
3. After at least three to five tank fill-ups, fill the fuel tank and record
the current odometer reading.
4. Subtract your initial odometer reading from the current odometer
reading.
5. Calculate fuel economy as follows:
Standard: Divide miles traveled by gallons used.
Metric: Multiply liters used by 100, then divide by kilometers traveled.
Keep a record for at least one month and record the type of driving (city
or highway). This provides an accurate estimate of the vehicle’s fuel
economy under current driving conditions. Additionally, keeping records
during summer and winter show how temperature impacts fuel economy.
In general, lower temperatures mean lower fuel economy.
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 racks) may reduce
fuel economy.
•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.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
Fuel and Refueling35
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R (Reverse)
With the gearshift lever in R (Reverse), the vehicle will move backward.
Always come to a complete stop before shifting into and out of R
(Reverse).
N (Neutral)
With the gearshift lever in N (Neutral), the vehicle can be started and is
free to roll. Hold the brake pedal down while in this position.
D (Overdrive) with tow/haul off
D (Overdrive) with tow/haul off is the normal driving position for the
best fuel economy. The overdrive function allows automatic upshifts and
downshifts through gears one through five.
D (Overdrive) with tow/haul on
The tow/haul feature improves
transmission operation when towing
a trailer or a heavy load. All
transmission gear ranges are
available when using tow/haul.
To activate tow/haul, press the button on the end of the gearshift lever.
The TOW HAUL indicator light will
illuminate in the instrument cluster.
Tow/haul delays upshifts to reduce frequency of transmission shifting.
Tow/haul also provides engine braking in all forward gears when the
transmission is in the D (Overdrive) position; this engine braking will
slow the vehicle and assist the driver in controlling the vehicle when
descending a grade. Depending on driving conditions and load
conditions, the transmission may downshift, slow the vehicle and control
the vehicle speed when descending a hill, without the accelerator pedal
being pressed. The amount of downshift braking provided will vary based
upon the amount the brake pedal is pressed.
Grade braking downshifts occur automatically when all three of the
following occur:
•Positive vehicle acceleration (natural acceleration from driving on a
decline) is sensed.
•Nearly all pressure is released from the accelerator pedal.
•A minimum amount of time has expired since the last grade braking
downshift.
TOW/HAUL ON
40Transmission
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LOAD LIMIT
Vehicle Loading – With and Without a Trailer
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Safety Compliance Certification Label:
Base Curb Weight– is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight– is the weight of your new vehicle when you picked
it up from your authorized dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
Cargo Weight– includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load
weight is also part of cargo weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight)– is the total weight placed on each axle
(front and rear) – including vehicle curb weight and all payload.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)– is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear).These
numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label.
The label shall be 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. The total load on each axle
must never exceed its GAWR.
48Load Carrying
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Note:For trailer towing information refer toTrailer towingfound in
this chapter or theRV and Trailer Towing Guideprovided by your
authorized dealer.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)– is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo +
passengers.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)– is the maximum allowable
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including all options, equipment,
passengers and cargo).The GVWR is shown on the Safety
Compliance Certification Label. The label shall be 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.
The GVW must never exceed the GVWR.
Load Carrying49
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GCW (Gross Combined Weight)– is the weight of the loaded vehicle
(GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)– is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer – including all cargo and
passengers – that the vehicle can handle without risking damage.
(Important: The towing vehicle’s braking system is rated for operation at
GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe
control of towed vehicles and for trailers where the GCW of the towing
vehicle plus the trailer exceed the GVWR of the towing vehicle.The
GCW must never exceed the GCWR.
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight– is the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of
10–15% (conventional trailer), and driver only (150 lb. [68 kg]).Consult
your authorized dealer (or theRV and Trailer Towing Guide
provided by your authorized dealer) for more detailed
information.
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 original tires because they may lower
the vehicle’s GVWR and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a
higher limit than the original tires 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.
Load Carrying51
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