2013 FORD F250 maintenance

Introduction 9
Child Safety 18
Child seats...........................................20
Child seat positioning...................................20
Booster seats.........................................22
Installing child safety seats...............................25
Child safety locks......................................35
Safety Belts 36
Fastening the safety belts................................38
Safety belt height adjustment.............................42
Safetybeltwarninglightandindicatorchime..................43
Safety belt-minder.....................................43
Child restraint and safety belt maintenance...................45
Supplementary Restraints System 46
Driver and passenger airbags.............................48
Side airbags..........................................56
Safety canopy curtain airbags.............................57
Crash sensors and airbag indicator.........................59
Airbag disposal........................................60
Keys and Remote Control 61
General information on radio frequencies.....................61
Remote control.......................................62
Keys...............................................62
Replacing a lost key or remote control.......................66
MyKey 67
Settings, MyKey.......................................67
Creating.............................................68
Clearing.............................................69
System status.........................................70
Remote start, MyKey...................................70
Troubleshooting, MyKey.................................71
Table of Contents1
2013 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide gf, 3rd Printing, December 2012
USA(fus)

Maintenance 302
General information...................................302
Opening and closing the hood............................303
Under hood overview..................................304
Engine oil dipstick....................................306
Engine oil check......................................306
Engine coolant check..................................307
Automatic transmission fluid check........................313
Brake fluid check.....................................317
Power steering fluid check..............................317
Fuel filter...........................................317
Washer fluid check....................................318
Changing the vehicle battery.............................318
Checking the wiper blades..............................321
Air filter(s).........................................323
Adjusting the headlamps................................325
Changing a bulb......................................326
Bulb specification chart.................................331
Vehicle Care 332
Cleaning products.....................................332
Cleaning the exterior..................................332
Waxing.............................................334
Repairing minor paint damage............................334
Cleaning the engine...................................334
Cleaning the windows and wiper blades.....................335
Cleaning the interior...................................335
Cleaning the instrument panel and instrument cluster lens.......336
Cleaning the alloy wheels...............................340
Vehicle storage.......................................340
6Table of Contents
2013 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide gf, 3rd Printing, December 2012
USA(fus)

Wheels and Tires 343
Tire care...........................................345
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)...................364
Changing a road wheel.................................371
Technical specifications.................................387
Wheel lug nut torque..................................387
Capacities and Specifications 389
Engine specifications..................................389
Engine drivebelt......................................389
Part numbers........................................395
Vehicle identification number............................395
Vehicle certification label...............................396
Transmission code designation............................397
Accessories 398
Accessories.........................................398
Ford Extended Service Plan 400
Scheduled Maintenance 403
Normal scheduled maintenance and log.....................408
SYNC® 420
Pairing your phone for the first time.......................426
911 Assist™.........................................441
Vehicle Health Report..................................443
Table of Contents7
2013 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide gf, 3rd Printing, December 2012
USA(fus)

REPLACEMENT PARTS RECOMMENDATION
Your vehicle has been built to the highest standards using quality parts.
We recommend that you demand the use of genuine Ford and Motorcraft
parts whenever your vehicle requires scheduled maintenance or repair.
You can clearly identify genuine Ford and Motorcraft parts by looking
for the Ford, FoMoCo or Motorcraft branding on the parts or their
packaging.
Scheduled Maintenance and Mechanical Repairs
One of the best ways for you to make sure that your vehicle provides years
of service is to have it maintained in line with our recommendations using
parts that conform to the specifications detailed in this owner’s manual.
Genuine Ford and Motorcraft parts meet or exceed these specifications.
Collision Repairs
We hope that you never experience a collision, but accidents do
happen. Genuine Ford replacement collision parts meet our stringent
requirements for fit, finish, structural integrity, corrosion protection and
dent resistance. During vehicle development, we validate that these parts
deliver the intended level of protection as a whole system. A great way
to know for sure you are getting this level of protection is to use genuine
Ford replacement collision parts.
Warranty on Replacement Parts
Genuine Ford and Motorcraft replacement parts are the only
replacement parts that benefit from a Ford Warranty. Damage caused
to your vehicle as a result of the failure of non-Ford parts may not be
covered by the Ford Warranty. For additional information, see the terms
and conditions of the Ford Warranty.
SPECIAL NOTICES
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
For a detailed description of what is covered and what is not covered
by your vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty, see the warranty
information that is provided to you along with your owner’s manual.
Introduction15
2013 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide gf, 3rd Printing, December 2012
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3. Buckle then unbuckle the safety belt three times at a moderate speed,
ending with the safety belt in the unbuckled state.
•After Step 3 is complete, the safety belt warning light will be turned
on for three seconds.
4. Within seven seconds of the light turning on, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt.
•This will disable the Belt-Minder feature if it is currently enabled.
•This will enable the Belt-Minder feature if it is currently disabled.
CHILD RESTRAINT AND SAFETY BELT MAINTENANCE
Inspect the vehicle safety belts and child safety seat systems periodically
to make sure they work properly and are not damaged. Inspect the vehicle
and child seat safety belts to make sure there are no nicks, tears or cuts.
Replace if necessary. All vehicle safety belt assemblies, including retractors,
buckles, front safety belt buckle assemblies, buckle support assemblies
(slide bar-if equipped), shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped),
shoulder belt guide on seat back (if equipped), child safety seat LATCH
and tether anchors, and attaching hardware, should be inspected after a
crash. Read the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for additional
inspection and maintenance information specific to the child restraint.
Ford Motor Company recommends that all safety belt assemblies in use
in vehicles involved in a crash be replaced. However, if the crash was
minor and an authorized dealer finds that the belts do not show damage
and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced.
Safety belt assemblies not in use during a crash should also be inspected
and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
For proper care of soiled safety belts, seeCleaning the Interiorin the
Vehicle Carechapter.
Safety Belts45
2013 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
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USA(fus)

The airbags are a supplemental restraint system and are designed to
work with the safety belts to help protect the driver and right front
passenger from certain upper body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly;
there is a risk of injury from a deploying airbag.
Note:You will hear a loud bang and see a cloud of harmless powdery
residue if an airbag deploys. This is normal.
The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly upon activation. After airbag
deployment, it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery residue or smell
the burnt propellant. This may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder (to
lubricate the bag) or sodium compounds (for example, baking soda) that
result from the combustion process that inflates the airbag. Small amounts
of sodium hydroxide may be present which may irritate the skin and eyes,
but none of the residue is toxic. While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, contact with a deploying airbag may also cause
abrasions or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also a possibility as a result
of the noise associated with a deploying airbag. Because airbags must
inflate rapidly and with considerable force, there is the risk of death
or serious injuries, such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or internal
injuries, particularly to occupants who are not properly restrained or are
otherwise out of position at the time of airbag deployment. Thus, it is
extremely important that occupants be properly restrained as far away
from the airbag module as possible while maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is not required.
SOS POST-CRASH ALERT SYSTEM™
The system flashes the turn signal lamps and sounds the horn
(intermittently) in the event of a serious impact that deploys an airbag
equipped on your vehicle, such as front, side, side curtain or Safety
Canopy®.
The horn and lamps will turn off when:
•the hazard control button is pressed
•the panic button (if equipped) is pressed on the remote entry
transmitter, or
•your vehicle runs out of power.
Supplementary Restraints System47
2013 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide gf, 3rd Printing, December 2012
USA(fus)

Children 12 years old and under should always be properly restrained
in the rear seats. The Safety Canopy will not interfere with children
restrained using a properly installed child or booster seat because it is
designed to inflate downward from the headliner above the doors along
the side window opening.
The design and development of the Safety Canopy included
recommended testing procedures that were developed by a group of
automotive safety experts known as the Side Airbag Technical Working
Group. These recommended testing procedures help reduce the risk of
injuries related to the deployment of side airbags (including the Safety
Canopy).
CRASH SENSORS AND AIRBAG INDICATOR
WARNING:Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of
your vehicle (including frame, bumper, front end body structure
and tow hooks) may affect the performance of the airbag system,
increasing the risk of injury. Do not modify the front end of your vehicle.
Your vehicle has a collection of crash and occupant sensors which
provide information to the restraints control module which deploys
(activates) the front safety belt pretensioners, driver airbag, passenger
airbag, seat mounted side airbags, and the Safety Canopy. Based on the
type of accident (frontal impact, side impact or rollover) the restraints
control module will deploy the appropriate safety devices.
The restraints control module also monitors the readiness of the above
safety devices plus the crash and occupant sensors. The readiness of the
safety system is indicated by a warning indicator light in the instrument
cluster or by a backup tone if the warning light is not working. See the
Instrument Clusterchapter. Routine maintenance of the airbag is not
required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
•The readiness light will either flash or stay lit.
•The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after the
ignition is turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem or light are repaired.
Supplementary Restraints System59
2013 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide gf, 3rd Printing, December 2012
USA(fus)

Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
Indicates engine coolant temperature. At normal operating temperature,
the level indicator will be in the normal range. If the engine coolant
temperature exceeds the normal range, 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.
Transmission Fluid Temperature Gauge
Indicates transmission fluid temperature. At normal operating
temperature, the level indicator will be in the normal range. If the
transmission fluid temperature exceeds the normal range, stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible and verify the airflow is not restricted
such as snow or debris blocking airflow through the grill. Also, higher
than normal operating temperature can be caused by special operation
conditions (i.e. snowplowing, towing or off-road use). Refer toSpecial
operating conditions in the scheduled maintenance informationfor
instructions. Operating the transmission for extended periods of time
with the gauge in the higher than normal area may cause internal
transmission damage. Altering the severity of the driving conditions is
recommended to lower the transmission temperature into the normal
range. If the gauge continues to show high temperatures, see your
authorized dealer.
Fuel Gauge
Indicates approximately how much fuel is left in the fuel tank (when the
ignition is on). The fuel gauge may vary slightly when the vehicle is in
motion or on a grade. The fuel icon and arrow indicates which side of
the vehicle the fuel filler door is located.
Information Display
Odometer
Located in the bottom of the information display Registers the
accumulated distance your vehicle has travelled.
Trip Computer
SeeTrip A/BinInformation Displays.
Vehicle Settings and Personalization
SeeInformation Displays.
98Instrument Cluster
2013 F-250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide gf, 3rd Printing, December 2012
USA(fus)