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General Maintenance
Information
Why Maintain Your Vehicle?
Carefully following the maintenance
schedule helps protect against major
repair expenses resulting from neglect
or inadequate maintenance and may
help to increase the value of your
vehicle when you sell or trade it. Keep
all receipts for completed
maintenance with your vehicle.
We have established regular
maintenance intervals for your vehicle
based upon rigorous testing. It is
important that you have your vehicle
serviced at the proper times. These
intervals serve two purposes; one is
to maintain the reliability of your
vehicle and the second is to keep your
cost of owning your vehicle down.
It is your responsibility to have all
scheduled maintenance performed
and to make sure that the materials
used meet the specifications
identified in this owner's manual. See
Capacities and Specifications
(page 330).
Failure to perform scheduled
maintenance invalidates warranty
coverage on parts affected by the lack
of maintenance. Why Maintain Your Vehicle at Your
Dealership?
Factory-Trained Technicians
Service technicians participate in
extensive factory-sponsored
certification training to help them
become experts on the operation of
your vehicle. Ask your dealership
about the training and certification
their technicians have received.
Genuine Ford and Motorcraft®
Replacement Parts
Dealerships stock Ford, Motorcraft
and Ford-authorized branded
re-manufactured replacement parts.
These parts meet or exceed our
specifications. Parts installed at your
dealership carry a nationwide
12-month or 12000-mile (20000
kilometers) parts and labor limited
warranty.
If you do not use Ford authorized parts
they may not meet our specifications
and depending on the part, it could
affect emissions compliance.
Convenience
Many dealerships have extended
evening and Saturday hours to make
your service visit more convenient and
they offer one stop shopping. They
can perform any services that are
required on your vehicle, from general
maintenance to collision repairs.
Note:
Not all dealers have extended
hours or body shops. Please contact
your dealer for details.
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Protecting Your Investment
Maintenance is an investment that
pays dividends in the form of
improved reliability, durability and
resale value. To maintain the proper
performance of your vehicle and its
emission control systems, make sure
you have scheduled maintenance
performed at the designated intervals.
Your vehicle is equipped with an
information display, which indicates
the proper oil change interval. This
interval may be up to one year or
10000 miles (16000 kilometers).
When ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or
OIL CHANGE REQUIRED appears in
the information display, it is time for
an oil change. Make sure you perform
the oil change within two weeks or
500 miles (800 kilometers) of the
ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE
or OIL
CHANGE REQUIRED message
appearing. Make sure you reset the oil
monitoring system after each oil
change. See Engine Oil Check (page
280
).
If your information display resets
prematurely, becomes inoperative or
the vehicle battery becomes
discharged or disconnected, the oil
monitoring system resets to 100% oil
life. You should change your engine
oil one year or 10000 miles (16000
kilometers) from the previous oil
change. Never exceed one year or
10000 miles (16000 kilometers)
between oil change intervals. Your vehicle is very sophisticated and
built with multiple, complex,
performance systems. Every
manufacturer develops these systems
using different specifications and
performance features. That is why it
is important to rely upon your
dealership to properly diagnose and
repair your vehicle.
Ford Motor Company has
recommended maintenance intervals
for various parts and component
systems based upon engineering
testing. Ford Motor Company relies
upon this testing to determine the
most appropriate mileage for
replacement of oils and fluids to
protect your vehicle at the lowest
overall cost to you and recommends
against maintenance schedules that
deviate from the scheduled
maintenance information.
We strongly recommend the use of
only genuine Ford, Motorcraft or
Ford-authorized re-manufactured
replacement parts engineered for your
vehicle.
Additives and Chemicals
This owner's manual and the Ford
Workshop Manual list the
recommended additives and
chemicals for your vehicle. We do not
recommend using chemicals or
additives not approved by us as part
of your vehicle
’s normal maintenance.
Please consult your warranty
information.
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Oils, Fluids and Flushing
In many cases, fluid discoloration is a
normal operating characteristic and,
by itself, does not necessarily indicate
a concern or that the fluid needs to be
changed. However, a qualified expert,
such as the factory-trained
technicians at your dealership, should
inspect discolored fluids that also
show signs of overheating or foreign
material contamination immediately.
Make sure to change your vehicle
’s
oils and fluids at the specified
intervals or in conjunction with a
repair. Flushing is a viable way to
change fluid for many vehicle
sub-systems during scheduled
maintenance. It is critical that systems
are flushed only with new fluid that is
the same as that required to fill and
operate the system or using a
Ford-approved flushing chemical.
Owner Checks and Services
Make sure you perform the following
basic maintenance checks and
inspections every month or at
six-month intervals. Check every month
Engine oil level.
Function of all interior and exterior lights.
Tires (including spare) for wear and proper pressure. Windshield washer fluid level. Check every six months
Battery connections. Clean if necessary.
Body and door drain holes for obstructions. Clean if necessary. Cooling system fluid level and coolant strength.
Door weatherstrips for wear. Lubricate if necessary.
Hinges, latches and outside locks for proper operation. Lubricate if necessary. Parking brake for proper operation.
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Check every six months
Safety belts and seat latches for wear and function.
Safety warning lamps (brake, ABS, airbag and safety belt) for operation.
Washer spray and wiper operation. Clean or replace blades as necessary.
Multi-point Inspection
In order to keep your vehicle running
right, it is important to have the
systems on your vehicle checked
regularly. This can help identify
potential issues and prevent major
problems. We recommend having the
following multi-point inspection
performed at every scheduled
maintenance interval to help make
sure your vehicle keeps running great. Multi-point inspection
Hazard warning system operation
Accessory drive belt(s)
Horn operation
Battery performance
Radiator, cooler, heater and A/C hoses
Engine air filter
Suspension components for leaks ordamage
Exhaust system
Steering and linkage
Exterior lamps operation
Tires for wear and proper pressure **
Fluid levels *
; fill if necessary
Windshield for cracks, chips or pits
For oil and fluid leaks
Washer spray and wiper operation
Half-shaft dust boots
* Brake, coolant recovery reservoir, automatic transmission and window washer
** If your vehicle is equipped with a temporary mobility kit, check the tire sealant
expiration Use By date on the canister. Replace as needed.
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Be sure to ask your dealership service
advisor or technician about the
multi-point vehicle inspection. It is a
comprehensive way to perform a
thorough inspection of your vehicle.
Your checklist gives you immediate
feedback on the overall condition of
your vehicle.
Normal Scheduled Maintenance Normal scheduled maintenance
1, 2
Change engine oil and filter. 3
Every 12 months or
10000 miles (16000
km). The oil monitoring
system displays a
message in the informa-
tion display. Rotate tires, inspect tire wear and measure tread
depth.
Inspect automatic transmission fluid level. Consult
dealer for requirements.
Inspect brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums, brake
linings, hoses and parking brake.
Inspect engine cooling system and motor/elec-
tronics cooling system strength and hoses.
Inspect exhaust system and heat shields.
Inspect half-shaft boots.
Inspect steering linkage, ball joints, suspension and
tie-rod ends.
Inspect wheels and related components for
abnormal noise, wear, looseness or drag.
1 Do not exceed one year or 10000 miles (16000 kilometers) between service
intervals.
2 Perform multi-point inspection (recommended).
3 Reset the oil monitoring system after engine oil and filter changes. See Engine
Oil Check (page 280).
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Other maintenance items
*
Replace cabin air filter.
Every 20000 miles
(32000 km)
Replace engine air filter.
Every 30000 miles
(48000 km)
Change engine coolant and motor/electronics
coolant.**
At 100000 miles
(160000 km)
Replace spark plugs.
Every 100000 miles
(160000 km)
Change automatic transmission fluid.
Every 150000 miles
(240000 km)
* Perform these maintenance items within 3000 miles (4800 kilometers) of
the last engine oil and filter change. Do not exceed the designated distance for
the interval.
** Initial replacement at six years or 100000 miles (160000 kilometers), then
every three years or 50000 miles (80000 kilometers).
Maintenance Schedule Log 449
MKZ (CC9) Scheduled MaintenanceE146852
Repair Order #:Distance:
Engine hours (optional): Multi-point inspection (recommended): Signature:
Dealer stamp
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450
MKZ (CC9) Scheduled MaintenanceE146852
Repair Order #:Distance:
Engine hours (optional): Multi-point inspection (recommended): Signature:
Dealer stamp E146852
Repair Order #:Distance:
Engine hours (optional): Multi-point inspection (recommended): Signature:
Dealer stamp E146852
Repair Order #:Distance:
Engine hours (optional): Multi-point inspection (recommended): Signature:
Dealer stamp
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451
MKZ (CC9) Scheduled MaintenanceE146852
Repair Order #:Distance:
Engine hours (optional): Multi-point inspection (recommended): Signature:
Dealer stamp E146852
Repair Order #:Distance:
Engine hours (optional): Multi-point inspection (recommended): Signature:
Dealer stamp E146852
Repair Order #:Distance:
Engine hours (optional): Multi-point inspection (recommended): Signature:
Dealer stamp