
WARNING
Exceeding the SafetyCompliance CertificationLabel vehicle weight rating limitscould result in substandardvehicle handling or performance,engine, transmission and/orstructural damage, seriousdamage to the vehicle, loss ofcontrol and personal injury.
GCW (Gross Combined Weight)- is the Gross Vehicle Weight plusthe weight of the fully loadedtrailer.
GCWR (Gross CombinedWeight Rating) - is the maximumallowable weight of the vehicleand the loaded trailer, includingall cargo and passengers, that thevehicle can handle without riskingdamage. (Important: The towingvehicle’s braking system is rated
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GVW

TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR orthe GAWR specified on thecertification label.
Towing trailers beyond themaximum recommendedgross trailer weight exceeds thelimit of the vehicle and couldresult in engine damage,transmission damage, structuraldamage, loss of vehicle control,vehicle rollover and personalinjury.
Your vehicle may have electricalitems, such as fuses or relays,related to towing. See the Fuseschapter.
Your vehicle's load capacitydesignation is by weight, not byvolume, so you cannot necessarilyuse all available space whenloading a vehicle.
Towing a trailer places an extraload on your vehicle's engine,transmission, axle, brakes, tiresand suspension. Inspect thesecomponents periodically during,and after, any towing operation.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailermovement affects your vehiclewhen driving:
•Load the heaviest items closestto the trailer floor.
•Load the heaviest itemscentered between the left andright side trailer tires.
•Load the heaviest items abovethe trailer axles or just slightlyforward toward the trailertongue. Do not allow the finaltrailer tongue weight to goabove or below 10-15% of theloaded trailer weight.
•Select a tow bar with thecorrect rise or drop. When boththe loaded vehicle and trailerare connected, the trailer frameshould be level, or slightlyangled down toward yourvehicle, when viewed from theside.
When driving with a trailer orpayload, a slight takeoff vibrationor shudder may be present due tothe increased payload weight.Additional information regardingproper trailer loading and settingyour vehicle up for towing islocated in another chapter of thismanual. See Load Limit (page176). You can also find theinformation in the RV & TrailerTowing Guide, available at anauthorized dealer.
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Trailer Lamps
WARNING
Never connect any trailer lamp wiringto the vehicle's tail lamp wiring; thismay damage the electrical systemresulting in fire. Contact your authorizeddealer as soon as possible for assistancein proper trailer tow wiring installation.Additional electrical equipment may berequired.
Trailer lamps are required on most towedvehicles. Make sure all running lights, brakelights, turn signals and hazard lights areworking.
Using a Step Bumper (If Equipped)
The rear bumper is equipped with anintegral hitch and only requires a ball witha one-inch (25.4 millimeter) shankdiameter. The bumper has a 5000-pound(2268 kilogram) trailer weight and a500-pound (227 kilogram) tongue weightcapacity
If it is necessary to relocate the hitch ballposition, you must install a frame-mountedtrailer hitch.
Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing upto get the feel of your vehicle-trailercombination before starting on a trip.When turning, make wider turns so thetrailer wheels clear curbs and otherobstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
•Do not drive faster than 70 mph (113km/h) during the first 500 miles (800kilometers).
•Do not make full-throttle starts.
•Check your hitch, electrical connectionsand trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughlyafter you have traveled 50 miles (80kilometers).
•When stopped in congested or heavytraffic during hot weather, place thegearshift in position P to aid engine andtransmission cooling and to help A/Cperformance.
•Turn off the speed control with heavyloads or in hilly terrain. The speedcontrol may turn off automaticallywhen you are towing on long, steepgrades.
•Shift to a lower gear when driving downa long or steep hill. Do not apply thebrakes continuously, as they mayoverheat and become less effective.
•If your transmission is equipped with aGrade Assist or Tow/Haul feature, usethis feature when towing. This providesengine braking and helps eliminateexcessive transmission shifting foroptimum fuel economy andtransmission cooling.
•If your vehicle is equipped withAdvanceTrac with RSC, this systemmay turn on during typical corneringmaneuvers with a heavily loaded trailer.This is normal. Turning the corner at aslower speed while towing may reducethis tendency.
•If you are towing a trailer frequently inhot weather, hilly conditions, at thegross combined weight rating (or anycombination of these factors), considerrefilling your rear axle with syntheticgear lubricant (if the axle is not alreadyfilled with it). See Capacities andSpecifications (page 292).
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•Allow more distance for stopping witha trailer attached. Anticipate stops andbrake gradually.
•Avoid parking on a grade. However, ifyou must park on a grade:
•Turn the steering wheel to pointyour vehicle tires away from trafficflow.
•Set your vehicle parking brake.
•Place the automatic transmissionin position P.
•Place wheel chocks in front andback of the trailer wheels. (Chocksnot included with vehicle.)
Your vehicle may be equipped with atemporary or conventional spare tire. A"temporary" spare tire is different in size(diameter or width), tread-type(All-Season or All Terrain) or is from adifferent manufacturer than the road tireson your vehicle. Consult information on thetire label or Safety Compliance label forlimitations when using.
Launching or Retrieving a Boat orPersonal Watercraft (PWC)
Note:Disconnect the wiring to the trailerbefore backing the trailer into the water.
Note:Reconnect the wiring to the trailerafter the trailer is removed from the water.
When backing down a ramp during boatlaunching or retrieval:
•Do not allow the static water level torise above the bottom edge of the rearbumper.
•Do not allow waves to break higherthan 6 inches (15 centimeters) abovethe bottom edge of the rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow water toenter vehicle components:
•Causing internal damage to thecomponents.
•Affecting driveability, emissions, andreliability.
Replace the rear axle lubricant anytimethe rear axle has been submerged in water.Water may have contaminated the rearaxle lubricant, which is not normallychecked or changed unless a leak issuspected or other axle repair is required.
TOWING POINTS
WARNINGS
Using recovery hooks is dangerousand should only be done by a personfamiliar with proper vehicle recoverysafety practices. Improper use of recoveryhooks may cause hook failure or separationfrom the vehicle and could result in seriousinjury or death.
Always slowly remove the slack fromthe recovery strap prior to pulling.Failure to do so can introducesignificantly higher loads which can causethe recovery hooks to break off, or therecovery strap to fail which can causeserious injury or death.
Never link two straps together witha clevis pin. These heavy metalobjects could become projectiles ifthe strap breaks and can cause seriousinjury or death.
Your vehicle comes equipped withframe-mounted front recovery hooks.These hooks should never have a loadapplied to them greater than the grossvehicle weight rating of your vehicle.
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It is acceptable to have your two-wheeldrive vehicle towed with the front wheelson the ground (without dollies) and therear wheels off the ground.
We recommend towing a four-wheel drivevehicle with all wheels off the ground, suchas using a wheel lift and dollies or flatbedequipment. However, it is acceptable touse a wheel lift to raise the rear of yourvehicle so long as, depending on vehicleconfiguration, you perform the followingbefore towing:
•If your vehicle is equipped with amanual-shift transfer case, make surethe front wheel hub locks are in theFREE position before towing.
•If your vehicle is equipped with anelectronic shift-on-the-fly transfercase, make sure you turn thefour-wheel drive control to the 2Hposition before towing.
Note:Towing an electronic shift-on-the-flyfour-wheel drive vehicle with the frontwheels on the ground without disengagingthe front hubs may cause damage to theautomatic transmission.
Note:Towing a two-wheel drive vehicle oran electronic shift-on-the-fly four-wheeldrive vehicle with the rear wheels on theground for more than 50 miles (80 km) orfaster than 35 mph (56 km/h) may causedamage to the automatic transmission.
Note:Using wheel lift equipment to tow adual rear wheel vehicle requires removingan outer rear wheel before towing.
TOWING THE VEHICLE ON
FOUR WHEELS
Emergency Towing
If your vehicle becomes inoperable(without access to wheel dollies,car-hauling trailer, or flatbed transportvehicle), it can be flat-towed (all wheelson the ground, regardless of the powertrainand transmission configuration) under thefollowing conditions:
•Your vehicle is facing forward fortowing in a forward direction.
•Place the transmission in position N. Ifyou cannot move the transmission intoN, you may need to override it. SeeTransmission (page 142).
•Maximum speed is 35 mph (56 km/h).
•Maximum distance is 50 miles (80kilometers).
Recreational Towing
Note:Put your climate control system inrecirculated air mode to prevent exhaustfumes from entering your vehicle. SeeClimate Control (page 103).
Follow these guidelines if you have a needfor recreational towing, such as towingyour vehicle behind a motorhome. Wedesigned these guidelines to preventdamage to your transmission.
Two-wheel Drive Vehicles andFour-wheel Drive Vehicles Equippedwith an Electronic-shift Transfer Case
Do not tow your vehicle with any wheelson the ground, as vehicle or transmissiondamage may occur. It is recommended totow your vehicle with all four (4) wheelsoff the ground, such as when using acar-hauling trailer. Otherwise, you cannottow your vehicle.
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Four-wheel Drive Vehicles Equippedwith a Manual-shift Transfer Case
1. Put the transmission in position N.
2. Put the transfer case in position N.
3.Put the hub locks in the FREE position.Always make sure that both hub locksare set to the same position.
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•Transmissions give their best fueleconomy when operated in the topcruise gear and with steady pressureon the gas pedal.
•Four-wheel-drive operation (ifequipped) is less fuel efficient thantwo-wheel-drive operation.
•Close the windows for high-speeddriving.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Note:Driving through deep water abovethe recommended levels can cause vehicledamage.
If driving through deep or standing wateris unavoidable, proceed very slowly. Neverdrive through water that is higher than thebottom of the wheel rims (for cars) or thebottom of the hubs (for trucks).
When driving through water, traction orbrake capability may be limited. Also,water may enter your engine’s air intakeand severely damage your engine or yourvehicle may stall.
Once through the water, always dry thebrakes by moving your vehicle slowly whileapplying light pressure on the brake pedal.Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle asquickly as dry brakes.
FLOOR MATS
WARNINGS
Always use floor mats that aredesigned to fit the foot well of yourvehicle, leaving the pedal areaunobstructed, and which can be firmlysecured to retention posts so that theycannot slip out of position and interferewith the pedals or impair safe operation ofyour vehicle in other ways.
Incorrectly fitted floor mats cancause the accelerator pedal tobecome stuck in the open position.This can cause loss of vehicle control.
Always correctly install the floormats to the retention posts so thatthey cannot slip out of position orobstruct pedal operation.
Do not place unsecured floor matsor any other covering in the foot well.
Do not place additional floor matsor any other covering on top of theoriginal floor mats. This will reducethe pedal clearance and interfere with thepedal operation.
Do not allow objects to fall orbecome trapped under the pedals ofyour vehicle. This can cause loss ofvehicle control.
Carry out regular inspections to makesure the floor mats are secure.
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Driving HintsE142667 E142666

Follow the severe duty schedule in yourScheduled Maintenance information forengine oil and transmission fluid changeintervals.
Snowplowing with your AirbagEquipped Vehicle
WARNINGS
Do not attempt to service, repair, ormodify the airbag supplementalrestraint system (SRS) or its fuses.See your Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer.
Additional equipment such assnowplow equipment may affect theperformance of the airbag sensorsincreasing the risk of injury. Please refer tothe Body Builders Layout Book forinstructions about the appropriateinstallation of additional equipment.
All occupants of the vehicle,including the driver, should alwaysproperly wear their safety belts, evenwhen provided with an airbagsupplemental restraint system (SRS).
Your vehicle is equipped with a driver andpassenger airbag supplemental restraintsystem. The supplemental restraint systemwill activate in certain frontal and offsetfrontal collisions when the vehicle sustainssufficient frontal deceleration.
Careless or high speed driving whileplowing snow that results in sufficientvehicle decelerations can deploy theairbag. Such driving also increases the riskof accidents
Never remove or defeat the trippingmechanisms designed into the snowremoval equipment by its manufacturer.Doing so may cause damage to the vehicleand the snow removal equipment as wellas possible airbag deployment.
Engine temperature while plowing
When driving with a plow, your engine mayrun at a higher temperature than normalbecause the attached snowplow blade willrestrict airflow to the radiator.
•If you are driving more than 14.91 mi(24 km) at temperatures abovefreezing, angle the plow blade eitherfull left or full right to providemaximum airflow to the radiator.
•If you are driving less than 14.91 mi(24 km) at speeds up to 44.7 mph(72 km/h) in cold weather, you will notneed to worry about blade position toprovide maximum airflow.
Transmission operation whileplowing
WARNING
Do not spin the wheels at over34.2 mph (55 km/h). The tires mayfail and injure a passenger orbystander.
•Shift transfer case to 4L (4WD Low)when plowing in small areas at speedsbelow 5 mph (8 km/h).
•Shift transfer case to 4H (4WD High)when plowing larger areas or light snowat higher speeds. Do not exceed 15 mph(24 km/h).
•Do not shift the transmission from aforward gear to R (Reverse) until theengine is at idle and the wheels havestopped.
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Driving Hints