Only use oils certified for gasoline
engines by the American Petroleum
Institute (API). An oil with this
trademark symbol conforms to the
current engine and emission system
protection standards and fuel
economy requirements of the
International Lubricants Specification
Advisory Council (ILSAC), comprised
of U.S. and Japanese automobile
manufacturers.
1. Remove the filler cap.
2. Add engine oil that meets the Fordspecifications. See Capacities
and Specifications (page 329).
3. Replace the filler cap. Turn it until you feel a strong resistance.
OIL CHANGE INDICATOR
RESET
To reset the oil monitoring system
after an oil change, See General
Information (page 101).
ENGINE COOLANT CHECK
Checking the Engine Coolant
When the engine is cold, check the
concentration and level of the engine
coolant at the intervals listed in the
scheduled maintenance information.
See Scheduled Maintenance (page
436).
Note: Make sure that the level is
between the MIN and MAX marks on
the coolant reservoir. Note:
Coolant expands when it is hot.
The level may extend beyond the MAX
mark
Note: If the level is at the MIN mark,
below the MIN mark, or empty, add
coolant immediately. See Adding
Engine Coolant in this chapter.
The coolant concentration should be
maintained within 48% to 50%,
which equates to a freeze point
between -30°F degrees (-34ºC) and
-34ºF (-37ºC).
Note: For best results, coolant
concentration should be tested with a
refractometer such as Rotunda tool
300-ROB75240 available from your
authorized dealer. Ford does not
recommend the use of hydrometers or
coolant test strips for measuring
coolant concentrations.
Note: Automotive fluids are not
interchangeable. Do not use engine
coolant or antifreeze or windshield
washer fluid outside of its specified
function and vehicle location.
Adding Engine Coolant
WARNINGS
Do not add engine coolant when
the engine is hot. Steam and
scalding liquids released from a hot
cooling system can burn you badly.
Also, you can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
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Maintenance
WARNINGS
Do not put engine coolant in the
windshield washer fluid
container. If sprayed on the
windshield, engine coolant could
make it difficult to see through the
windshield.
To reduce the risk of personal
injury, make sure the engine is
cool before unscrewing the coolant
pressure relief cap. The cooling
system is under pressure; steam and
hot liquid can come out forcefully
when the cap is loosened slightly.
Do not add coolant further than
the MAX mark.
Note: Do not use stop leak pellets,
cooling system sealants, or additives
as they can cause damage to the
engine cooling or heating systems. This
damage would not be covered under
your vehicle’s warranty.
Note: During normal vehicle operation,
the engine coolant may change color
from orange to pink or light red. As long
as the engine coolant is clear and
uncontaminated, this color change
does not indicate the engine coolant
has degraded nor does it require the
engine coolant to be drained, the
system to be flushed, or the engine
coolant to be replaced.
• Do not mix different colors or types of coolant in your vehicle. Make
sure the correct coolant is used.
Mixing of engine coolants may
harm your engine’s cooling system.
The use of an improper coolant may harm engine and cooling
system components and may void
the warranty. Use prediluted
engine coolant meeting the Ford
specification. See Scheduled
Maintenance (page 436).
• In case of emergency, a large amount of water without engine
coolant may be added in order to
reach a vehicle service location. In
this instance, the cooling system
must be drained, chemically
cleaned with Motorcraft®
Premium Cooling System Flush,
and refilled with engine coolant as
soon as possible. Water alone
(without engine coolant) can
cause engine damage from
corrosion, overheating or freezing.
• Do not use alcohol, methanol, brine or any engine coolants mixed
with alcohol or methanol
antifreeze (coolant). Alcohol and
other liquids can cause engine
damage from overheating or
freezing.
• Do not add extra inhibitors or additives to the coolant. These can
be harmful and compromise the
corrosion protection of the engine
coolant.
Unscrew the cap slowly. Any pressure
will escape as you unscrew the cap.
Add prediluted engine coolant
meeting the Ford specification. See
Scheduled Maintenance (page 436).
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Maintenance
Whenever coolant has been added,
the coolant level in the coolant
reservoir should be checked the next
few times you drive the vehicle. If
necessary, add enough prediluted
engine coolant to bring the coolant
level to the proper level.
Recycled Engine Coolant
Ford Motor Company does not
recommend the use of recycled
engine coolant since a Ford-approved
recycling process is not yet available.
Used engine coolant should be
disposed of in an appropriate manner.
Follow your community’s regulations
and standards for recycling and
disposing of automotive fluids.
Severe Climates
If you drive in extremely cold climates:
• It may be necessary to have a Fordauthorized dealer increase the
coolant concentration above 50%.
• A coolant concentration of 60% will provide improved freeze point
protection. Engine coolant
concentrations above 60% will
decrease the overheat protection
characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine
damage. If you drive in extremely hot climates:
• It may be necessary to have a Ford
authorized dealer decrease the
coolant concentration to 40%.
• A coolant concentration of 40% will provide improved overheat
protection. Engine coolant
concentrations below 40% will
decrease the corrosion/freeze
protection characteristics of the
engine coolant and may cause
engine damage.
Vehicles driven year-round in
non-extreme climates should use
prediluted engine coolant for
optimum cooling system and engine
protection.
What You Should Know About
Fail-Safe Cooling
If the engine coolant supply is
depleted, this feature allows the
vehicle to be driven temporarily before
incremental component damage is
incurred. The “fail-safe” distance
depends on ambient temperatures,
vehicle load and terrain.
How Fail-Safe Cooling Works
If the engine begins to overheat, the
engine coolant temperature gauge
will move to the red (hot) area and:
A high engine temperature
message will appear in the
information display.
The service engine soon
indicator will illuminate.
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Maintenance
If the engine reaches a preset
over-temperature condition, the
engine will automatically switch to
alternating cylinder operation. Each
disabled cylinder acts as an air pump
and cools the engine.
When this occurs, the vehicle will still
operate. However:
• The engine power will be limited.
• The air conditioning system will bedisabled.
Continued operation will increase the
engine temperature and the engine
will completely shut down, causing
steering and braking effort to increase.
Once the engine temperature cools,
the engine can be re-started. Take
your vehicle to an authorized dealer
as soon as possible to minimize
engine damage.
When Fail-Safe Mode Is Activated
WARNINGS
Fail-safe mode is for use during
emergencies only. Operate the
vehicle in fail-safe mode only as long
as necessary to bring the vehicle to
rest in a safe location and seek
immediate repairs. When in fail-safe
mode, the vehicle will have limited
power, will not be able to maintain
high-speed operation, and may
completely shut down without
warning, potentially losing engine
power, power steering assist, and
power brake assist, which may
increase the possibility of a crash
resulting in serious injury.
WARNINGS
Never remove the coolant
reservoir cap while the engine is
running or hot.
You have limited engine power when
in the fail-safe mode, so drive the
vehicle with caution. The vehicle will
not be able to maintain high-speed
operation and the engine will run
rough. Remember that the engine is
capable of completely shutting down
automatically to prevent engine
damage, therefore:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible and turn off the engine.
2. Arrange for the vehicle to be taken to an authorized dealer.
3. If this is not possible, wait a short period for the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level and replenish if low.
5. Re-start the engine and take your vehicle to an authorized dealer.
Note: Driving the vehicle without
repairing the engine problem increases
the chance of engine damage. Take
your vehicle to an authorized dealer as
soon as possible.
275
Maintenance
3. With the parking brake engagedand your foot on the brake pedal,
start the engine and move the
gearshift lever through all of the
gear ranges. Allow a minimum of
10 seconds for each gear to
engage.
4. Put the gearshift lever in P (Park) and leave the engine running.
Note: You will need to move the air
filter assembly to access the
transmission dipstick.
5. Remove the dipstick, wiping it clean with a clean, dry lint free rag.
If necessary, refer to Under hood
overview in this chapter for the
location of the dipstick.
6. Install the dipstick making sure it is fully seated in the filler tube by
turning it to the locked position.
7. Remove the dipstick and inspect the fluid level. The fluid should be
in the designated areas for normal
operating temperature.
Moving the Air Filter Assembly
(Accessing the Dipstick)
WARNING
Do not run engine with the air
filter disconnected.
E158839
A
BCD
1. Shut the engine off.
2. Clean the area around the clamp that connects the air filter
assembly to the rubber hose (A).
E158840
3. Remove the bolt cover (ifequipped).
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Maintenance
High fluid level
E158844
If the fluid level is above the MAX
range of the dipstick, remove fluid to
reach the hashmark level.
Note:Fluid level above the MAX level
may cause shift or engagement
concerns or possible damage. High
fluid levels can be caused by an
overheating condition. If your vehicle
has been operated for an extended
period at high speeds, in city traffic
during hot weather or pulling a trailer,
the vehicle should be turned off until
normal operating temperatures are
reached. Depending on vehicle use,
cooling times could take up to 30
minutes or longer.
Adjusting Automatic Transmission
Fluid Levels
E158845
E158846
Before adding any fluid, make sure the
correct type is used. The type of fluid
used is normally indicated on the
dipstick and also in the Technical
Specifications section in this chapter.
Note: An overfill condition of
transmission fluid may cause shift or
engagement concerns or possible
damage.
Do not use supplemental transmission
fluid additives, treatments or cleaning
agents. The use of these materials
may affect transmission operation
and result in damage to internal
transmission components. Reinstall
the air filter assembly. After the fluid
level has been checked and adjusted
as necessary, do the following:
1. Shut the engine off.
2. Loosen the clamp holding the air filter assembly to the rubber hose.
3. Rotate the air filter assembly 90 degrees clockwise without
disconnecting the sensor.
4. Seat the air filter assembly back into the grommets by pushing
down on the air filter assembly.
5. Tighten the clamp.
6. Install and tighten two bolts that attach air filter assembly to the
front of the vehicle.
279
Maintenance
If you see any corrosion on the battery
or terminals, remove the cables from
the terminals and clean with a wire
brush. You can neutralize the acid with
a solution of baking soda and water.
When a battery replacement is
required, the battery should only be
replaced with a Ford recommended
replacement battery that matches
the electrical requirements of the
vehicle.
Because your vehicle’s engine is
electronically-controlled by a
computer, some engine control
settings are maintained by power
from the low voltage battery. Some
engine computer settings, like the idle
trim and fuel trim strategy, optimize
the driveability and performance of
the engine. Some other computer
settings, like the clock and radio
station presets, are also maintained
in memory by power from the low
voltage battery. When a technician
disconnects and connects the low
voltage battery, these settings are
erased. Complete the following
procedure in order to restore the
settings:
1. With the vehicle at a completestop, set the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission into P.
3. Turn off all accessories.
4. Step on the brake pedal and start the vehicle. 5. Run the engine until it reaches
normal operating temperature.
While the engine is warming up,
complete the following: Reset the
clock. See Audio System (page
124). Reset the power windows
bounce-back feature. See
Windows and Mirrors (page 88).
Reset the radio station presets.
See Audio System (page 124).
6. Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute. If the engine turns off,
step on the accelerator to start the
engine.
7. While the engine is running, step on the brake pedal and shift the
transmission to N.
8. Allow the engine to run for at least one minute by pressing on the
accelerator pedal.
9. Drive the vehicle at least 10 miles (16 kilometers) to completely
relearn the idle and fuel trim
strategy.
Note: If you do not allow the engine to
relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy,
the idle quality of your vehicle may be
adversely affected until the engine
computer eventually relearns the idle
trim and fuel trim strategy.
Note: Always dispose of automotive
batteries in a responsible manner.
Follow your local authorized standards
for disposal. Call your local authorized
recycling center to find out more about
recycling automotive batteries.
282
Maintenance
Note:It is recommended that the
negative battery cable terminal be
disconnected from the battery if you
plan to store your vehicle for an
extended period of time.
CHECKING THE WIPER
BLADES
E142463
Run the tip of your fingers over the
edge of the blade to check for
roughness.
Clean the wiper blades with washer
fluid or water applied with a soft
sponge or cloth.
CHANGING THE WIPER
BLADES
The wiper arms can be manually
moved when the ignition is off. This
allows for ease of blade replacement
and cleaning under the blades.
1. Pull the wiper blade and arm away from the glass.
E129990
1
1 2
2. Press the locking buttons together.
3. Rotate and remove the wiperblade.
4. Install in the reverse order.
Note: Make sure that the wiper blade
locks into place. Lower the wiper arm
and blade back to the windshield. The
wiper arms will automatically return to
their normal position when the ignition
is turned on.
Replace wiper blades at least once
per year for optimum performance.
Poor wiper quality can be improved
by cleaning the wiper blades and the
windshield.
CHANGING THE ENGINE AIR
FILTER
WARNING
To reduce the risk of vehicle
damage and/or personal burn
injuries do not start your engine with
the air cleaner removed and do not
remove it while the engine is running.
283
Maintenance