
Action
Cause
Clean the grille surface in front of the
radar or remove the object causing the obstruction
The surface of the radar in the grille is
dirty or obstructed in some way
Wait a short time. It may take several
minutes for the radar to detect that it is no longer obstructed
The surface of the radar in the grille is
clean but the message remains in the display
The collision warning system is
temporarily disabled. Collision warning should automatically reactivate a
short time after the weather conditions improve
Heavy rain, spray, snow, or fog is inter-
fering with the radar signals
The collision warning system is
temporarily disabled. Collision warning should automatically reactivate a
short time after the weather conditions improve
Swirling water, or snow or ice on the
surface of the road may interfere with the radar signals
System Limitations
WARNING
The collision warning system’s
brake support can only help
reduce the speed at which a collision
occurs if the driver applies the
vehicle’s brakes. The brake pedal
must be pressed just like any typical
braking situation.
Due to the nature of radar technology,
there may be certain instances where
vehicles do not provide a collision
warning. These include: • Stationary vehicles or vehicles
moving below 6 mph (10 km/h).
• Pedestrians or objects in the roadway.
• Oncoming vehicles in the same lane.
• Severe weather conditions (see blocked sensor section).
• Debris build-up on the grille near the headlamps (see blocked
sensor section).
• Small distance to vehicle ahead.
• Steering wheel and pedal movements are large (very active
driving style).
•
220
Driving Aids

for operation at Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating, not at Gross
Combined Weight Rating.)
Separate functional brakes should
be used for safe control of towed
vehicles and for trailers where the
Gross Combined Weight of the
towing vehicle plus the trailer
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of the towing vehicle.The
Gross Combined Weight must
never exceed the Gross
Combined Weight Rating.
Maximum Loaded Trailer
Weight - is the highest possible
weight of a fully loaded trailer the
vehicle can tow. It assumes a
vehicle with mandatory options,
driver and front passenger weight
(150 pounds [68 kilograms]
each), no cargo weight (internal
or external) and a tongue load of
10–15% (conventional trailer) or
king pin weight of 15–25% (fifth
wheel trailer). Consult an
authorized dealer (or the RV and
Trailer Towing Guide available at
an authorized dealer) for more
detailed information.
Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel
King Pin Weight - refers to the
amount of the weight that a trailer
pushes down on a trailer hitch. Examples: For a 5000 pound
(2268 kilogram) conventional
trailer, multiply 5000 by 0.10 and
0.15 to obtain a proper tongue
load range of 500 to 750 pounds
(227 to 340 kilograms). For an
11500 pound (5216 kilogram) fifth
wheel trailer, multiply by 0.15 and
0.25 to obtain a proper king pin
load range of 1725 to 2875 pounds
(782 to 1304 kilograms).
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or
the GAWR specified on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label.
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.
Exceeding any vehicle weight
rating limitation could result
in serious damage to the vehicle
and/or personal injury.
Steps for determining the
correct load limit:
1. Locate the statement "The combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lb." on your
vehicle’s placard.
229
Load Carrying

Trailer Lamps
WARNING
Never connect any trailer lamp
wiring to the vehicle's tail lamp
wiring; this may damage the electrical
system resulting in fire. Contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible
for assistance in proper trailer tow
wiring installation. Additional
electrical equipment may be required.
Trailer lamps are required on most
towed vehicles. Make sure all running
lights, brake lights, turn signals and
hazard lights are working.
Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing
up to get the feel of your
vehicle-trailer combination before
starting on a trip. When turning, make
wider turns so the trailer wheels clear
curbs and other obstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
• Do not drive faster than 70 mph (113 km/h) during the first 500
miles (800 kilometers).
• Do not make full-throttle starts.
• Check your hitch, electrical connections and trailer wheel lug
nuts thoroughly after you have
traveled 50 miles (80 kilometers).
• When stopped in congested or heavy traffic during hot weather,
place the gearshift in position P to
aid engine and transmission
cooling and to help A/C
performance. • Turn off the speed control with
heavy loads or in hilly terrain. The
speed control may turn off
automatically when you are towing
on long, steep grades.
• Shift to a lower gear when driving down a long or steep hill. Do not
apply the brakes continuously, as
they may overheat and become
less effective.
• If your transmission is equipped with a Grade Assist or Tow/Haul
feature, use this feature when
towing. This provides engine
braking and helps eliminate
excessive transmission shifting for
optimum fuel economy and
transmission cooling.
• Allow more distance for stopping with a trailer attached. Anticipate
stops and brake gradually.
• Avoid parking on a grade. However, if you must park on a grade:
• Turn the steering wheel to pointyour vehicle tires away from
traffic flow.
• Set your vehicle parking brake.
• Place the automatic transmission in position P.
• Place wheel chocks in front and back of the trailer wheels.
(Chocks not included with
vehicle.)
Launching or Retrieving a Boat
or Personal Watercraft (PWC)
Note: Disconnect the wiring to the
trailer before backing the trailer into
the water.
235
Towing

Note:Reconnect the wiring to the
trailer after removing the trailer from
the water.
When backing down a ramp during
boat launching or retrieval:
• Do not allow the static water level to rise above the bottom edge of
the rear bumper.
• Do not allow waves to break higher than 6 inches (15 centimeters)
above the bottom edge of the rear
bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow
water to enter vehicle components:
• Causing internal damage to the components.
• Affecting driveability, emissions, and reliability.
Any time the rear axle submerges in
water, replace the rear axle lubricant.
Water may contaminate the rear axle
lubricant, which is not a normal
maintenance inspection item unless
there is a possibility of a leak or other
axle repair is required.TRANSPORTING THE
VEHICLE
E143886
If you need to have your vehicle
towed, contact a professional towing
service or, if you are a member of a
roadside assistance program, your
roadside assistance service provider.
We recommend the use of a wheel lift
and dollies or flatbed equipment to
tow your vehicle. Do not tow with a
slingbelt. Ford Motor Company has
not approved a slingbelt towing
procedure. Vehicle damage may occur
if towed incorrectly, or by any other
means.
236
Towing

Ford Motor Company produces a
towing manual for all authorized tow
truck operators. Have your tow truck
operator refer to this manual for
proper hook-up and towing
procedures for your vehicle.
It is acceptable to have your
front-wheel drive vehicle towed from
the front if using proper wheel lift
equipment to raise the front wheels
off the ground. When towing in this
manner, the rear wheels can remain
on the ground.
Front-wheel drive vehicles must have
the front wheels placed on a tow dolly
when towing your vehicle from the
rear using wheel lift equipment. This
prevents damage to the transmission.
Towing an all-wheel drive vehicle
requires that all wheels be off the
ground, such as using a wheel lift and
dollies or flatbed equipment. This
prevents damage to the transmission,
all-wheel drive system and vehicle.TOWING THE VEHICLE ON
FOUR WHEELS
Emergency Towing
You can flat-tow (all wheels on the
ground, regardless of the
powertrain/transmission
configuration) your disabled vehicle
(without access to wheel dollies,
car-hauling trailer, or flatbed transport
vehicle) under the following
conditions:
• Your vehicle is facing forward soyou tow it in a forward direction.
• You place the transmission in position N. If you cannot place the
transmission in position N, you
may need to override it. See
Transmission (page 167).
• Maximum speed is 35 mph (56 km/h).
• Maximum distance is 50 miles (80 kilometers).
Recreational Towing
Note: Put your climate control system
in recirculated air mode to prevent
exhaust fumes from entering the
vehicle. See Climate Control (page
128).
Follow these guidelines if you have a
need for recreational (RV) towing. An
example of recreational towing would
be towing your vehicle behind a
motorhome. These guidelines are to
make sure you do not damage the
transmission during towing.
237
Towing

Vehicles Equipped with a 2.0L
Engine
Front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicles
CANNOT be flat-towed (all wheels
on the ground) as vehicle or
transmission damage may occur. You
must place the front wheels on a
two-wheel tow dolly. If you are using
a tow dolly, follow the instructions
specified by the equipment provider.
All-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles
CANNOT be flat-towed (all wheels
on the ground), as vehicle or
transmission damage may occur. It is
recommended to tow your vehicle
with all four (4) wheels off the ground
such as when using a car-hauling
trailer. Otherwise, you cannot tow your
vehicle.
Vehicles Equipped with a 3.7L
Engine
You can tow your vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground using the
Neutral Tow feature, or with all four
wheels off the ground using a vehicle
transport trailer. If you are using a
vehicle transport trailer, follow the
instruction specified by the equipment
provider.
If you tow your vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground:
• Tow only in the forward direction.
• Release the parking brake.
Neutral Tow
Enter Neutral Tow mode by doing the
following:1. Put the ignition in accessory mode
by pressing the engine START
button without pressing the brake
pedal.
2. Select Neutral Tow under the Vehicle Settings menu in the
information display. See General
Information (page 101).
3. Press and hold the OK button to start the neutral tow process.
4. Press the brake pedal and select N on the push-button
transmission.
5. Turn the ignition off by pressing the engine START button without
pressing the brake pedal.
If the process is completes
successfully:
• the N on the push-button transmission blinks slowly
• Neutral Tow Engaged turn
ignition off for towing appears
in the information display.
Note: If the parking brake is applied,
Neutral Tow remove park brake for
towing appears in the information
display.
Note: Do not exceed 65 mph (105
km/h).
Note: Start the engine and allow it to
run for five minutes at the beginning of
each day and every six hours (or fewer).
Shut the engine off and verify that
Neutral tow engaged appears in the
display before continuing to tow.
238
Towing

BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires for
approximately 300 miles (480
kilometers). During this time, your
vehicle may exhibit some unusual
driving characteristics.
Avoid driving too fast during the first
1000 miles (1600 kilometers). Vary
your speed frequently and change up
through the gears early. Do not labor
the engine.
Do not tow during the first 1000 miles
(1600 kilometers).
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Fuel economy is affected by several
things such as how you drive, the
conditions you drive under and how
you maintain your vehicle.
There are some things to keep in mind
that may improve your fuel economy:
• Accelerate and slow down in asmooth, moderate fashion.
• Drive at steady speeds.
• Anticipate stops; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
• Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
• When running errands, go tothe furthest destination first
and then work your way back
home.
• Close the windows for high-speed driving. • Drive at reasonable speeds.
(Traveling at 65 mph/105 kph uses
about 15% less fuel than traveling
at 75 mph/121 kph).
• Keep the tires properly inflated and use only the recommended size.
• Use the recommended engine oil.
• Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance.
There are also some things you may
want to avoid doing because they
reduce your fuel economy:
• Avoid sudden or hard accelerations.
• Avoid revving the engine before turning off the car.
• Avoid long idle periods.
• Do not warm up your vehicle on cold mornings.
• Reduce the use of air conditioning and heat.
• Avoid using speed control in hilly terrain.
• Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
• Avoid carrying unnecessary weight (approximately 1 mpg [0.4
kilometers/liter] is lost for every
400 lbs [180 kilograms] of weight
carried).
• Avoid adding particular accessories to your vehicle (e.g.
bug deflectors, rollbars/light bars,
running boards, ski racks).
• Avoid driving with the wheels out of alignment.
240
Driving Hints

DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Note:Driving through deep water
above the recommended levels can
cause vehicle damage.
If driving through deep or standing
water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly. Never drive through water that
is higher than the bottom of the wheel
rims (for cars) or the bottom of the
hubs (for trucks).
E142667
When driving through water, traction
or brake capability may be limited.
Also, water may enter your engine’s
air intake and severely damage your
engine or your vehicle may stall.
Once through the water, always dry
the brakes by moving your vehicle
slowly while applying light pressure
on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do not
stop the vehicle as quickly as dry
brakes.
FLOOR MATS
E142666
WARNINGS
Always use floor mats that are
designed to fit the foot well of
your vehicle. Only use floor mats that
leave the pedal area unobstructed.
Only use floor mats that are firmly
secured to retention posts so that
they cannot slip out of position and
interfere with the pedals or impair safe
operation of your vehicle in other
ways.
Pedals that cannot move freely
can cause loss of vehicle control
and increase the risk of serious
personal injury.
Always make sure that the floor
mats are properly attached to
the retention posts in the carpet that
are supplied with your vehicle. Floor
mats must be properly secured to
both retention posts to ensure mats
do not shift out of position.
241
Driving Hints