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:
1. Turn the steering wheel to point your
vehicle tires away from traffic flow.
2. Set your vehicle parking brake.
3. Place the automatic transmission in position
P.
4. 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.
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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. 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. WARNINGS
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 Capacities
and Specifications (page 336).
• 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.
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•
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 Capacities and
Specifications (page 336).
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 Ford
authorized 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 light.
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Your vehicle is equipped with the Intelligent
Oil-Life Monitor system, which displays a
message in the information display at the
proper oil change interval. This interval may
be up to one year or 10000 miles (16000
kilometers).
When the oil change message 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 message appearing. Make
sure you reset the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor
after each oil change. See Oil Change
Indicator Reset (page 284).
If your information display resets prematurely
or becomes inoperative, you should perform
the oil change interval at six months or 5000
miles (8000 kilometers) from your last 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.
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.
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