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 or trailer.
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 (page38).
You can also find information inthe RV & Trailer Towing Guideavailable at your authorizeddealer, or online.
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Trailer Brakes
WARNING
Do not connect a trailer's hydraulicbrake system directly to yourvehicle's brake system. Your vehiclemay not have enough braking power andyour chances of having a collision greatlyincrease.
Electric brakes and manual, automatic orsurge-type trailer brakes are safe if youinstall them properly and adjust them tothe manufacturer's specifications. Thetrailer brakes must meet local and federalregulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's brakingsystem operation is at the gross vehicleweight rating, not the gross combinedweight rating.
Separate functioning brake systemsare required for safe control of towedvehicles and trailers weighing morethan 1500 pounds (680 kilograms)when loaded.
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, direction indicators and hazard lightsare working.
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(113 km/h) during the first 500 mi(800 km).
•Do not make full-throttle starts.
•Check your hitch, electrical connectionsand trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughlyafter you have traveled 50 mi (80 km).
•When stopped in congested or heavytraffic during hot weather, place thegearshift in park (P) to aid engine andtransmission cooling and to help airconditioning performance.
•Switch off the speed control withheavy loads or in hilly terrain. Thespeed control may turn offautomatically when you are towing onlong, steep grades.
•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.
•Allow more distance for stopping witha trailer attached. Anticipate stops andbrake gradually.
•Avoid parking on a grade. However, ifyou must park on a grade:
1.Turn the steering wheel to point yourvehicle tires away from traffic flow.
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2.Set your vehicle parking brake.
3.Place the automatic transmission inpark (P).
4.Place wheel chocks in the front andback of the trailer wheels. (Chocks notincluded with vehicle.)
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 removing the trailer 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 in (15 cm) above the bottomedge 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.
TRANSPORTING THE VEHICLE
If you need to have your vehicle towed,contact a professional towing service or,if you are a member of a roadsideassistance program, your roadsideassistance service provider. When callingfor a tow truck, let the operator know whatkind of vehicle you have.
It is advisable to have your vehicle towedwith a wheel lift and dollies or flatbedequipment. Do not tow with a slingbelt.Ford Motor Company has not approved aslingbelt towing procedure. Vehicledamage may occur if towed incorrectly, orby any other means.
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Do not exceed a maximum distance of 50miles (80 kilometers) and maximumspeed of 35 mph (56 km/h) when towingyour vehicle from the front with the rearwheels on the ground. If you must exceedthe maximum distance or speed, aqualified technician must remove thedriveshaft. This prevents transmissiondamage.
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.
•Maximum speed is 35 mph (56 km/h).
•Maximum distance is 50 miles (80kilometers).
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•Use the speed control in hilly terrain.
•Rest your foot on the brake pedal whiledriving.
•Drive a heavily loaded vehicle or tow atrailer.
•Carry unnecessary weight(approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] islost for every 400 lb [180 kilogram] ofweight carried).
•Driving with the wheels out ofalignment.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing atrailer may reduce fuel economy at anyspeed.
•Adding certain accessories to yourvehicle (for example bug deflectors,rollbars, light bars, running boards, skiracks or luggage racks) may reducefuel economy.
•To maximize the fuel economy, drivewith the tonneau cover installed (ifequipped).
•Using fuel blended with alcohol maylower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lowertemperatures during the first 8–10miles (12–16 kilometers) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improvedfuel economy as compared to drivingon hilly terrain.
•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
WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deepwater as you may lose control of yourvehicle.
Note:Driving through standing water cancause vehicle damage.
Note:Engine damage can occur if waterenters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water,check the depth. Never drive through waterthat is higher than the bottom of the wheelhubs.
When driving through standing water, drivevery slowly and do not stop your vehicle.Your brake performance and traction maybe limited. After driving through water andas soon as it is safe to do so:
•Lightly press the brake pedal to dry thebrakes and to check that they work.
•Check that the horn works.
•Check that the exterior lights work.
•Turn the steering wheel to check thatthe steering power assist works.
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WARNINGS
Keep batteries out of reach ofchildren. Batteries contain sulfuricacid. Avoid contact with skin, eyes orclothing. Shield your eyes when workingnear the battery to protect against possiblesplashing of acid solution. In case of acidcontact with skin or eyes, flushimmediately with water for a minimum of15 minutes and get prompt medicalattention. If acid is swallowed, call aphysician immediately.
Use only adequately sized cableswith insulated clamps.
Preparing Your Vehicle
Do not attempt to push-start yourautomatic transmission vehicle.
Note:Attempting to push-start a vehiclewith an automatic transmission may causetransmission damage.
Note:Use only a 12-volt supply to start yourvehicle.
Note:Do not disconnect the battery of thedisabled vehicle as this could damage thevehicle electrical system.
Park the booster vehicle close to the hoodof the disabled vehicle, making sure thetwo vehicles do not touch.
Connecting the Jumper Cables
WARNINGS
Do not attach the cables to fuel lines,engine rocker covers, the intakemanifold or electrical componentsas grounding points. Stay clear of movingparts. To avoid reverse polarityconnections, make sure that you correctlyidentify the positive (+) and negative (-)terminals on both the disabled and boostervehicles before connecting the cables.
WARNINGS
Do not attach the end of the positivecable to the studs or L-shaped eyeletlocated above the positive (+)terminal of your vehicle’s battery. Highcurrent may flow through and causedamage to the fuses.
Do not connect the end of thesecond cable to the negative (-)terminal of the battery to be jumped.A spark may cause an explosion of thegases that surround the battery.
Note:In the illustration, the bottom vehiclerepresents the booster vehicle.
1.Connect the positive (+) jumper cableto the positive (+) terminal of thedischarged battery.
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Protected componentsFuse amp ratingFuse or relay number
Not used.—30
Body builder left-hand low beam head-lamp feed.10A31
Not used.—32
Body builder reverse lamp power.10A33
Body builder reverse gear.10A34Trailer tow reverse lamps.
Body builder high beam feed.20A35High beam indicator.
Transmission control switch.10A36
Not used.—37
Body builder run feed.10A38
Not used.—39
Not used.—40
Instrument cluster lighting.10A41
Not used.—42
Not used.—43
Not used.—44
Trailer tow right-hand direction indicator.—Relay 1
Trailer tow left-hand direction indicator.—Relay 2
Right-hand direction indicator.—Relay 3
Left-hand direction indicator.—Relay 4
Not used.—Relay 5
Daytime running lamps.—Relay 6Parking brake.
Daytime running lamps on/off.—Relay 7
Brake transmission shift interlock.—Diode 1
Brake transmission shift interlock.—Diode 2
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Protected componentsFuse amp ratingFuse or relay number
Not used.—F1
Not used.—F2
Not used.—F3
Brake transmission shift interlock.10AF4
Not used.—F5
Not used.—F6
Not used.—F7
Not used.—F8
Not used.—F9
Not used.—F10
Not used.—F11
Not used.—F12
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