Engine coolant reservoir. See Engine Coolant Check (page 296).
A.
Engine oil filler cap.
See Engine Oil Check (page 294).
B.
Engine oil dipstick.
See Engine Oil Dipstick (page 294).
C.
Brake fluid reservoir.
See Brake Fluid Check (page 302).
D.
Battery.
See Changing the 12V Battery (page 303).
E.
Power distribution box.
See Fuses (page 269).
F.
Air filter assembly.
See Changing the Engine Air Filter (page 311).
G.
Automatic transmission dipstick (under air filter assembly).
See Automatic Transmission Fluid Check (page 300).
H.
Windshield washer fluid reservoir.
See Washer Fluid Check (page 303).
I.
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UNDER HOOD OVERVIEW - 3.7L
Engine coolant reservoir. See Engine Coolant Check (page 296).
A.
Engine oil filler cap.
See Engine Oil Check (page 294).
B.
Engine oil dipstick.
See Engine Oil Dipstick (page 294).
C.
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ENGINE COOLANT CHECK
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, spilling coolant on
hot engine parts can burn you. 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
you loosen the cap slightly. Do not add coolant further than the
MAX mark. 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 387).
Note: Make sure that the coolant 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.
Maintain coolant concentration within 48%
to 50%, which equates to a freeze point
between -30°F (-34°C) and -34°F (-37°C).
Note: For best results, coolant concentration
should be tested with a refractometer such
as Robinair® Coolant and Battery
Refractometer 75240. We do 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,
antifreeze or windshield washer fluid outside
of its specified function and vehicle location.
Adding Engine Coolant
Note: Do not use stop leak pellets, cooling
system sealants or additives as they can
cause damage to the engine cooling or
heating systems. Your warranty may not
cover these damages.
Note: During normal vehicle operation, the
coolant may change color from orange to
pink or light red. As long as the coolant is
clear and uncontaminated, this color change
does not indicate the coolant has degraded
nor does it require the coolant to be drained,
the system to be flushed, or the coolant to
be replaced.
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Do not mix different colors or types of
coolant in your vehicle. Mixing of engine
coolants may harm your engine
’s cooling
system. Use prediluted engine coolant
meeting the correct specification. See
Capacities and Specifications (page 351).
The use of an incorrect coolant may harm
the engine or cooling system components
and may not be covered by the vehicle
Warranty.
In case of emergency, you can add a large
amount of water without engine coolant in
order to reach a vehicle service location. In
this instance, qualified personnel:
1. Must drain the cooling system.
2. Chemically clean the cooling system with
Motorcraft Premium Cooling System
Flush.
3. Refill with engine coolant as soon as possible.
Water alone, without engine coolant, can
cause engine damage from corrosion,
overheating or freezing. Do not use the following as a coolant
substitute:
•
Alcohol.
• Methanol.
• Brine.
• Any engine coolant mixed with alcohol
or methanol antifreeze or 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.
When adding coolant:
1. Unscrew the cap slowly. Any pressure will escape as you unscrew the cap.
2. Add prediluted engine coolant meeting the correct specification. See Capacities
and Specifications
(page 351).
3. Check the coolant level in the coolant reservoir the next few times you drive
your vehicle. 4. If necessary, add enough prediluted
engine coolant to bring the coolant level
to the proper level.
Recycled Engine Coolant
We do not recommend the use of recycled
engine coolant as an 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 an
authorized dealer increase the coolant
concentration above 50%.
• A coolant concentration of 60% provides
improved freeze point protection. Engine
coolant concentrations above 60%
decrease the overheat protection
characteristics of the engine coolant and
may cause engine damage.
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If you drive in extremely hot climates:
•
It may be necessary to have an
authorized dealer decrease the coolant
concentration to 40%.
• A coolant concentration of 40% provides
improved overheat protection. Engine
coolant concentrations below 40%
decrease the freeze and corrosion
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 you deplete the engine coolant supply,
fail-safe cooling allows you to temporarily
drive your vehicle before you incur
incremental component damage. 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: the coolant temperature warning
light will illuminate
the service engine soon indicator
will illuminate.
If the engine reaches a preset
over-temperature condition, the engine
automatically switches to alternating cylinder
operation. Each disabled cylinder acts as an
air pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs, your vehicle will still
operate. However:
• The engine power will be limited.
• This will disable the air conditioning
system.
Continued operation increases the engine
temperature, causing the engine to
completely shut down. Your steering and
braking effort increases in this situation. When the engine temperature cools, you can
re-start your engine. 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 your
vehicle in fail-safe mode only as long as
necessary to bring your vehicle to rest in a
safe location and seek immediate repairs.
When in fail-safe mode, your 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. Never remove the coolant reservoir
cap while the engine is running or hot.
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You have limited engine power when in the
fail-safe mode, so drive your vehicle with
caution. Your vehicle will not maintain
high-speed operation and the engine will
operate poorly.
Remember that the engine is capable of
automatically shutting down to prevent
engine damage. In this situation:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely
possible and switch off the engine.
2. Tow your vehicle 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 add if low.
5. Re-start the engine and drive your vehicle
to an authorized dealer.
Note: Driving your vehicle without repair
increases the chance of engine damage.
Contact an authorized dealer as soon as
possible. Engine Fluid Temperature Management (If
Equipped) WARNINGS
To reduce the risk of crash and injury,
be prepared that the vehicle speed
may reduce and the vehicle may not be able
to accelerate with full power until the fluid
temperatures reduce. Never remove the coolant reservoir
cap while the engine is running or hot.
Your vehicle can pull a trailer, but because
of the added load, your vehicle
’s engine may
temporarily reach higher temperatures during
severe operating conditions such as
ascending a long or steep grade while
pulling a trailer in high temperatures.
At this time, you may notice your engine
coolant temperature gauge needle move
toward the H and the POWER REDUCED TO
LOWER TEMP message may appear in the
information display. You may notice a reduction in vehicle speed
caused by reduced engine power. In order
to manage the engine fluid temperatures,
your vehicle may enter this mode if certain
high-temperature and high-load conditions
take place. The amount of speed reduction
depends on many factors such as vehicle
loading, towing, grade and ambient
temperature. If this occurs, there is no need
to pull off the road. You can continue to drive
your vehicle while this message is active.
The air conditioning may also cycle on and
off during severe operating conditions to
protect overheating of the engine. When the
engine coolant temperature decreases to a
normal operating temperature, the air
conditioning will turn on once again.
If the engine coolant temperature gauge
moves fully into the red (hot) area, or if the
coolant temperature warning or service
engine soon messages appear in your
information display:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely
possible and shift the transmission into
P
.
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2. Leave the engine running until the
coolant temperature gauge needle
moves away from the red (hot) area. After
several minutes, if the temperature does
not drop, follow the remaining steps.
3. Switch the engine off and wait for it to cool before checking the coolant level.
4. If the coolant level is normal, restart your
engine and continue.
5. If the coolant is low, add coolant, and restart the engine. See Adding Engine
Coolant or How Fail-Safe Cooling Works
in this chapter for more information.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FLUID CHECK - 2.0L ECOBOOST™
Note: Transmission fluid should be checked
by an authorized dealer. If required, fluid
should be added by an authorized dealer.
The automatic transmission does not have
a transmission fluid dipstick. Have an authorized dealer check and change
the transmission fluid at the correct service
interval. See Scheduled Maintenance (page
387
). Your transmission does not consume
fluid. However, the fluid level should be
checked if the transmission is not working
properly, (i.e., if the transmission slips or
shifts slowly) or if you notice some sign of
fluid leakage.
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.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FLUID CHECK - 3.5L ECOBOOST™/
3.7L WARNING
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. The transmission does not consume fluid.
However, if the transmission slips or shifts
slowly you should check the fluid level. If you
notice a sign of leaking fluid, contact an
authorized dealer.
Checking the Transmission Fluid Level
WARNING
The dipstick and surrounding
components are hot. Use gloves when
moving components and checking the
transmission fluid level. Failure to follow this
warning could result in serious personal
injury. Only check the transmission fluid level when
the engine is at normal operating
temperature
179°F (82°C)-199°F (93°C).
Normal operating temperature is reached
after driving approximately
20 mi (30 km).
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•
Cover interior trim to prevent fading.
• Keep all rubber parts free from oil and
solvents.
Engine
• Change the engine oil and filter prior to
storage because used engine oil contains
contaminates which may cause engine
damage.
• Start the engine every 15 days for a
minimum of 15 minutes. Run at fast idle
with the climate controls set to defrost
until the engine reaches normal
operating temperature.
• With your foot on the brake, shift through
all the gears while the engine is running.
• We recommend that you change the
engine oil before you use your vehicle
again.
Fuel system
• Fill the fuel tank with high-quality fuel
until the first automatic shutoff of the fuel
pump nozzle. Cooling system
•
Protect against freezing temperatures.
• When removing your vehicle from
storage, check coolant fluid level.
Confirm that there are no cooling system
leaks and that fluid is at the
recommended level.
Battery
• Check and recharge as necessary. Keep
connections clean.
• If storing your vehicle for more than 30
days without recharging the battery, we
recommend that you disconnect the
battery cables to maintain battery charge
for quick starting.
Note: It is necessary to reset memory
features if battery cables are disconnected.
Brakes
• Make sure the brakes and parking brake
release fully.
Tires
• Maintain recommended air pressure. Miscellaneous
•
Make sure all linkages, cables, levers and
pins under your vehicle are covered with
grease to prevent rust.
• Move vehicles at least 25 ft (7.5 m) every
15 days to lubricate working parts and
prevent corrosion.
Removing Vehicle From Storage
When your vehicle is ready to come out of
storage, do the following:
• Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt or
grease film build-up on window surfaces.
• Check windshield wipers for any
deterioration.
• Check under the hood for any foreign
material that may have collected during
storage such as mice or squirrel nests.
• Check the exhaust for any foreign
material that may have collected during
storage.
• Check tire pressures and set tire inflation
per the Tire Label.
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