RV & Trailer Towing Guide Online
http://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/
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TRAILER SWAY CONTROL (If Equipped) WARNING
Turning off trailer sway control
increases the risk of loss of vehicle
control, serious injury or death. Ford does
not recommend disabling this feature except
in situations where speed reduction may be
detrimental (such as hill climbing), the driver
has significant trailer towing experience, and
can control trailer sway and maintain safe
operation. Note:
This feature does not prevent trailer
sway, but reduces it once it begins.
Note: This feature cannot stop all trailers
from swaying. Note:
In some cases, if vehicle speed is too
high, the system may activate multiple times,
gradually reducing vehicle speed.
This feature applies your vehicle brakes at
individual wheels and, if necessary, reduces
engine power. If the trailer begins to sway,
the stability control light flashes and the
message TRAILER SWAY REDUCE SPEED
appears in the information display. The first
thing to do is slow your vehicle down, then
pull safely to the side of the road and check
for proper tongue load and trailer load
distribution.
See Load Carrying (page 249).
RECOMMENDED TOWING
WEIGHTS
Note: Do not exceed the trailer weight
for your vehicle configuration listed in
the chart below. Note:
Make sure to take into
consideration trailer frontal area. Do not
exceed 20 ft² (1.86 m²) for vehicles
without towing package, or 30 ft² (2.79
m²) for vehicles with towing package.
Note: For high altitude operation,
reduce the gross combined weight by
2% per
1,000 ft (305 m) starting at the
1,000 ft (305 m) elevation point.
Note: Certain states require electric
trailer brakes for trailers over a specified
weight. Be sure to check state
regulations for this specified weight. The
maximum trailer weights listed may be
limited to this specified weight, as the
vehicle ’s electrical system may not
include the wiring connector needed to
activate electric trailer brakes.
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ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
Follow these guidelines for safe towing:
•
Do not tow a trailer until you drive your
vehicle at least 1000 miles (1600
kilometers).
• Consult your local motor vehicle laws for
towing a trailer.
• See the instructions included with towing
accessories for the proper installation
and adjustment specifications.
• Service your vehicle more frequently if
you tow a trailer. See your scheduled
maintenance information.
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives you.
You can find information on load
specification terms found on the tire label
and Safety Compliance label as well as
instructions on calculating your vehicle's load
in the Load Carrying chapter. See Load Limit
(page 251).
Remember to account for the trailer tongue
weight as part of your vehicle load when
calculating the total vehicle weight. Hitches
Do not use a hitch that either clamps onto
the bumper or attaches to the axle.
Distribute the trailer load so 10-15% of the
total trailer weight is on the tongue.
Safety Chains
Note:
Never attach safety chains to the
bumper.
Always connect the safety chains to the hook
retainers of your vehicle hitch.
To connect the safety chains, cross them
under the trailer tongue and allow enough
slack for turning tight corners. Do not allow
the chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes WARNING
Do not connect a trailer's hydraulic
brake system directly to your vehicle's
brake system. Your vehicle may not have
enough braking power and your chances of
having a collision greatly increase. Electric brakes and manual, automatic or
surge-type trailer brakes are safe if you install
them properly and adjust them to the
manufacturer's specifications. The trailer
brakes must meet local and federal
regulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's braking
system operation is at the gross vehicle
weight rating, not the gross combined
weight rating.
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.
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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.
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.
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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 so you 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 182).
• 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 140). 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.
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.
Neutral Tow
If you tow your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground:
•
Tow only in the forward direction.
• Release the parking brake.
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.
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2. Select Neutral Tow under the Vehicle
Settings menu in the information display.
See
General Information (page 114).
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.
Exit Neutral Tow mode, make sure the
ignition is on (engine can be on or off ), press
the brake pedal and select
P on the
push-button transmission.
If the process is completed successfully,
Neutral Tow disengaged
appears in the
information display and both the instrument
cluster and push-button transmission display
P
.
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•
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.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deep
water as you may lose control of your
vehicle. Note:
Driving through standing water can
cause vehicle damage.
Note: Engine damage can occur if water
enters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water, check
the depth. Never drive through water that is
higher than the bottom of the front rocker
area of your vehicle. When driving through standing water, drive
very slowly and do not stop your vehicle.
Your brake performance and traction may
be limited. After driving through water and
as soon as it is safe to do so:
•
Lightly press the brake pedal to dry the
brakes and to check that they work.
• Check that the horn works.
• Check that the exterior lights work.
• Turn the steering wheel to check that the
steering power assist works.
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Should your vehicle shut off after a collision,
you may restart your vehicle. For vehicles
equipped with a key system:
1. Switch off the ignition.
2. Switch on the ignition.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to re-enable the
fuel pump.
For vehicles equipped with a push button
start system:
1. Press the START/STOP button to switch
off the ignition.
2. Press the brake pedal and press the START/STOP button to switch on the
ignition.
3. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and press the
START/STOP button to
switch off the ignition.
4. You can either attempt to start the engine
by pressing the brake pedal and the
START/STOP
button, or switch on the
ignition only by pressing the
START/STOP
button without pressing
the brake pedal. Both ways re-enable the
fuel system. Note:
When you try to restart your vehicle
after a fuel shutoff, the vehicle makes sure
that various systems are safe to restart.
Once your vehicle determines that the
systems are safe, then the vehicle will allow
you to restart.
Note: In the event that your vehicle does not
restart after your third attempt, contact an
authorized dealer.
JUMP STARTING THE VEHICLE WARNINGS
Batteries normally produce explosive
gases which can cause personal injury.
Therefore, do not allow flames, sparks or
lighted substances to come near the battery.
When working near the battery, always shield
your face and protect your eyes. Always
provide correct ventilation. WARNINGS
Keep batteries out of reach of children.
Batteries contain sulfuric acid. Avoid
contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Shield
your eyes when working near the battery to
protect against possible splashing of acid
solution. In case of acid contact with skin or
eyes, flush immediately with water for a
minimum of 15 minutes and get prompt
medical attention. If acid is swallowed, call a
physician immediately. Use only adequately sized cables with
insulated clamps.
Preparing Your Vehicle
Do not attempt to push-start your automatic
transmission vehicle.
Note:
Attempting to push-start a vehicle with
an automatic transmission may cause
transmission damage.
Note: Use only a 12-volt supply to start your
vehicle.
Note: Do not disconnect the battery of the
disabled vehicle as this could damage the
vehicle electrical system.
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Protected Components
Fuse Amp Rating
Fuse or Relay Number
Voltage quality module (start/stop).
Front split view camera.
Front split view camera module.
Not used (spare).
10A 1
24
Run-start anti-lock brake system.
10A 2
25
Run-start powertrain control module.
10A 2
26
Not used.
—
27
Rear washer pump.
10A 1
28
Not used.
—
29
Not used.
—
30
Not used.
—
31
Electronic fan 1 relay.
—
32
A/C clutch relay.
—
33
Glove box release.
15A 1
34
Not used.
—
35
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