
CHANGING THE ENGINE AIR
FILTER
WARNING
Do not start the engine with the air filter
removed. This can cause damage not
covered by the vehicle Warranty and can
result in serious injury. Only use the specified replacement air filter.
See Capacities and Specifications (page
367).
Change the air filter element at the correct
interval. See Scheduled Maintenance (page
495
).
When changing the engine air filter, do not
allow debris or foreign material to enter the
air induction system. The engine and
turbocharger are susceptible to damage from
even small particles. Note:
Failure to use the correct air filter
element may result in severe engine
damage. Resulting component damage may
not be covered by the vehicle Warranty. 1. Release the clamps that secure the air
filter cover to the housing.
2. Carefully lift the air filter housing cover.
3. Remove the air filter element from the air
filter housing.
4. Wipe any dirt or debris from the air filter housing and cover to make sure no dirt
gets in the engine and that you have a
good seal. 5.
Install a new air filter element. Be careful
not to crimp the filter element edges
between the air filter housing and cover.
This could cause filter damage and allow
unfiltered air to enter the engine if it is
not properly seated.
6. Install the air filter housing cover.
7. Engage the clips to secure the air filter housing cover to the air filter housing.
319
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing MaintenanceE146427

When washing:
•
Take care when using a power washer
to clean the engine. The high-pressure
fluid could penetrate the sealed parts
and cause damage.
• Do not spray a hot engine with cold water
to avoid cracking the engine block or
other engine components.
• Spray Motorcraft Engine Shampoo and
Degreaser on all parts that require
cleaning and pressure rinse clean. In
Canada, use Motorcraft Engine Shampoo.
• Never wash or rinse the engine while it
is hot or running; water in the running
engine may cause internal damage.
• Never wash or rinse any ignition coil,
spark plug wire or spark plug well, or the
area in and around these locations.
• Cover the battery, power distribution box,
and air filter assembly to prevent water
damage when cleaning the engine. CLEANING THE WINDOWS AND
WIPER BLADES
Car wash chemicals and environmental
fallout can result in windshield and wiper
blade contamination. Dirty windshield and
wipers will result in poor windshield wiper
operation. Keep the windshield and wiper
blades clean to maintain windshield wiper
performance.
To clean the windshield and wiper blades:
•
Clean the windshield with a non-abrasive
glass cleaner. When cleaning the interior
of the windshield, avoid getting any glass
cleaner on the instrument panel or door
panels. Wipe any glass cleaner off these
surfaces immediately.
• For windshields contaminated with tree
sap, chemicals, wax or bugs, clean the
entire windshield using steel wool (no
greater than 0000 grade) in a circular
motion and rinse with water.
• Clean the wiper blades with isopropyl
rubbing alcohol or windshield washer
concentrate. Note:
Do not use razor blades or other
sharp objects to clean or remove decals from
the inside of the heated rear window. The
vehicle warranty does not cover damage
caused to the heated rear window grid lines.
CLEANING THE INTERIOR WARNINGS
Do not use cleaning solvents, bleach
or dye on the vehicle
’s safety belts, as
these actions may weaken the belt webbing. On vehicles equipped with
seat-mounted airbags, do not use
chemical solvents or strong detergents. Such
products could contaminate the side airbag
system and affect performance of the side
airbag in a collision. Note:
Follow the same procedure for
cleaning leather seats when cleaning leather
interior. See Cleaning Leather Seats (page
326).
323
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Vehicle Care

Note:
Do not use household cleaning
products or glass cleaners, which can stain
and discolor the fabric and affect the flame
retardant abilities of the seat materials.
For fabric, carpets, cloth seats, safety belts
and seats equipped with side airbags:
• Remove dust and loose dirt with a
vacuum cleaner.
• Remove light stains and soil with
Motorcraft Professional Strength Carpet
& Upholstery Cleaner. For grease or tar stains:
•
Spot clean the area with Motorcraft Spot
and Stain Remover (Motorcraft
Multi-Purpose Cleaner in Canada).
• If a ring forms on the fabric after spot
cleaning, clean the entire area
immediately (but do not oversaturate) or
the ring will set.
Cleaning Alcantara Microfiber Cloth
Fabric (If Equipped)
Note: Alcantara microfiber cloth fabric is
made of polyester microfiber with
micro-porous polyurethane. Using
commercially available fabric cleaners can
cause permanent damage. Note:
Do not use commercially available
leather and vinyl cleaning products on
Alcantara microfiber cloth fabric.
Note: Some vehicles may have Alcantara
microfiber cloth fabric on the seats,
headliner, floor mats and door panels.
Depending on the type of stain, use water,
lemon juice or pure ethyl alcohol when
cleaning. For cleaning Alcantara microfiber
cloth, refer to the following chart: Cleaning Procedure
Type of Stain
Use lukewarm water and rinse by dabbing with clean water.
Fruit juice, jam, jelly, syrup or ketchup.
Use cold water and rinse by dabbing with clean water. Avoid warm
water because it makes these substances coagulate.
Blood, egg, excrement or urine.
Use lukewarm water. If the color remains, treat with lemon juice and
then rinse.
Liquor, alcoholic beverages, wine, beer, cola and tea.
324
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Vehicle Care

Cleaning Procedure
Type of Stain
Use lukewarm water and rinse by dabbing with clean water.
Indelible pencil, cocoa, chocolate, pastry with cream or chocolate, ice
cream or mustard.
Use lemon juice, wipe with lukewarm water and rinse by dabbing with
clean water.
Vinegar, hair gel, tomato sauce or coffee with sugar.
Use ethyl alcohol, then dab with water.
Dye transfer and all other stains.
CLEANING THE INSTRUMENT
PANEL AND INSTRUMENT
CLUSTER LENS WARNING
Do not use chemical solvents or strong
detergents when cleaning the steering
wheel or instrument panel to avoid
contamination of the airbag system. Note:
Follow the same procedure as
cleaning leather seats for cleaning leather
instrument panels and leather interior trim
surfaces. See Cleaning Leather Seats (page
326). Clean the instrument panel and cluster lens
with a clean, damp and soft cloth, then use
a clean, dry and soft cloth to dry these areas.
•
Avoid cleaners or polishes that increase
the gloss of the upper portion of the
instrument panel. The dull finish in this
area helps protect you from undesirable
windshield reflection.
• Do not use any household cleaning
products or glass cleaners as these may
damage the finish of the instrument
panel, interior trim and cluster lens. •
Wash or wipe your hands clean if you
have been in contact with certain
products such as insect repellent and
suntan lotion to avoid possible damage
to the interior painted surfaces.
• Do not allow air fresheners and hand
sanitizers to spill onto interior surfaces.
If a spill occurs, wipe off immediately.
Your warranty may not cover these
damages.
If a staining liquid like coffee or juice has
been spilled on the instrument panel or on
interior trim surfaces:
1. Wipe up spilled liquid using a clean, soft
cloth as quickly as possible.
325
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Vehicle Care

2. Use Motorcraft Premium Leather and
Vinyl Cleaner or a commercially available
leather cleaning product for automotive
interiors. Test any cleaner or stain
remover on an inconspicuous area.
3. Alternatively, wipe the surface with a clean, soft cloth and a mild soap and
water solution. Dry the area with a clean,
soft cloth.
4. If necessary, apply more soap and water
solution or cleaning product to a clean,
soft cloth and press it onto the soiled
area. Allow this to set at room
temperature for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the soaked cloth, then with a clean, damp cloth, use a rubbing motion
for 60 seconds on the soiled area.
6. Dry the area with a clean, soft cloth. CLEANING LEATHER SEATS (If
Equipped)
Note: Follow the same procedure as
cleaning leather seats for cleaning leather
instrument panels and leather interior trim
surfaces.
For routine cleaning, wipe the surface with
a soft, damp cloth and a mild soap and water
solution. Dry the area with a clean, soft cloth.
For cleaning and removing stains such as
dye transfer, use Motorcraft Premium Leather
and Vinyl Cleaner or a commercially available
leather cleaning product for automotive
interiors.
Note: Test any cleaner or stain remover on
an inconspicuous area.
You should:
• Remove dust and loose dirt with a
vacuum cleaner.
• Clean and treat spills and stains as soon
as possible. Do not use the following products as these
may damage the leather:
•
Oil and petroleum or silicone-based
leather conditioners.
• Household cleaners.
• Alcohol solutions.
• Solvents or cleaners intended specifically
for rubber, vinyl and plastics.
REPAIRING MINOR PAINT
DAMAGE
Authorized dealers have touch-up paint to
match your vehicle ’s color. Your vehicle color
code is printed on a sticker on the front,
left-hand side door jamb. Take your color
code to your authorized dealer to make sure
you get the correct color.
Before repairing minor paint damage, use a
cleaner such as Motorcraft Bug and Tar
Remover to remove particles such as bird
droppings, tree sap, insect deposits, tar
spots, road salt and industrial fallout.
Always read the instructions before using
cleaning products.
326
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Vehicle Care

Note:
After the sealing compound has been
used, the maximum vehicle speed is 50 mph
(80 km/h) and the maximum driving distance
is 120 mi (200 km). The sealed tire should
be inspected immediately.
You can check the tire pressure any time
within the
120 mi (200 km) by performing the
steps listed previously in the Second stage:
Checking Tire Pressure procedure.
Removal of the sealant canister from the
kit 1. Unwrap the dual purpose hose (black
tube) from the compressor housing. 2. Unwrap the power cord.
3. Remove the back cover. 4. Rotate the sealant canister up 90
degrees and pull away from
casing/housing to remove.
Installation of the sealant canister to the
kit
1. With the canister held perpendicular to the housing, insert the canister nozzle
into the connector and push until seated.
2. Rotate the canister 90 degrees down into
the housing/casing.
336
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Wheels and TiresE175984 E175985 E175986 E175987

•
Recommended inflation pressure:
The cold inflation pressure found on
the Safety Compliance Certification
Label (affixed to either the door
hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the
door edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver's seating
position), or Tire Label located on the
B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’ s
door.
• B-pillar: The structural member at
the side of the vehicle behind the
front door
• Bead area of the tire: Area of the tire
next to the rim.
• Sidewall of the tire:
Area between
the bead area and the tread.
• Tread area of the tire:
Area of the
perimeter of the tire that contacts the
road when mounted on the vehicle.
• Rim:
The metal support (wheel) for a
tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated. Information Contained on the Tire
Sidewall
Both United States and Canada Federal
regulations require tire manufacturers
to place standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This information
identifies and describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also
provides a U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number for safety standard certification
and in case of a recall.
Information on P Type Tires P215/65R15 95H is an example of a tire
size, load index and speed rating. The
definitions of these items are listed
below. (Note that the tire size, load index
and speed rating for your vehicle may
be different from this example.)
340
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Wheels and TiresH
I
J
KL
M
A
B
CDEFG
E142543

mph ( km/h)
Letter rating
168 mph (270 km/h)
W
186 mph (299 km/h)
Y
Note: For tires with a maximum speed
capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacturers sometimes use the letters
ZR. For those with a maximum speed
capability over 186 mph (299 km/h), tire
manufacturers always use the letters
ZR.
H. U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number:
This begins with the letters DOT and
indicates that the tire meets all federal
standards. The next two numbers or
letters are the plant code designating
where it was manufactured, the next two
are the tire size code and the last four
numbers represent the week and year
the tire was built. For example, the
numbers 317 mean the 31st week of
1997. After 2000 the numbers go to four digits. For example, 2501 means the
25th week of 2001. The numbers in
between are identification codes used
for traceability. This information is used
to contact customers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
I. M+S or M/S: Mud and Snow, or
AT:
All Terrain, or
AS:
All Season.
J.
Tire Ply Composition and Material
Used: Indicates the number of plies or
the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire tread and sidewall. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate the ply
materials in the tire and the sidewall,
which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others. K.
Maximum Load: Indicates the
maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire. See the
Safety Compliance Certification Label
(affixed to either the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge that
meets the door-latch post, next to the
driver's seating position), for the correct
tire pressure for your vehicle.
L.
Treadwear, Traction and
Temperature Grades:
342
MKZ (CC9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, First Printing Wheels and Tires