2018 FORD F-250 brakes

System Limitations
WARNING
The collision warning system
’s brake
support only reduces collision speed
if you first apply your brakes. You
must brake as you would in any typical
braking situation. Due to the nature of radar technology,
there may be certain instances where
vehicles do not provide a collision warning.
These include:
•
Stationary vehicles or vehicles moving
below 6 mph (10 km/h).
• Pedestrians or objects in the roadway.
• Oncoming vehicles in the same lane.
• Severe weather conditions (see
blocked sensor section).
• Debris build-up on the grille near the
headlamps (see blocked sensor
section).
• Small distance to vehicle ahead.
• Large steering wheel and pedal
movements (very active driving style).
Damage to the front end of your vehicle
may alter the radar sensor's coverage area.
This may result in missed or false collision
warnings. Have an authorized dealer check
your radar sensor for proper coverage and
operation.
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Safety Compliance Certification Label
Example:
WARNING
Exceeding the Safety
Compliance Certification
label vehicle weight rating limits
could result in substandard
vehicle handling or performance,
engine, transmission and/or
structural damage, serious
damage to the vehicle, loss of
control and personal injury. Maximum Loaded Trailer
Weight
Maximum loaded trailer weight is
the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can
tow. Consult an authorized dealer
(or the RV and Trailer Towing
Guide available at an authorized
dealer) for more detailed
information. GCWR (Gross Combined
Weight Rating)
GCWR is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the
loaded trailer, including all cargo
and passengers, that the vehicle
can handle without risking
damage. (Important: The towing
vehicle
’s braking system is rated
for operation at Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating, not at Gross
Combined Weight Rating.)
Separate functional brakes should
be used for safe control of towed
vehicles and for trailers where the
Gross Combined Weight of the
towing vehicle plus the trailer
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of the towing vehicle.
The gross combined weight must
never exceed the Gross Combined
Weight Rating.
Note: For trailer towing
information refer to the RV and
Trailer Towing Guide available at
an authorized dealer. WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or
the GAWR specified on the
Safety Compliance Certification
label.
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TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or
the GAWR specified on the
certification label. Towing trailers beyond the
maximum recommended
gross trailer weight exceeds the
limit of your vehicle and could
result in engine damage,
transmission damage, structural
damage, loss of vehicle control,
vehicle rollover and personal
injury. Do not exceed the lowest
rating capacity for your
vehicle or trailer hitch. Overloading
your vehicle or trailer hitch can
impair your vehicle stability and
handling. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in the loss
of control of your vehicle, personal
injury or death. Do not cut, drill, weld or
modify the trailer hitch.
Modifying the trailer hitch could
reduce the hitch rating. Note:
To prevent your trailer from
accumulating distance, and the
trailer information status appearing
when you restart your vehicle after
disconnecting your trailer, you must
deactivate your trailer. Using the
information display, go to the
Towing menu and then the Select
Trailer option. Select the No active
trailer option. See Information
Displays (page 113).
Your vehicle may have electrical
items, such as fuses or relays,
related to towing. See
Fuses
(page 317).
Your vehicle may have ability to
modify trailer towing features.
See
General Information (page
113).
Your vehicle's load capacity
designation is by weight, not by
volume, so you cannot necessarily
use all available space when
loading a vehicle or trailer.
Towing a trailer places an extra
load on your vehicle's engine,
transmission, axle, brakes, tires
and suspension. Inspect these
components periodically during,
and after, any towing operation.
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Step 2: Follow the Information Display
Prompts
1. Use the steering wheel controls to
navigate to the towing menu.
2. Select Trailer Setup from the available
options.
3. Select Add a Trailer and press OK to confirm.
4. The system asks you to name the trailer. Use the steering wheel controls
to choose from the alphanumeric
characters. Press the right arrow to
advance to the next character. When
you finish naming the trailer, press OK
to confirm.
5. Select the type of brake system for your trailer. Select DEFAULT if your
trailer has electric, surge or no brakes.
Press OK to select and advance to the
next screen
Note: The default option is low. This is
recommended for most trailers. If the
trailer's brakes require more initial voltage,
or if you prefer more aggressive braking, then
select the other options as required.
6. The system asks you to select your trailer type. You can use the system
with conventional, fifth wheel and
goose neck trailers. For fifth wheel and
goose neck trailers, set up and sticker
placement are not required, however
some of the features do not operate
automatically with these trailer types.
Use the steering wheel controls to
select your trailer type.
Note: You can still manually control the
camera views on the touchscreen to help
you reverse goose neck and fifth wheel
trailers.
7. If your vehicle includes a blind spot information system, the system
prompts you to setup the trailer blind
spot feature. See Blind Spot
Information System (page 252). 8. A message appears in the information
display asking if you want to add trailer
reverse guidance. Select Yes to
continue.
9. Straighten out the trailer, if necessary.
10. The information display directs you to the quick start guide for how to
proceed. The steps are also shown
here.
Step 3: Placing the Target
Place the entire sticker in the gray zone on
the trailer outlined in the diagram. The
sticker is in the back cover pocket of the
quick start guide.
Note: An assistant can help to carry out the
following procedure.
Note: Make sure nothing obstructs the rear
view cameras view of the sticker. For
example, items such as a jack handle or
wiring.
Note: Position the sticker on a flat, dry and
clean horizontal surface. For best results
apply the sticker when temperatures are
above
32°F (0°C).
Note: Do not move stickers after they are
placed. Do not re-use any stickers if
removed. 275
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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 264).
RECOMMENDED TOWING
WEIGHTS WARNING
You must use the heavy-duty
drawbar pin supplied with
your vehicle when using the
heavy-duty hitch. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in the
loss of control of your vehicle,
personal injury or death. Note:
Vehicles with a heavy-duty
hitch must use the drawbar pin
stamped 21,000 LBS. You can
obtain a replacement drawbar pin
at your authorized dealer. Note:
Make sure to take into
consideration trailer frontal area.
Do not exceed 60 ft 2
(5.6 m 2
) trailer
frontal area for conventional
trailers. Do not exceed 75 ft 2
(6.9
m 2
) trailer frontal area for fifth
wheel and gooseneck trailers.
Note: Exceeding this limitation
may significantly reduce the
performance of your towing
vehicle. Selecting a trailer with a
low aerodynamic drag and rounded
front design helps optimize
performance and fuel economy.
Note: For high altitude operation,
reduce the gross combined weight
by 2% per
1,000 ft (300 m)
starting at the 1,000 ft (300 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 your
vehicle's electrical system may not
include the wiring connector
needed to use electric trailer
brakes.
Your vehicle may tow a trailer
provided the maximum trailer
weight is less than or equal to the
maximum trailer weight
calculated using the formula
following the chart.
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ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
WARNING
Do not exceed the maximum vertical
load on the tow ball. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in the
loss of control of your vehicle, personal
injury or death. Follow these guidelines for safe towing:
•
Do not tow a trailer until you drive your
vehicle at least 1,000 mi (1,600 km).
• 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.
See
Scheduled Maintenance (page 581).
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives
you.
See
Load Limits in the Load Carrying
chapter for load specification terms found
on the tire label and Safety Compliance
label and instructions on calculating your
vehicle's load.
Vehicles with a diesel engine have an
engine braking feature.
See General
Information (page 225).
Remember to account for the trailer
tongue weight as part of your vehicle load
when calculating the total vehicle weight.
Some vehicles will have the ability to
modify trailer towing features. See
General Information
(page 113). Trailer Towing Connector
When attaching the trailer wiring connector
to your vehicle, only use a proper fitting
connector that works with the vehicle and
trailer functions. Some seven-position
connectors may have the SAE J2863 logo,
which confirms that it is the proper wiring
connector and works correctly with your
vehicle.
Function
Color
Left turn signal and stop lamp
Yellow
Ground (-)
White
Electric brakes
Blue
Right turn signal and stop
lamp
Green
Battery (+)
Orange
Running lights
Brown
Reverse lights
Grey
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Note:
If your vehicle is equipped with a
factory brake controller, the Battery (+)
Orange wire is powered when you start the
engine and you apply the brakes at least
once when a trailer with brake lamps is
connected. If your vehicle is not equipped
with a factory brake controller, relays control
the system and it becomes active when you
power on your vehicle.
Dynamic Hitching Using the Rear
View Camera System
Note: Active guidelines and fixed guidelines
are only available when the transmission is
in reverse (R).
Use the centerline (B) guideline to assist
you in setting your steering wheel properly
to help align the trailer hitch and tongue. Active guidelines.
A
Centerline.
B
Fixed guideline: Green zone.
C
Fixed guideline: Yellow zone.
D
Fixed guideline: Red zone.
E
Rear bumper.
F
Fixed guidelines are always shown in the
display, but the active guidelines only
display when the steering wheel is turned.
To use active guidelines, turn the steering
wheel to point the guidelines toward an
intended path. If the steering wheel
position is changed while reversing, your
vehicle might deviate from the original
intended path.
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Shorter pick-up boxes, such as the 6½-foot
box on the F-250 and F-350, provide less
clearance between the cab and the
fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailer
compared to longer box pick-ups, such as
an 8-foot box on the F-250 or F-350. When
selecting a trailer and tow vehicle, it is
critical to check that this combination
provides clearance between the front of
the trailer and tow vehicle for turns up to
90 degrees. Failure to follow this
recommendation could result in the trailer
contacting the cab of the tow vehicle
during tight turns that are typical during
low-speed parking and turning maneuvers.
This contact could result in damage to the
trailer and tow vehicle.
Safety Chains
Note:
Do not attach safety chains to the
bumper. Always connect the safety chains
to the frame or hook retainers of your trailer
hitch.
Install trailer safety chains to the trailer
hitch as recommended by the
manufacturer. Cross the chains under the
trailer tongue and allow enough slack for
turning tight corners. Do not allow the
chains to drag on the ground. If the trailer safety chain hook has a latch,
make sure the latch is fully closed. Note:
If you install the hook with the latch
facing toward the rear of your vehicle, you
may not be able to fully close the safety
chain hook latch. If this occurs, install the
hook with the latch facing toward the front
of your vehicle.
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.
Separate functioning brake systems
are required for safe control of towed
vehicles and trailers weighing more
than 1500 lb (680 kg) when loaded.
Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
(If Equipped)
WARNINGS
The anti-lock brake system does not
control the trailer brakes.
Use the integrated trailer brake
controller to properly adjust the
trailer brakes and check all
connections before towing a trailer. Failure
to follow this instruction could result in the
loss of control of your vehicle, personal
injury or death. 290
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