2018 FORD F-53 tow

Introduction
About This Manual
..........................................5
Symbols Glossary ............................................
5
California Proposition 65 ..............................
7
Perchlorate .........................................................
7
Ford Credit ..........................................................
8
Replacement Parts Recommendation ........................................................................\
.....
8
Special Notices ................................................
8
Mobile Communications Equipment ........................................................................\
.....
9
Export Unique Options ................................
10
Environment
Protecting the Environment ........................
11
Steering Wheel
Adjusting the Steering Wheel ....................
12
Cruise Control ..................................................
12
Wipers and Washers
Windshield Wipers .........................................
13
Windshield Washers .....................................
13
Lighting
Lighting Control ..............................................
14
Instrument Lighting Dimmer .....................
14
Daytime Running Lamps .............................
15
Direction Indicators .......................................
15
Instrument Cluster
Gauges ...............................................................
16
Warning Lamps and Indicators .................
18
Audible Warnings and Indicators ............
20
Information Displays
General Information ......................................
21
Information Messages .................................
22Starting and Stopping the
Engine
General Information .....................................
25
Ignition Switch ................................................
25
Starting a Gasoline Engine ........................
25
Engine Block Heater .....................................
27
Fuel and Refueling
Safety Precautions .......................................
28
Fuel Quality .....................................................
28
Running Out of Fuel .....................................
29
Refueling ..........................................................
29
Fuel Consumption .........................................
31
Engine Emission Control
Emission Law ..................................................
33
Catalytic Converter .......................................
34
Transmission
Automatic Transmission .............................
37
Brakes
General Information ....................................
40
Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock Brakes ........................................................................\
..
40
Parking Brake ...................................................
41
Cruise Control
Principle of Operation .................................
42
Using Cruise Control ....................................
42
Load Carrying
Load Limit ........................................................
43
Towing
Towing a Trailer ..............................................
48
Recommended Towing Weights .............
49
Essential Towing Checks .............................
51
Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels .......
53
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Motorhome (TY3) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201712, Second Printing Table of Contents

PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
You should play your part in protecting the
environment. Correct vehicle usage and
the authorized disposal of waste, cleaning
and lubrication materials are significant
steps toward this aim.
For details about Ford Motor
Company's sustainability progress and
initiatives visit:
Web Address
www.sustainability.ford.com
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WINDSHIELD WIPERS
Note:
Fully defrost the windshield before
you switch the windshield wipers on.
Note: Make sure you switch the windshield
wipers off before entering a car wash.
Note: If streaks or smears appear on the
windshield, clean the windshield and the
wiper blades. If that does not resolve the
issue, install new wiper blades.
Note: Do not operate the wipers on a dry
windshield. This may scratch the glass,
damage the wiper blades or cause the wiper
motor to burn out. Always use the
windshield washers before wiping a dry
windshield. Rotate away from you for long
wipe interval.
Toward you for short wipe
interval.
Use the rotary control to adjust the
intermittent wipe interval.
WINDSHIELD WASHERS
Note: Do not operate the wipers on a dry
windshield. This may scratch the glass,
damage the wiper blades or cause the wiper
motor to burn out. Always use the
windshield washer before wiping a dry
windshield. Note:
Do not operate the washers when
the washer reservoir is empty. This may
cause the washer pump to overheat.
Press the end of the stalk to activate the
washer.
• A brief press causes a single wipe
without washer fluid.
• A quick press and hold causes the
wipers to swipe three times with
washer fluid.
• A long press and hold will activate the
wipers and washer fluid for up to 10
seconds. 13
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LIGHTING CONTROL
Off.A
Parking lamps, instrument panel
lamps, license plate lamps and
tail lamps.
B
Headlamps.
C
High Beams Push the lever away from you to switch
the high beam on.
Push the lever forward again or pull the
lever toward you to switch the high beams
off. Headlamp Flasher
Slightly pull the lever toward you and
release it to flash the headlamps.
INSTRUMENT LIGHTING
DIMMER
Note:
If you disconnect the battery or it
becomes discharged, the dimmer switch
requires re-calibration. Rotate the dimmer
switch from the full dim position to the full
dome/on position to reset.
Note: Rotate to the full upright position,
past detent, to switch on the interior lamps. Rotate up or down to adjust the intensity
of the panel lighting.
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A
B
CP E161457 E161458 E161459

Transmission Fluid Temperature
Gauge
Normal area
The transmission fluid is within the normal
operating temperature (between H and
C).
Yellow area
The transmission fluid is higher than
normal operating temperature. This can
be caused by special operation conditions
(i.e. snowplowing, towing or off-road use).
Operating the transmission for extended
periods of time with the gauge in the
yellow area may cause internal
transmission damage. Altering the severity
of the driving conditions is recommended
to lower the transmission temperature into
the normal range.
Red area
The transmission fluid is overheating. Stop
the vehicle to allow the temperature to
return to normal range.
If the gauge is operating in the yellow or
red area, stop the vehicle and verify the
airflow is not restricted such as snow or
debris blocking airflow through the grille.
If the gauge continues to show high
temperatures, see your authorized dealer.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge
WARNING
Do not remove the coolant reservoir
cap when the cooling system is hot.
Wait 10 minutes for the cooling
system to cool down. Cover the coolant
reservoir cap with a thick cloth to prevent
the possibility of scalding and slowly
remove the cap. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in personal injury. At normal operating temperature, the
needle remains in the center section.
Note:
Do not restart the engine until the
cause of overheating has been resolved.
If the needle enters the red section, the
engine is overheating. Stop the engine,
switch the ignition off and determine the
cause once the engine has cooled down.
Fuel Gauge
Note: The fuel gauge may vary slightly
when your vehicle is moving or on a slope.
Switch the ignition on. The fuel gauge
indicates approximately how much fuel
you have left in the fuel tank. The arrow
adjacent to the fuel pump symbol
indicates on which side of your vehicle the
fuel filler door is located.
The needle should move toward F when
you refuel your vehicle. If the needle points
to E after adding fuel, have an authorized
dealer check the system soon.
After refueling, some variability in the
position of the needle is normal:
• It may take a short time for the needle
to reach F after leaving the gas station.
This is normal and depends upon the
slope of the pavement at the gas
station.
• The fuel amount dispensed into the
tank is a little less or more than the
gauge indicated. This is normal and
depends upon the slope of the
pavement at the gas station.
• If the gas station nozzle shuts off
before the tank is full, try a different
gas pump nozzle.
• There is a small reserve left in the tank
when the fuel gauge reaches empty.
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Low Fuel Reminder
A low fuel reminder triggers when the fuel
gauge needle is at one-sixteenth or about
50 mi (80 km), 25 mi (40 km), 10 mi
(16 km) and 0 mi (0 km) to empty,
whichever occurs first.
Variations:
Note: The low fuel warning and distance-to-empty warning can appear at different fuel
gauge positions depending on fuel economy conditions. This variation is normal. Distance-to-empty
Fuel gauge position
Driving type (fuel economy
conditions)
30–80 mi (48–129 km)
1/16th
Highway driving
10–35 mi (16–56 km)
1/16th-1/4
Severe duty driving (trailer
towing, extended idle)
WARNING LAMPS AND
INDICATORS
The following warning lamps and
indicators alert you to a vehicle condition
that may become serious. Some lamps
illuminate when you start your vehicle to
make sure they work. If any lamps remain
on after starting your vehicle, refer to the
respective system warning lamp for further
information.
Note: Some warning indicators appear in
the information display and operate the
same as a warning lamp but do not
illuminate when you start your vehicle.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Lamp If it illuminates when you are
driving, this indicates a
malfunction. You will continue
to have the normal braking system
(without ABS) unless the brake system
warning lamp is also illuminated. Have the
system checked by your authorized dealer. Battery If it illuminates while driving, it
indicates a malfunction. Switch
off all unnecessary electrical
equipment and have the system checked
by your authorized dealer immediately.
Brake System Warning Lamp WARNING
Driving your vehicle with the warning
lamp on is dangerous. A significant
decrease in braking performance
may occur. It may take you longer to stop
your vehicle. Have your vehicle checked as
soon as possible. Driving extended
distances with the parking brake engaged
can cause brake failure and the risk of
personal injury. It illuminates when you engage
the parking brake and the
ignition is on.
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Tow Haul Indicator
Illuminates when the tow/haul
feature has been activated. If the
light flashes steadily, have the
system serviced immediately, damage to
the transmission could occur.
AUDIBLE WARNINGS AND
INDICATORS
Fail-Safe Cooling Warning Chime
Sounds when the coolant gauge pointer
has moved to hot. There are three stages
of chimes:
• Stage 1 is a single chime when the
engine temperature begins to overheat.
• Stage 2 is multiple chimes and engine
power becomes limited in order to help
cool the engine.
• Stage 3 is multiple chimes and the
engine will shut down.
Headlamps On Warning Chime
Sounds when you remove the key from the
ignition and open the driver's door and you
have left the headlamps or parking lamps
on.
Key in Ignition Warning Chime
Sounds when you open the driver's door
and you have left the key in the ignition.
Parking Brake On Warning Chime
Sounds when you have left the parking
brake on and drive your vehicle. If the
warning chime remains on after you have
released the parking brake, have the
system checked by your authorized dealer
immediately. Shift to Park Warning Chime
Sounds when you open the driver's door
and your vehicle is not in park.
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Motorhome (TY3) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201712, Second Printing Instrument ClusterE161509

Transmission
Action
Message
The transmission fluid is overheating. This warning
may appear when towing heavy loads or when driving in a low gear at a high speed for an extended period
of time. Stop your vehicle as soon as safely possible, turn off the engine and let the transmission cool.
CHECK TRANS TEMPERATURE
A reminder to apply the brakes, then shift to park.
SHIFT TO PARK
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Motorhome (TY3) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201712, Second Printing Information Displays