2018 FORD F-53 trailer

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

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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Some fuel stations, particularly those in
high altitude areas, offer fuels posted as
regular unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating below 87. We do not recommend
these fuels.
For best overall vehicle and engine
performance, premium fuel with an octane
rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The
performance gained by using premium fuel
is most noticeable in hot weather as well
as other conditions, for example when
towing a trailer. See Towing (page 48).
Do not be concerned if the engine
sometimes knocks lightly. However, if the
engine knocks heavily while using fuel with
the recommended octane rating, contact
an authorized dealer to prevent any engine
damage.
Do not use any fuel other than those
recommended because they could lead to
engine damage that will not be covered by
the vehicle Warranty.
Note: Use of any fuel other than those
recommended can impair the emission
control system and cause a loss of vehicle
performance.
Do not use:
• Diesel fuel.
• Fuels containing kerosene or paraffin.
• Fuel containing more than 15% ethanol
or E85 fuel.
• Fuels containing methanol.
• Fuels containing metallic-based
additives, including manganese-based
compounds.
• Fuels containing the octane booster
additive, methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).
• Leaded fuel, using leaded fuel is
prohibited by law. The use of fuels with metallic compounds
such as methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl (commonly known
as MMT), which is a manganese-based
fuel additive, will impair engine
performance and affect the emission
control system.
We recommend Top Tier detergent
gasolines to help minimize engine deposits
and maintain optimal vehicle and engine
performance. For additional information,
refer to www.toptiergas.com.
RUNNING OUT OF FUEL
Avoid running out of fuel because this
situation may have an adverse effect on
engine components.
If you have run out of fuel:
•
You may need to cycle the ignition from
off to on several times after refueling
to allow the fuel system to pump the
fuel from the tank to the engine. On
restarting, cranking time will take a few
seconds longer than normal. With
keyless ignition, just start the engine.
Crank time will be longer than usual.
• Normally, adding
1 gal (4 L) of fuel is
enough to restart the engine. If the
vehicle is out of fuel and on a steep
grade, more than
1 gal (4 L) may be
required.
REFUELING WARNINGS
Do not overfill the fuel tank. The
pressure in an overfilled tank may
cause leakage and lead to fuel spray
and fire. Do not remove the fuel pump nozzle
from its fully inserted position when
refueling.
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Tow/Haul Mode
WARNING
Do not use the tow/haul feature
when driving in icy or slippery
conditions as the increased engine
braking can cause the wheels to slide and
your vehicle to swing around with the
possible loss of vehicle control. To activate tow/haul, press the
button on the gearshift lever
once. The TOW HAUL indicator
light will illuminate in the instrument
cluster.
To deactivate the tow/haul feature and
return to normal driving mode, press the
button on the gearshift lever again. The
TOW HAUL light will deactivate. Tow/haul
will also deactivate when your power down
your vehicle. The tow/haul feature:
•
Delays upshifts to reduce the frequency
of transmission shifting.
• Provides engine braking in all forward
gears, which will slow your vehicle and
assist you in controlling your vehicle
when descending a grade.
• Depending on driving conditions and
load conditions, may downshift the
transmission, slow your vehicle and
control your vehicle speed when
descending a hill, without pressing the
accelerator pedal. The amount of
downshift braking provided will vary
based upon the amount the brake
pedal is pressed.
The tow/haul feature improves
transmission operation when towing a
trailer or a heavy load. All transmission
gear ranges are available when using
tow/haul.
Automatic Transmission Adaptive
Learning
This feature may increase durability and
provide consistent shift feel over the life
of your vehicle. A new vehicle or
transmission may have firm shifts, soft
shifts or both. This operation is considered
normal and will not affect function or
durability of the transmission. Over time,
the adaptive learning process will fully
update transmission operation.
Forced Downshifts
• Allowed in drive (D) with the tow/haul
feature on or off.
• Press the accelerator pedal to the floor.
• Allows transmission to select an
appropriate gear.
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LOAD LIMIT
Vehicle Loading - with and
without a Trailer
This section guides you in the
proper loading of your vehicle,
trailer, or both. Keep your loaded
vehicle weight within its design
rating capability, with or without
a trailer. Properly loading your
vehicle provides maximum return
of vehicle design performance.
Before you load your vehicle,
become familiar with the
following terms for determining
your vehicle
’s weight rating, with
or without a trailer, from the
vehicle ’s Tire and Loading
Information label or Safety
Compliance Certification label. Tire and Loading Label Information
Example:Payload
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Payload is the combined weight
of cargo and passengers that your
vehicle is carrying. The maximum
payload for your vehicle appears
on the Tire and Loading label. The
label is either on the B-pillar or the
edge of the driver door. Vehicles
exported outside the US and
Canada may not have a tire and
loading label. Look for
“The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg OR XXX lb ” for maximum
payload. The payload listed on the
Tire and Loading Information label
is the maximum payload for your
vehicle as built by the assembly
plant. If you install any additional
equipment on your vehicle, you
must determine the new payload.
Subtract the weight of the
equipment from the payload listed
on the Tire and Loading label.
When towing, trailer tongue
weight or king pin weight is also
part of payload. WARNING
The appropriate loading
capacity of your vehicle can
be limited either by volume
capacity (how much space is
available) or by payload capacity
(how much weight the vehicle
should carry). Once you have
reached the maximum payload of
your vehicle, do not add more
cargo, even if there is space
available. Overloading or
improperly loading your vehicle
can contribute to loss of vehicle
control and vehicle rollover. GAWR (Gross Axle Weight
Rating)
GAWR is the maximum allowable
weight that a single axle (front or
rear) can carry. These numbers
are on the Safety Compliance
Certification label. The label is
located on the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge
that meets the door-latch post,
next to the driver seating position.
The total load on each axle must
never exceed its Gross Axle
Weight Rating.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)
GVWR is the maximum allowable
weight of the fully loaded vehicle.
This includes all options,
equipment, passengers and cargo.
It appears on the Safety
Compliance Certification label.
The label is located on the door
hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the
door edge that meets the
door-latch post, next to the driver
seating position.
The gross vehicle weight must
never exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating.
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Safety Compliance Certification Label
Example:
WARNING
Exceeding the Safety
Compliance Certification
label vehicle weight limits can
adversely affect the performance
and handling of your vehicle,
cause vehicle damage and can
result in the loss of control of your
vehicle, serious personal injury or
death. 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
certification label. Do not use replacement tires
with lower load carrying
capacities than the original tires
because they may lower your
vehicle's GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires
with a higher limit than the original
tires do not increase the GVWR
and GAWR limitations.
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WARNINGS
Exceeding any vehicle weight
rating can adversely affect
the performance and handling of
your vehicle, cause vehicle
damage and can result in the loss
of control of your vehicle, serious
personal injury or death. Steps for determining the
correct load limit:
1. Locate the statement "The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lb." on your
vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from XXX kg or XXX lb.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For
example, if the “XXX” amount
equals 1,400 lb. and there will
be five 150 lb. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lb.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lb.) 5.
Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the
available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
Helpful examples for calculating
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity
Suppose your vehicle has a
1400-pound (635-kilogram) cargo
and luggage capacity. You decide
to go golfing. Is there enough load
capacity to carry you, four of your
friends and all the golf bags? You
and four friends average 220
pounds (99 kilograms) each and
the golf bags weigh approximately
30 pounds (13.5 kilograms) each.
The calculation would be: 1400 -
(5 x 220) - (5 x 30) = 1400 - 1100
- 150 = 150 pounds. Yes, you have
enough load capacity in your
vehicle to transport four friends
and your golf bags. In metric units,
the calculation would be: 635
kilograms - (5 x 99 kilograms) -
(5 x 13.5 kilograms) = 635 - 495 -
67.5 = 72.5 kilograms.
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