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. Note:
Your vehicle may have electrical
items, such as fuses or relays, related
to towing. See Fuses (page 267). 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.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer movement
affects your vehicle when driving:
•
Load the heaviest items closest to
the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items centered
between the left and right side trailer
tires. •
Load the heaviest items above the
trailer axles or just slightly forward
toward the trailer tongue. Do not
allow the final trailer tongue weight
to go above or below 10-15% of the
loaded trailer weight.
• Select a ball mount with the correct
rise or drop. When both the loaded
vehicle and trailer are connected, the
trailer frame should be level, or
slightly angled down toward your
vehicle, when viewed from the side.
When driving with a trailer or payload, a
slight takeoff vibration or shudder may
be present due to the increased payload
weight. Additional information regarding
proper trailer loading and setting your
vehicle up for towing is located in the
Load Carrying chapter. See Load Limit
(page 236).
You can also find information in the
RV
& Trailer Towing Guide available at your
authorized dealer, or online.
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•
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 park
(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 in (15 cm)
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.
Any time the rear axle submerges in water,
replace the rear axle lubricant. Water may
contaminate the rear axle lubricant, which is
not a normal maintenance inspection item
unless there is a possibility of a leak or other
axle repair is required. TOWING THE VEHICLE ON FOUR
WHEELS
Emergency Towing
If your vehicle becomes inoperable (without
access to wheel dollies or vehicle transport
trailer), it can be flat-towed (all wheels on the
ground, regardless of the powertrain and
transmission configuration) under the
following conditions:
•
Your vehicle is facing forward for towing
in a forward direction.
• Shift into neutral (N). If you cannot shift
into neutral (N), you may need to override
it.
See Transmission (page 179).
• Maximum speed is
35 mph (56 km/h).
• Maximum distance is
50 mi (80 km). WARNING
If your vehicle has a steering wheel
lock make sure the ignition is in the
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BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires for
approximately 300 mi (480 km). During this
time, your vehicle may exhibit some unusual
driving characteristics.
Avoid driving too fast during the first 1,000 mi
(1,600 km)
. Vary your speed frequently and
change up through the gears early. Do not
labor the engine.
Do not tow during the first
1,000 mi
(1,600 km).
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Fuel economy is affected by several things
such as how you drive, the conditions you
drive under and how you maintain your
vehicle.
There are some things to keep in mind that
may improve your fuel economy:
• Accelerate and slow down in a smooth,
moderate fashion.
• Drive at steady speeds. •
Anticipate stops; slowing down may
eliminate the need to stop.
• Combine errands and minimize
stop-and-go driving (When running
errands, go to the furthest destination
first and then work your way back home).
• Close the windows for high-speed
driving.
• Drive at reasonable speeds.
• Keep the tires properly inflated and use
only the recommended size.
• 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.
• 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.
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•
Cover interior trim to prevent fading.
• Keep all rubber parts free from oil and
solvents.
Engine
• Change the engine oil and filter prior to
storage because used engine oil contains
contaminates which may cause engine
damage.
• Start the engine every 15 days for a
minimum of 15 minutes. Run at fast idle
with the climate controls set to defrost
until the engine reaches normal
operating temperature.
• With your foot on the brake, shift through
all the gears while the engine is running.
• We recommend that you change the
engine oil before you use your vehicle
again.
Fuel system
• Fill the fuel tank with high-quality fuel
until the first automatic shutoff of the fuel
pump nozzle. Cooling system
•
Protect against freezing temperatures.
• When removing your vehicle from
storage, check coolant fluid level.
Confirm that there are no cooling system
leaks and that fluid is at the
recommended level.
Battery
• Check and recharge as necessary. Keep
connections clean.
• If storing your vehicle for more than 30
days without recharging the battery, we
recommend that you disconnect the
battery cables to maintain battery charge
for quick starting.
Note: It is necessary to reset memory
features if battery cables are disconnected.
Brakes
• Make sure the brakes and parking brake
release fully.
Tires
• Maintain recommended air pressure. Miscellaneous
•
Make sure all linkages, cables, levers and
pins under your vehicle are covered with
grease to prevent rust.
• Move vehicles at least 25 ft (7.5 m) every
15 days to lubricate working parts and
prevent corrosion.
Removing Vehicle From Storage
When your vehicle is ready to come out of
storage, do the following:
• Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt or
grease film build-up on window surfaces.
• Check windshield wipers for any
deterioration.
• Check under the hood for any foreign
material that may have collected during
storage such as mice or squirrel nests.
• Check the exhaust for any foreign
material that may have collected during
storage.
• Check tire pressures and set tire inflation
per the Tire Label.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Use only approved wheel and tire sizes,
using other sizes could damage your vehicle.
If you change the diameter of the tires from
that fitted at the factory, the speedometer
may not display the correct speed. Take your
vehicle to an authorized Ford dealer to have
the system reprogrammed. If you intend to
change the size of the wheels from that fitted
by the manufacturer, you can check the
suitability with an authorized dealer.
Additional information related to the
functionality and maintenance of your tires
can be found later in this chapter. See Tire
Care (page 322).
The Ford recommended tire inflation
pressures can be found on the Tire Label,
which is located on the B-pillar or the edge
of the driver's door. This information can also
be 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 last post; next to the
driver’ s seating position). Ford strongly recommends maintaining these
tire pressures at all times. Failure to follow
the tire pressure recommendations can
cause uneven treadwear patterns, reduced
fuel economy, and adversely affect the way
your vehicle handles.
Note:
Check and set the tire pressure at the
ambient temperature in which you are
intending to drive your vehicle and when the
tires are cold.
Note: Check your tire pressures at least once
per month.
Set the pressure for your spare tire to the
highest value given for your vehicle and tire
size combination (if equipped). Notice to utility vehicle and truck
owners WARNINGS
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious injury
or death from a rollover or other crash you
must avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers, drive at safe speeds for the
conditions, keep tires inflated to Ford
recommended pressures, never overload or
improperly load your vehicle, and make sure
every passenger is properly restrained. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than
a person wearing a seat belt. All occupants
must wear seat belts and children/infants
must use appropriate restraints to minimize
the risk of injury or ejection. Do not become overconfident in the
ability of four-wheel drive vehicles.
Although a four-wheel drive vehicle may
accelerate better than a two-wheel drive
vehicle in low traction situations, it won't stop
any faster than two-wheel drive vehicles.
Always drive at a safe speed. 320
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Utility vehicles and trucks handle differently
than passenger cars in the various driving
conditions that are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility vehicles and
trucks are not designed for cornering at
speeds as high as passenger cars any more
than low-slung sports cars are designed to
perform satisfactorily under off-road
conditions.
Study your owner's manual and any
supplements for specific information about
equipment features, instructions for safe
driving and additional precautions to reduce
the risk of an accident or serious injury. How your vehicle differs from other
vehicles
Sport utility vehicles and trucks can differ
from some other vehicles in a few noticeable
ways. Your vehicle may be:
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•
Higher - to allow higher load carrying
capacity and to allow it to travel over
rough terrain without getting hung up or
damaging underbody components.
• Shorter - to give it the capability to
approach inclines and drive over the
crest of a hill without getting hung up or
damaging underbody components. All
other things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs
than a vehicle with a longer wheelbase.
• Narrower - to provide greater
maneuverability in tight spaces,
particularly in off-road use. As a result of the above dimensional
differences, Sport utility vehicles and trucks
often will have a higher center of gravity and
a greater difference in center of gravity
between the loaded and unloaded condition.
These differences that make your vehicle so
versatile also make it handle differently than
an ordinary passenger car.
TIRE CARE
Information About Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
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Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires. The
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall between
tread shoulder and maximum section
width. For example: Treadwear 200
Traction AA Temperature A.
These Tire Quality Grades are
determined by standards that the United
States Department of Transportation has
set.
Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires. They do
not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary
use spare tires, light truck or LT type
tires, tires with nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches or limited production tires
as defined in Title 49 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 575.104 (c)(2).
U.S. Department of Transportation Tire
quality grades: The U.S. Department of
Transportation requires Ford Motor
Company to give you the following
information about tire grades exactly as
the government has written it. Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear 1½ times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices, and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA A B C
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics. The traction grades, from highest to
lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The grades
represent the tire
’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Temperature A B C WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire
is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure. The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B and C, representing the tire
’s
resistance to the generation of heat and
its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause
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