BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires forapproximately 300 mi (480 km). During thistime, your vehicle may exhibit some unusualdriving characteristics. The engine alsoneeds to break in. Avoid hard accelerationsand driving too fast for the first 1,000 mi(1,600 km). If possible, avoid carrying heavyloads up steep grades during the break-inperiod.
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Fuel economy is affected by several thingssuch as how you drive, the conditions youdrive under and how you maintain yourvehicle.
There are some things to keep in mind thatmay improve your fuel economy:
•Accelerate and slow down in a smooth,moderate fashion.
•Drive at steady speeds.
•Anticipate stops; slowing down mayeliminate the need to stop.
•Combine errands and minimizestop-and-go driving (When runningerrands, go to the furthest destinationfirst and then work your way back home).
•Close the windows for high-speeddriving.
•Drive at reasonable speeds.
•Keep the tires properly inflated and useonly the recommended size.
•Use the recommended engine oil.
•Perform all regularly scheduledmaintenance.
There are also some things you may want toavoid doing because they reduce your fueleconomy:
•Avoid sudden or hard accelerations.
•Avoid revving the engine before turningoff the car.
•Avoid long idle periods.
•Do not warm up your vehicle on coldmornings.
•Reduce the use of air conditioning andheat.
•Avoid using speed control in hilly terrain.
•Do not rest your foot on the brake pedalwhile driving.
•Avoid carrying unnecessary weight.
•Avoid adding particular accessories toyour vehicle (e.g. bug deflectors,rollbars/light bars, running boards, skiracks).
•Avoid driving with the wheels out ofalignment.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
WARNING
Do not drive through flowing or deepwater as you may lose control of yourvehicle.
Note:Driving through standing water cancause vehicle damage.
Note:Engine damage can occur if waterenters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water, checkthe depth. Never drive through water that ishigher than the bottom of the front rockerarea of your vehicle.
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Driving Hints
•Cover interior trim to prevent fading.
•Keep all rubber parts free from oil andsolvents.
Engine
•Change the engine oil and filter prior tostorage because used engine oil containscontaminates which may cause enginedamage.
•Start the engine every 15 days for aminimum of 15 minutes. Run at fast idlewith the climate controls set to defrostuntil the engine reaches normaloperating temperature.
•With your foot on the brake, shift throughall the gears while the engine is running.
•We recommend that you change theengine oil before you use your vehicleagain.
Fuel system
•Fill the fuel tank with high-quality fueluntil the first automatic shutoff of the fuelpump nozzle.
Cooling system
•Protect against freezing temperatures.
•When removing your vehicle fromstorage, check coolant fluid level.Confirm that there are no cooling systemleaks and that fluid is at therecommended level.
Battery
•Check and recharge as necessary. Keepconnections clean.
•If storing your vehicle for more than 30days without recharging the battery, werecommend that you disconnect thebattery cables to maintain battery chargefor quick starting.
Note:It is necessary to reset memoryfeatures if battery cables are disconnected.
Brakes
•Make sure the brakes and parking brakerelease fully.
Tires
•Maintain recommended air pressure.
Miscellaneous
•Make sure all linkages, cables, levers andpins under your vehicle are covered withgrease to prevent rust.
•Move vehicles at least 25 ft (7.5 m) every15 days to lubricate working parts andprevent corrosion.
Removing Vehicle From Storage
When your vehicle is ready to come out ofstorage, do the following:
•Wash your vehicle to remove any dirt orgrease film build-up on window surfaces.
•Check windshield wipers for anydeterioration.
•Check under the hood for any foreignmaterial that may have collected duringstorage such as mice or squirrel nests.
•Check the exhaust for any foreignmaterial that may have collected duringstorage.
•Check tire pressures and set tire inflationper the Tire Label.
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Vehicle Care
•Check brake pedal operation. Drive yourvehicle 15 ft (4.5 m) back and forth toremove rust build-up.
•Check fluid levels (including coolant, oiland gas) to make sure there are no leaks,and fluids are at recommended levels.
•If you remove the battery, clean thebattery cable ends and check fordamage.
Contact an authorized dealer if you have anyconcerns or issues.
BODY STYLING KITS
The distance between the underside of yourvehicle and the ground is less than that ofother models. Drive with extreme care toavoid damage to your vehicle.
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Vehicle Care
If you use oil and fluids that do not meet thedefined specification and viscosity grade,this may lead to:
•Component damage which is notcovered by the vehicle warranty.
•Longer engine cranking periods.
•Increased emission levels.
•Reduced engine performance.
•Reduced fuel economy.
•Degraded brake performance.
We recommend Motorcraft® motor oil foryour vehicle. If Motorcraft® oil is notavailable, use motor oils of therecommended viscosity grade that meet APISN requirements and display the APICertification Mark for gasoline engines. Donot use oil labeled with API SN servicecategory unless the label also displays theAPI certification mark.
An oil that displays this symbol conforms tocurrent engine, emission system and fueleconomy performance standards of ILSAC.
Do not use supplemental engine oil additivesbecause they are unnecessary and couldlead to engine damage that may not becovered by your vehicle warranty.
Note:Ford recommends using DOT 4 LowViscosity (LV) High Performance Brake Fluidor equivalent meeting WSS-M6C65-A2. Useof any fluid other than the recommendedfluid may cause degraded brakeperformance and not meet the Fordperformance standards. Keep brake fluidclean and dry. Contamination with dirt,water, petroleum products or other materialsmay result in brake system damage andpossible failure.
Note: Automatic transmissions that requireMERCON® LV transmission fluid should onlyuse MERCON® LV transmission fluid. Theuse of any other fluid may causetransmission damage.
Alternative Engine Oil for ExtremelyCold Climates
To improve engine cold start performance,we recommend that you use the followingalternative engine oil in extremely coldclimates, where the ambient temperaturereaches -22.0°F (-30°C) or below.
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Capacities and SpecificationsE142732
Your vehicle is equipped with an informationdisplay, which indicates the proper oilchange interval. This interval may be up toone year or 10,000 mi (16,000 km).
When ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or OILCHANGE REQUIRED appears in theinformation display, it is time for an oilchange. Make sure you perform the oilchange within two weeks or 500 mi (800 km)of the ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or OILCHANGE REQUIRED message appearing.Make sure you reset the oil monitoringsystem after each oil change. See OilChange Indicator Reset (page 304).
If your information display resetsprematurely, becomes inoperative or thevehicle battery becomes discharged ordisconnected, the oil monitoring systemresets to 100% oil life. You should changeyour engine oil one year or 10,000 mi(16,000 km) from the previous oil change.Never exceed one year or 10,000 mi(16,000 km) between oil change intervals.
Your vehicle is very sophisticated and builtwith multiple, complex, performance systems.Every manufacturer develops these systemsusing different specifications andperformance features. That is why it isimportant to rely upon your dealership toproperly diagnose and repair your vehicle.
Ford Motor Company has recommendedmaintenance intervals for various parts andcomponent systems based upon engineeringtesting. Ford Motor Company relies upon thistesting to determine the most appropriatemileage for replacement of oils and fluids toprotect your vehicle at the lowest overall costto you and recommends againstmaintenance schedules that deviate fromthe scheduled maintenance information.
We strongly recommend the use of onlygenuine Ford, Motorcraft or Ford-authorizedre-manufactured replacement partsengineered for your vehicle.
Additives and Chemicals
This owner's manual and the Ford WorkshopManual list the recommended additives andchemicals for your vehicle. We do notrecommend using chemicals or additives notapproved by us as part of your vehicle’snormal maintenance. Please consult yourwarranty information.
Oils, Fluids and Flushing
In many cases, fluid discoloration is a normaloperating characteristic and, by itself, doesnot necessarily indicate a concern or that thefluid needs to be changed. However, aqualified expert, such as the factory-trainedtechnicians at your dealership, shouldinspect discolored fluids that also show signsof overheating or foreign materialcontamination immediately.
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Scheduled Maintenance
NORMAL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
Normal Scheduled Maintenance 1, 2
Change engine oil and filter. 3Every 12 months or10,000 mi (16,000 km). Theoil monitoring systemdisplays a message in theinformation display.
Rotate tires, inspect tire wear and measure tread depth.
Inspect automatic transmission fluid level. Consult dealer for requirements.
Inspect brake pads, rotors, hoses and parking brake.
Inspect engine cooling system and motor/electronics cooling system strength and hoses.
Inspect exhaust system and heat shields.
Inspect half-shaft boots.
Inspect steering linkage, ball joints, suspension and tie-rod ends.
Inspect wheels and related components for abnormal noise, wear, looseness or drag.
1 Do not exceed one year or 10,000 mi (16,000 km) between service intervals.2 Perform multi-point inspection (recommended).3 Reset the oil monitoring system after engine oil and filter changes. See Oil Change Indicator Reset (page 304).
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Scheduled Maintenance
Exceptions
There are several exceptions to the NormalSchedule:
California Fuel Filter Replacement
If you register your vehicle in California, theCalifornia Air Resources Board hasdetermined that the failure to perform thismaintenance item does not nullify theemission warranty or limit recall liabilitybefore the completion of your vehicle'suseful life. Ford Motor Company, however,urges you to have all recommendedmaintenance services performed at thespecified intervals and to record all vehicleservice.
Hot Climate Oil Change Intervals
The normal oil change interval for vehiclesoperating in the Middle East, North Africa,Sub-Saharan Africa or locations with similarclimates using an American PetroleumInstitute (API) Certified for Gasoline Engines(Certification mark) oil of SM or SN quality is3,000 mi (5,000 km).
If the available API SM or SN oils are notavailable, then the oil change interval is2,000 mi (3,000 km).
Engine Air Filter and Cabin Air FilterReplacement
The life of the engine air filter and cabin airfilter is dependent on exposure to dusty anddirty conditions. Vehicles operated in theseconditions require frequent inspection andreplacement of the engine air filter and cabinair filter.
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Scheduled Maintenance