Page 248 of 581

TOWING A TRAILER
WARNING: Towing trailers beyondthe maximum recommended grosstrailer weight exceeds the limit of yourvehicle and could result in enginedamage, transmission damage,structural damage, loss of vehiclecontrol, vehicle rollover and personalinjury.
WARNING: Do not exceed theGVWR or the GAWR specified on thecertification label.
Note: See Recommended TowingWeights (page 246).
Your vehicle may have electrical items,such as fuses or relays, related totowing. See Fuses (page 268).
Your vehicle's load capacity designationis by weight, not by volume, so youcannot necessarily use all availablespace when loading a vehicle or trailer.
Towing a trailer places an extra load onyour vehicle's engine, transmission, axle,brakes, tires and suspension. Inspectthese components periodically during,and after, any towing operation.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer movementaffects your vehicle when driving:
•Load the heaviest items closest tothe trailer floor.
•Load the heaviest items centeredbetween the left and right side trailertires.
•Load the heaviest items above thetrailer axles or just slightly forwardtoward the trailer tongue. Do notallow the final trailer tongue weightto go above or below 10-15% of theloaded trailer weight.
•Select a ball mount with the correctrise or drop and load capacity. Whenboth the loaded vehicle and trailerare connected, the trailer frameshould be level, or slightly angleddown toward your vehicle, whenviewed from the side.
When driving with a trailer or payload, aslight takeoff vibration or shudder maybe present due to the increased payloadweight. Additional information regardingproper trailer loading and setting yourvehicle up for towing is located inanother chapter of this manual. SeeLoad Limit (page 240).
You can also find information in the RV& Trailer Towing Guide available at yourauthorized dealer, or online.
245
MKC (TME) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201802, Second-Printing
Towing
Page 252 of 581

Trailer lamps are required on most towedvehicles. Make sure all running lights, brakelights, turn signals and hazard lights areworking.
Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing up toget the feel of your vehicle-trailercombination before starting on a trip. Whenturning, make wider turns so the trailerwheels clear curbs and other obstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
•Do not drive faster than 70 mph(113 km/h) during the first 500 mi(800 km).
•Do not make full-throttle starts.
•Check your hitch, electrical connectionsand trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly afteryou have traveled 50 mi (80 km).
•When stopped in congested or heavytraffic during hot weather, place thetransmission in park (P) to aid engine andtransmission cooling and to help A/Cperformance.
•Turn off the speed control with heavyloads or in hilly terrain. The speed controlmay turn off automatically when you aretowing on long, steep grades.
•Shift to a lower gear when driving downa long or steep hill. Do not apply thebrakes continuously, as they mayoverheat and become less effective.
•If your transmission is equipped with aGrade Assist or Tow/Haul feature, usethis feature when towing. This providesengine braking and helps eliminateexcessive transmission shifting foroptimum fuel economy and transmissioncooling.
•Allow more distance for stopping with atrailer attached. Anticipate stops andbrake gradually.
•Avoid parking on a grade. However, ifyou must park on a grade:
1. Turn the steering wheel to point yourvehicle tires away from traffic flow.
2. Set your vehicle parking brake.
3. Place the transmission in park (P).
4. Place wheel chocks in front and back ofthe trailer wheels. Chocks are notincluded with your vehicle.
Launching or Retrieving a Boat orPersonal Watercraft (PWC)
Note:Disconnect the wiring to the trailerbefore backing the trailer into the water.
Note:Reconnect the wiring to the trailerafter removing the trailer from the water.
When backing down a ramp during boatlaunching or retrieval:
•Do not allow the static water level to riseabove the bottom edge of the rearbumper.
•Do not allow waves to break higher than6 in (15 cm) above the bottom edge ofthe rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow water toenter vehicle components:
•Causing internal damage to thecomponents.
•Affecting driveability, emissions, andreliability.
249
MKC (TME) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201802, Second-Printing
Towing
Page 253 of 581

Replace the rear axle lubricant anytime yousubmerge the rear axle in water. Water maycontaminate the rear axle lubricant, which isnot a normal maintenance inspection itemunless there is a possibility of a leak or otheraxle repair is required.
TOWING THE VEHICLE ON FOUR
WHEELS
Emergency Towing
WARNING: If your vehicle has asteering wheel lock make sure the ignitionis in the accessory or on position when beingtowed.
If your vehicle becomes inoperable (withoutaccess to wheel dollies, car-hauling trailer,or flatbed transport vehicle), it can beflat-towed (all wheels on the ground,regardless of the powertrain andtransmission configuration) under thefollowing conditions:
•Your vehicle is facing forward for towingin a forward direction.
•You place your vehicle in Stay in Neutralmode. See Automatic Transmission(page 177).
•Maximum speed is 35 mph (56 km/h).
•Maximum distance is 50 mi (80 km).
Recreational Towing
Note:Put your climate control system inrecirculated air mode to prevent exhaustfumes from entering the vehicle. SeeClimate Control (page 132).
Follow these guidelines if you have a needfor recreational (RV) towing. An example ofrecreational towing would be towing yourvehicle behind a motorhome. We designedthese guidelines to prevent damage to yourtransmission.
Front-wheel drive vehicles CANNOT beflat-towed (all wheels on the ground) asvehicle or transmission damage may occur.You must place the front wheels on atwo-wheel tow dolly. If you are using a towdolly, follow the instructions specified by theequipment provider.
All-wheel drive vehicles CANNOT beflat-towed (all wheels on the ground), asvehicle or transmission damage may occur.It is recommended to tow your vehicle withall four (4) wheels off the ground such aswhen using a car-hauling trailer. Otherwise,you cannot recreational tow your vehicle.
250
MKC (TME) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201802, Second-Printing
Towing
Page 262 of 581

If you need to tow your vehicle, contact aprofessional towing service or, if you are amember of a roadside assistance program,your roadside assistance service provider.
We recommend the use of a wheel lift anddollies or flatbed equipment to tow yourvehicle. Do not tow with a slingbelt. LincolnMotor Company does not approve a slingbelttowing procedure. If you tow your vehicleincorrectly, or by any other means, vehicledamage may occur.
Lincoln Motor Company produces a towingmanual for all authorized tow truck operators.Have your tow truck operator refer to thismanual for proper hook-up and towingprocedures for your vehicle.
It is acceptable to have your front-wheeldrive vehicle towed from the front if usingproper wheel lift equipment to raise the frontwheels off the ground. When towing in thismanner, the rear wheels can remain on theground.
Front-wheel drive vehicles must have thefront wheels placed on a tow dolly whentowing your vehicle from the rear usingwheel lift equipment. This prevents damageto the transmission.
Towing an all-wheel drive vehicle requiresthat all wheels be off the ground, such asusing a wheel lift and dollies or flatbedequipment. This prevents damage to thetransmission, all-wheel drive system andvehicle.
259
MKC (TME) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201802, Second-Printing
Roadside Emergencies
Page 274 of 581
Protected ComponentsFuse RatingFuse Number
Cooling fan 2 (600W).40A 1F18
Cooling fan 2 (750W).50A 1
Anti-lock brake system module run/start.5A 2F19
Horn relay.20A 2F20
Brake pedal switch.10A 2F21
Windshield wipers and washer.25A 2F22
Run/start relay coil.5A 2F23
Transmission range control module.20A 2F24
Air conditioning clutch.10A 2F25
Powertrain control module relay coil.5A 2F26
Washer pump relay.10A 2F27
Alternator sensor.10A 2F28
271
MKC (TME) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201802, Second-Printing
Fuses
Page 276 of 581
Protected ComponentsFuse RatingFuse Number
Electronic power assist steering run/start.10A 2F40
Extended power module run/start.10A 2F41
Adaptive cruise control.10A 2F42Blind spot information system.Heads-up display.Rear video camera.(vehicles with stop/start)
Not used (spare).(vehicles without stop/start)
Not used.—F43
Heated rear window relay coil.5A 2F44Heated wiper park.Electronic transmission pump run/stop feed (vehiclesequipped with stop/start).
Transmission range control module run/start.5A 2F45
Heated rear window relay.40A 1F46Heated wiper park.
273
MKC (TME) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201802, Second-Printing
Fuses
Page 277 of 581
Protected ComponentsFuse RatingFuse Number
Electronic transmission pump B+ feed (vehicles equippedwith stop/start).30A 2F47
Not used.—F48
1 J-case fuse.2 Mini fuse.
Circuits switchedRelay
Run start.R1
Horn.R2
Fuel pump.R3
Rear window washer pump.R4
Cooling fan relay 3 (750W).R5
Windshield wipers.R6
Cooling fan relay 1 (600W).R7Cooling fan relay 5 (750W).
Starter.R8
Not used.R9
274
MKC (TME) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201802, Second-Printing
Fuses
Page 290 of 581

GENERAL INFORMATION
Have your vehicle serviced regularly to helpmaintain its roadworthiness and resale value.There is a large network of authorizeddealers that are there to help you with theirprofessional servicing expertise. We believethat their specially trained technicians arebest qualified to service your vehicle properlyand expertly. They are supported by a widerange of highly specialized tools developedspecifically for servicing your vehicle.
If your vehicle requires professional service,an authorized dealer can provide thenecessary parts and service. Check yourwarranty information to find out which partsand services are covered.
Use only recommended fuels, lubricants,fluids and service parts conforming tospecifications. Motorcraft® parts aredesigned and built to provide the bestperformance in your vehicle.
Precautions
•Do not work on a hot engine.
•Make sure that nothing gets caught inmoving parts.
•Do not work on a vehicle with the enginerunning in an enclosed space, unless youare sure you have enough ventilation.
•Keep all open flames and other burningmaterial (such as cigarettes) away fromthe battery and all fuel related parts.
Working with the Engine Off
1. Set the parking brake and shift thetransmission to park (P).
2. Switch off the engine.
3. Block the wheels.
Working with the Engine On
WARNING: To reduce the risk ofvehicle damage and personal burn injuries,do not start your engine with the air cleanerremoved and do not remove it while theengine is running.
1. Set the parking brake and shift thetransmission to park (P).
2. Block the wheels.
OPENING AND CLOSING THE
HOOD
Opening the Hood
1.Inside your vehicle, pull the hood releasehandle located under the left-hand sideof the instrument panel.
287
MKC (TME) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201802, Second-Printing
MaintenanceE142457