2020 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR towing

To calculate the maximum loaded trailer
weight for your vehicle:
1.
Start with the gross combined weight
rating for your vehicle model and
axle ratio. See the following chart. 2.
Subtract all of the following that
apply to your vehicle:
•Vehicle curb weight.
• Hitch hardware weight, such as a
draw bar, ball, locks or weight
distributing.
• Driver weight.
• Passenger weight.
• Payload, cargo and luggage
weight.
• Aftermarket equipment weight.
3. This equals the maximum loaded trailer weight for this combination. Note:
The trailer tongue load figures
into the payload for your vehicle.
Reduce the total payload by the final
trailer tongue weight.
Consult an authorized dealer to
determine the maximum trailer weight
allowed for your vehicle if you are not
sure. Maximum Trailer Weight
Maximum GCWR
Towing Package
Vehicle Type
6,200 lb (2,812 kg)
12,500 lb (5,670 kg)
Standard
Short Wheel Base 4x2
6,200 lb (2,812 kg)
12,700 lb (5,761 kg)
Short Wheel Base 4x4
6,600 lb (2,994 kg)
13,100 lb (5,942 kg)
Long Wheel Base 4x2
6,600 lb (2,994 kg)
13,300 lb (6,033 kg)
Long Wheel Base 4x4
324
Navigator (TB9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201907, Second-Printing Towing

Maximum Trailer Weight
Maximum GCWR
Towing Package
Vehicle Type
8,600 lb (3,900 kg)
15,300 lb (6,940 kg)
Optional Heavy Duty with
50% Load Distributing -
Front Axle Load Restora- tion
Short Wheel Base 4x2
8,300 lb (3,765 kg)
15,300 lb (6,940 kg)
Short Wheel Base 4x4
8,400 lb (3,810 kg)
15,500 lb (7,031 kg)
Long Wheel Base 4x2
8,100 lb (3,674 kg)
15,500 lb (7,031 kg)
Long Wheel Base 4x4
325
Navigator (TB9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201907, Second-Printing Towing

ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
Follow these guidelines for safe towing:
•
Do not tow a trailer until you drive your
vehicle at least 1,000 mi (1,600 km).
• Consult your local motor vehicle laws for
towing a trailer.
• See any instructions that come with
towing accessories for the proper
installation and adjustment specifications.
• Service your vehicle more frequently if
you tow a trailer.
See Scheduled
Maintenance (page 537).
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives you.
You can find information on load
specification terms found on the tire label
and Safety Compliance label as well as
instructions on calculating your vehicle's load
in the Load Carrying chapter. See Load Limit
(page
305).
Remember to account for the trailer tongue
weight as part of your vehicle load when
calculating the total vehicle weight. Trailer Towing Connector (Vehicles
with a Trailer Towing Package and
7–Pin Connector)
When attaching the trailer wiring connector
to your vehicle, only use a proper fitting
connector that works with the vehicle and
trailer functions. Some seven-position
connectors may have the SAE J2863 logo,
which confirms that it is the proper wiring
connector and works correctly with your
vehicle. Function
Color
Left turn signal and stop lamp.
Yellow
Ground (-).
White
Electric brakes.
Blue
Right turn signal and stop lamp.
Green
Battery (+).
Orange
Running lights.
Brown
Reverse lights.
Grey
Trailer Hitch Cover
Your vehicle has a removable trailer hitch
cover. To remove the trailer hitch cover:
326
Navigator (TB9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201907, Second-Printing TowingE163167

1.
Grab the trailer hitch cover at the bottom
and pull towards the rear of the vehicle
until the bottom of the trailer hitch cover
unsnaps from the bumper.
2. Grab the trailer hitch cover at the edge and rotate until the top of the trailer hitch
cover unsnaps from the bumper, then
remove the trailer hitch cover.
To install the trailer hitch cover: 1. Line up the snaps on the trailer hitch
cover to the holes on the bumper and
push forward until it snaps into place.
Hitches WARNING: Do not cut, drill, weld or
modify the trailer hitch. Modifying the trailer
hitch could reduce the hitch rating.
Do not use a hitch that either clamps onto
the bumper or attaches to the axle.
Distribute the trailer load so 10-15% of the
total trailer weight is on the tongue. Integrated Hitch Rating WARNING:
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.
The standard integrated hitch has two ratings
depending on mode of operation:
• Weight-carrying mode requires a draw
bar and hitch ball. The draw bar supports
all the vertical tongue load of the trailer.
• Weight-distributing mode requires an
aftermarket weight-distributing system,
which includes draw bar, hitch ball, spring
bars and snap-up brackets. This system
distributes the vertical tongue load of the
trailer between the truck and the trailer.
You must use a weight-distributing hitch for
weights above 6,000 lb (2,721 kg), up to your
vehicle's maximum towing capacity.
327
Navigator (TB9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201907, Second-Printing TowingE268259 E268260

Note:
These are hitch ratings only. Actual
vehicle ratings are dependent on engine,
transmission and axle combinations.
Weight-distributing Hitch WARNING: Do not adjust the spring
bars so that your vehicle's rear bumper is
higher than before attaching the trailer.
Doing so will defeat the function of the
weight-distributing hitch, which may cause
unpredictable handling, and could result
in serious personal injury.
When hooking-up a trailer using a
weight-distributing hitch, always use the
following procedure:
1. Park the loaded vehicle, without the trailer, on a level surface.
2. Measure the height to the top of your vehicle's front wheel opening on the
fender. This is H1.
3. Attach the loaded trailer to your vehicle without the weight-distributing bars
connected. 4. Measure the height to the top of your
vehicle's front wheel opening on the
fender a second time. This is H2.
5. Install and adjust the tension in the weight-distributing bars so that the height
of your vehicle's front wheel opening on
the fender is approximately half the way
down from H2, toward H1.
6. Check that the trailer is level or slightly nose down toward your vehicle. If not,
adjust the ball height accordingly and
repeat Steps 2-6.
When the trailer is level or slightly nose down
toward the vehicle:
• Lock the bar tension adjuster in place.
• Check that the trailer tongue securely
attaches and locks onto the hitch.
• Install safety chains, lighting and trailer
brake controls as required by law or the
trailer manufacturer. Safety Chains
Note:
Do not attach safety chains to the
bumper. Always connect the safety chains
to the frame or hook retainers of your trailer
hitch.
Install trailer safety chains to the trailer hitch
as recommended by the manufacturer. Cross
the chains under the trailer tongue and allow
enough slack for turning tight corners. Do
not allow the chains to drag on the ground. If the trailer safety chain hook has a latch,
make sure the latch fully closes.
328
Navigator (TB9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201907, Second-Printing TowingE265060

Trailer Brakes (If Equipped)
WARNING:
Do not connect a trailer's
hydraulic brake system directly to your
vehicle's brake system. Your vehicle may
not have enough braking power and your
chances of having a collision greatly
increase.
Electric brakes and manual, automatic or
surge-type trailer brakes are safe if you install
them properly and adjust them to the
manufacturer's specifications. The trailer
brakes must meet local and federal
regulations.
The rating for the tow vehicle's braking
system operation is at the gross vehicle
weight rating, not the gross combined
weight rating.
Separate functioning brake systems are
required for safe control of towed vehicles
and trailers weighing more than 1500 lb
(680 kg) when loaded. Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
(If
Equipped) WARNING:
Use the integrated trailer
brake controller to properly adjust the
trailer brakes and check all connections
before towing a trailer. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in the loss of
control of your vehicle, personal injury or
death. When used properly, the trailer brake
controller assists in smooth and effective
trailer braking by powering the trailer’
s
electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes with
a proportional output based on the towing
vehicle ’s brake pressure.
The controller user interface consists of the
following:
A: + and - (Gain adjustment buttons): Pressing
these buttons adjusts the controller's power
output to the trailer brakes in 0.5 increments.
You can increase the gain setting to 10.0
(maximum trailer braking) or decrease it to
0 (no trailer braking). The gain setting
displays in the message center.
329
Navigator (TB9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201907, Second-Printing TowingE183395

The controller shows gain setting, output bar
graph, and trailer connectivity status in the
information display. They appear in the
information display as follows:
•
Trailer Brake Controller Gain (without
trailer connected): Shows the current gain
setting during a given ignition cycle and
when adjusting the gain. This also
displays if you use the manual control
lever or make gain adjustments with no
trailer connected.
• Trailer Brake Controller Gain Output:
Displays when you push your vehicle's
brake pedal, or upon use of the manual
control. Bar indicators illuminate in the
information display to indicate the
amount of power going to the trailer
brakes relative to the brake pedal or
manual control input. One bar indicates
the least amount of output; six bars
indicate maximum output. •
Trailer Connected: Displays when the
system senses a correct trailer wiring
connection (a trailer with electric trailer
brakes) during a given ignition cycle.
• Trailer Disconnected: Displays,
accompanied by a single audible time,
when the system senses a trailer
connection and then a disconnection,
either intentional or unintentional, during
a given ignition cycle. It also displays if a
truck or trailer-wiring fault occurs causing
the trailer to appear disconnected. This
message can also display if you use the
manual control lever without a trailer
connected. After disconnecting the trailer
connector, press the brake pedal for
approximately five seconds to allow the
system to detect and update the trailer
status. B: Manual control lever: Slide the control
lever to the left to turn on the trailer's electric
brakes independent of the tow vehicle's. See
the following
Procedure for adjusting gain
section for instructions on proper use of this
feature. If you use the manual control while
the brake is also applied, the greater of the
two inputs determines the power sent to the
trailer brakes.
• Stop lamps:
Using the manual control
lever illuminates both the trailer brake
lamps and your vehicle brake lamps
except the center high-mount stop lamp,
if you make the proper electrical
connection to the trailer. Pressing your
vehicle brake pedal also illuminates both
trailer and vehicle brake lamps.
Procedure for Adjusting Gain
Note: Only perform this procedure in a
traffic-free environment at speeds of
approximately
20–25 mph (32–40 km/h).
330
Navigator (TB9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201907, Second-Printing Towing

The gain setting sets the trailer brake
controller for the specific towing condition.
You should change the setting as towing
conditions change. Changes to towing
conditions include trailer load, vehicle load,
road conditions and weather.
The gain should be set to provide the
maximum trailer braking assistance while
making sure the trailer wheels do not lock
when using the brakes. Locked trailer wheels
may lead to trailer instability.
1.
Make sure the trailer brakes are in good
working condition, functioning normally
and properly adjusted. See your trailer
dealer if necessary.
2. Hook up the trailer and make the electrical connections according to the
trailer manufacturer's instructions.
3. When you plug in a trailer with electric or
electric-over-hydraulic brakes, a message
confirming connection appears in the
information display. 4.
Use the gain adjustment (+ and -) buttons
to increase or decrease the gain setting
to the desired starting point. A gain
setting of 6.0 is a good starting point for
heavier loads.
5. In a traffic-free environment, tow the trailer on a dry, level surface at a speed
of 20–25 mph (32–40 km/h) and
squeeze the manual control lever
completely.
6. If the trailer wheels lock up, indicated by
squealing tires, reduce the gain setting.
If the trailer wheels turn freely, increase
the gain setting. Repeat Steps 5 and 6
until the gain setting is at a point just
below trailer wheel lock-up. If towing a
heavier trailer, trailer wheel lock-up may
not be attainable even with the maximum
gain setting of 10.
Explanation of Information Display Warning
Messages
Note: An authorized dealer can diagnose
the trailer brake controller to determine
exactly which trailer fault has occurred.
However, your warranty does not cover this
diagnosis if the fault is with the trailer. A message indicating a trailer brake module
fault may display in response to faults sensed
by the trailer brake controller, accompanied
by a single tone. If this message appears,
contact an authorized dealer as soon as
possible for diagnosis and repair. The
controller may still function, but performance
may be degraded.
A message indicating a trailer wiring fault
may display when there is a short circuit on
the electric brake output wire. If this message
displays, accompanied by a single tone, with
no trailer connected, the problem is with your
vehicle wiring between the trailer brake
controller and the 7-pin connector at the
bumper. If the message only displays with a
trailer connected, the problem is with the
trailer wiring. Consult your trailer dealer for
assistance. This can be a short to ground
(such as a chaffed wire), short to voltage
(such as a pulled pin on trailer emergency
breakaway battery) or the trailer brakes may
be drawing too much current.
331
Navigator (TB9) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201907, Second-Printing Towing