2021 FORD GT maintenance

If the engine reaches a preset
over-temperature condition, the engine
automatically switches to alternating
cylinder operation. Each disabled cylinder
acts as an air pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs, your vehicle still
operates, however:
•
Engine power is limited.
• The air conditioning system turns off.
Continued operation increases the engine
temperature, causing the engine to
completely shut down. Your steering and
braking effort increases in this situation.
When the engine temperature cools, you
can re-start the engine. Have your vehicle
checked as soon as possible to minimize
engine damage.
When Fail-Safe Mode Is Activated WARNING: Fail-safe mode is for
use during emergencies only. Operate
your vehicle in fail-safe mode only as
long as necessary to bring your vehicle
to rest in a safe location and seek
immediate repairs. When in fail-safe
mode, your vehicle will have limited
power, will not be able to maintain
high-speed operation, and may
completely shut down without warning,
potentially losing engine power, power
steering assist, and power brake assist,
which may increase the possibility of a
crash resulting in serious injury. WARNING:
Do not remove the
coolant reservoir cap when the engine is
on or the cooling system is hot. Wait 10
minutes for the cooling system to cool
down. Cover the coolant reservoir cap
with a thick cloth to prevent the
possibility of scalding and slowly remove
the cap. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in personal injury. Your vehicle has limited engine power
when in the fail-safe mode, drive your
vehicle with caution. Your vehicle does not
maintain high-speed operation and the
engine may operate poorly.
Remember that the engine is capable of
automatically shutting down to prevent
engine damage. In this situation:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely
possible and switch the engine off.
2. Contact the Ford GT Concierge to obtain assistance.
See About This
Manual (page 5).
3. If this is not possible, wait a short period for the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level. If the coolant level is at or below the minimum mark,
add prediluted coolant immediately.
5. When the engine temperature cools, you can re-start the engine. Have your
vehicle checked as soon as possible to
minimize engine damage.
Note: Driving your vehicle without repair
increases the chance of engine damage.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Management WARNING:
To reduce the risk of
crash and injury, be prepared that the
vehicle speed may reduce and the
vehicle may not be able to accelerate
with full power until the coolant
temperature reduces.
At this time, you may notice the coolant
temperature gauge moves toward the red
zone and a message may appear in the
information display.
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You may notice a reduction in vehicle
speed caused by reduced engine power in
order to manage the engine coolant
temperature. Your vehicle may enter this
mode if certain high-temperature and
high-load conditions take place. The
amount of speed reduction depends on
vehicle loading, slope and ambient
temperature. If this occurs, there is no
need to pull off the road. You can continue
to drive your vehicle.
The air conditioning may automatically
turn on and off during severe operating
conditions to protect the engine from
overheating. When the coolant
temperature decreases to the normal
operating temperature, the air conditioning
turns on.
If the coolant temperature gauge moves
fully into the red zone, or if the coolant
temperature warning or service engine
soon messages appear in your information
display, do the following:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely
possible and shift the transmission into
park (P).
2. Leave the engine running until the coolant temperature gauge needle
returns to the normal position. After
several minutes, if the temperature
does not drop, follow the remaining
steps.
3. Switch the engine off and wait for it to
cool. Check the coolant level.
4. If the coolant level is at or below the minimum mark, add prediluted coolant
immediately.
5. If the coolant level is normal, restart the engine and continue. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
FLUID CHECK
If required, have an authorized dealer check
and change the transmission fluid at the
correct service interval. See Scheduled
Maintenance (page 279).
The automatic transmission does not have
a transmission fluid dipstick.
Refer to your scheduled maintenance
information for scheduled intervals for fluid
checks and changes. Your transmission
does not consume fluid. However, if the
transmission slips, shifts slowly or if you
notice a sign of leaking fluid, contact an
authorized dealer.
Do not use supplemental transmission
fluid additives, treatments or cleaning
agents. The use of these materials may
affect transmission operation and result
in damage to internal transmission
components.
BRAKE FLUID CHECK WARNING:
Do not use any fluid
other than the recommended brake fluid
as this will reduce brake efficiency. Use
of incorrect fluid could result in the loss
of vehicle control, serious personal injury
or death. WARNING:
Only use brake fluid
from a sealed container. Contamination
with dirt, water, petroleum products or
other materials may result in brake
system damage or failure. Failure to
adhere to this warning could result in the
loss of vehicle control, serious personal
injury or death.
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WARNING: Do not allow the fluid
to touch your skin or eyes. If this
happens, rinse the affected areas
immediately with plenty of water and
contact your physician. WARNING:
A fluid level between
the MAX and MIN lines is within the
normal operating range and there is no
need to add fluid. A fluid level not in the
normal operating range could
compromise the performance of the
system. Have your vehicle checked
immediately. To avoid fluid contamination, the reservoir
cap must remain in place and fully tight,
unless you are adding fluid.
Only use fluid that meets Ford
specifications. See
Capacities and
Specifications (page 205). POWER STEERING FLUID
CHECK
The hydraulic fluid reservoir is under the
hood. The fluid is used for power steering,
active aerodynamics and the active
hydraulic suspension. Keep the fluid level
between MIN and MAX marks as shown
on the reservoir.
Note:
This procedure must be followed to
prevent over filling of the reservoir.
1. Start the engine and make sure that the steering wheel is at the straight
ahead position. Do not move the
steering wheel after this time.
2. Allow the engine to idle in Park for 2 minutes then shut the engine off.
3. After the engine has been off for 5 minutes, check the hydraulic fluid level
in the reservoir.
4. The MIN / MAX marks are on the front face of the reservoir. If the level is
above the MIN line on the reservoir DO
NOT add fluid.
5. If the level is below the MIN line, add only enough fluid to bring the level to
a point between the MIN and MAX
lines.
6. DO NOT add fluid past the MAX line.
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CHANGING THE 12V BATTERY
WARNING: Battery posts,
terminals and related accessories
contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and
reproductive harm. Wash your hands
after handling
.
The Ford GT uses a lithium Ion battery.
The battery is inside the right front fender.
For battery maintenance or replacement,
contact an authorized dealer.
When a battery replacement is required,
you must use a recommended
replacement battery that matches the
electrical requirements of the vehicle.
Note: If you add electrical accessories or
components to the vehicle, it may adversely
affect the low voltage battery performance
and durability. This may also affect the
performance of other electrical systems in
the vehicle.
Because your vehicle ’s engine is
electronically controlled by a computer,
some control conditions are maintained
by power from the battery. When the
battery is disconnected or a new battery
is installed, the engine must relearn its idle
and fuel trim strategy for optimum
driveability and performance.
To restore the settings, do the following:
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Shift into park (P) or neutral (N).
3. Switch off all accessories.
4. Press the brake pedal and start your vehicle. 5. Run the engine until it reaches normal
operating temperature. As the engine
is warming up, complete the following:
Reset the clock.
See Audio System
(page 216). Reset the radio station
presets. See Audio System (page 216).
6. Allow the engine to idle for at least one
minute.
7. Drive the vehicle at least 10 mi (16 km)
to completely relearn the idle trim and
fuel trim strategy.
Note: If you do not allow the engine to
relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy, the
idle quality of your vehicle may be adversely
affected until the engine computer
eventually relearns the idle trim and fuel
trim strategy.
Make sure that you dispose of old batteries
in an environmentally friendly way. Seek
advice from your local authority about
recycling old batteries.
Battery Charger and Maintainer
If you plan to have your GT parked or in
storage for more than two weeks without
driving it, connect the Li-Ion compatible
battery charger and maintainer provided.
There are two methods to connect the
charger:
Method 1: Rear Hatch Storage
Compartment Power Point
Your Ford GT has a 12V power point in the
rear hatch storage area that allows you to
conveniently plug in to charge and
maintain your battery.
Note: You can only the use the hatch
storage power point for battery charging.
The one inside the passenger compartment
on the side of the center console will not
work for this purpose.
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1. Locate and open the cap covering the
power point.
2. Insert the provided charger plug in to the power point.
3. Connect the charger to the wall socket.
4. Disconnect the charger from the wall socket before disconnecting the cigar
plug.
Method 2: Under Hood Jump Start
Posts
You can also connect the battery charger
to the posts underneath the front hood for
jump starting the vehicle. The charger
connects simply to the jump start positive
(+) and negative (-) posts as shown in the
following illustration.
Note: If you incorrectly connect the battery
clamps, the reverse polarity protection of
the charger ensures that the battery and
charger are not damaged. 1. Connect the positive (+) red cable to
the positive (B) post.
2. Connect the negative (-) black cable to the negative (A) post.
3. Connect the charger to the wall socket.
4. Disconnect the charger from the wall socket before disconnecting the
battery.
5. Disconnect the black clamp before the
red clamp.
The battery charger and maintainer
charges the battery to a full charge and
then monitors the charge as the car sits. If
the battery charge level drops, the
maintainer turns on to keep the battery
fully charged. You can keep the car stored
with the charger and maintainer attached.
For further information on the charger, see
the instructions provided with the charger.
Note: If the battery state of charge has
dropped below 10.5 volts, the battery goes
into its under voltage protection mode. If
this has occurred, connect the charger and
press the reset button on the charger for 10
seconds, which wakes up the battery to
allow it to receive a charge.
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Note:
The GT battery charger and
maintainer is designed for the Lithium
battery used on Ford GT. Use only this
device. A charger designed for a lead acid
battery may damage the lithium battery in
your GT.
Battery Management System
The battery management system monitors
battery conditions and takes actions to
extend battery life. If excessive battery
drain is detected, the system temporarily
disables the electrical systems to protect
the battery.
Use the charger to bring the battery back
to full charge.
Electrical Accessory Installation
Note: If you add electrical accessories or
components to the vehicle, it may adversely
affect battery performance and durability.
This may also affect the performance of
other electrical systems in the vehicle.
ADJUSTING THE HEADLAMPS
Headlamp Aim Target 8 ft (2.4 m).
A
Center height of lamp to ground.
B 25 ft (7.6 m).
C
Horizontal reference line.
D
Vertical Aim Adjustment
1. Park your vehicle on a level surface approximately 25 ft (7.6 m) away from
a vertical wall or screen.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Measure the height from the center of the headlamp to the ground.
Note: There may be an identifying mark on
the lens to help you locate the center of the
headlamp bulb.
4. Mark a horizontal reference line on the
vertical wall or screen that is a
minimum of
8 ft (2.4 m) long.
5. Switch the low beam headlamps on. 6.
There is a distinct change from light to
dark in the left-hand portion of the
headlamp beam pattern. Position the
top edge of this cut-off
2 in (5 cm)
below the horizontal reference line.
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7.
Locate and remove the plug in the front
of the wheel liner. Place wheels in the
straight ahead position. Use a ½ inch
socket wrench to adjust vertical
alignment (A).
Note: To see a clearer light pattern while
adjusting one headlamp, block the light
from the other headlamp.
8. Switch the low beam headlamps off.
WASHER FLUID CHECK WARNING: If you operate your
vehicle in temperatures below 40°F
(5°C), use washer fluid with antifreeze
protection. Failure to use washer fluid
with antifreeze protection in cold
weather could result in impaired
windshield vision and increase the risk
of injury or accident.
Add fluid to fill the reservoir if the level is
low. Only use a washer fluid that meets
Ford specifications. See
Capacities and
Specifications (page 210). State or local regulations on volatile
organic compounds may restrict the use
of methanol, a common windshield washer
antifreeze additive. Washer fluids
containing non-methanol antifreeze
agents should be used only if they provide
cold weather protection without damaging
the vehicle
’s paint finish, wiper blades or
washer system.
FUEL FILTER
Your vehicle is equipped with a lifetime
fuel filter that is integrated with the fuel
tank. Regular maintenance or replacement
is not needed.
CHECKING THE WIPER
BLADES Run the tip of your fingers over the edge of
the blade to check for roughness.
Clean the wiper blades with washer fluid
or water applied with a soft sponge or
cloth.
CHANGING THE WIPER
BLADES
Replacement blades are available at your
Ford dealer.
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Note:
To avoid damaging the windshield,
lift the wiper blade a few inches off the
glass and place a cloth on the windshield
under the blade.
Note: Manually move the wiper blades to
the midway position.
Note: The windshield wiper blades are
different in length. The longer blade is on
the driver's side.
1. Disconnect the washer pipe from the wiper arm.
2. Press the release button on the top of the wiper arm where the blade
assembly attaches to the arm.
3. Pull the blade assembly away from the
arm, while rocking it from side to side
to help release it.
4. Keep the cloth in place to avoid the arm from hitting the windshield glass.
5. Install the new blade assembly and reconnect the washer pipe.
6. When complete, switch on the wipers and they will cycle back to the park
position when you switch them off.
Replace wiper blades at least once per
year for optimum performance. CHANGING A BULB
LED Lamps
All exterior and interior lamps on the GT
are LED.
These lamps operate at a high voltage.
Contact an authorized dealer if they fail.
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