Follow the tire manufacturer's
recommended cold inflation pressure for
the tire size, load range (ply rating) and
steer axle loading typical for their operation
(each steer axle tire equals ½ steer axle
loading).
Special applications may warrant a setting
based on experience with the type of tire
operating loads and conditions. Radial tires
are more sensitive to toe-in setting than
bias ply tires. Fine tuning school bus
alignment to line-haul truck standards
does not drastically improve tire tread life.
STEERING SYSTEM
INSPECTION
WARNING: Failure to maintain the
steering system in proper condition can
cause reduced steering ability resulting
in property damage, personal injury or
death.
Note:Have any steering problems
immediately corrected by a qualified service
technician.
Ask your service technician to examine the
steering mechanism. Only minor
adjustments may be necessary.
Regular inspections should include:
• Checking the tie rod, drag link end
clamp bolts and ball joints for proper
tightness.
• Checking for installation and spread of
cotter pins and tightness of nuts at
both ends of the tie rod and drag link.
• Checking that the pitman arm (steering
arm at steering gear) mounting is tight
and locked. Check system for leaks or
hose chafing. Repair immediately, if
necessary.• Maintaining proper steering gear and
power steering pump lubricant levels.
• Checking steering column joint bolts
and steering linkage, particularly for
body-to-chassis clearance.
Steering Column Joint Bolts
As a good maintenance practice, check
steering column joint bolt tightness every
60,000 mi (96,000 km) or annually,
whichever occurs first. Do not overtighten
the bolts.
Hydraulic System
Whenever draining and refilling the power
steering's hydraulic system for any reason,
bleed air from the system before returning
the vehicle to service. Failure to bleed the
hydraulic system properly can result in
degradation of power system performance.
Consult an authorized dealer who is aware
of the proper procedures for filling and
bleeding the system.
SUSPENSION SYSTEM
INSPECTION
Note:Do not adjust air suspension height
to any setting other than the specified
setting. Altering the height setting changes
the driveline angle and may result in
unwarrantable component damage, such
as transmission component damage.
Verify drive axle air suspension height and
height control valve performance at engine
oil change intervals.
Periodically check:
• Condition of spring leaves for evidence
of fatigue, bending or breakage.
• Condition of suspension mounting
brackets and bushings.
• Torque rod mounting fasteners for
tightness.
259
Maintenance
2. Remove dirt and brake dust with a
sponge.
3. Remove tar and grease with a bug and
tar remover. We recommend that you
use Ford approved bug and tar remover
if available.
4. Thoroughly rinse the wheels with water
after cleaning.
If you intend on parking your vehicle for an
extended period after cleaning the wheels
with a wheel cleaner, drive your vehicle for
a few minutes before doing so. This
reduces the risk of corrosion of the brake
discs, brake pads and linings.
Do not clean the wheels when they are hot.
Note: Some car washes could damage
wheel rims and covers.
Note: Using non-recommended cleaners,
harsh cleaning products, chrome wheel
cleaners or abrasive materials could
damage wheel rims and covers.
VEHICLE STORAGE
If you plan on storing your vehicle for 30
days or more, read the following
maintenance recommendations to make
sure your vehicle stays in good operating
condition.
We engineer and test all motor vehicles
and their components for reliable, regular
driving. Under various conditions,
long-term storage may lead to degraded
engine performance or failure unless you
use specific precautions to preserve engine
components.
General
• Store all vehicles in a dry, ventilated
place.
• Protect from sunlight, if possible.
• If vehicles are stored outside, they
require regular maintenance to protect
against rust and damage.
Body
• Wash your vehicle thoroughly to
remove dirt, grease, oil, tar or mud from
exterior surfaces, rear-wheel housing
and the underside of front fenders.
• Periodically wash your vehicle if it is
stored in exposed locations.
• Touch-up exposed or primed metal to
prevent rust.
• Cover chrome and stainless steel parts
with a thick coat of auto wax to prevent
discoloration. Re-wax as necessary
when you wash your vehicle.
• Lubricate all hood, door and luggage
compartment hinges and latches with
a light grade oil.
• 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.
267
Vehicle Care
• 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.
Disconnecting Your 12 Volt 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 you disconnect the battery
cables.
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.
• Check brake pedal operation. Drive
your vehicle 15 ft (4.5 m) back and
forth to remove rust build-up.
• Check fluid levels (including coolant,
oil and gas) to make sure there are no
leaks, and fluids are at recommended
levels.
• If you remove the battery, clean the
battery cable ends and check for
damage.
Contact an authorized dealer if you have
any concerns or issues.
268
Vehicle Care
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Wheel Lug Nut Torque Specifications
WARNING: When you install a wheel, always remove any corrosion, dirt or foreign
materials present on the mounting surfaces of the wheel or the surface of the wheel
hub, brake drum or brake disc that contacts the wheel. Make sure to secure any fasteners
that attach the rotor to the hub so they do not interfere with the mounting surfaces of
the wheel. Installing wheels without correct metal-to-metal contact at the wheel
mounting surfaces can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to come off while
your vehicle is in motion, resulting in loss of vehicle control, personal injury or death.
lb.ft (Nm)1Bolt size
450–500 lb.ft (610–678 Nm) M22 x 1.5
1 Torque specifications are for nut and bolt threads free of dirt and rust. Use only Ford
recommended replacement fasteners.
On vehicles equipped with single rear wheels, retighten the lug nuts to the specified torque
at 100 mi (160 km) after any wheel disturbance (such as tire rotation, changing a flat tire,
wheel removal).
On vehicles equipped with dual rear wheels, retighten the lug nuts to the specified torque
at 100 mi (160 km) and again at 500 mi (800 km) of new vehicle operation and after
any wheel disturbance (such as tire rotation, changing a flat tire, wheel removal).
It is important to follow the proper wheel mounting and lug nut torque procedures.
E161443
On all two-piece flat wheel nuts,
apply one drop of motor oil
between the flat washer and the
nut. Do not apply motor oil to the
wheel nut threads or the wheel
stud threads.
286
Wheels and Tires
Engine Oil
We recommend Motorcraft motor oil for
your vehicle. If Motorcraft motor oil is not
available, use motor oil of the
recommended viscosity grade that meets
our specification WSS-M2C171-F1. You can
find the list of approved motor oils at
www.motorcraft.com.
Do not use engine oil additives as they
could lead to engine damage not covered
by your vehicle warranty.
The use of correct oil viscosities for diesel
engines is important for satisfactory
operation. Determine which oil viscosity
best suits the temperature range you
expect to encounter for the next service
interval from the SAE Viscosity Grades
chart.
Note:An engine block heater is
recommended at temperatures below
–10°F (–23°C).
E327351E327351
293
Capacities and Specifications
We recommend Motorcraft motor oil for
your vehicle. If Motorcraft oil is not
available, use motor oils of the
recommended viscosity grade that display
the API Certification Mark for gasolineengines.
Do not use supplemental engine oil
additives because they are unnecessary
and could lead to engine damage that your
vehicle warranty does not cover.
Capacities
Including the Oil Filter Variant
8.0 qt (7.57 L) All.
Materials
Specification Name
WSS-M2C961-A1 Motorcraft® SAE 5W-30 Synthetic Blend Motor
Oil(U.S.)
Motorcraft® SAE 5W-30 Super Premium Motor Oil
/ Huile moteur de très haute qualité SAE 5W-30
Motorcraft®(Canada)
XO-5W30-Q1SP(U.S.)
CXO-5W30-LSP6(Canada)
Alternative Engine Oil for
Extremely Cold Climates
To improve engine cold start performance,
we recommend that you use the following
alternative engine oil in extremely cold
climates, where the ambient temperature
reaches -22°F (-30°C) or below.
Materials
Specification Name
WSS-M2C963-A1 Engine Oil - SAE 0W-30 - Synthetic Blend
296
Capacities and Specifications
A message appears in the information
display when it is time for an oil change.
Make sure you perform the oil change
within two weeks or 500 mi (800 km) of
the message appearing. Make sure you
reset the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor after
each oil change. See Instrument Cluster
(page 63).
If your information display resets
prematurely or becomes inoperative, you
should perform the oil change interval at
six months or 5,000 mi (8,000 km) from
your last oil change. Never exceed one year
or 10,000 mi (16,000 km) between oil
change intervals.
All Vehicles
Your vehicle is very sophisticated and built
with multiple, complex, performance
systems. Every manufacturer develops
these systems using different
specifications and performance features.
That is why it is important to rely upon your
dealership to properly diagnose and repair
your vehicle.
Ford Motor Company has recommended
maintenance intervals for various parts
and component systems based upon
engineering testing. Ford Motor Company
relies upon this testing to determine the
most appropriate mileage for replacement
of oils and fluids to protect your vehicle at
the lowest overall cost to you and
recommends against maintenance
schedules that deviate from the scheduled
maintenance information.
We strongly recommend the use of only
genuine Ford, Motorcraft or
Ford-authorized re-manufactured
replacement parts engineered for your
vehicle.Additives and Chemicals
This owner's manual and the Ford
Workshop Manual list the recommended
additives and chemicals for your vehicle.
We do not recommend using chemicals or
additives not approved by us as part of
your vehicle’s normal maintenance. Please
consult your warranty information.
Oils, Fluids and Flushing
In many cases, fluid discoloration is a
normal operating characteristic and, by
itself, does not necessarily indicate a
concern or that the fluid needs to be
changed. However, a qualified expert, such
as the factory-trained technicians at your
dealership, should inspect discolored fluids
that also show signs of overheating or
foreign material contamination
immediately.
Make sure to change your vehicle’s oils and
fluids at the specified intervals or in
conjunction with a repair. Flushing is a
viable way to change fluid for many vehicle
sub-systems during scheduled
maintenance. It is critical that systems are
flushed only with new fluid that is the same
as that required to fill and operate the
system or using a Ford-approved flushing
chemical.
Scheduled Maintenance Services
Maintenance service adjustments must
conform to specifications contained in this
manual, and those shown on the Important
Engine Information decal. Perform the
following services at scheduled intervals
because they essential to the life and
performance of your vehicle. Ford
recommends that you perform
maintenance on all designated items to
achieve best vehicle operation.
320
Scheduled Maintenance
Gasoline Engines
7,500 mi (12,000 km) or Six Months Whichever Comes First
Rotate the tires, inspect tire wear and measure the tread depth.1
Inspect the wheels and related components for abnormal noise, wear, looseness or
drag.
Perform a multi-point inspection, recommended.
Inspect front oil hubs for leaks and check fluid level through hub cap sight glass.
1 Rotate the front wheels on vehicles with dual rear wheels when specified. Only rotate
the rear wheels if you notice unusual wear.
10,000 mi (16,000 km) /450 Engine Hours or 12 Months Whichever Comes First
Change the engine oil and filter.
15,000 mi (24,000 km) or 12 Months Whichever Comes First
Inspect the automatic transmission fluid level. Consult an authorized dealer for
requirements.
Inspect the brake pads, shoes, rotors, drums, brake linings, hoses and the parking brake.
Inspect the engine cooling system concentration, freeze-point protection, level and
hoses.
Inspect the exhaust system and heat shields.
Inspect the steering linkage, ball joints, suspension, tie-rod ends, driveshaft and the U-
joints. Lubricate any components that have grease fittings.
Brake Fluid Maintenance1
Change the brake fluid.2Every 3 Years
1 Perform this maintenance item every 3 years. Do not exceed the designated time for
the interval.
2 Brake fluid servicing requires special equipment available at your authorized dealer.
325
Scheduled Maintenance