2023 FORD F650/750 brakes

TOWING A TRAILER
WARNING: Do not exceed
the GVWR or the GAWR
specified on the certification
label.
WARNING: Towing trailers
beyond the maximum
recommended gross trailer
weight exceeds the limit of the
vehicle and could result in engine
damage, transmission damage,
structural damage, loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover
and personal injury.
Your vehicle may have electrical
items, such as fuses or relays,
related to towing. See Fuses
(page 200).
Your vehicle's load capacity
designation is by weight, not by
volume, so you cannot necessarily
use all available space when
loading a vehicle.
Towing a trailer places an extra
load on your vehicle's engine,
transmission, axle, brakes, tires
and suspension. Inspect these
components periodically during,
and after, any towing operation.Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer
movement affects your vehicle
when driving:
• Load the heaviest items closest
to the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items
centered between the left and
right side trailer tires.
• Load the heaviest items above
the trailer axles or just slightly
forward toward the trailer
tongue. Do not allow the final
trailer tongue weight to go
above or below 10-15% of the
loaded trailer weight.
When driving with a trailer or
payload, a slight takeoff vibration
or shudder may be present due to
the increased payload weight.
Additional information regarding
proper trailer loading and setting
your vehicle up for towing is
located in another chapter of this
manual. See Load Limit (page
175).
You can also find information in
the RV & Trailer Towing Guide
available at your authorized
dealer, or online.
RV & Trailer Towing Guide Online
http://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/ Website
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Towing

ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
See Load limits in the Load Carrying
chapter for load specification terms found
on the tire label and Safety Compliance
label and instructions on calculating your
vehicle's load.
Remember to account for the trailer
tongue weight as part of your vehicle load
when calculating the total vehicle weight.
Hitches
Do not use a hitch that either clamps onto
the bumper or attaches to the axle. You
must distribute the load in your trailer so
that 10-15% of the total weight of the
trailer is on the tongue.
Safety Chains
Note:Do not attach safety chains to the
bumper.
Always connect the safety chains to the
frame or hook retainers of your vehicle
hitch.
To connect the safety chains, 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.
Trailer Brakes
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.
Trailer Lamps
WARNING: Never connect any
trailer lamp wiring to the vehicle's tail
lamp wiring; this may damage the
electrical system resulting in fire. Contact
your authorized dealer as soon as
possible for assistance in proper trailer
tow wiring installation. Additional
electrical equipment may be required.
Trailer lamps are required on most towed
vehicles. Make sure all running lights, brake
lights, turn signals and hazard lights are
working.
Before Towing a Trailer
Practice turning, stopping and backing up
to get the feel of your vehicle-trailer
combination before starting on a trip.
When turning, make wider turns so the
trailer wheels clear curbs and other
obstacles.
When Towing a Trailer
• Check your hitch, electrical connections
and trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly
after you have traveled 50 mph
(80 km/h).
• When stopped in congested or heavy
traffic during hot weather, place the
transmission in park (P) or neutral (N)
to aid engine and transmission cooling
and to help air conditioning
performance.
• Turn off the speed control with heavy
loads or in hilly terrain. The speed
control may turn off automatically
when you are towing on long, steep
grades.
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Towing

• Shift to a lower gear when driving down
a long or steep hill. Do not apply the
brakes continuously, as they may
overheat and become less effective.
• If your transmission is equipped with
the Tow/Haul feature, use this feature
when towing. This provides engine
braking and helps eliminate excessive
transmission shifting for optimum fuel
economy and transmission cooling.
• Allow more distance for stopping with
a trailer attached. Anticipate stops and
brake gradually.
FIFTH WHEEL OPERATION
WARNING: Failure to follow the
fifth wheel manufacturer’s instructions
for hooking and unhooking as well as
sliding the fifth wheel could result in an
accident, personal injury or death.
WARNING: When the tractor and
trailer are parked unattended, the trailer
brake hand control should never be used
to apply the brake, since air may leak
from the system, allowing vehicle
movement, resulting in possible property
damage, personal injury or death.
Before hook-up, make sure:
• The fifth wheel jaws are fully open.
• The fifth wheel is fully tilted back to
prevent body damage when the tractor
is backed under a trailer.
• You block the trailer wheels and adjust
and apply the trailer spring brakes.
Never chase a trailer.
• The brake hoses and light cords are
clear of the fifth wheel.
Hook-up
1. Back the tractor squarely under the
trailer, engaging the fifth-wheel jaws
on the kingpin. Always back up slowly;
make sure the trailer is neither too high
nor too low. Avoid backing under the
trailer from an angle.
2. Connect the service and emergency
brake hoses and trailer light connector.
3. Inspect the jaws of the fifth wheel to
be sure they have fully closed on the
trailer kingpin and the trailer plate is
resting securely on the fifth wheel.
4. Make sure the coupler release lever is
in the locked position.
5. Charge the trailer brake system. Set
the trailer brakes, with either the hand
valve or tractor protection valve. Pull
against the trailer for an extra check of
proper hook-up. Do not pull hard
enough to damage or strain the
equipment.
6. Set the tractor parking brakes and fully
raise the trailer landing gear.
7. Check the operation of all trailer lights
and correct any lights that may be
faulty.
Un-hook
1. Try to keep the tractor and trailer in a
straight line.
2. Apply the parking brakes.
3. Lower the trailer landing gear, making
sure it is on solid, level ground. The
weight of the trailer is to be on the
landing gear.
4. Block the trailer wheels.
5. Disconnect the brake hoses and light
cords. Be sure hoses and cords are
clear.
6. Pull coupler release lever to disengage
the fifth wheel jaws.
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Towing

7. Release the tractor parking brakes.
8. Pull out from the trailer slowly, allowing
the landing gear to take the load
gradually.
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Towing

Avoid driving too fast during the first
1,000 mi (1,600 km). Vary your speed
frequently and change up through the
gears early. Do not labor the engine.
Drive your new vehicle at least 1,000 mi
(1,600 km) before towing a trailer. Make
sure you use the specified engine oil. See
Engine Oil Capacity and Specification
(page 292).
Do not add friction modifier compounds
or special break-in oils during the first few
thousand miles (kilometers) of operation.
These additives may prevent piston ring
seating.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
WARNING: Do not drive through
flowing or deep water as you may lose
control of your vehicle.
Note:Driving through standing water can
cause vehicle damage.
Note:Engine damage can occur if water
enters the air filter.
Before driving through standing water,
check the depth. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the wheel
hubs.
E176913E176913
When driving through standing water, drive
very slowly and do not stop your vehicle.
Your brake performance and traction may
be limited. After driving through water and
as soon as it is safe to do so:
• Lightly press the brake pedal to dry the
brakes and to check that they work.
• Check that the horn works.
• Check that the exterior lights work.
• Turn the steering wheel to check that
the steering power assist works.
Operation in Standing Water
Ingestion of water into the diesel engine
can result in immediate and severe
damage to the engine. If driving through
water, slow down to avoid splashing water
into the intake. If the engine stalls, and you
suspect ingestion of water into the engine,
do not try to restart the engine. Consult
your dealer for service immediately.
Your fuel tank vents to the atmosphere by
valves on top of the tank and through the
fuel cap. If water reaches the top of the
tank, the valves may pull water into the
fuel tank. Water in the fuel can cause
performance issues and damage the fuel
injection system.
187
Driving Hints

Protected Component Rating Item
Driver seat compressor. 20 A 63
Passenger seat compressor. 20 A 64
Upfitter - run activate feed. 10 A 65
Four pack solenoid differen-
tial lock. 10 A 66
Hydromax relay power. 10 A 67
Not used. — 69
Inverter. 40 A 70
Anti-lock brake system
valves. 30 A 71
Brake on-off switch
(hydraulic brakes). 10 A 72
Stoplamp air pressure
switch 1 and 2 (air brakes).
Not used. — 73
Heated mirror. 15 A 74
Not used. — 75
Body control module battery
feed. 60 A 76
Body control module
voltage quality monitor
power feed. 30 A 77
Transmission module
(diesel). 10 A 78
Hydromax pump monitor. 5 A 79
Trailer tow backup signal. 10 A 80
Not used. — 81
Upfitter switch (factory
location for ignition power). 5 A 82
Upfitter switch (optional
location for power at all
times). 5 A 83
204
Fuses

Engine starting (with parking brake applied)
Check the gauge (diesel engine) or indicator light (gasoline
engine) to verify the alternator is charging. Voltmeter
Inspect for excessive free play in the steering linkages. The
steering wheel should have less than 2 in (5 cm) of free play
at its rim. Steering linkage free play
Verify the parking brake holds the vehicle by gently trying to
pull forward with the parking brake applied. Parking brake
Verify operation using the following procedure. Chock the
wheels, if necessary. Push in the parking brake and, on
tractors, push in the tractor parking brake knob: Air brakes
1. Verify the air compressor or governor cutout pressure is
approximately 120 psi (827 kPa).
2. Turn off the engine, and then turn the key back to the on
position (without starting the engine).
3. Without the brake pedal applied, note the air pressure drop
for one minute. It should be less than 2 psi (14 kPa) for single
vehicles and 3 psi (21 kPa) for combination vehicles.
4. Press and hold the brake pedal with 90 psi (621 kPa) or
more. Make sure there is no more than a 3 psi (21 kPa) per
minute leak for single vehicles and a 4 psi (28 kPa) minute
leak for combination vehicles.
5. Pump the brake pedal to deplete the system of air pressure.
The warning light and tone should turn on at 57 psi (393 kPa).
6. Pump the brake pedal and make sure the parking brake
and trailer parking brake knobs pop out at 20 psi (138 kPa)
or higher.
Verify that the fluid level is in the proper operating range. See
Automatic Transmission Fluid Check (page 242). Automatic transmission
fluid
Front of vehicle
Verify all exterior lights illuminate and are clean. Lights
Check headlights function on high and low beam.
Verify reflectors are clean, unbroken and of proper color (red
on rear, amber elsewhere).
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Vehicle Inspection Guide

Front brakes
Inspect for cracked, worn or frayed hoses, and that all coup-
lings are secure. Hoses
Verify that there are no cracks or dents, and that the cham-
bers are securely mounted. Brake chambers
Inspect for broken, loose or missing parts. Slack adjusters
Note: The angle between the push rod and adjuster arm
should be approximately 90 degrees when the brakes are
applied. When pulled by hand, the push rod should not move
more than approximately 1 in (2.5 cm).
Verify that there are no cracks, dents, holes, and no loose or
missing bolts and that the brake linings are not worn,
dangerously thin or contaminated by lubricant. Drums
Front wheels
Inspect for damaged or bent rims. They should not have
welding repairs, and there should be no rust trails, which
indicate it is loose on the wheel. Rims
Verify all lug nuts are present and not loose (look for rust
trails around the lug nuts). There should be no cracks radiating
from the lug bolt holes or distortion of the bolt holes. Lug nuts
Inspect wheel hub oil seal for leaks and, if sight glass if
present, verify the oil level is adequate. Hub oil seals
Inspect for proper lubrication level if the hubcap has a trans-
parent window. If the hubcap does not have a transparent
window, remove the rubber fill-plug and inspect for proper
level. Oil-lubricated front
wheel bearings
Fuel area
Verify the tank(s) and cap(s) are secure and that there are
no leaks from the tank(s). Fuel tank(s)
Inspect for leaks from the tank(s). Leaks
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Vehicle Inspection Guide