brake FORD F550 2011 Owners Manual

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Locks and Security 127Keys 127
Locks 135
Anti-theft system 147
Seating and Safety Restraints 151Seating 151
Safety restraints 166
Airbags 178
Child restraints 192
Tires, Wheels and Loading 214Tire information 216
Tire inflation 219
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 234
Vehicle loading 242
Trailer towing 249
Trailer brake controller-integrated 254
Recreational towing 261
Driving 262Starting 262
Brakes 268
Traction Control™ 270
AdvanceTrac  271
Hill descent control 277
Transmission operation 284
Reverse sensing system 292
Rear-view camera system 294Table of Contents
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Using your vehicle as an ambulance
If your light truck is equipped with the Ford Ambulance Preparation
Package, it may be utilized as an ambulance. Ford urges ambulance
manufacturers to follow the recommendations of the Ford Incomplete
Vehicle Manual, Ford Truck Body Builder’s Layout Book and the
Qualified Vehicle Modifiers (QVM) Guidelines as well as pertinent
supplements. For additional information, please contact the Truck Body
Builders Advisory Service at http://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/ and
then by selecting “Contact Us” or by phone at 1–877–840–4338.
Use of your Ford light truck as an ambulance, without the Ford Ambulance
Preparation Package voids the Ford New Vehicle Limited Warranty and
may void the Emissions Warranties. In addition, ambulance usage without
the preparation package could cause high underbody temperatures,
overpressurized fuel and a risk of spraying fuel which could lead to fires.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Ford Ambulance Preparation
Package, it will be indicated on the Safety Compliance Certification
Label. The label is located on the driver’s side door pillar or on the rear
edge of the driver’s door. You can determine whether the ambulance
manufacturer followed Ford’s recommendations by directly contacting
that manufacturer. Ford Ambulance Preparation Package is only available
on certain Diesel engine equipped vehicles.
Using your vehicle as a stationary power source (PTO)
Refer to the Driving chapter for more information and guidelines for
operating a vehicle equipped with an aftermarket power take-off system.
DATA RECORDING
Service Data Recording
Service data recorders in your vehicle are capable of collecting and
storing diagnostic information about your vehicle. This potentially
includes information about the performance or status of various systems
and modules in the vehicle, such as engine, throttle, steering or brake
systems. In order to properly diagnose and service your vehicle, Ford
Motor Company, Ford of Canada, and service and repair facilities may
access or share among them vehicle diagnostic information received
through a direct connection to your vehicle when diagnosing or servicing
your vehicle. For U.S. only (if equipped), if you choose to use the SYNC 
Vehicle Health Report, you consent that certain diagnostic information
may also be accessed electronically by Ford Motor Company and Ford
authorized service facilities, and that the diagnostic information may be
used for any purpose. See your SYNC  supplement for more information.Introduction
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Event Data Recording
This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder (EDR). The
main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an airbag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle; this data will assist in understanding how a
vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period
of time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and passenger seatbelts were
buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator
and/or the brake pedal; and
• How fast the vehicle was travelling; and
• Where the driver was positioning the steering wheel.
This data can help provide a better understanding of the
circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.
Note: EDR data is recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is recorded by the EDR under
normal driving conditions and no personal data or information
(e.g., name, gender, age, and crash location) is recorded (see
limitations regarding 911 Assist and Traffic, directions and
Information privacy below). However, parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is required,
and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the
vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have such special equipment, can read the information if
they have access to the vehicle or the EDR. Ford Motor Company
and Ford of Canada do not access event data recorder
information without obtaining consent, unless pursuant to court
order or where required by law enforcement, other government
authorities or other third parties acting with lawful authority.
Other parties may seek to access the information independently
of Ford Motor Company and Ford of Canada. Introduction
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These are some of the symbols you may see on your vehicle.
Vehicle Symbol Glossary
Safety Alert See Owner’s Guide
Fasten Safety Belt Airbag - Front
Airbag - Side Child Seat Lower
Anchor
Child Seat Tether
Anchor Brake System
Anti-Lock Brake System Parking Brake System
Brake Fluid -
Non-Petroleum Based Parking Aid System
Stability Control System Speed Control
Master Lighting Switch Hazard Warning Flasher
Fog Lamps-Front Fuse Compartment
Fuel Pump Reset Windshield Wash/Wipe
Windshield
Defrost/Demist Rear Window
Defrost/DemistIntroduction
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WARNING: Under engine misfire conditions, excessive exhaust
temperatures could damage the catalytic converter, the fuel
system, interior floor coverings or other vehicle components, possibly
causing a fire.
Check fuel cap: Displays when the
fuel cap may not be properly
installed. Continued driving with
this light on may cause the Service
engine soon warning indicator to
come on. Refer to Fuel filler cap in
the Maintenance and Specifications chapter.
Low fuel (RTT): Displays when
the fuel level in the fuel tank is at
or near empty (refer to Fuel gauge
in this chapter).
Powertrain malfunction/Reduced
power/Electronic throttle
control (RTT): Displays when the
engine has defaulted to a
“limp-home” operation or when a transmission problem has been
detected and shifting may be restricted. If the light remains on, have the
system serviced immediately by your authorized dealer.
Brake system warning light: To
confirm the brake system warning
light is functional, it will
momentarily illuminate when the
ignition is turned to the on position
when the engine is not running, or in a position between on and start, or
by applying the parking brake when the ignition is turned to the on
position.
If the brake system warning light does not illuminate at this time, seek
service immediately from your authorized dealer. Illumination after
releasing the parking brake indicates low brake fluid level and the brake
system should be inspected immediately by your authorized dealer. P!
BRAKEInstrument Cluster
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WARNING: Driving a vehicle with the brake system warning
light on is dangerous. A significant decrease in braking
performance may occur. It will take you longer to stop the vehicle.
Have the vehicle checked by your authorized dealer. Driving extended
distances with the parking brake engaged can cause brake failure and
the risk of personal injury.
Anti-lock brake system: If the
ABS light stays illuminated or
continues to flash, a malfunction has
been detected, have the system
serviced immediately by your
authorized dealer. Normal braking is still functional unless the brake
warning light also is illuminated.
Airbag readiness: If this light fails
to illuminate when the ignition is
turned to on, continues to flash or
remains on, have the system
serviced immediately by your
authorized dealer. A chime will sound if there is a malfunction in the
indicator light.
Safety belt: Reminds you to fasten
your safety belt. A Belt-Minder 
chime will also sound to remind you
to fasten your safety belt. Refer to
the Seating and Safety Restraints
chapter to activate/deactivate the Belt-Minder  chime feature.
Charging system: Illuminates when
the battery is not charging properly.
If it stays on while the engine is
running, there may be a malfunction
with the charging system. Contact your authorized dealer as soon as
possible. This indicates a problem with the electrical system or a related
component.
Engine oil pressure (RTT and
static warning light): Displays
when the oil pressure falls below the
normal range. Refer to Engine oil
in the Maintenance and Specifications chapter.ABSInstrument Cluster
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If you calculate your average fuel economy by dividing distance traveled
by gallons of fuel used (liters of fuel used by 100 kilometers traveled),
your figure may be different than displayed for the following reasons:
• Your vehicle was not perfectly level during fill-up
• Differences in the automatic shut-off points on the fuel pumps at
service stations
• Variations in top-off procedure from one fill-up to another
• Rounding of the displayed values to the nearest 0.1 gallon (liter)
1. Drive the vehicle at least 5 miles (8 km) with the speed control
system engaged to display a stabilized average.
2. Record the highway fuel economy for future reference.
It is important to press the RESET button (press and hold RESET for
two seconds in order to reset the function) after setting the speed
control to get accurate highway fuel economy readings.
MPG (L/km)
This displays instantaneous fuel economy as a bar graph ranging from ↓
poor economy to ↑ excellent economy.
Your vehicle must be moving to calculate instantaneous fuel economy.
When your vehicle is not moving, this function shows ↓ , one or no bars
illuminated. Instantaneous fuel economy cannot be reset.
TIMER
Timer displays the trip elapsed drive time.
To operate, do the following:
1. Press and release RESET in order to start the timer.
2. Press and release RESET to pause the timer.
3. Press and hold RESET until the timer resets.
TBC GAIN (if equipped)
Displays the level of trailer brake gain or if the trailer is not connected.
EXHAUST FILTER (diesel only)
Refer to Diesel exhaust system: oxidation catalyst/diesel particulate
filter system in your diesel supplement for more information.Instrument Cluster
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System check and vehicle feature customization
Press the SETUP button repeatedly
to cycle the message center through
the following features:
Note: When returning to the SETUP menu and a non-English language
has been selected, HOLD RESET FOR ENGLISH will be displayed to
change back to English. Press and hold the RESET button to change
back to English.
RESET FOR SYSTEM CHECK
When this message appears, press the RESET button and the message
center will begin to cycle through the following systems and provide a
status of the item if needed.
1. OIL LIFE
2. EXHAUST FLUID LEVEL (Diesel only)
3. ENGINE HOURS
4. ENGINE IDLE HOURS
5. CHARGING SYSTEM
6. DOOR
7. BRAKE SYSTEM
8. TBC GAIN = XX.X (if equipped)
9. FUEL LEVEL
10. MYKEY DISTANCE (if MyKey  is programmed)
11. MYKEY(S) PROGRAMMED
12. ADMIN KEYS PROGRAMMED
Note: Some systems show a message only if a condition is present.
OIL LIFE
This displays the remaining oil life.
An oil change is required whenever indicated by the message center and
according to the recommended maintenance schedule.
To reset the oil monitoring system to 100% after each oil change,
perform the following: Instrument Cluster
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6. To exit the zone setting mode, and to “lock in” your change:
• press and release the SETUP button or,
• press INFO button to exit or,
• wait four seconds and the zone will be “locked in”.
Perform compass calibration in an open area free from steel structures
and high voltage lines. For optimum calibration, turn off all electrical
accessories (heater/air conditioning, wipers, etc.) and make sure all
vehicle doors are shut.
7. Press the RESET button until the display reads RESET FOR
CALIBRATION to start the compass calibration function.
8. Slowly drive the vehicle in a circle (less than 3 mph [5 km/h]) until
the CIRCLE SLOWLY TO CALIBRATE display changes to CALIBRATION
COMPLETED. It will take up to five circles to complete calibration.
9. The compass is now calibrated.
Note: If the RESET button is pressed or three minutes has expired, the
display will go back to the INFO menu and will show CAL instead of the
compass heading until the compass is calibrated.
RESET FOR REMOTE START (if equipped)
Press RESET to enable remote start on or off and choose the remote
start duration time (5, 10, 15 minutes) and other options.
REAR PARK AID (if equipped)
This feature sounds a warning tone to warn the driver of obstacles near
the rear bumper, and functions only when R (Reverse) gear is selected.
Press RESET to turn this feature on or off. You can also choose to turn
this feature on/off when the vehicle is placed in reverse.
TBC MODE (if equipped)
Allows you to choose the trailer brake mode.
Press RESET to choose:
• ELECTRIC
• EOH (electric over hydraulic)
TRAILER SWAY (if equipped)
This feature uses the electronic stability control to mitigate trailer sway,
Press RESET to turn it off or on.
LANGUAGE = ENGLISH / SPANISH / FRENCH
Allows you to choose which language the message center will display in.
Selectable languages are English, Spanish, or French.Instrument Cluster
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Waiting four seconds or pressing the RESET button cycles the message
center through each of the language choices.
Press and hold the RESET button for two seconds to set the language
choice.
System warnings
System warnings alert you to possible problems or malfunctions in your
vehicle’s operating systems.
In the event of a multiple warning situation, the message center will
cycle the display to show all warnings by displaying each one for four
seconds.
The message center will display the last selected feature if there are no
more warning messages.
Types of messages and warnings:
• Some messages will appear briefly to inform you of something you
may need to take action on or be informed of.
• Some messages will appear once and then again when the vehicle is
restarted.
• Some messages will reappear after clearing or being reset if a problem
or condition is still present and needs your attention.
• Some messages can be acknowledged and reset by pressing RESET.
This allows you to use the full message center functionality by clearing
the message.
PARK BRAKE ENGAGED — Displayed when the parking brake is
applied (or not fully released).
CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM — Displayed when a fault has been detected
by the ABS module.
CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM — Displayed when the electrical system
is not maintaining proper voltage. If you are operating electrical
accessories when the engine is idling at a low speed, turn off as many of
the electrical loads as soon as possible. If the warning stays on or comes
on when the engine is operating at normal speeds, contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.
DRIVER DOOR AJAR — Displayed when the driver’s door is not
completely closed.
PASSENGER DOOR AJAR — Displayed when the passenger’s door is
not completely closed.
REAR LEFT DOOR AJAR — Displayed when the rear left door is not
completely closed. Instrument Cluster
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