weight FORD F-450 2018 Owner's Manual

ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
WARNING
Do not exceed the maximum vertical
load on the tow ball. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in the
loss of control of your vehicle, personal
injury or death. 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 the instructions included with
towing accessories for the proper
installation and adjustment
specifications.
• Service your vehicle more frequently if
you tow a trailer. See your scheduled
maintenance information.
See
Scheduled Maintenance (page 581).
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives
you.
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.
Vehicles with a diesel engine have an
engine braking feature.
See General
Information (page 225).
Remember to account for the trailer
tongue weight as part of your vehicle load
when calculating the total vehicle weight.
Some vehicles will have the ability to
modify trailer towing features. See
General Information
(page 113). Trailer Towing 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
286
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE163167

The active guidelines fade in and out
depending on the steering wheel position.
The active guidelines are not shown when
the steering wheel position is straight.
Always use caution while reversing.
Objects in the red zone are closest to your
vehicle and objects in the green zone are
farther away. Objects are getting closer to
your vehicle as they move from the green
zone to the yellow or red zones. Use the
side view mirrors and rear view mirror to
get better coverage on both sides and rear
of your vehicle.
Refer to the Rear View Camera section for
additional information. See Rear View
Camera (page 236).
Hitches
Note: On pick-up trucks, the trailer hitch
provided on this vehicle enhances crash
protection for the fuel system. Do not
remove!
Note: Do not cut, drill, weld or modify trailer
hitches. Modifying trailer hitches can reduce
hitch rating.
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% for conventional towing or
15-25% for fifth wheel towing of the total
weight of the trailer is on the tongue.
Hitch Components (If Equipped)
The following components are required.
Some are provided in certain vehicles.
• A trailer hitch with a 3 inch receiver and
5/8 inch hitch pin rated to tow up to
21,000 lb (9,525 kg)
.
• A hitch pin sleeve stored in the glove
box to be used when mounting the 3
inch drawbar.
• A cotter pin to help keep the hitch pin
in place. Installing a 3 Inch Drawbar with 3/4
Inch Pin Hole
The pin sleeve should be inserted in the
3/4 inch pin hole of the 3 inch drawbar.
Remove reducers before inserting the 3
inch drawbar. Insert the drawbar into hitch
receiver.
288
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE247903 E247902

Put the 5/8 inch hitch pin through pin hole.
Place the cotter pin around the neck of
hitch pin.
Weight-distributing Hitches
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
halfway between H1 and H2.
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.
Once 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.
Fifth-wheel Trailer Hitch (If Equipped)
Note: The mounting pads in the bed are
specifically designed for certain fifth-wheel
trailer hitches and gooseneck ball hitches.
Do not use these mounting pads for other
purposes.
Note: Contact an authorized dealer to
purchase gooseneck and fifth-wheel hitches
that are compatible with your vehicle.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a
fifth-wheel prep package. This package
enables your vehicle to accept certain
fifth-wheel trailer hitches and gooseneck
ball hitches. The fifth-wheel trailer hitch
attaches to the four mounting pads in the
pick-up bed. An optional 7-pin trailer wiring
connector may be in the bed as well. The
gooseneck ball hitch is a separate
mounting pad from the fifth-wheel hitch,
located in the center of the bed.
289
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE247909

Shorter pick-up boxes, such as the 6½-foot
box on the F-250 and F-350, provide less
clearance between the cab and the
fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailer
compared to longer box pick-ups, such as
an 8-foot box on the F-250 or F-350. When
selecting a trailer and tow vehicle, it is
critical to check that this combination
provides clearance between the front of
the trailer and tow vehicle for turns up to
90 degrees. Failure to follow this
recommendation could result in the trailer
contacting the cab of the tow vehicle
during tight turns that are typical during
low-speed parking and turning maneuvers.
This contact could result in damage to the
trailer and tow vehicle.
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 is fully closed. Note:
If you install the hook with the latch
facing toward the rear of your vehicle, you
may not be able to fully close the safety
chain hook latch. If this occurs, install the
hook with the latch facing toward the front
of your vehicle.
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.
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)
WARNINGS
The anti-lock brake system does not
control the trailer brakes.
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. 290
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing TowingE265060

When Towing a Trailer
•
Check your hitch, electrical connections
and trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly
after you have traveled 50 mi (80 km).
• Do not drive faster than 70 mph
(113 km/h) during the first 500 mi
(800 km).
• Do not make full-throttle starts.
• When stopped in congested or heavy
traffic during hot weather, place the
gearshift in park (P) to aid engine and
transmission cooling and to help A/C
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.
• 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 a
Grade Assist or 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.
• If your vehicle is equipped with
Adaptive Steering and you have
enabled Tow/Haul, the Adaptive
Steering system adjusts the steering
response to match your vehicle ’s load.
The system reduces vehicle sensitivity
to steering inputs at higher vehicle
speeds while it maintains the ease of
parking and maneuverability at low
speeds. •
If your vehicle is equipped with
AdvanceTrac with RSC, this system
may turn on during typical cornering
maneuvers with a heavily loaded trailer.
This is normal. Turning the corner at a
slower speed while towing may reduce
this tendency.
• If you are towing a trailer frequently in
hot weather, hilly conditions, at the
gross combined weight rating (or any
combination of these factors), consider
refilling your rear axle with synthetic
gear lubricant (if the axle is not already
filled with it).
• Allow more distance for stopping with
a trailer attached. Anticipate stops and
brake gradually.
• Avoid parking on a grade. However, if
you must park on a grade:
1. Turn the steering wheel to point your vehicle tires away from traffic flow.
2. Set your vehicle parking brake.
3. Place the transmission in park (P).
4. Place wheel chocks in front and back of the trailer wheels. (Chocks not
included with vehicle.)
Your vehicle may be equipped with a
temporary or conventional spare tire. A
"temporary" spare tire is different in size
(diameter or width), tread-type
(All-Season or All Terrain) or is from a
different manufacturer than the road tires
on your vehicle. Consult information on the
tire label or Safety Compliance label for
limitations when using.
Launching or Retrieving a Boat or
Personal Watercraft (PWC)
Note: Disconnect the wiring to the trailer
before
backing the trailer into the water.
Note: Reconnect the wiring to the trailer
after
you remove the trailer from the water.
294
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Towing

BREAKING-IN
You need to break in new tires for
approximately 300 mi (480 km). During
this time, your vehicle may exhibit some
unusual driving characteristics.
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
Capacities and Specifications
(page
427).
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.
ECONOMICAL DRIVING
Your fuel economy is affected by several
things, such as how you drive, the
conditions you drive under, and how you
maintain your vehicle.
You may improve your fuel economy by
keeping these things in mind:
• Accelerate and slow down in a smooth,
moderate fashion.
• Drive at steady speeds without
stopping.
• Anticipate stops; slowing down may
eliminate the need to stop.
• Combine errands and minimize
stop-and-go driving.
• Close the windows for high-speed
driving.
• Drive at reasonable speeds (traveling
at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses 15% less
fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105
km/h]). •
Keep the tires properly inflated and use
only the recommended size.
• Use the recommended engine oil.
• Perform all regularly scheduled
maintenance.
Avoid these actions; they reduce your fuel
economy:
• Sudden accelerations or hard
accelerations.
• Revving the engine before turning it off.
• Idle for periods longer than one minute.
• Warm up your vehicle on cold
mornings.
• Use the air conditioner or front
defroster.
• Use the speed control in hilly terrain.
• Rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving.
• Drive a heavily loaded vehicle or tow a
trailer.
• Carry unnecessary weight
(approximately 1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is
lost for every 400 lb [180 kilogram] of
weight carried).
• Driving with the wheels out of
alignment.
Conditions
• Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a
trailer may reduce fuel economy at any
speed.
• Adding certain accessories to your
vehicle (for example bug deflectors,
rollbars, light bars, running boards, ski
racks or luggage racks) may reduce
fuel economy.
• To maximize the fuel economy, drive
with the tonneau cover installed (if
equipped).
• Using fuel blended with alcohol may
lower fuel economy.
298
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Driving Hints

To install the floor mats, position the floor
mat eyelet over the retention post and
press down to lock in position.
To remove the floor mat, reverse the
installation procedure.
Note:
Regularly check the floor mats to
make sure they are secure.
SNOWPLOWING
Ford recommends that the Super Duty
F-Series used for snow removal include
the snowplow package option.
Installing the Snowplow
Weight limits and guidelines for selecting
and installing the snowplow are in the Ford
Truck Body Builders Layout Book,
snowplow section, found at
www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas. A typical
installation affects the following: •
Certification to government safety laws
such as occupant protection and airbag
deployment, braking, and lighting. Look
for an Alterer ’s Label on the vehicle
from the snowplow installer certifying
that the installation meets all
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS).
• The Total Accessory Reserve Capacity
(TARC) is on the lower right side of the
vehicle ’s Safety Compliance
Certification Label. This applies to
Ford-completed vehicles of 10,000 lb
(4,536 kg) GVWR or less. This is the
weight of permanently-attached
auxiliary equipment, such as snowplow
frame-mounting hardware, that can
be added to the vehicle and satisfy
Ford compliance certification to
FMVSS. Exceeding this weight may
require the auxiliary equipment installer
additional safety certification
responsibility. The Front Accessory
Reserve Capacity (FARC) is for
customer convenience.
• Rear ballast weight behind the rear
axle may be required to prevent
exceeding the FGAWR, and provide
front-to-rear weight balance for proper
braking and steering.
• Front wheel toe may require
re-adjustment to prevent premature
uneven tire wear. Specifications are in
the Ford Workshop Manual.
• Headlight aim may require
re-adjustment.
300
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Driving HintsE142666

•
The tire air pressures recommended
for general driving are on the vehicle ’s
Safety Certification Label. The
maximum cold inflation pressure for
the tire and associated load rating is
on the tire sidewall. Tire air pressure
may require re-adjustment within these
pressure limits to accommodate the
additional weight of the snowplow
installation.
• Federal and some local regulations
require additional exterior lamps for
snowplow-equipped vehicles. Consult
your authorized dealer for additional
information.
Operating the Vehicle with the
Snowplow Attached
Note: Do not use your vehicle for snow
removal until you have driven at least
500 mi (800 km).
Ford recommends vehicle speed does not
exceed
45 mph (72 km/h) when
snowplowing.
The attached snowplow blade restricts
airflow to the radiator, and may cause the
engine to run at a higher temperature:
Attention to engine temperature is
especially important when outside
temperatures are above freezing. Angle
the blade to maximize airflow to the
radiator and monitor engine temperature
to determine whether a left or right angle
provides the best performance.
Follow the severe duty schedule in your
Scheduled Maintenance information for
engine oil and transmission fluid change
intervals. Snowplowing with your Airbag
Equipped Vehicle WARNINGS
Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the airbag supplemental
restraint system (SRS) or its fuses.
Contact an authorized dealer. Additional equipment for example
snowplow equipment may affect the
performance of the airbag sensors
increasing the risk of injury. Please refer to
the Body Builders Layout Book for
instructions about the appropriate
installation of additional equipment. All occupants of the vehicle,
including the driver, should always
properly wear their seatbelt, even
when provided with an airbag
supplemental restraint system (SRS). Your vehicle is equipped with a driver and
passenger airbag supplemental restraint
system. The supplemental restraint system
will activate in certain frontal and offset
frontal collisions when the vehicle sustains
sufficient frontal deceleration.
Careless or high speed driving while
plowing snow that results in sufficient
vehicle decelerations can deploy the
airbags. Such driving also increases the risk
of accidents.
Never remove or defeat the tripping
mechanisms designed into the snow
removal equipment by its manufacturer.
Doing so may cause damage to the vehicle
and the snow removal equipment as well
as possible airbag deployment.
Engine temperature while plowing
When driving with a plow, your engine may
run at a higher temperature than normal
because the attached snowplow blade will
restrict airflow to the radiator.
301
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Driving Hints

We recommend towing a four-wheel drive
vehicle with all wheels off the ground, such
as using a wheel lift and dollies or flatbed
equipment. However, it is acceptable to
use a wheel lift to raise the rear of your
vehicle so long as, depending on vehicle
configuration, you perform the following
before towing:
•
If your vehicle has a manual-shift
transfer case, make sure the front
wheel hub locks are in the FREE
position before towing.
• If your vehicle has an electronic
shift-on-the-fly transfer case, make
sure you switch the four-wheel drive
control to the
2H position before
towing.
Note: Towing an electronic shift-on-the-fly
four-wheel drive vehicle with the front
wheels on the ground without disengaging
the front hubs may cause damage to the
automatic transmission.
Note: Towing a two-wheel drive vehicle or
an electronic shift-on-the-fly four-wheel
drive vehicle with the rear wheels on the
ground for more than
50 mi (80 km) or
faster than 35 mph (56 km/h) may cause
damage to the automatic transmission.
Note: Using wheel lift equipment to tow a
dual rear wheel vehicle requires removing
an outer rear wheel before towing.
TOWING POINTS WARNINGS
Using recovery hooks is dangerous
and should only be done by a person
familiar with proper vehicle recovery
safety practices. Improper use of recovery
hooks may cause hook failure or separation
from the vehicle and could result in serious
injury or death. WARNINGS
Always slowly remove the slack from
the recovery strap prior to pulling.
Failure to do so can introduce
significantly higher loads which can cause
the recovery hooks to break off, or the
recovery strap to fail which can cause
serious injury or death. Never link two straps together with
a clevis pin. These heavy metal
objects could become projectiles if
the strap breaks and can cause serious
injury or death. Your vehicle comes equipped with
frame-mounted front recovery hooks.
These hooks should never have a load
applied to them greater than the gross
vehicle weight rating of your vehicle.
Before using recovery hooks:
•
Make sure all attaching points are
secure and capable of withstanding
the applied load.
• Never use chains, cables or tow straps
with metal hook ends.
• Only use recovery straps that have a
minimum breaking strength two to
three times the gross vehicle weight of
the stuck vehicle.
• Make sure the recovery strap is in good
condition and free of visible cuts, tears
or damage.
• Use a damper device such as a tarp,
heavy blanket or piece of carpet
draped over the recovery strap to help
absorb the energy in the event the
strap breaks.
• Make sure the stuck vehicle is not
loaded heavier than its gross vehicle
weight rating specified on the
certification label.
308
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Roadside Emergencies

4. Refill the engine with new oil. See
Capacities and Specifications (page
432).
5. For diesel engines, you need to reset the Intelligent Oil Life Monitor™. See
Information Displays
(page 113).
Engine lubrication for severe
service operation
The following conditions define severe
operation for which engine operation with
SAE 5W-40 API CJ-4 is recommended. Oil
and oil filter change intervals will be
determined by the Intelligent Oil Life
Monitor™ as noted previously.
• Frequent or extended idling (over 10
minutes per hour of normal driving).
• Low-speed operation/stationary use.
• If vehicle is operated in sustained
ambient temperatures below
-9°F
(-23°C) or above 100°F (38°C).
• Frequent low-speed operation,
consistent heavy traffic less than
25 mph (40 km/h)
.
• Operating in severe dust conditions.
• Operating the vehicle off road.
• Towing a trailer over
1,000 mi
(1,600 km).
• Sustained, high-speed driving at Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (maximum
loaded weight for vehicle operation).
• Use of fuels with sulfur content other
than ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD).
• Use of high-sulfur diesel fuel. CHANGING THE CRANKCASE
VENT FILTER ELEMENT
(If
Equipped) WARNING
Do not dispose of engine oil or oil
filters in the household refuse or the
public sewage system. Use an
authorized waste disposal facility. Do not clean or recondition the filter
element.
We recommend that you demand the use
of genuine Ford and Motorcraft® parts
whenever your vehicle requires scheduled
maintenance or repair. Use the correct
specification filter element. See
Capacities and Specifications
(page
432).
Note: Operating your vehicle without a filter
element or with an unapproved filter
element may result in damage to the turbo
charger or exchanger and could lead to
engine damage that may not be covered by
the vehicle Warranty.
336
Super Duty (TFE) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201709, Second Printing Maintenance