heating FORD F150 2015 13.G User Guide

Adding Engine Coolant
Note:
Do not use stop leak pellets, cooling
system sealants or additives as they can
cause damage to the engine cooling or
heating systems. Your warranty may not
cover these damages.
Note: During normal vehicle operation, the
engine coolant may change color from
orange to pink or light red.
As long as the engine coolant is clear and
uncontaminated, this color change does
not indicate that the engine coolant has
degraded, nor does it require that qualified
personnel drain the engine coolant, flush
the system or replace the engine coolant.
Do not mix different colors or types of
coolant in your vehicle. Mixing of engine
coolants may harm your engine ’s cooling
system. The use of an improper coolant
may harm engine and cooling system
components and may void the warranty.
Use prediluted engine coolant meeting the
Ford specification. See Capacities and
Specifications (page 359).
In case of emergency, you can add a large
amount of water without engine coolant
in order to reach a vehicle service location.
In this instance, qualified personnel:
1. Must drain the cooling system.
2. Chemically clean the coolant system with Motorcraft Premium Cooling
System Flush.
3. Refill with engine coolant as soon as possible.
Water alone, without engine coolant, can
cause engine damage from corrosion,
overheating or freezing.
Do not use the following as a coolant
substitute:
• Alcohol.
• Methanol. •
Brine.
• Any engine coolant mixed with alcohol
or methanol antifreeze or coolant.
Alcohol and other liquids can cause engine
damage from overheating or freezing.
Do not add extra inhibitors or additives to
the coolant. These can be harmful and
compromise the corrosion protection of
the engine coolant.
When adding coolant:
1. Unscrew the cap slowly. Any pressure will escape as you unscrew the cap.
2. Add prediluted engine coolant meeting
the Ford specification. See
Capacities
and Specifications (page 359).
3. Check the coolant level in the coolant reservoir the next few times you drive
your vehicle.
4. If necessary, add enough prediluted engine coolant to bring the coolant
level to the proper level.
Recycled Engine Coolant
Ford Motor Company does not recommend
the use of recycled engine coolant since a
Ford-approved recycling process is not yet
available.
Used engine coolant should be disposed
of in an appropriate manner. Follow your
community ’s regulations and standards
for recycling and disposing of automotive
fluids.
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F-150 (), enUSA, First Printing Maintenance

You have limited engine power when in the
fail-safe mode, so drive your vehicle with
caution. Your vehicle will not maintain
high-speed operation and the engine will
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 off the engine.
2. Tow your vehicle to an authorized dealer.
3. If this is not possible, wait a short period for the engine to cool.
4. Check the coolant level and add if low.
5. Re-start the engine and drive your vehicle to an authorized dealer.
Note: Driving your vehicle without repair
increases the chance of engine damage.
Contact an authorized dealer as soon as
possible.
Engine Fluid Temperature
Management (If Equipped) WARNINGS
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 fluid temperatures reduce. Never remove the coolant reservoir
cap while the engine is running or hot.
Your vehicle can pull a trailer, but because
of the added load, your vehicle
’s engine
may temporarily reach higher
temperatures during severe operating
conditions such as ascending a long or
steep grade while pulling a trailer in high
temperatures. At this time, you may notice your engine
coolant temperature gauge needle move
toward the H and the POWER REDUCED
TO LOWER TEMP message may appear
in the information display.
You may notice a reduction in vehicle
speed caused by reduced engine power.
In order to manage the engine fluid
temperatures, your vehicle may enter this
mode if certain high-temperature and
high-load conditions take place. The
amount of speed reduction depends on
many factors such as vehicle loading,
towing, grade and ambient temperature.
If this occurs, there is no need to pull off
the road. You can continue to drive your
vehicle while this message is active.
The air conditioning may also cycle on and
off during severe operating conditions to
protect overheating of the engine. When
the engine coolant temperature decreases
to a normal operating temperature, the air
conditioning will turn on once again.
If the engine coolant temperature gauge
moves fully into the red (hot) area, or if the
coolant temperature warning or service
engine soon messages appear in your
information display:
1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible and shift the transmission into
P
.
2. Leave the engine running until the coolant temperature gauge needle
moves away from the red (hot) area.
After several minutes, if the
temperature does not drop, follow the
remaining steps.
3. Switch the engine off and wait for it to
cool before checking the coolant level.
4. If the coolant level is normal, restart your engine and continue.
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F-150 (), enUSA, First Printing Maintenance

When the oil change message appears in
the information display, it is time for an oil
change. Make sure you perform the oil
change within two weeks or 500 miles
(800 kilometers) of the message
appearing. Make sure you reset the
Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor after each oil
change. See General Information (page
105).
If your information display resets
prematurely or becomes inoperative, you
should perform the oil change interval at
six months or 5000 miles (8000
kilometers) from your last oil change.
Never exceed one year or 10000 miles
(16000 kilometers) between oil change
intervals.
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.
Owner Checks and Services
Make sure you perform the following basic
maintenance checks and inspections every
month or at six-month intervals.
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F-150 (), enUSA, First Printing Scheduled Maintenance

Fuel Quality....................................................169
Choosing the Right Fuel With a Flex Fuel
Vehicle (If Equipped)................................... 169
Choosing the Right Fuel Without a Flex Fuel Vehicle (If Equipped)................................... 169
Octane Recommendations............................ 169
Fuel Shutoff...................................................278
Fuses................................................................288
Fuse Specification Chart..........................288 Passenger Compartment Fuse
Panel.................................................................. 293
Power Distribution Box................................... 288
G
Garage Door Opener See: Universal Garage Door Opener.............151
Gauges................................................................97 Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge............99
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge............................... 99
Fuel Gauge............................................................. 99
Information Display........................................... 100
Transmission Fluid Temperature Gauge................................................................ 100
Type 1 and 2............................................................ 97
Type 3....................................................................... 98
General Information on Radio Frequencies...................................................55
Intelligent Access................................................. 55
General Maintenance Information........518 Multi-Point Inspection..................................... 520
Owner Checks and Services........................... 519
Protecting Your Investment............................ 518
Why Maintain Your Vehicle?.......................... 518
Why Maintain Your Vehicle at Your Dealership?...................................................... 518
Getting Assistance Outside the U.S. and Canada.........................................................285
Getting the Services You Need...............282 Away From Home.............................................. 282
H
Handbrake See: Parking Brake.............................................. 192
Hazard Warning Flashers
..........................278
HDC See: Using Hill Descent Control................... 200Head Restraints
..............................................141
Adjusting the Head Restraint......................... 142
Heated Seats..................................................147 Rear Heated Seats............................................. 148
Heated Windows and Mirrors..................139 Heated Exterior Mirror....................................... 139
Heated Rear Window........................................ 139
Heating See: Climate Control......................................... 133
Hill Start Assist
..............................................195
Switching the System On and Off...............196
Using Hill Start Assist....................................... 196
Hints on Controlling the Interior Climate...........................................................137
Cooling the Interior Quickly............................ 138
General Hints........................................................ 137
Heating the Interior Quickly............................. 137
Recommended Settings for Cooling ..........138
Recommended Settings for Heating..........138
Side Window Defogging in Cold Weather............................................................. 139
Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock Brakes............................................................192
Hood Lock See: Opening and Closing the Hood...........297
I
Ignition Switch
..............................................160
In California (U.S. Only)............................283
Information Display Control.......................79
Information Displays
...................................105
General Information.......................................... 105
Information....................................................478 911 Assist.............................................................. 484
Alerts...................................................................... 484
Calendar............................................................... 484
Sirius Travel Link................................................. 481
SYNC Services (If Equipped, United States Only).................................................................. 478
Vehicle Health Report (If Equipped, United States Only)................................................... 486
539
F-150 (), enUSA, First Printing Index