wheel FORD F250 1998 User Guide

Utility and four-wheel
drive vehicles arenot
designed for cornering at speeds
as high as passenger cars any
more than low-slung sports cars
are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. Avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers in these
vehicles.
4WD operation is not
recommended on dry pavement.
Doing so could result in difficult
disengagement of the transfer
case, increased tire wear and
decreased fuel economy.
4WD system indicator lights
The 4WD system indicator lights
illuminate only under the following
conditions. If these lights
illuminate during normal driving,
have your vehicle serviced.
²4x4-illuminates when the
ignition is turned on or when 4H
(4WD High) is selected.
²LOW RANGE±illuminates when
the ignition is turned on and 4L
(4WD Low) is selected.
Using lever-operated 4WD
system (if equipped)
2H (2WD High)± Power to rear
axle only.
4x4
LOW
RANGE
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4H (4WD High)± Power to front
and rear axles.
N (Neutral)± No power to either
axle.
4L (4WD Low)± Power to front
and rear axles at reduced speed.
Shifting from 2H (2WD High) to
4H (4WD High)
Move the transfer case lever to 4H
(4WD High) at a stop or any
forward speed up to 88 km/h (55
mph).
²At temperatures below 0ÉC
(32ÉF), shifts from 2H (2WD
High) to 4H (4WD High) should
not be performed above 72 km/h
(45 mph).
²Do not shift into 4H (4WD High)
with the rear wheels slipping.
Shifting from 4H (4WD High) to
2H (2WD High)
Move the transfer case lever to 2H
(2WD High) at a stop or any
forward speed up to 88 km/h (55
mph).
Shifting from 4H (4WD High) to
4L (4WD Low)
1. Depress the brake.
2H
4H
4L N
2H
4H
4L N
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Shifting from 2H (2WD high) to
4H (4WD High)
Move the 4WD control to the 4H at
a stop or up to 88 km/h (55 mph).
At temperatures below 0ÉC (32ÉF),
shifts from 2H to 4H should not be
performed above 72 km/h (45
mph).
²Do not shift into 4H with the
rear wheels slipping.
Shifting from 4H (4WD high) to
2H (2WD high)
Move the 4WD control to 2H at
any forward speed.
Shifting between 4H (4WD high)
and 4L (4WD low)
1. Bring the vehicle to a stop.
2. Depress the brake.
3. Place the gearshift in N
(Neutral) (automatic transmission)
or depress the clutch (manual
transmission).
4H
2H
4L
4H
2H
4L
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4. Move the 4WD control to the 4H
or 4L position.
Driving off-road with 4WD
Your vehicle is specially equipped
for driving on sand, snow, mud and
rough terrain and has operating
characteristics that are somewhat
different from conventional
vehicles, both on and off the road.
The following information will help
you learn to properly use 4WD.
When using 4WD, maintain
steering wheel control at all times,
especially in rough terrain. Since
sudden changes in terrain can
result in abrupt steering wheel
motion, make sure you grip the
steering wheel from the outside.
Do not grip the spokes.
Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle
damage from concealed objects
such as rocks and stumps.
You should either know the terrain
or examine maps of the area
before driving. Map out your route
before driving in the area. For
more information on driving
off-road, read the ªFour Wheelingº
supplement in your owner's
portfolio.4H
2H
4L
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If your vehicle gets stuck
If the vehicle is stuck, shift the
transmission in a steady motion
between forward and reverse
gears. Allow the transmission to
engage, then press lightly on the
accelerator.
DO NOT rock the vehicle
for more than a few
minutes. The transmission and
tires may be damaged or the
engine can overheat.
Do not spin the wheels at
over 35 mph (55 km/h).
The tires may fail and injure a
passenger or bystander.
Sand
When driving over sand, try to
keep all four wheels on the most
solid area of the trail. Do not
reduce the tire pressures but shift
to a lower gear and drive steadily
through the terrain. Apply the
accelerator slowly and avoid
spinning the wheels.
Mud and water
If you must drive through high
water, drive slowly. Traction or
brake capability may be limited.
When driving through water,
determine the depth; avoid water
higher than the bottom of the hubs
(if possible) and proceed slowly. If
the ignition system gets wet, the
vehicle may stall.
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on the following charts. This is the
maximum trailer weight your
vehicle can tow and must fall
below the maximum shown under
maximum trailer weight on the
chart.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Do not drive quickly through
standing water, especially if the
depth is unknown. Traction or
brake capability may be limited
and if the ignition system gets wet,
your engine may stall. Water may
also enter your engine's air intake
and severely damage your engine.
If driving through deep or standing
water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of
the hubs (truck)/wheel rims (car).
Once through the water, always try
the brakes. Wet brakes do not stop
the vehicle as effectively as dry
brakes. Drying can be improved by
moving your vehicle slowly while
applying light pressure on the
brake pedal.
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²Use D (Drive) or a lower gear
when towing up or down steep
hills. This will eliminate
excessive downshifting and
upshifting for optimum fuel
economy and transmission
cooling.
²Anticipate stops and brake
gradually.
Servicing after towing
If you tow a trailer for long
distances, your vehicle will require
more frequent service intervals.
Refer to the Severe Duty Schedule
in your ªService Guideº for more
information.
Trailer towing tips
²Practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area before
starting on a trip to get the feel
of the vehicle trailer
combination. When turning,
make wider turns so the trailer
wheels will clear curbs and
other obstacles.
²Allow more distance for
stopping with a trailer attached.
²The trailer tongue weight should
be 10±15% of the loaded trailer
weight.
²After you have traveled 80 km
(50 miles), thoroughly check
your hitch, electrical
connections and trailer wheel
lug nuts.
²When stopped in traffic for long
periods of time in hot weather,
place the gearshift in P (Park)
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(automatic transmissions) or 1
(First) (manual transmissions)
and increase idle speed. This
aids engine cooling and air
conditioner efficiency.
²Vehicles with trailers should not
be parked on a grade. If you
must park on a grade, place
wheel chocks under the trailer's
wheels.
Launching or retrieving a boat
When backing down a ramp during
boat launching or retrieval,
²Do not allow the static water
level to rise above the bottom
edge of the rear bumper and
²Do not allow waves to break
higher than 15 cm (six inches)
above the bottom edge of the
rear bumper.
Exceeding these limits may allow
water to enter critical vehicle
components, adversely affecting
driveability, emissions and
reliability.
If the rear axle is submerged in
water, the rear axle lubricant
should be checked and changed, if
necessary. The rear axle is filled
with a synthetic lubricant and does
not normally require a lubricant
change for the life of the vehicle.
Rear axle lubricant quantities
should not need to be checked
unless a leak is suspected.
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Recreational towing (all wheels
on the ground)
Follow these guidelines for your
specific powertrain combination to
tow your vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground (such as
behind a recreational vehicle).
These guidelines are designed to
ensure that your transmission is
not damaged due to insufficient
lubrication.
2WD (manual and automatic
transmissions)
1. Place transmission in N
(Neutral).
2. Maximum speed is 56 km/h
(35 mph).
3. Maximum distance is 80 km
(50 miles).
If a distance of 80 km (50 miles)
or a speed of 56 km/h (35 mph)
must be exceeded, you must
disconnect the rear driveshaft.
With the rear driveshaft
disconnected, the maximum speed
is 88 km/h (55 mph) and there are
no mileage restrictions.
See your dealer for help with
disconnecting the driveshaft.
4WD ± Lever operated transfer
case (manual and automatic
transmissions)
1. Place transmission in P (Park).
2. Shift the transfer case to N
(Neutral).
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²F-150/F±250 4WD Regular Cab
long wheelbase
²4.6L or 5.4L engine
²Heavy duty service package
²Super engine cooling
²Heavy duty front suspension
package
²Automatic transmission with
auxiliary automatic transmission
fluid cooling
²All-terrain tires
Do not install a snowplow and
plow with your vehicle until it has
been driven at least 800 km (500
miles).
Installing snowplow
Read the following instructions
before installing a snowplow:
²Front GAWR must not exceed
63% of the GVW. Add ballast
weight to the back of the
vehicle, if necessary. Refer to
the Safety Compliance
Certification Label to find Front
GAWR.
²The Front Axle Accessory
Reserve Capacity and the Total
Accessory Reserve Capacity
listed on the bottom right of the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label will determine whether or
not the addition of a snowplow
will overload your vehicle.
²The weight of the snowplow and
supporting components
distributed to the front axle
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