warning FORD F450 2015 Owners Manual

WARNING
Exceeding the Safety
Compliance Certification
Label vehicle weight rating limits
could result in substandard
vehicle handling or performance,
engine, transmission and/or
structural damage, serious
damage to the vehicle, loss of
control and personal injury. GCW (Gross Combined Weight)
- is the Gross Vehicle Weight plus
the weight of the fully loaded
trailer. GCWR (Gross Combined
Weight Rating) - is the maximum
allowable weight of the vehicle
and the loaded trailer, including
all cargo and passengers, that the
vehicle can handle without risking
damage. (Important: The towing
vehicle
’s braking system is rated
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GVW

for operation at Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating, not at Gross
Combined Weight Rating.)
Separate functional brakes should
be used for safe control of towed
vehicles and for trailers where the
Gross Combined Weight of the
towing vehicle plus the trailer
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of the towing vehicle.
The
Gross Combined Weight must
never exceed the Gross
Combined Weight Rating.
Maximum Loaded Trailer
Weight - is the highest possible
weight of a fully loaded trailer the
vehicle can tow. It assumes a
vehicle with mandatory options,
driver and front passenger weight
(150 pounds [68 kilograms]
each), no cargo weight (internal
or external) and a tongue load of
10– 15% (conventional trailer) or
king pin weight of 15– 25% (fifth
wheel trailer). Consult an
authorized dealer (or the RV and
Trailer Towing Guide available at
an authorized dealer) for more
detailed information.
Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel
King Pin Weight -
refers to the
amount of the weight that a trailer
pushes down on a trailer hitch. Examples:
For a 5000 pound
(2268 kilogram) conventional
trailer, multiply 5000 by 0.10 and
0.15 to obtain a proper tongue
load range of 500 to 750 pounds
(227 to 340 kilograms). For an
11500 pound (5216 kilogram) fifth
wheel trailer, multiply by 0.15 and
0.25 to obtain a proper king pin
load range of 1725 to 2875 pounds
(782 to 1304 kilograms). WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or
the GAWR specified on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label. Do not use replacement tires
with lower load carrying
capacities than the original tires
because they may lower the
vehicle ’s GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires
with a higher limit than the original
tires do not increase the GVWR
and GAWR limitations. Exceeding any vehicle weight
rating limitation could result
in serious damage to the vehicle
and/or personal injury. Steps for determining the
correct load limit:
1. Locate the statement "The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lb." on your
vehicle ’s placard.
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be: 635 kilograms - (2 x 99
kilograms) - (12 x 45 kilograms) =
635 - 198 - 540 = -103 kilograms.
You will need to reduce the load
weight by at least 240 pounds
(104 kilograms). If you remove
three 100-pound (45-kilogram)
cement bags, then the load
calculation would be:1400 - (2 x
220) - (9 x 100) = 1400 - 440 -
900 = 60 pounds. Now you have
the load capacity to transport the
cement and your friend home. In
metric units, the calculation would
be: 635 kilograms - (2 x 99
kilograms) - (9 x 45 kilograms) =
635 - 198 - 405 = 32 kilograms.
The above calculations also
assume that the loads are
positioned in your vehicle in a
manner that does not overload
the Front or the Rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating specified for your
vehicle on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label. The label shall
be affixed to either the door hinge
pillar, door-latch post, or the door
edge that meets the door-latch
post, next to the driver seating
position.
Special Loading Instructions
for Owners of Pick-up Trucks
and Utility-type Vehicles WARNING
Loaded vehicles may handle
differently than unloaded
vehicles. Extra precautions, such
as slower speeds and increased
stopping distance, should be
taken when driving a heavily
loaded vehicle. Your vehicle can haul more cargo
and people than most passenger
cars. Depending upon the type
and placement of the load,
hauling cargo and people may
raise the center of gravity of the
vehicle.
TAILGATE
Tailgate Lock
The tailgate lock can help prevent theft of
the tailgate.
Insert the ignition key into the tailgate lock.
Turn it to the right to lock the tailgate. Turn
it to the left to unlock the tailgate.
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Tailgate Removal
WARNING
Always properly secure cargo to
prevent shifting cargo or cargo falling
from vehicle, which could result in
compromised vehicle stability and serious
personal injury to vehicle occupants or
others. You can remove the tailgate for more
loading room.
Note:
Skip to Step 4 if your vehicle does
not have a rearview camera. 1. Locate and disconnect the rearview
camera in-line connector. It is under
the pickup box on the right-hand side
of the vehicle near the spare tire.
2. There is a tethered cap on the wire assembly. Install it on the in-line
connector that remains under the
pickup box.
3. Partially lower the tailgate. Carefully feed the tailgate harness up through
the gap between the pickup box and
the bumper and place it out of the way
under the pickup box.
4. Lower the tailgate. 5. Use a screwdriver to gently pry the
spring clip on each connector past the
head of the support screw. Disconnect
the cable.
6. Disconnect the other cable.
7. Lift the tailgate to a 45-degree angle from horizontal.
8. Lift the right side off its hinge.
9. Lift the tailgate to an 80-degree angle
from horizontal.
10. Remove the tailgate from the left side
hinge by sliding it to the right.
Reverse the steps to reinstall the tailgate.
Tailgate Step (If Equipped)
Use the step to make entering the truck
bed easier.
To reduce the risk of falling:
• Only operate the step when your
vehicle is on a level surface.
• Only operate the step in areas with
sufficient lighting.
• Always open the step panel to widen
the step.
• Always use the grab handle when
climbing on the step.
• Do not use the step with bare feet.
• Make sure the step is clean before use.
• Keep the step load, you plus the load,
below 350 pounds (159 kilograms).
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TOWING A TRAILER
WARNINGS
Do not exceed the GVWR or
the GAWR specified on the
certification label. 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 the Fuses
chapter.
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.
• Select a tow bar with the
correct rise or drop. When both
the loaded vehicle and trailer
are connected, the trailer frame
should be level, or slightly
angled down toward your
vehicle, when viewed from the
side.
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
180).
You can also find information in
the
RV & Trailer Towing Guide
available at your authorized
dealer, or online.
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RV & Trailer Towing Guide Online
http://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/
Website
TRAILER SWAY CONTROL (If
Equipped) WARNING
Turning off trailer sway control
increases the risk of loss of vehicle
control, serious injury or death. Ford
does not recommend disabling this feature
except in situations where speed reduction
may be detrimental (such as hill climbing),
the driver has significant trailer towing
experience, and can control trailer sway
and maintain safe operation. Note:
This feature does not prevent trailer
sway, but reduces it once it begins.
Note: This feature cannot stop all trailers
from swaying.
Note: In some cases, if vehicle speed is too
high, the system may activate multiple
times, gradually reducing vehicle speed.
This feature applies your vehicle brakes at
individual wheels and, if necessary, reduces
engine power. If the trailer begins to sway,
the stability control light flashes and the
message
TRAILER SWAY REDUCE
SPEED appears in the information display.
The first thing to do is slow your vehicle
down, then pull safely to the side of the
road and check for proper tongue load and
trailer load distribution. See
Load
Carrying (page 180). RECOMMENDED TOWING
WEIGHTS
Note:
Do not exceed a trailer
weight of 5000 pounds (2268
kilograms) when towing with, or
by, bumper only.
Note: Make sure to take into
consideration trailer frontal area.
Do not exceed 60 feet 2
(5.6
meters 2
) trailer frontal area.
Note: Exceeding this limitation
may significantly reduce the
performance of your towing
vehicle. Selecting a trailer with a
low aerodynamic drag and rounded
front design helps optimize
performance and fuel economy.
Note: For high altitude operation,
reduce the gross combined weight
by 2% per 1000 feet (300 meters)
starting at the 1000 foot (300
meter) elevation point.
Note: Certain states require
electric trailer brakes for trailers
over a specified weight. Be sure to
check state regulations for this
specified weight. The maximum
trailer weights listed may be limited
to this specified weight, as your
vehicle's electrical system may not
include the wiring connector
needed to use electric trailer
brakes.
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Hitches
WARNING
On pick-up trucks, the trailer hitch
provided on this vehicle enhances
crash protection for the fuel system.
Do not remove! 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.
Weight-distributing Hitches
WARNING
Do not adjust a weight-distributing
hitch to any position where the rear
bumper of the vehicle is higher than
it was 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) WARNINGS
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. Doing
so could result in vehicle structural
damage, loss of vehicle control, and
personal injury. Contact an authorized
dealer to purchase gooseneck and
fifth-wheel hitches that are compatible
with your vehicle. Towing trailers beyond the maximum
limit of the towing system could
result in vehicle structural damage,
loss of vehicle control and personal injury. The hitch rating listed on the trailer
hitch label is the maximum possible
trailer rating. To find the maximum
trailer weight allowed for your specific
vehicle, consult an authorized dealer or the
RV & Trailer Towing Guide provided by an
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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.
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 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.
Separate functioning brake systems
are required for safe control of towed
vehicles and trailers weighing more
than 1500 pounds (680 kilograms)
when loaded.
Integrated Trailer Brake Controller
(If Equipped)
WARNING
The Ford trailer brake controller has
been verified to be compatible with
trailers having electric-actuated
drum brakes (one to four axles) and some
electric-over-hydraulic brakes. It will not
activate hydraulic surge-style trailer
brakes. It is the responsibility of the
customer to ensure that the trailer brakes
are adjusted appropriately, functioning
normally and all electric connections are
properly made. Failure to do so may result
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Information Display Warning Messages
Note:
An authorized dealer can diagnose
the trailer brake controller to determine
exactly which trailer fault has occurred.
However, your Ford warranty does not cover
this diagnosis if the fault is with the trailer.
TRAILER BRAKE MODULE FAULT
Displays in response to faults sensed by
the trailer brake controller, accompanied
by a single tone. If this message appears,
contact an authorized dealer as soon as
possible for diagnosis and repair. The
controller may still function, but with
degraded performance.
WIRING FAULT ON TRAILER
Displays when there is a short circuit on
the electric brake output wire.
If this message displays, accompanied by
a single tone, with no trailer connected, the
problem is with your vehicle wiring
between the trailer brake controller and
the 7-pin connector at the bumper.
If the message only displays with a trailer
connected, the problem is with the trailer
wiring. Consult your trailer dealer for
assistance. This can be a short to ground
(such as a chaffed wire), short to voltage
(such as a pulled pin on trailer emergency
breakaway battery) or the trailer brakes
may be drawing too much current.
Points to Remember
Note: Do not attempt removal of the trailer
brake controller without consulting the
Workshop Manual. Damage to the unit may
result. •
Adjust gain setting before using the
trailer brake controller for the first time.
• Adjust gain setting, using the procedure
above, whenever road, weather and
trailer or vehicle loading conditions
change from when the gain was initially
set.
• Only use the manual control lever for
proper adjustment of the gain during
trailer setup. Misuse, such as
application during trailer sway, could
cause instability of trailer or tow
vehicle.
• Avoid towing in adverse weather
conditions. The trailer brake controller
does not provide anti-lock control of
the trailer wheels. Trailer wheels can
lock up on slippery surfaces, resulting
in reduced stability of trailer and tow
vehicle.
• The trailer brake controller is equipped
with a feature that reduces output at
vehicle speeds below 11 mph (18 km/h)
so trailer and vehicle braking is not jerky
or harsh. This feature is only available
when applying the brakes using your
vehicle's brake pedal, not the
controller.
• The controller interacts with the brake
control system and powertrain control
system of your vehicle to provide the
best performance on different road
conditions.
• Your vehicle's brake system and the
trailer brake system work
independently of each other. Changing
the gain setting on the controller does
not affect the operation of your
vehicle's brakes whether you attach a
trailer or not.
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•
When you switch the engine off, the
controller output is disabled and the
display and module shut down. The
controller module and display turn on
when you switch the ignition on.
• The trailer brake controller is only a
factory-installed or dealer-installed
item. Ford is not responsible for
warranty or performance of the
controller due to misuse or customer
installation.
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.
Using a Step Bumper (If Equipped)
The rear bumper is equipped with an
integral hitch and only requires a ball with
a one-inch (25.4 millimeter) shank
diameter. The bumper has a 5000-pound
(2268 kilogram) trailer weight and a
500-pound (227 kilogram) tongue weight
capacity
If it is necessary to relocate the hitch ball
position, you must install a frame-mounted
trailer hitch. 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
•
Do not drive faster than 70 mph (113
km/h) during the first 500 miles (800
kilometers).
• Do not make full-throttle starts.
• Check your hitch, electrical connections
and trailer wheel lug nuts thoroughly
after you have traveled 50 miles (80
kilometers).
• When stopped in congested or heavy
traffic during hot weather, place the
gearshift in position 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.
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