tow LINCOLN AVIATOR 2023 Workshop Manual

Switching the System On and Off
You can switch the blind spot information
system with trailer tow off by not selecting a
trailer in the information display. See General
Information (page 136). In this case, the
system turns off as long as a trailer is
attached to your vehicle. As soon as you
disconnect the trailer, the blind spot
information system becomes active.
When you switch the system off, a warning
lamp illuminates and the alert indicators flash
twice.
Note:The system remembers the last trailer
setting when you start your vehicle.
You cannot switch off the blind spot
information system with trailer tow when
using MyKey, but you can still change the
trailer settings. See MyKey™ (page 78).To permanently switch the system off,
contact an authorized dealer.
CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT
WARNING: Do not use the cross
traffic alert system as a replacement for
using the interior and exterior mirrors or
looking over your shoulder before
reversing out of a parking space. The cross
traffic alert system is not a replacement for
careful driving.
WARNING: The system may not
operate properly during severe weather
conditions, for example snow, ice, heavy
rain and spray. Always drive with due care
and attention. Failure to take care may
result in a crash.The system alerts you of vehicles
approaching from the sides behind your
vehicle when you shift into reverse (R).
Using Cross Traffic Alert
The system detects vehicles that approach
at a speed between 4 mph (6 km/h) and
37 mph (60 km/h). Coverage decreases when
the sensors are partially, mostly or fully
obstructed. Slowly reversing helps increase
the coverage area and effectiveness.
The system turns on when you start the
engine and you shift into reverse (R). The
system turns off when you shift out of reverse
(R).
330
Driving Aids

Cross Traffic Alert System Sensors
E205199E205199
The sensors are behind the rear bumper on
both sides of your vehicle.
Note:Keep the sensors free from snow, ice
and large accumulations of dirt.
Note:Do not cover the sensors with bumper
stickers, repair compound or other objects.
Note:Blocked sensors could affect system
performance.
Note:Bike and cargo racks could cause
false alerts due to obstruction of the sensor.
We recommend switching the feature off
when using a bike or cargo rack.
If the sensors are blocked, a message may
appear in the information display when you
shift into reverse (R).
Cross Traffic Alert System Limitations
The system may not correctly operate when
any of the following occur:
• The sensors are blocked.
• Adjacently parked vehicles or objects are
obstructing the sensors.
• Vehicles approach at speeds less than
4 mph (6 km/h) or greater than 37 mph
(60 km/h).
• The vehicle speed is greater than 7 mph
(12 km/h).
• You reverse out of an angled parking
space.
Cross Traffic Alert Behavior When
Trailer is Attached
Note:The system may not correctly operate
when towing a trailer. For vehicles with an
approved trailer tow module and tow bar,
the system turns off when you attach a
trailer. For vehicles with an aftermarket
trailer tow module or tow bar, we
recommend that you switch the system off
when you attach a trailer.Cross traffic alert remains on when you
attach a trailer in vehicles that come with
blind spot information system with trailer tow
under the following conditions:
• You connect a trailer.
• The trailer is a bike rack or cargo rack
with a maximum length of 3 ft (1 m).
• You set the trailer length to 3 ft (1 m) in
the information display.
See Blind Spot Information System (page
326).
Switching the System On and Off
To switch the system on or off, adjust the
setting. Depending on your vehicle options,
the setting could be in the following:
• Information display. See General
Information (page 136).
• Touchscreen. See Settings (page 555).
Note:The system turns on every time you
switch the ignition on. To permanently switch
the system off, contact an authorized dealer.
333
Driving Aids

LOAD LIMIT
Vehicle Loading - with and without a
Trailer
This section guides you in the proper
loading of your vehicle, trailer, or both.
Keep your loaded vehicle weight within
its design rating capability, with or
without a trailer. Properly loading your
vehicle provides maximum return of
vehicle design performance. Before you
load your vehicle, become familiar with
the following terms for determining your
vehicle’s weight rating, with or without
a trailer, from the vehicle’s Tire and
Loading Information label or Safety
Compliance Certification label.
Tire and Loading Label Information
Example:
E198719E198719
Payload
Payload is the combined weight of cargo
and passengers that your vehicle is
carrying. The maximum payload for your
vehicle appears on the Tire and Loading
label. The label is either on the B-pillar
or the edge of the driver door. Vehicles
exported outside the US and Canada
may not have a tire and loading label.
Look for “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg OR XXX lb” for
maximum payload. The payload listed
on the Tire and Loading Information
label is the maximum payload for your
vehicle as built by the assembly plant. If
you install any additional equipment on
your vehicle, you must determine the
new payload. Subtract the weight of the
equipment from the payload listed on
the Tire and Loading label. When towing,
trailer tongue weight or king pin weight
is also part of payload.
348
Load Carrying

WARNING: The appropriate
loading capacity of your vehicle can
be limited either by volume capacity
(how much space is available) or by
payload capacity (how much weight
the vehicle should carry). Once you
have reached the maximum payload
of your vehicle, do not add more
cargo, even if there is space available.
Overloading or improperly loading
your vehicle can contribute to loss of
vehicle control and vehicle rollover.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
GAWR is the maximum allowable weight
that a single axle (front or rear) can carry.
These numbers are on the Safety
Compliance Certification label. The label
is located on the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge that
meets the door-latch post, next to the
driver seating position.
The total load on each axle must never
exceed its Gross Axle Weight Rating.GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
GVWR is the maximum allowable weight
of the fully loaded vehicle. This includes
all options, equipment, passengers and
cargo. It appears on the Safety
Compliance Certification label. The label
is located on the door hinge pillar,
door-latch post, or the door edge that
meets the door-latch post, next to the
driver seating position.
The gross vehicle weight must never
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Safety Compliance Certification Label
Example:
E198828
WARNING: Exceeding the Safety
Compliance Certification label vehicle
weight limits can adversely affect the
performance and handling of your
vehicle, cause vehicle damage and
can result in the loss of control of your
vehicle, serious personal injury or
death.
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight
Maximum loaded trailer weight is the
highest possible weight of a fully loaded
trailer the vehicle can tow. Consult an
authorized dealer (or the RV and Trailer
Towing Guide available at an authorized
dealer) for more detailed information.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating)
GCWR 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 for
349
Load Carrying

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.
Note: For trailer towing information
refer to the RV and Trailer Towing Guide
available at an authorized dealer.
WARNING: Do not exceed the
GVWR or the GAWR specified on the
certification label.
WARNING: Do not use
replacement tires with lower load
carrying capacities than the original
tires because they may lower your
vehicle's GVWR and GAWR limitations.
Replacement tires with a higher limit
than the original tires do not increase
the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
WARNING: Exceeding any
vehicle weight rating can adversely
affect the performance and handling
of your vehicle, cause vehicle damage
and can result in the loss of control of
your vehicle, serious personal injury
or death.
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.2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lb.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For example,
if the “XXX” amount equals 1,400 lb.
and there will be five 150 lb.
passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lb.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lb.)
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4.
350
Load Carrying

6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
Helpful examples for calculating the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity
Suppose your vehicle has a 1400-pound
(635-kilogram) cargo and luggage
capacity. You decide to go golfing. Is
there enough load capacity to carry you,
four of your friends and all the golf bags?
You and four friends average 220
pounds (99 kilograms) each and the golf
bags weigh approximately 30 pounds
(13.5 kilograms) each. The calculation
would be: 1400 - (5 x 220) - (5 x 30) =
1400 - 1100 - 150 = 150 pounds. Yes, youhave enough load capacity in your
vehicle to transport four friends and your
golf bags. In metric units, the calculation
would be: 635 kilograms - (5 x 99
kilograms) - (5 x 13.5 kilograms) = 635 -
495 - 67.5 = 72.5 kilograms.
Suppose your vehicle has a 1400-pound
(635-kilogram) cargo and luggage
capacity. You and one of your friends
decide to pick up cement from the local
home improvement store to finish that
patio you have been planning for the
past two years. Measuring the inside of
the vehicle with the rear seat folded
down, you have room for twelve
100-pound (45-kilogram) bags of
cement. Do you have enough load
capacity to transport the cement to your
home? If you and your friend each weigh
220 pounds (99 kilograms), the
calculation would be: 1400 - (2 x 220) -
(12 x 100) = 1400 - 440 - 1200 = - 240
pounds. No, you do not have enough
cargo capacity to carry that much
weight. In metric units, the calculation
would 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.
351
Load Carrying

TOWING A TRAILER
WARNING: Towing trailers
beyond the maximum recommended
gross trailer weight exceeds the limit
of your vehicle and could result in
engine damage, transmission damage,
structural damage, loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and personal
injury.
WARNING: Do not exceed the
GVWR or the GAWR specified on the
certification label.
Note: See Recommended Towing
Weights (page 356).
Your vehicle may have electrical items,
such as fuses or relays, related to
towing. See Fuses (page 382).Your vehicle's load capacity designation
is by weight, not by volume, so you
cannot necessarily use all available
space when loading a vehicle or trailer.
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 ball mount with the correct
rise or drop and load capacity. 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 348).
You can also find information in the RV
& Trailer Towing Guide available at your
authorized dealer, or online.
354
Towing

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 when it begins.
Note:This feature cannot stop all trailers
from swaying.
Note:In some cases, if your vehicle speed
is too high, the system may turn on multiple
times, gradually reducing your vehicle speed.The system applies the brakes to the
individual wheels and reduces engine torque
to aid vehicle stability. If the trailer begins
to sway, the stability control warning lamp
flashes and a message appears in the
information display. See Information
Messages (page 142). Slow your vehicle
down, pull safely to the side of the road and
check for correct load distribution. See Load
Carrying (page 346).
When you switch the ignition on, the system
automatically turns on. You can switch this
feature off in the touchscreen.
355
Towing

RECOMMENDED TOWING WEIGHTS
Website Market
https://www
.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/United States of America
https://www
.fleet.ford.ca/towing-guides/Canada
356
Towing

ESSENTIAL TOWING CHECKS
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 Scheduled
Maintenance (page 579).
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives you.
You can find information on load
specification terms found on the tire label
and Safety Compliance label as well as
instructions on calculating your vehicle's load
in the Load Carrying chapter. See Load Limit
(page 348).
Remember to account for the trailer tongue
weight as part of your vehicle load when
calculating the total vehicle weight.
Hitches
Do not use a hitch that either clamps onto
the bumper or attaches to the axle.
Distribute the trailer load so 10-15% of the
total trailer weight is on the tongue.
A weight distributing hitch is not required for
your vehicle.
Safety Chains
Note:Do not attach safety chains to the
bumper.
Always connect the safety chains to the hook
retainers of your vehicle hitch.
To connect the trailer’s safety chains, cross
them 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.
Safe control of towed vehicles requires
separate functioning brake systems for
vehicles and trailers weighing more than
1,500 lb (680 kg) when loaded.
357
Towing