LINCOLN MKZ 2015 Owners Manual

LOAD LIMIT
Vehicle Loading - with and without a
Trailer
This section will guide you in the proper
loading of your vehicle, trailer or both,
to keep your loaded vehicle weight
within its design rating capability, with
or without a trailer. Properly loading your
vehicle will provide maximum return of
vehicle design performance. Before
loading your vehicle, familiarize yourself
with the following terms for determining
your vehicle
’s weight ratings, with or
without a trailer, from the vehicle ’s Tire
Label or Safety Compliance Certification
Label: Base Curb Weight - is the weight of the
vehicle including a full tank of fuel and
all standard equipment. It does not
include passengers, cargo, or optional
equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight - is the weight of
your new vehicle when you picked it up
from your authorized dealer plus any
aftermarket equipment. Payload -
is the combined weight of
cargo and passengers that the vehicle
is carrying. The maximum payload for
your vehicle can be found on the Tire
Label on the B-Pillar or the edge of the
driver door (vehicles exported outside
the US and Canada may not have a Tire 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 Label is the
maximum payload for the vehicle as built
by the assembly plant. If you install any aftermarket or authorized-dealer
installed equipment on the vehicle, you
must subtract the weight of the
equipment from the payload listed on
the Tire Label in order to determine the
new payload.
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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. Example only:
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Cargo Weight - includes all weight
added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional equipment.
When towing, trailer tongue load or king
pin weight is also part of cargo weight.
GAW (Gross Axle Weight) -
is the total
weight placed on each axle (front and
rear) including vehicle curb weight and
all payload. GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) -
is
the maximum allowable weight that can
be carried by a single axle (front or rear).
These numbers are shown 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's seating position. The
total load on each axle must never
exceed its Gross Axle Weight Rating. Note:
For trailer towing information
refer to the RV and Trailer Towing Guide
available at an authorized dealer. GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) -
is the
Vehicle Curb Weight, plus cargo, plus
passengers.
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GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
- is the maximum allowable weight of
the fully loaded vehicle (including all
options, equipment, passengers and
cargo). It is shown 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's seating position. The
Gross Vehicle Weight must never
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating.
Example only: 232
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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. 233
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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
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).
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GVW

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. 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. 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.
The following gives you a few examples
on how to calculate 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, you
have 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.
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*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.
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's seating
position.
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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 your
vehicle and could result in engine
damage, transmission damage,
structural damage, loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and personal
injury. Note:
There may be electrical items
such as fuses or relays that can affect
trailer towing operation. See Fuses
(page 260).
The load capacity of your vehicle is
designated by weight not volume. You
may not necessarily be able to use all
available space when loading your
vehicle or trailer. Towing a trailer places extra load on the
engine, transmission, axle, brakes, tires,
and suspension. Inspect these
components before, during and after
towing.
Load Placement
To help minimize how trailer movement
affects the vehicle when driving:
•
Load the heaviest items closest to
the trailer floor.
• Load the heaviest items in the center
of 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 the
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 the
Load Carrying chapter.
See Load Limit
(page 228). You can also find the
information in the RV & Trailer Towing
Guide, available at an authorized dealer.
RECOMMENDED TOWING
WEIGHTS
Note: Do not exceed the trailer weight
for your vehicle configuration listed in
the chart below.
Note: Be sure to take into consideration
trailer frontal area. Do not exceed 12
feet 2
(1.11 meters 2
).
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.
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