2018-F150-Owner's Manual

Starting and Stopping the Engine

• At temperatures of -9°F (-23°C) or below, it is recommended that you use an engine block heater to improve cold engine starting. • If operating in arctic temperatures of -20°F (-29°C) or lower, consult your truck dealer for information about special cold weather equipment and precautions. The following cold weather idling guidelines are recommended: • You can use Motorcraft® cetane improvers or non-alcohol-based cetane improvers from a reputable manufacturer as needed. • Maintain the engine cooling system properly. • Avoid shutting the engine down after an extensive idling period. Drive your vehicle for several miles with the engine at normal operating temperatures under a moderate load. • Consider using an engine block heater. • For extended idle times use an approved idle speed increase device. Winter Operating Tips for Arctic Operation -20°F (-29°C) and Below The following information is a guideline only and is not to be the only source of possible solutions in resolving extreme cold temperature issues. Starting Aids WARNING Do not use starting fluid, for example ether, in the air intake system. Such fluid could cause immediate explosive damage to the engine and possible personal injury.

The use of the factory engine block heater assists in engine starting in extreme cold ambient temperatures See EngineBlock Heater (page 177). Idle Control Your vehicle may have a factory option for a stationary elevated idle control through dash-mounted upfitter switches that allows the operator to elevate the idle rpm for extended idle periods, as well as aftermarket equipment such as PTO operation. You must configure this feature even if ordered from the factory. See your authorized dealer for required upfitting. Operation in Snow and Rain Vehicle operation in heavy snowfall or extreme rain conditions may feed excessive amounts of snow or water into the air intake system. This could plug the air filter with snow and may cause the engine to lose power and possibly shut down. We recommend the following actions after operating your vehicle up to 200 mi (320 km) in snowfall or extreme rain: • Snow: At the earliest opportunity, open the hood and clear all the snowand ice from the air filter housing inlet (do not remove the foam filter) and reset the air filter restriction gauge. Note: Removal of the foam filter degrades your vehicle performance during snow and hot weather conditions. • Extreme rain: The air filter dries after about 15–30 minutes at highway speeds. At the earliest opportunity, open the hood and reset the air filter restriction gauge. Refer to Air filter and restriction gauge in the Maintenance chapter for more information. See Changing the Engine Air Filter (page 368).

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F-150(TFC)Canada/UnitedStatesofAmerica,enUSA,Editiondate:201709,SecondPrinting