Ford F-150 (2018 year). Manual - part 77

•

Always keep available ground
clearance in mind and pick a route that
minimizes the risk of catching the
underside of the vehicle on an obstacle.

•

When negotiating low speed obstacles,
applying light brake pressure in
conjunction with the throttle will help
prevent the vehicle from jerking and
will allow you to negotiate the obstacle
in a more controlled manner. Using 4L
will also help with this.

•

Use and equip supplemental safety
equipment as discussed later in this
chapter.

•

Please consult your local off-road
group for other helpful tips.

•

Off-roading requires a high degree of
concentration. Even if your local law
does not prohibit alcohol use while
driving off-road, Ford strongly
recommends against drinking if you
plan to off-road.

Crossing Obstacles

•

Review the path ahead before
attempting to cross any obstacle. It is
best if the obstacle is reviewed from
outside the vehicle so that there is a
good understanding of terrain condition
both in front of and behind the
obstacle.

•

Approach obstacles slowly and slowly
inch the vehicle over.

•

If a large obstacle such as a rock
cannot be avoided, choose a path that
places the rock directly under the tire
rather than the undercarriage of the
vehicle. This will help prevent damage
to the vehicle.

•

Ditches and washouts should be
crossed at a 45 degree angle, allowing
each wheel to independently cross the
obstacle.

Hill Climbing

WARNING

Extreme care should be used when
steering the vehicle in reverse down
a slope so as not to cause the vehicle

to swerve out of control.

•

Always attempt to climb a steep hill
along the fall line of the slope and not
diagonally.

•

If the vehicle is unable to make it up
the hill, DO NOT attempt to turn back
down the slope. Place the vehicle in
low range and slowly back down in
reverse.

•

When descending a steep slope, select
low gear and engage hill descent
control. Use the throttle and brake
pedals to control your descent speed
as described earlier in this section using
hill descent control. Note that hill
descent control is functional in reverse
and should be used in this situation.

DRIVING THROUGH WATER

WARNING

Do not drive through flowing or deep
water as you may lose control of your
vehicle.

Note: Driving through standing water can
cause vehicle damage.

Note: Engine damage can occur if water
enters the air filter.

Before driving through standing water,
check the depth. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the wheel
hubs.

E176913

When driving through standing water, drive
very slowly and do not stop your vehicle.
Your brake performance and traction may
be limited. After driving through water and
as soon as it is safe to do so:

•

Lightly press the brake pedal to dry the
brakes and to check that they work.

•

Check that the horn works.

•

Check that the exterior lights work.

•

Turn the steering wheel to check that
the steering power assist works.

FLOOR MATS

WARNINGS

Use a floor mat designed to fit the
footwell of your vehicle that does not
obstruct the pedal area. Failure to

follow this instruction could result in the
loss of control of your vehicle, personal
injury or death.

Pedals that cannot move freely can
cause loss of vehicle control and
increase the risk of serious personal

injury.

Secure the floor mat to both
retention devices so that it cannot
slip out of position and interfere with

the pedals. Failure to follow this instruction
could result in the loss of control of your
vehicle, personal injury or death.

WARNINGS

Do not place additional floor mats
or any other covering on top of the
original floor mats. This could result

in the floor mat interfering with the
operation of the pedals. Failure to follow
this instruction could result in the loss of
control of your vehicle, personal injury or
death.

Always make sure that objects
cannot fall into the driver foot well
while your vehicle is moving. Objects

that are loose can become trapped under
the pedals causing a loss of vehicle control.

E142666

To install the floor mats, position the floor
mat eyelet over the retention post and
press down to lock in position.

To remove the floor mat, reverse the
installation procedure.

Note: Regularly check the floor mats to
make sure they are secure.

SNOWPLOWING

We recommend the four-wheel drive F-150
in XL, XLT or Lariat trim levels with the 5.0L
engine and snowplow option for residential
snowplowing only. We do not recommend
the F-150 with the automatic four-wheel
drive system for snowplowing.

Do not use F-150 vehicles equipped with
the 2.7L, 3.0L, 3.3L or 3.5L engines for
snowplowing.

Installing the Snowplow

Weight limits and guidelines for selecting
and installing the snowplow are in the Ford
Truck Body Builders Layout Book,
snowplow section, found at
www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas.

A typical installation affects the following:
•

Certification to government safety laws
such as occupant protection and airbag
deployment, braking, and lighting. Look
for an Alterer’s Label on your vehicle
from the snowplow installer certifying
that the installation meets all
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS).

•

The Front Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) is on the upper left side of the
vehicle’s Safety Compliance
Certification Label. This is the total
weight that front axle supports, which
includes the vehicle weight plus any
auxiliary equipment such as snowplow
frame-mounted hardware that can be
added to the vehicle and satisfy Ford
compliance certification to FMVSS. Do
not exceed FGAWR or Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR).

•

Rear ballast weight behind the rear
axle may be required to prevent
exceeding the FGAWR, and provide
front-to-rear weight balance for proper
braking and steering.

•

Front wheel toe may require
re-adjustment to prevent premature
uneven tire wear. Specifications are in
the Ford Workshop Manual.

•

Headlight aim may require adjustment.

•

The tire air pressures recommended
for general driving are on the vehicle’s
Safety Certification Label. The
maximum cold inflation pressure for
the tire and associated load rating are
on the tire sidewall. Tire air pressure
may require re-adjustment within these
pressure limits to accommodate the
additional weight of the snowplow
installation.

•

Federal and some local regulations
require additional exterior lamps for
snowplow-equipped vehicles. Contact
an authorized dealer for additional
information.

Snowplow Mode

 (If Equipped)

Press the snowplow button on the
instrument panel to switch on snowplow
mode. The button illuminates when in
snowplow mode. A message appears in
the information display indicating that
features are turned off when in snowplow
mode.

The following features are disabled when
in snowplow mode:
•

110V inverter.

•

Fog lamps.

•

Heated steering wheel.

•

Heated front and rear seats.

•

Massaging seats.

The body module also activates the
snowplow relay that provides power to
aftermarket snowplow controls.

Switch off snowplow mode by pressing
the snowplow button or switching off the
ignition. The snowplow button is no longer
illuminated and features are turned on.

Note: The electrical system is designed to
support the addition of a residential
snowplow (up to 60 Amps continuous) and
snowplow lights (up to 20 Amps
continuous) using snowplow mode. The
system is not designed to support snowplow
usage with additional electrical aftermarket
accessories.

Operating the Vehicle with the
Snowplow Attached

Note: Drive the vehicle at least 500 mi
(800 km) before using your vehicle for snow
removal.

We recommend vehicle speed does not
exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) when
snowplowing.

The attached snowplow blade restricts
airflow to the radiator, and may cause the
engine to run at a higher temperature.
Attention to engine temperature is
especially important when outside
temperatures are above freezing. Angle
the blade to maximize airflow to the
radiator and monitor engine temperature
to determine whether a left or right angle
provides the best performance.

Follow the severe duty schedule in your
Scheduled Maintenance information for
engine oil and transmission fluid change
intervals.

Snowplowing with your Airbag
Equipped Vehicle

WARNINGS

Do not attempt to service, repair, or
modify the airbag supplemental
restraint systems or its fuses on a

vehicle containing air bags as you could be
seriously injured or killed. Contact your
authorized dealer as soon as possible.

WARNINGS

All occupants of your vehicle,
including the driver, should always
properly wear their seatbelts, even

when an airbag supplemental restraint
system is provided. Failure to properly wear
your seatbelt could seriously increase the
risk of injury or death.

Modifying or adding equipment to
the front end of your vehicle
(including hood, bumper system,

frame, front end body structure, tow hooks
and hood pins) may affect the
performance of the airbag system,
increasing the risk of injury. Do not modify
or add equipment to the front end of your
vehicle.

Note: Please refer to the Body Builders
Layout Book for instructions about the
appropriate installation of additional
equipment.

Your vehicle is equipped with a driver and
passenger airbag supplemental restraint
system. The supplemental restraint system
activates in certain frontal and offset
frontal collisions when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.

Careless or high speed driving while
snowplowing, which results in significant
vehicle decelerations, can deploy the
airbag. Such driving also increases the risk
of accidents.

Never remove or defeat the tripping
mechanisms designed into the snow
removal equipment by its manufacturer.
Doing so may cause damage to the vehicle
and the snow removal equipment as well
as possible airbag deployment.

Engine Temperature while Plowing

Your engine may run at a higher
temperature than normal because the
attached snowplow blade restricts airflow
to the radiator: