Get Maintenance and Specifications -> WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE FUELS Guide for Ford Explorer SUV Third Generation (2002-2005)

Maintenance and Specifications

When fail-safe mode is activated

You have limited engine power when in the fail-safe mode, so drive the

vehicle with caution. The vehicle will not be able to maintain high speed

operation and the engine will run rough. Remember that the engine is

capable of completely shutting down automatically to prevent engine

damage, therefore:

1. Pull off the road as soon as safely possible and turn off the engine.

2. Arrange for the vehicle to be taken to a service facility.

3. If this is not possible, wait a short period for the engine to cool.

4. Check the coolant level and replenish if low.

Never remove the coolant reservoir cap while the engine is

running or hot.

5. Restart the engine and take your vehicle to a service facility.

Driving the vehicle without repairing the engine problem

increases the chance of engine damage. Take your vehicle to a

service facility as soon as possible.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE FUELS

Important safety precautions

Do not overfill the fuel tank. The pressure in an overfilled tank

may cause leakage and lead to fuel spray and fire.

The fuel system may be under pressure. If the fuel filler cap is

venting vapor or if you hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops

before completely removing the fuel filler cap. Otherwise, fuel may

spray out and injure you or others.

If you do not use the proper fuel filler cap, excessive pressure or

vacuum in the fuel tank may damage the fuel system or cause

the fuel cap to disengage in a collision, which may result in possible

personal injury.

Automotive fuels can cause serious injury or death if misused or

mishandled.

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Fuel ethanol and gasoline may contain benzene, which is a

cancer-causing agent.

Observe the following guidelines when handling automotive fuel:

• Extinguish all smoking materials

and any open flames before

fueling your vehicle.

• Always turn off the vehicle before

fueling.

• Automotive fuels can be harmful

or fatal if swallowed. Fuels such as gasoline and ethanol are highly

toxic and if swallowed can cause death or permanent injury. If fuel is

swallowed, call a physician immediately, even if no symptoms are

immediately apparent. The toxic effects of fuel may not be visible for

hours.

• Avoid inhaling fuel vapors. Inhaling too much fuel vapor of any kind

can lead to eye and respiratory tract irritation. In severe cases,

excessive or prolonged breathing of fuel vapor can cause serious

illness and permanent injury.

• Avoid getting fuel liquid in your eyes. If fuel is splashed in the eyes,

remove contact lenses (if worn), flush with water for 15 minutes and

seek medical attention. Failure to seek proper medical attention could

lead to permanent injury.

• Fuels can also be harmful if absorbed through the skin. If fuel is

splashed on the skin and/or clothing, promptly remove contaminated

clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Repeated or

prolonged skin contact with fuel liquid or vapor causes skin irritation.

• Be particularly careful if you are taking “Antabuse” or other forms of

disulfiram for the treatment of alcoholism. Breathing gasoline and/or

ethanol vapors, or skin contact could cause an adverse reaction. In

sensitive individuals, serious personal injury or sickness may result. If

fuel is splashed on the skin, promptly wash skin thoroughly with soap

and water. Consult a physician immediately if you experience an

adverse reaction.

• FFV fuel tanks may contain zero to 85 percent ethanol. Any fuel

blends containing gasoline and ethanol should be treated the same as

“Fuel Ethanol ”. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check your VIN

or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When checking the

VIN look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If your vehicle

is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a “K.”

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Pure ethanol is the alcohol which is the intoxicating agent in liquor, beer

and wine. It is distilled from the fermentation of plants such as field corn

and sugar cane. When ethanol is used in the making of motor fuels, a

small amount of a bad tasting chemical is added to discourage beverage

use. The resulting fuel is called E_d100 meaning 100% pure ethanol

diluted by 2% to 5% gasoline as the “denaturant.”

Fuel ethanol (summer blend_d) is then made by adding 15% more

unleaded gasoline. The resulting fuel also has a higher octane rating than

unleaded regular gasoline and other properties which allow engine

designs with greater efficiency and power.

Winter blends may contain up to 30% (E70)unleaded gasoline (25% plus

the denaturant) to enhance cold engine starts. Severely cold weather

may require additional measures for reliable starting. Refer to Cold

Weather Starting in the Driving chapter.

Ethanol is more chemically active than gasoline. It corrodes some metals

and causes some plastic and rubber components to swell, break down or

become brittle and crack, especially when mixed with gasoline. Special

materials and procedures have been developed for flexible fuel vehicles

and the dispensers used by ethanol fuel providers.

Flexible fuel components and standard unleaded gasoline fuel

components are not interchangeable. If your vehicle is not

serviced in accordance with flexible fuel vehicles procedures, damage

may occur and your warranty may be invalidated.

When refueling always shut the engine off and never allow

sparks or open flames near the filler neck. Never smoke while

refueling. Fuel vapor is extremely hazardous under certain conditions.

Care should be taken to avoid inhaling excess fumes.

The flow of fuel through a fuel pump nozzle can produce static

electricity, which can cause a fire if fuel is pumped into an

ungrounded fuel container.

Use the following guidelines to avoid static build-up when filling an

ungrounded fuel container:

• Place approved fuel container on the ground.

• DO NOT fill a fuel container while it is in the vehicle (including the

cargo area).

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• Keep the fuel pump nozzle in contact with the fuel container while

filling.

• DO NOT use a device that would hold the fuel pump handle in the fill

position.

Choosing the right fuel

Use only UNLEADED FUEL. The use of leaded fuel is prohibited by law

and could damage your vehicle.

If your vehicle is a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV), use only UNLEADED

FUEL and (E85) FUEL ETHANOL. The use of leaded fuel is prohibited

by law and could damage your vehicle.

Do not use fuel containing methanol. It can damage critical fuel system

components.

Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel or fuel additives with metallic

compounds, including manganese-based additives.

Repairs to correct the effects of using a fuel for which your vehicle was

not designed may not be covered by your warranty.

Octane recommendations

Do not be concerned if your engine

sometimes knocks lightly. However,

if it knocks heavily under most

87

driving conditions while you are

(R+M)/2 METHOD

using fuel with the recommended

octane rating, see your dealer or a qualified service technician to prevent

any engine damage.

Unleaded Gasoline engines

Your vehicle is designed to use “Regular” unleaded gasoline with an

(R+M)/2 octane rating of 87. We do not recommend the use of gasolines

labeled as “Regular” that are sold with octane ratings of 86 or lower in

high altitude areas.

FFV engine (if equipped)

Your vehicle is designed to use (E85) Fuel Ethanol, “Regular” unleaded

gasoline or any percentage of the two fuels combined.

U.S. government regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing

pumps to have a small, square, orange and black label with the

common abbreviation or the appropriate percentage for that

region. Use of other fuels such as Fuel Methanol may cause

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powertrain damage, a loss of vehicle performance, and your

warranty may be invalidated.

Fuel quality

Many of the world’s automakers approved the World-wide Fuel Charter

that recommends gasoline specifications to provide improved

performance and emission control system protection for your vehicle.

Gasolines that meet the World-wide Fuel Charter should be used when

available. Ask your fuel supplier about gasolines that meet the

World-wide Fuel Charter.

It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket products to your fuel

tank if you continue to use high quality fuel of the recommended octane

rating. Aftermarket products could cause damage to the fuel system.

Repairs to correct the effects of using an aftermarket product in your

fuel may not be covered by your warranty.

Unleaded Gasoline engines

If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability

problems during a cold start, try a different brand of “Regular” unleaded

gasoline. “Premium” unleaded gasoline is not recommended (particularly

in the United States) because it may cause these problems to become

more pronounced. If the problems persist, see your dealer or a qualified

service technician.

FFV engine (if equipped)

Your FFV will operate well on ordinary “Regular” unleaded gasoline, but

only the highest quality fuel ethanol will provide the same level of

protection and performance. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check

your VIN or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When

checking the VIN, look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If

your vehicle is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a “K.”

If you operate your vehicle 50% or more of the time on ethanol, you

should follow a different maintenance schedule. See the Scheduled

Maintenance Guide for more information.

If you are experiencing a rough or rolling idle after start-up with the

outside temperature above 27° C (80° F), the idle should improve within

10 to 30 seconds. If the problems persist below this temperature, see

your dealer or a qualified service technician.

Cleaner air

Ford endorses the use of reformulated “cleaner-burning” gasolines to

improve air quality.

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Running out of fuel

Avoid running out of fuel because this situation may have an adverse

affect on powertrain components.

If you have run out of fuel:

• You may need to cycle the ignition from OFF to ON several times after

refueling, to allow the fuel system to pump the fuel from the tank to

the engine.

Fuel Filler Cap

Your fuel tank filler cap has an indexed design with a 1/8 turn on/off

feature.

When fueling your vehicle:

1. Turn the engine off.

2. Carefully turn the filler cap counterclockwise 1/8 of a turn until it

stops.

3. Pull to remove the cap from the fuel filler pipe.

4. To install the cap, align the tabs on the cap with the notches on the

filler pipe.

5. Turn the filler cap clockwise 1/8 of a turn until it stops.

If the “Check Fuel Cap” indicator comes on and stays on after you start

the engine, the fuel filler cap may not be properly installed. Turn off the

engine, remove the fuel filler cap, align the cap properly and reinstall it.

If you must replace the fuel filler cap, replace it with a fuel filler

cap that is designed for your vehicle. The customer warranty may

be void for any damage to the fuel tank or fuel system if the

correct genuine Ford or Motorcraft fuel filler cap is not used.

The fuel system may be under pressure. If the fuel filler cap is

venting vapor or if you hear a hissing sound, wait until it stops

before completely removing the fuel filler cap. Otherwise, fuel may

spray out and injure you or others.

If you do not use the proper fuel filler cap, excessive pressure or

vacuum in the fuel tank may damage the fuel system or cause

the fuel cap to disengage in a collision, which may result in possible

personal injury.

Fuel Filter

For fuel filter replacement, see your dealer or a qualified service

technician. Refer to the scheduled maintenance guide for the appropriate

intervals for changing the fuel filter.

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Replace the fuel filter with an authorized Motorcraft part. The

customer warranty may be void for any damage to the fuel system

if an authorized Motorcraft fuel filter is not used.

ESSENTIALS OF GOOD FUEL ECONOMY

Measuring techniques

Your best source of information about actual fuel economy is you, the

driver. You must gather information as accurately and consistently as

possible. Fuel expense, frequency of fill-ups or fuel gauge readings are

NOT accurate as a measure of fuel economy. We do not recommend

taking fuel economy measurements during the first 1,600 km (1,000

miles) of driving (engine break-in period). You will get a more accurate

measurement after 3,000 km–5,000 km (2,000 miles-3,000 miles).

Filling the tank

The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your vehicle is equal to

the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank as listed in the Refill capacities

section of this chapter.

The advertised capacity is the amount of the indicated capacity and the

empty reserve combined. Indicated capacity is the difference in the

amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the fuel gauge indicates

empty. Empty reserve is the small amount of fuel remaining in the fuel

tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty.

The amount of usable fuel in the empty reserve varies and should

not be relied upon to increase driving range. When refueling your

vehicle after the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be

able to refuel the full amount of the advertised capacity of the

fuel tank due to the empty reserve still present in the tank.

For consistent results when filling the fuel tank:

• Turn the engine/ignition switch to the off position prior to refueling,

an error in the reading will result if the engine is left running.

• Use the same filling rate setting (low — medium — high) each time

the tank is filled.

• Allow no more than 2 automatic click-offs when filling.

• Always use fuel with the recommended octane rating.

• Use a known quality gasoline, preferably a national brand.

• Use the same side of the same pump and have the vehicle facing the

same direction each time you fill up.

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Maintenance and Specifications -> WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE FUELS for Your Ford Explorer SUV Third Generation (2002-2005)

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