Ford F-150 2018 Owner's Manual page 175

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.
F-150 (TFC) Canada/United States of America, enUSA, Edition date: 201705, First Printing
The use of the factory engine block heater
assists in engine starting in extreme cold
ambient temperatures See Engine Block
Heater (page 174).
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 snow and 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 366).
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