Towing; Towing A Trailer; Recommended Towing Weights - Lincoln 2013 MKZ Owner's Manual

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 the
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 251).
Weight, not volume designates your
vehicle's load capacity. You cannot
necessarily use all available space
when loading a vehicle.
Towing a trailer places an additional
load on your vehicle's engine,
transmission, axle, brakes, tires and
suspension. Inspect these
components periodically during, and
after, any towing operation.
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.

Towing

• 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 another chapter
of this manual. See Load Limit (page
219). You can also find the information
in the RV & Trailer Towing Guide,
available at your 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 20 feet
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.
227
2 2
(1.86 meters ).