Essential Towing Checks - Lincoln 2013 MKZ Owner's Manual

ESSENTIAL TOWING
CHECKS
Follow these guidelines to ensure safe
towing:
• Do not tow a trailer until you drive
your vehicle at least 1000 miles
(1600 kilometers).
• Consult your local motor vehicle
laws for towing a trailer.
• Refer to the instructions included
with towing accessories for the
proper installation and adjustment
specifications.
• Service your vehicle more
frequently if you tow a trailer. Refer
to your scheduled maintenance
information.
• If you use a rental trailer, follow the
instructions the rental agency gives
you.
You can find information on load
specification terms found on the tire
label and Safety Compliance label as
well as instructions on calculating
your vehicle's load in another chapter
of this manual. See Load Limit (page
219).
Remember to account for the trailer
tongue weight as part of the vehicle
load when calculating the total
vehicle weight.
Towing
Hitches
• Do not use a hitch that either
clamps onto the bumper or
attaches to the axle.
• Distribute the trailer load so
10-15% of the total trailer weight
is on the trailer tongue.
Safety Chains
Note: Never attach safety chains to
the bumper.
Always connect the trailer's safety
chains to the hook retainers of the
vehicle hitch.
To connect the trailer's safety chains,
cross the chains under the trailer
tongue and allow enough slack for
turning tight corners. Do not allow the
chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Do not connect a trailer's
hydraulic brake system directly
to your vehicle's brake system. Your
vehicle may not have enough braking
power and your chances of having a
collision greatly increase.
Electric brakes and manual,
automatic or surge-type trailer brakes,
when installed properly and adjusted
to the manufacturer's specifications,
are safe to use. The trailer brakes
must meet local and federal
regulations.
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WARNING