Driving Off-Road With Truck And Utility Vehicles; How Your Vehicle Differs From Other Vehicles (4Wd); Basic Operating Principles (4Wd); If Your Vehicle Goes Off The Edge Of The Pavement (4Wd) - Ford 2005 Ranger Owner's Manual

Driving
4. Move the 4WD control to the desired position.
• If shifting into 4WD LOW (4WD Low), wait for the 4WD LOW light in
the instrument cluster to turn on indicating the shift is complete.
• If shifting out of 4WD LOW (4WD Low), wait for the 4WD LOW light
in the instrument cluster to turn off indicating the shift is complete.

Driving off-road with truck and utility vehicles

4WD vehicles are specially equipped for driving on sand, snow, mud and
rough terrain and have operating characteristics that are somewhat
different from conventional vehicles, both on and off the road.
How your vehicle differs from other vehicles
Truck and utility vehicles can differ from some other vehicles. Your
vehicle may be higher to allow it to travel over rough terrain without
getting hung up or damaging underbody components.
The differences that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle
differently than an ordinary passenger car.
Maintain steering wheel control at all times, especially in rough terrain.
Since sudden changes in terrain can result in abrupt steering wheel
motion, make sure you grip the steering wheel from the outside. Do not
grip the spokes.
Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from concealed objects such as
rocks and stumps.
You should either know the terrain or examine maps of the area before
driving. Map out your route before driving in the area. To maintain
steering and braking control of your vehicle, you must have all four
wheels on the ground and they must be rolling, not sliding or spinning.
Basic operating principles
• Do not use 4WD on dry, hard surfaced roads. Doing so will produce
excessive noise, increase tire wear and may damage drive components.
4WD modes are only intended for consistently slippery or loose
surfaces.
• Drive slower in strong crosswinds which can affect the normal steering
characteristics of your vehicle.
• Be extremely careful when driving on pavement made slippery by
loose sand, water, gravel, snow or ice.
If your vehicle goes off the edge of the pavement
• If your vehicle goes off the edge of the pavement, slow down, but
avoid severe brake application, ease the vehicle back onto the
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2005 Ranger (ran)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)