Ford Low Cab Forward (Ford year). Manual — part 18

Backing up/Electric back-up alarm

To reduce the risk of the possibility of personal injury while
backing the vehicle, always be sure your vehicle’s path is clear.

Before backing your vehicle, be sure you can do so safely. If anything
behind the cab limits your view, do not rely on mirrors alone to ensure
that your intended path is clear. If other people are in the vicinity, have
someone standing well behind your vehicle and outside of your intended
path (visible through an exterior mirror) guide you as you back up.

Although OSHA or some governmental regulations may require the use
of an electrical or mechanical back-up alarm to warn bystanders, such an
alarm does not ensure that the intended path is clear. When in doubt,
get out of the vehicle and visually check the intended path is clear; back
up slowly as to allow others time to move, if necessary.

Parking your vehicle

Always use the parking brake. When parking on a grade, block the
wheels and turn the front wheels to one side so that if the vehicle rolls,
the front tires will act against the curb to stop the vehicle. The front
wheels will be more effective at stopping a rolling vehicle than the rear
wheels.

Driving through water

If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly especially if the depth is not known. Never drive through water
that is higher than the bottom of the hubs. Traction or brake capability
may be limited and your vehicle may stall. Water may also enter your
engine’s air intake and severely damage your engine, rear axle or
transmission (through the breather ports). If the transmission is
submerged in water, the transmission fluid should be checked and
changed, if necessary. Driving through deep water may damage the
transmission

Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your vehicle
slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do
not stop the vehicle as quickly as dry brakes.

BRAKES

Occasional brake noise is normal and often does not indicate a
performance concern with the brake system. In normal operation, brake

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systems may emit occasional or intermittent squeal or groan noises when
the brakes are applied. Such noises are usually heard during the first few
brake applications in the morning; however, they may be heard at any
time while braking and can be aggravated by environmental conditions
such as cold, heat, moisture, road dust, salt or mud. If a
“metal-to-metal,” “continuous grinding” or “continuous squeal” sound is
present while braking, the brake linings may be worn-out and should be
inspected by a qualified service technician.

If you are driving down a long or steep hill, shift to a lower gear.
Do not apply your brakes continuously, as they may overheat

and become less effective.

If brakes do not grip well
• If you have been driving through deep water, gently apply the brakes

several times while the vehicle is moving slowly.

• Let the brakes cool if you have been using them excessively, as in

mountain driving or after several fast, high-speed stops.

• Check brake linings for excessive wear.

Hydraulic brake booster system (HydroBoost)

The HydroBoost systems receive fluid pressure from the power steering
pump to provide power assist during braking.

The HydroBoost booster includes a pneumatic accumulator that holds a
reserve of power steering fluid under pressure that will provide two or
more power-assisted brake applications in the event of power steering
fluid pressure loss. The accumulator will also deliver a limited number of
power-assisted brake applications when the engine is off.

The HydroBoost’s accumulator reserve provides reduced braking power,
and the number of stops is limited (depending on the severity and
duration of the brake applications), so the vehicle should be operated
under these conditions with caution, and only to seek service repair and
remove the vehicle from the roadway.

Under normal operating conditions, noise of the fluid flowing through the
booster may be heard whenever the brake is applied. This is normal and
should be no reason for concern.

If braking performance or pedal response becomes very poor, even when
the pedal is strongly applied, this may indicate the presence of air in the
hydraulic system or fluid leakage. Safely stop the vehicle as soon as
possible and seek service immediately.

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If the brake fluid warning light in
the instrument cluster remains
illuminated after engine start-up,
and an audible tone is heard while the light is illuminated, this indicates
a system failure in the brake system. Stop the vehicle as soon as safely
possible and seek service immediately.

Parking brake

Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, pull the handle (1)
up until it stops.

Always set the parking
brake fully and make sure

that the transmission is securely
latched in P (Park).

To release the parking brake, pull the handle up slightly, push the button
(2) on the end of the handle, then push the handle down to its original
position. Driving with the parking brake on will cause the brakes to wear
out quickly and reduce fuel economy.

The parking brake warning light in
the instrument cluster illuminates,
and remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned on), until the
parking brake is released.

If the parking brake is fully released, but the parking brake
warning lamp remains illuminated, the brakes may not be

working properly. See your dealer or a qualified service technician.

The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake only applies
braking power to the rear wheels, the vehicle’s stopping distance will
increase greatly and the handling of your vehicle will be adversely
affected.

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ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS)

Your vehicle is equipped with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). This
system helps you maintain steering control during emergency stops by
keeping the brakes from locking. Noise from the ABS pump motor and
brake pedal pulsation may be observed during ABS braking and the
brake pedal may suddenly travel a little further as soon as ABS braking
is done and normal brake operation resumes. These are normal
characteristics of the ABS and should be no reason for concern.

ABS warning lamp

The ABS lamp in the instrument
cluster momentarily illuminates
when the ignition is turned on. If
the light does not illuminate during
start up, remains on or flashes, the
ABS may be disabled and may need to be serviced.

Even when the ABS is disabled, normal braking is still effective. (If your
BRAKE FLUID warning lamp illuminates, have your brake system
serviced immediately.)

Using ABS

When hard braking is required, apply continuous force on the brake
pedal; do not pump the brake pedal since this will reduce the
effectiveness of the ABS and will increase your vehicle’s stopping
distance. The ABS will be activated immediately, allowing you to retain
full steering control during hard braking and on slippery surfaces.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Brake-shift interlock

This vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock feature that prevents
the gearshift lever from being moved from P (Park) when the ignition is
in the ON position unless brake pedal is depressed.

ABS

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