Ford F-650/750 (2018 year). Manual — part 79

GENERAL MAINTENANCE
INFORMATION

Why Maintain Your Vehicle?

Carefully following the maintenance
schedule helps protect against major repair
expenses resulting from neglect or
inadequate maintenance and may help to
increase the value of your vehicle when
you sell or trade it. Keep all receipts for
completed maintenance with your vehicle.

We have established regular maintenance
intervals for your vehicle based upon
rigorous testing. It is important that you
have your vehicle serviced at the proper
times. These intervals serve two purposes;
one is to maintain the reliability of your
vehicle and the second is to keep your cost
of owning your vehicle down.

It is your responsibility to have all
scheduled maintenance performed and to
make sure that the materials used meet
the specifications identified in this owner's
manual. See Capacities and
Specifications (page 269).

Failure to perform scheduled maintenance
invalidates warranty coverage on parts
affected by the lack of maintenance.

Why Maintain Your Vehicle at Your
Dealership?

Factory-trained Technicians

Service technicians participate in extensive
factory-sponsored certification training to
help them become experts on the
operation of your vehicle. Ask your
dealership about the training and
certification their technicians have
received.

Genuine Ford and Motorcraft
Replacement Parts

Dealerships stock Ford, Motorcraft and
Ford-authorized branded re-manufactured
replacement parts. These parts meet or
exceed our specifications. Parts installed
at your dealership carry a nationwide
12-month or 12,500 mi (20,000 km) parts
and labor limited warranty.

If you do not use Ford authorized parts they
may not meet our specifications and
depending on the part, it could affect
emissions compliance.

Convenience

Many dealerships have extended evening
and Saturday hours to make your service
visit more convenient and they offer one
stop shopping. They can perform any
services that are required on your vehicle,
from general maintenance to collision
repairs.

Note: Not all dealers have extended hours
or body shops. Please contact your dealer
for details.

Protecting Your Investment

Maintenance is an investment that pays
dividends in the form of improved
reliability, durability and resale value. To
maintain the proper performance of your
vehicle and its emission control systems,
make sure you have scheduled
maintenance performed at the designated
intervals.

Diesel Engine

Your vehicle is equipped with the
Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor system, which
displays a message in the information
display at the proper oil change interval.
This interval may be up to one year or
10,000 mi (16,000 km).

A message appears in the information
display when it is time for an oil change.
Make sure you perform the oil change
within two weeks or 500 mi (800 km) of
the message appearing. Make sure you
reset the Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor after
each oil change. See Instrument Cluster
(page 56).

If your information display resets
prematurely or becomes inoperative, you
should perform the oil change interval at
six months or 5,000 mi (8,000 km) from
your last oil change. Never exceed one year
or 10,000 mi (16,000 km) between oil
change intervals.

All Vehicles

Your vehicle is very sophisticated and built
with multiple, complex, performance
systems. Every manufacturer develops
these systems using different
specifications and performance features.
That is why it is important to rely upon your
dealership to properly diagnose and repair
your vehicle.

Ford Motor Company has recommended
maintenance intervals for various parts
and component systems based upon
engineering testing. Ford Motor Company
relies upon this testing to determine the
most appropriate mileage for replacement
of oils and fluids to protect your vehicle at
the lowest overall cost to you and
recommends against maintenance
schedules that deviate from the scheduled
maintenance information.

We strongly recommend the use of only
genuine Ford, Motorcraft or
Ford-authorized re-manufactured
replacement parts engineered for your
vehicle.

Additives and Chemicals

This owner's manual and the Ford
Workshop Manual list the recommended
additives and chemicals for your vehicle.
We do not recommend using chemicals or
additives not approved by us as part of
your vehicle’s normal maintenance. Please
consult your warranty information.

Oils, Fluids and Flushing

In many cases, fluid discoloration is a
normal operating characteristic and, by
itself, does not necessarily indicate a
concern or that the fluid needs to be
changed. However, a qualified expert, such
as the factory-trained technicians at your
dealership, should inspect discolored fluids
that also show signs of overheating or
foreign material contamination
immediately.

Make sure to change your vehicle’s oils and
fluids at the specified intervals or in
conjunction with a repair. Flushing is a
viable way to change fluid for many vehicle
sub-systems during scheduled
maintenance. It is critical that systems are
flushed only with new fluid that is the same
as that required to fill and operate the
system or using a Ford-approved flushing
chemical.

Scheduled Maintenance Services

Maintenance service adjustments must
conform to specifications contained in this
manual, and those shown on the Important
Engine Information decal. Perform the
following services at scheduled intervals
because they essential to the life and
performance of your vehicle. Ford
recommends that you perform
maintenance on all designated items to
achieve best vehicle operation.

There are three types of maintenance
intervals for general vehicle environments:
On-Highway, City and Severe Service. In
all applications, monitoring miles
(kilometers) and time and when the engine
is due for an oil change determine the
actual interval. When the engine oil change
is required before the truck lubrication
interval, perform the lubrication at the
same time in order to reduce your vehicle’s
time out of service.

Air Brake Adjustment

WARNING

Failure to maintain proper air brake
adjustment can result in reduction
or loss of braking ability.

A qualified service technician, keeping to
the instructions in the service manual,
should perform air brake inspection and
adjustment or repairs.

Cam Brakes - Automatic Slack
Adjusters

WARNING

Do not manually adjust the
automatic slack adjusters to correct
excessive push rod stroke as it may

result in reduced brake effectiveness and
a vehicle crash. Excessive push rod stroke
indicates that a problem exists with the
automatic adjuster, with the installation
of the adjuster, or with foundation brake
components that manual adjustment does
not remedy. Seek service from a qualified
facility for excessive push rod stroke.

Inspect standard air brakes equipped with
automatic slack adjusters for proper brake
adjustment as listed in the maintenance
schedule charts.

However, inspect the brakes more
frequently when subjecting them to heavy
use or adverse operating conditions such
as:
•

Frequent brake applications while fully
loaded.

•

Operation on hilly or mountainous
terrain.

•

Frequent operation on dirt, gravel or
mud.

Some aftermarket brake linings also
require more frequent inspections.

Owner Checks and Services

Make sure you perform the following basic
maintenance checks and inspections every
month or at six-month intervals.

Check Every Month

Air filter restriction gauge.

1

Engine oil level.

Fuel and water separator. Drain if necessary, or if indicated by the information display.

1

Function of all interior and exterior lights.

Holes and slots in the tail pipe to make sure they are functional and clear of debris.

1

Tires (including spare) for wear and proper pressure.

Windshield washer fluid level.

1

Diesel engine only.

Check Every Six Months

Battery connections. Clean if necessary.

Body and door drain holes for obstructions. Clean if necessary.

Cooling system fluid level and coolant concentration (freeze-point protection).

Door weatherstrips for wear. Lubricate if necessary.

Hinges, latches and outside locks for proper operation. Lubricate if necessary.

Parking brake for proper operation.

Safety belts and seat latches for wear and function.

Safety warning lamps (brake, ABS, airbag and safety belt) for operation.

Washer spray and wiper operation. Clean or replace blades as necessary.