Ford F-450 (2017 year). Manual — part 43

Do not use starting fluid such as ether in
the air intake system. Such fluid could
cause immediate explosive damage to the
engine and possible personal injury.

If you should experience cold weather
starting problems on E85 ethanol, and
neither an alternative brand of E85 ethanol
nor an engine block heater is available, the
addition of unleaded gasoline to your tank
improves cold starting performance. Your
vehicle is designed to operate on E85
ethanol alone, unleaded gasoline alone, or
any mixture of the two.

If the Engine Fails to Start Using the
Preceding Instructions (Flexible Fuel
Vehicles Only)

1.

Press the accelerator pedal down
one-third to one-half of its travel, and
then crank the engine.

2. When the engine starts, release the

key, then gradually release the
accelerator pedal as the engine speed
increases. If the engine still does not
start, repeat Step 1.

Guarding Against Exhaust Fumes

WARNING

Exhaust leaks may result in entry of
harmful and potentially lethal fumes
into the passenger compartment. If

you smell exhaust fumes inside your
vehicle, have your vehicle inspected
immediately. Do not drive if you smell
exhaust fumes.

Important Ventilating Information

If you stop your vehicle and then leave the
engine idling for long periods of time, we
recommend that you do one of the
following:

•

Open the windows at least 1 inch (2.5
centimeters).

•

Set your climate control to outside air.

STARTING A DIESEL ENGINE -
6.7L DIESEL

Read all starting instructions carefully
before you start your vehicle.

For temperatures below 32°F (0°C), the
use of the correct grade engine oil is
essential for proper operation. Refer to
engine oil specifications for more
information. See Capacities and
Specifications (page 428).

Your vehicle may have a cold weather
starting strategy that prevents severe
engine damage by assisting in engine
lubrication warm-up. In extremely cold
ambient temperatures, this strategy
activates and prevents the accelerator
pedal from being used for 30 seconds after
you start your vehicle. A message appears
in the information display as your vehicle
warms up. By not allowing the accelerator
pedal to be used, the engine oil is allowed
to properly lubricate the bearings
preventing engine damage due to lack of
proper lubrication. After the 30 second
warm-up period, the accelerator pedal will
be operational again and a message
appears informing you the vehicle is ok to
drive.

When you start the engine in extremely
cold temperatures -15°F (-26°C), we
recommend that you allow the engine to
idle for several minutes before you drive
the vehicle.

Before starting the engine check the
following:
•

Make sure all occupants have fastened
their seatbelts.

•

Make sure the headlamps and
electrical accessories are off.

•

Make sure the parking brake is on.

•

Make sure the transmission is in park
(P).

Note: Do not press the accelerator during
starting.

Diesel Engine Fast Start Glow Plug
System

The diesel engine glow system consists of:

•

Eight glow plugs (one per cylinder)

•

Glow Plug Control Module

•

Engine Coolant Temperature sensor

•

Barometric pressure sensor

•

Environmental temperature sensor

The powertrain and glow plug control
modules electronically control the glow
plug system. After you switch the ignition
on, the glow plug control module
immediately energizes the glow plugs. The
glow plug control module uses the engine
coolant temperature, barometric pressure
sensor and environmental temperature
sensor to determine how long the glow
plugs stay energized. The required time for
the glow plugs to be energized decreases
as the coolant temperature, barometric
pressure and environmental temperature
increase.

Cold Weather Starting

WARNINGS

Do not use starting fluid, for example
ether, in the air intake system. Such
fluid could cause immediate

explosive damage to the engine and
possible personal injury.

Do not add gasoline, gasohol, alcohol
or kerosene to diesel fuel. This
creates a serious fire hazard and

causes engine performance problems.

We recommend that the engine block
heater be used for starting when the
temperature is -9°F (-23°C) or colder. See
Engine Block Heater (page 181).

When operating in cold weather, you may
use Motorcraft® cetane improvers or
non-alcohol-based cetane improvers from
a reputable manufacturer as needed.

Do not crank the engine for more than 10
seconds as starter damage may occur. If
the engine does not start, switch the
ignition off and wait 30 seconds before
trying again.

Switch the ignition on. Do not
start the engine until the
glow-plug indicator turns off.

When the glow plug pre-heat indicator
turns off, turn the key to start. After you
start the engine, the glow plugs may
remain on for a period. If you do not start
the engine before the glow plug activation
time ends, you will need to reset the glow
plugs by switching the ignition off. After
the engine starts, allow it to idle for about
15 seconds. This protects the engine. Do
not increase engine speed until the oil
pressure gauge indicates normal pressure.

Cold Weather Operation

Note: Idling in cold weather does not heat
the engine to its normal operating
temperature. Long periods of idling,
especially in cold weather, can cause a
buildup of deposits which can cause engine
damage.

Change to a lighter grade engine oil to
make starting easier under these
conditions. Refer to engine oil
specifications. See Capacities and
Specifications (page 428).

Diesel fuel is adjusted seasonally for cold
temperatures. Diesel fuel which has not
been properly formulated for the ambient
conditions may gel which can clog the fuel
filters. One indication that the fuel filter(s)
may be clogged is if the engine starts, stalls
after a short time, and then does not
restart. If you have been using biodiesel,
you may need to use a fuel with lower

biodiesel content, try another brand, or
discontinue using biodiesel. Do not use
alcohol based additives to correct fuel
gelling. This may result in damage to the
fuel injectors and system. Use the proper
anti-gel and performance improvement
product. See Capacities and
Specifications (page 428).

Your vehicle has a fuel and water separator
that recirculates fuel from the engine to
help prevent fuel filter clogging. To avoid
engine fuel starvation during cold weather
operation of 32°F (0°C) or below, we
recommend that the fuel level in your tank
should not drop below ¼ full. This helps
prevent air from entering the fuel system
and stalling the engine.

Your vehicle has a selective catalytic
reduction system that uses Diesel Exhaust
Fluid (DEF) to operate properly. You need
to replenish your vehicle’s DEF at certain
intervals. When filling your vehicle’s DEF
tank in cold weather, take special care to
prevent damage to the tank. See
Selective Catalytic Reduction System
(page 188).

In cold weather below 32°F (0°C), the
engine may slowly increase to a higher idle
speed if you leave it idling in park (P). As
the engine warms-up, the engine sound
level decreases due to the activation of
PCM-controlled sound reduction features.

If you operate your vehicle in a heavy
snowstorm or blowing snow conditions,
snow and ice can clog the engine air
induction. If this occurs, the engine may
experience a significant reduction in power
output. At the earliest opportunity, clear
all the snow and ice away from inside the
air filter assembly. Remove the air cleaner
cover and the air filter and remove any
snow or ice. Remove any debris, snow or
ice, on the foam filter by brushing the
surface with a soft brush. Once you have
cleared all of the debris, reinstall the air
filter and cover.

Do not use water, solvents, or a hard brush
for cleaning the foam filter.

WARNING

To reduce the risk of vehicle damage
and personal burn injuries, do not
start your engine with the air cleaner

removed and do not remove it while the
engine is running.

In order to operate the engine in
temperatures of 32°F (0°C) or lower, read
the following instructions:
•

Make sure that the batteries are of
sufficient size and are fully charged.
Check other electrical components to
make sure they are in optimum
condition.

•

Use the proper coolant solution at the
concentration recommended
protecting the engine against damage
from freezing.

•

Try to keep the fuel tank full as much
as possible at the end of operation to
prevent condensation in the fuel
system.

•

Make sure you use proper cold weather
engine oil and that it is at its proper
level. Also, if necessary, make sure to
follow the engine oil and filter change
schedule found under the Special
operating conditions section listed in
the scheduled maintenance
information.

•

At temperatures of -9°F (-23°C) or
below, it is recommended that you use
an engine block heater to improve cold
engine starting.

•

If operating in arctic temperatures of
-20°F (-29°C) or lower, consult your
truck dealer for information about
special cold weather equipment and
precautions.

We recommend the following cold
weather idling guidelines:
•

You can use Motorcraft® cetane
improvers or non-alcohol-based
cetane improvers from a reputable
manufacturer as needed.

•

Maintain the engine cooling system
properly.

•

Avoid shutting the engine down after
an extensive idling period. Drive your
vehicle for several miles with the
engine at normal operating
temperatures under a moderate load.

•

Consider using an engine block heater.

•

For extended idle times use an
approved idle speed increase device.

Winter Operating Tips for Arctic
Operation -20°F (-29°C) and Below

The following information is a guideline
only and is not to be the only source of
possible solutions in resolving extreme
cold temperature issues.

Starting Aids

WARNING

Do not use starting fluid, for example
ether, in the air intake system. Such
fluid could cause immediate

explosive damage to the engine and
possible personal injury.

The use of the factory engine block heater
assists in engine starting in extreme cold
ambient temperatures See Engine Block
Heater (page 181).

Idle Control

Your vehicle may have a factory option for
a stationary elevated idle control through
the upfitter switches in the overhead
console. This allows the operator to
elevate the idle RPM for extended idle
periods, as well as aftermarket equipment
such as PTO operation. You must configure
this feature even if ordered from the
factory. See your authorized dealer for
required upfitting.

Operation in Snow and Rain

Vehicle operation in heavy snowfall or
extreme rain conditions may feed
excessive amounts of snow or water into
the air intake system. This could plug the
air filter with snow and may cause the
engine to lose power and possibly shut
down.

We recommend the following actions after
operating your vehicle up to 200 mi
(320 km) in snowfall or extreme rain:

•

Snow: At the earliest opportunity, open
the hood and clear all the snow and ice
from the air filter housing inlet (do not
remove the foam filter) and reset the
air filter restriction gauge.

Note: Removal of the foam filter degrades
your vehicle performance during snow and
hot weather conditions.

•

Extreme rain: The air filter dries after
about 15–30 minutes at highway
speeds. At the earliest opportunity,
open the hood and reset the air filter
restriction gauge.

Refer to Air filter and restriction gauge in
the Maintenance chapter for more
information. See Changing the Engine
Air Filter (page 354).