WARNING: Batteries normally produce explosive gases which can cause personal injury. Therefore, do not allow flames, sparks or lighted substances to come near the battery. When working near the battery, always shield your face and protect your eyes. Always provide proper ventilation.

WARNING: When lifting a plastic-cased battery, excessive pressure on the end walls could cause acid to flow through the vent caps, resulting in personal injury and damage to the vehicle or battery. Lift the battery with a battery carrier or with your hands on opposite corners.

WARNING: Keep batteries out of reach of children. Batteries contain sulfuric acid. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing.

Shield your eyes when working near the battery to protect against possible splashing of acid solution. In case of acid contact with skin or eyes, flush immediately with water for a minimum of 15 minutes and get prompt medical attention. If acid is swallowed, call a physician immediately.

WARNING: Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds. Wash hands after handling.

Your vehicle is equipped with a Motorcraft® maintenance-free battery which normally does not require additional water during its life of service.

Note: If your battery has a cover or a shield, make sure it is reinstalled after the battery has been cleaned or replaced.

For longer, trouble-free operation, keep the top of the battery clean and dry. Also, make certain the battery cables are always tightly fastened to the battery terminals.

If you see any corrosion on the battery or terminals, remove the cables from the terminals and clean with a wire brush. You can neutralize the acid with a solution of baking soda and water.

It is recommended that the negative battery cable terminal be disconnected from the battery if you plan to store your vehicle for an extended period of time.

Battery relearn

Because your vehicle’s engine is electronically controlled by a computer, some control conditions are maintained by power from the battery.

When the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must relearn its idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and performance. To begin this process:

1. With the vehicle at a complete stop, set the parking brake.
2. Put the gearshift lever in P (Park), turn off all accessories and start the engine.
3. Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature.
4. Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
5. Turn the A/C on and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
6. Drive the vehicle to complete the relearning process.

• The vehicle may need to be driven to relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy.
• Note: If you do not allow the engine to relearn its idle trim, the idle quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle trim is eventually relearned.

When the battery is disconnected or a new battery installed, the transmission must relearn its adaptive strategy. As a result of this, the transmission may shift firmly. This operation is considered normal and will not affect function or durability of the transmission. Over time the adaptive learning process will fully update transmission operation to its optimum shift feel.

If the battery has been disconnected or a new battery has been installed, the clock and the preset radio stations must be reset once the battery is reconnected.

Always dispose of automotive batteries in a responsible manner. Follow your local authorized standards for disposal. Call your local authorized recycling center to find out more about recycling automotive batteries.

Battery management system

The battery management system (BMS) monitors battery conditions and takes actions to extend battery life. If excessive battery drain is detected, the system may temporarily disable certain electrical features to protect the battery. Those electrical accessories affected include rear defrost, heated/cooled seats, climate control fan, heated steering wheel, audio and navigation system. A message may be displayed on the instrument cluster or center stack display to alert the driver that battery protection actions are active. See the Information displays in the Instrument Cluster and Entertainment Systems chapters for more information. These messages are only for notification that an action is taking place, and do not necessarily indicate that an electrical problem exists or that the battery requires replacement.

Electrical accessory installation

To ensure proper operation of the BMS, any electrical devices that are added to the vehicle should not have their ground connection made directly at the negative battery post. A connection at the negative battery post can cause inaccurate measurements of the battery condition and potential incorrect system operation.

Note: Electrical or electronic accessories added to the vehicle by the dealer or the owner may adversely affect battery performance and durability and may also affect the performance of other electrical systems in the vehicle.

When a battery replacement is required, the battery should be replaced with a Ford recommended replacement battery that matches the electrical requirements of the vehicle. After battery replacement, or in some cases after charging the battery with an external charger, the BMS requires eight hours of vehicle sleep time (key off with doors closed) to relearn the new battery state of charge. Prior to relearning state of charge, the BMS may disable electrical features (to protect the battery) earlier than normal.