Ford F-550 Quick Reference Guide

This Quick Reference Guide is not intended to replace your vehicle Owner’s
Guide which contains more detailed information concerning the features of
your vehicle, as well as important safety warnings designed to help reduce
the risk of injury to you and your occupants. Please read your entire
Owner’s Guide carefully as you begin learning about your new vehicle and
refer to the appropriate chapters when questions arise.

All information contained in this Quick Reference Guide was accurate at
the time of duplication. We reserve the right to change features, operation
and/or functionality of any vehicle specification at any time. Your Ford
dealer is the best source for the most current information. For detailed
operating and safety information, please consult your Owner’s Guide.

Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center
P.O. Box 6248 | Dearborn, MI 48121
1-800-392-3673 (FORD)
(TDD for the hearing impaired: 1-800-232-5952)
www.fordowner.com
www.ford.ca

June 2011

First Printing

Quick Reference Guide

Super Duty

Litho in U.S.A.

CC3J 19G217 AA

ConvenienCe

HEATED OUTSIDE MIRRORS

(IF EQUIPPED)

To activate, press on the climate
control panel.

SECURICODE™ KEYLESS
ENTRY SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)

This system allows you to lock or unlock
the doors without a key. Ensure that you
have your 5-digit factory code, located on
your owner’s wallet card in the glove box.

• To unlock the driver’s door, enter your
5-digit factory code.

• To unlock all doors, enter your 5-digit
factory code and, within ve seconds,
press 3-4.

INTEGRATED KEYHEAD
TRANSMITTER (IKT) REMOTE
ENTRY ICONS

• Press once to lock all doors. Press
again to conrm all doors are closed.

• Press once to unlock the driver’s
door. Press again within three seconds
to unlock all doors.

• Press to activate the panic alarm.
Press again or turn the ignition on
to deactivate.

• Car nder: Press twice within three
seconds to locate your vehicle. The horn
will chirp and the turn lamps will ash.

REMOTE START

(IF EQUIPPED)

If your IKT has the 2x icon, you have
remote start, which allows you to start the
engine from outside the vehicle. To use,
press on your IKT to lock all the doors.
Press 2x twice. (If you have a diesel engine,
there will be a few seconds delay before the
engine starts.) When you are ready to leave,
insert the key into the ignition and turn to
the on position before driving. To turn the
engine off after using remote start, press 2x
once. Refer to the Locks and Security chapter
in your Owner’s Guide for more information
on the Remote Start feature.

UNIVERSAL GARAGE DOOR
OPENER (IF EQUIPPED)

Your vehicle may be equipped with a
universal transmitter located on the driver’s
visor. This system has two primary features
– a garage door opener and a platform
for remote activation of devices in your
home. This system’s garage door opener
function replaces the common hand-held
garage door opener with a three button
transmitter. For more information, refer
to the Driver Controls chapter of your
Owner’s Guide.

NAVIGATION SYSTEM

(IF EQUIPPED)

Your touch screen navigation system
allows you to record CDs, listen to SIRIUS®
satellite radio or HD Radio broadcasts,
play DVDs and access SIRIUS® Travel
Link™ in addition to navigating the vehicle.
For more information, refer to your
Navigation System Supplement.

SYNC® (IF EQUIPPED)

Your SYNC® system has unique phone and

media features which allow you to make
and receive hands-free calls as well as play
your media selections by artist, album,
genre or similar music. You can receive
Vehicle Health Reports and set up and use
911 Assist™ which can call emergency
services if you have an accident. SYNC
ApplinkTM allows you to use applications
on your smartphone such as Pandora and
Stitcher. SYNC® also offers SYNC® Services
which, if activated, can provide turn–by–turn
directions, access to trafc reports, sports
scores and business searches. To set up
your prole for Vehicle Health Reports
and SYNC® Services, please visit
www.SyncMyRide.com.

®

SIRIUS® SATELLITE RADIO

(IF EQUIPPED)

Your vehicle may be equipped with satellite
radio. SIRIUS® satellite radio broadcasts
music, sports, news and entertainment
programming. For more information and a
complete list of SIRIUS® satellite radio channels,
visit www.sirius.com in the United States,
www.siriuscanada.ca in Canada, or call
SIRIUS® at 1–888–539–7474. Satellite radio
is only available with a valid SIRIUS®
radio subscription.

Fuel FaCts

DIESEL/BIODIESEL

If your vehicle has a green colored fuel cap,
you have a diesel vehicle which is compatible
with diesel fuel and also biodiesel B20 or less.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel derived from
vegetable oils and/or animal fats. Your
diesel engine can operate on diesel fuels
containing up to 20% biodiesel, or B20.
(Use only biodiesel that meets ASTM
D975 diesel or the ASTM D7467 B6-B20
biodiesel industry specications.)

Ensure that you purchase biodiesel
from a reputable source. Do not store
biodiesel fuel in the fuel tank for more
than one month.

DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID (DEF)

The emissions system uses Diesel Exhaust
Fluid (DEF) which MUST be replenished at
regular intervals. Failure to do so could cause
vehicle speed limitations and/or result in the
vehicle entering an idle-only mode.

Your message center will alert you when
you begin to get low on DEF. The rst alert
will appear in the message center when you
have approximately 800 miles left to empty.
Certain conditions such as driving styles,
trailer towing or fast acceleration will require
lling the tank more often.

The DEF tank has a blue capped ller port
and is next to your diesel fuel inlet. This tank
can be lled using a nozzle at a DEF lling
station or using a DEF bottle with a spout.
Motorcraft® DEF bottles are recommended
as they are designed to be spill proof and will

stop the ow of DEF
when the tank is full.

Ensure that you do
NOT put DEF in
the fuel tank as this

can cause engine
damage which is not covered by your
vehicle’s warranty. Immediately wipe away
any DEF that has spilled on painted surfaces
with water and a damp cloth to prevent
damage to the paint.

Use only DEF certied by
the American Petroleum
Institute (API) such
as Motorcraft®
DEF or equivalent.
Look for the API

certication trademark.
The DEF capacity is 5 gallons (18.9L) for a
pickup and 6 gallons (22.7L) for a chassis
cab. Do NOT overll the system as this could
cause freeze damage to the DEF tank.

For more information on this system, refer to
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System
in your Diesel Supplement.

FUEL FILTER

Your Ford truck includes a LOW FUEL
PRESSURE monitor to let you know
that the engine is not receiving the fuel it
needs. Driving with low fuel pressure can
damage injection equipment and void your
warranty. Check or switch your fuel source
if you are replacing lters more often than
the recommended interval.

FLEX FUEL VEHICLE
(FFV, IF EQUIPPED)

If your vehicle has a yellow colored fuel

cap, you have a ex fuel vehicle. Use only
unleaded fuel or ethanol fuel (E85).

DRAINING THE WATER
SEPARATOR

Your vehicle is equipped with a state of the
art diesel fuel delivery system. It includes
a Diesel Fuel Conditioning Module (DFCM)
and engine mounted fuel lter. The DFCM
includes a lter, electronic fuel pump and
water separator/drain mounted on the frame
just below the cab driver side. Drain the
DFCM (with engine off) during oil changes
or as soon as possible when the WATER
IN FUEL message is displayed. Ignoring
the Water In Fuel message can cause the
accumulated water to be passed to the
engine resulting in fuel system damage.

COOLANT

Your Super Duty uses Motorcraft®
Specialty Orange Engine Coolant
(orange-colored). DO NOT use glycol
coolant as it is not compatible with your
vehicle. DO NOT MIX different colors or
types of coolant in your vehicle. DO NOT
MIX recycled coolant and new (unused)
coolant together in the vehicle, as the mixing
of engine coolants may harm your engine’s
cooling system. The use of an improper
coolant may harm engine and cooling system
components and may void the warranty.
Ensure that ONLY the correct coolant is used.

TIRE PRESSURE

The recommended specications are
on the Safety Compliance Certication
Label or Tire Label located on the B-Pillar
or the edge of the driver’s door. As an
added safety feature, your vehicle may be
equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure warning light when one or more
of your tires is signicantly under-inated.
Refer to the Tires, Wheels and Loading
chapter in your Owner’s Guide for
more information.

ENGINE OIL SPECIFICATIONS

Quality engine oils help achieve good
engine performance and durability. For
normal or severe service, use Motorcraft®
oil or an equivalent oil conforming to Ford
Specications as listed in the Maintenance
product specications and capacities in your
Diesel Supplement or API service categories
CJ-4 or CJ-4/SM.

2012

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

MESSAGE CENTER

The message center monitors many vehicle systems and alerts you to potential vehicle
problems and conditions. Your message center also allows you to program and congure
certain features without taking your hands off the wheel. Use the steering wheel controls to
scroll, make selections and adjustments which will appear in the message center display
in the instrument cluster. If equipped with an LCD screen, your main menu selections are:
Gauge Mode, Trip A/B, Fuel Economy, Truck Apps (if equipped), Settings and Information.

TURN SIGNAL OPERATION

• To operate the left turn signal, push the lever down until it stops and release.

• To operate the right turn signal, push the lever up until it stops and release.

• To indicate a lane change, push the lever up/down to the rst stop position and
release. The turn signals will ash three times and stop.

ADVANCETRAC® WITH RSC® STABILITY ENHANCEMENT
SYSTEM (ALL SINGLE REAR WHEEL (SRW) VEHICLES)

Helps you maintain stability and steerability of your vehicle during a variety of road
conditions. Roll Stability Control™ (RSC®) helps to avoid a vehicle roll-over. If your vehicle
becomes stuck, try turning off the AdvanceTrac® system (by pressing the control) to allow
wheel spin and help increase momentum to help dig the vehicle out.

ELECTRONIC LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL (ELD, IF EQUIPPED)

The ELD is a device housed in the rear axle which allows both rear wheels to turn at
the same speed. You can engage or disengage the ELD on the y. When the axle is
disengaged, it will function like a standard rear wheel axle. When it is engaged, the rear
wheels will rotate at the same speed when turning, thereby being helpful on slippery
and/or off road surfaces, particularly when one wheel is on a poor traction surface.

For vehicles with an electronic shift 4WD system, pull the knob on the 4WD control toward
you. The indicator light will display in the instrument cluster indicating the system
is engaged.

For 2WD vehicles and vehicles equipped with a manual shift 4WD system, turn the
control to ON. The indicator light will appear in the instrument cluster indicating the system
is engaged.

Use extreme caution when using any device or feature that may take your attention off the
road. Ford recommends against the use of any hand-held device while driving and that you
comply with all applicable laws. Your primary responsibility is the safe operation of
the vehicle.

SELECTSHIFT AUTOMATIC™ TRANSMISSION (SST)

Your vehicle is equipped with a SST gearshift lever which allows you to change
gears without a clutch. Put the gearshift into M (manual) and press + to upshift
and - to downshift.

To lock gears, put the gearshift lever into D (Overdrive). Press – to lock out the
gears. Only the available gears will be displayed. Press + to unlock the gears.

STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS

Use the arrow controls to scroll through the message center menus and use OK to make
selections. Use SET +/-, RSM and OFF to set and adjust the speed. Use the steering
wheel controls on the right side to adjust volume, media selections and access voice
commands (if equipped).

TOW/HAUL SWITCH

To eliminate excessive transmission shifting, activate the tow/haul feature. This feature also
provides engine exhaust braking in all forward gears when the transmission is in D (Overdrive).
The engine exhaust braking will help slow the vehicle and assist the driver in controlling the
vehicle when descending a grade. (Exhaust braking available on diesel only.)

UPFITTER CONTROLS

(IF EQUIPPED)

The Uptter package provides four

POWER ADJUSTABLE FOOT
PEDALS (IF EQUIPPED)

Press the control to move the pedals
closer or farther away from you. The
pedals should only be adjusted when
the vehicle is stopped and in P (Park).

switches which can be customized to
perform additional functions. They provide
8 amps, 12 amps or 20 amps of electrical
battery power.

ELECTRONIC SHIFT ON THE FLY SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)

This system allows you shift on the y and select from the following modes:

• 2H (2WD)- Use for general on-road driving.

• 4H (4x4 High)- Use for extra traction. This mode is NOT intended for use on dry pavement.

• 4L (4x4 Low)- Uses extra gearing to provide maximum power to all four wheels at
reduced speeds. This mode is NOT intended for use on dry pavement.

HILL DESCENT CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED)

This allows you to maintain vehicle speed while
descending steep grades in a variety of road
conditions. To enable, press the hill descent button.
A light in the cluster will illuminate and a chime
will sound. To increase descent speed, press the
accelerator until the desired speed is reached. To
decrease speed, press the brake until the desired
speed is reached. Hill Descent Control can maintain
vehicle speeds on downhill grades and can be
engaged between 2 mph (3 km/h) to 12 mph
(20 km/h). Note: Hill descent control requires a
cooling down interval after sustained use. The
amount of time that the feature can remain active
before cooling varies with conditions. The system
will provide a warning in the message center and
a chime will sound when the system is about to
disengage for cooling. At this time, manually apply
the brakes as needed to maintain descent speed.

TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER (IF EQUIPPED)

Your vehicle may be equipped with a fully integrated electronic trailer brake controller (TBC).
Use the GAIN adjustment buttons (+ , -) and the manual controller lever to make adjustments.
The system will display any necessary messages through your message center. For complete
information on using the TBC, please refer to the Tires, Wheels and Loading chapter in your
Owner’s Guide.

saFety

REARVIEW CAMERA

(IF EQUIPPED)

This system provides a visual display of
the area behind the vehicle. The display
automatically appears on the navigation
screen (if equipped) or in the rear view mirror
when the vehicle is in Reverse (R) and uses
colors (green, yellow and red) to alert you

of your proximity to
objects. Note: Visibility
aids do not replace the
need to watch where
the vehicle is moving.

REVERSE SENSING SYSTEM

(IF EQUIPPED)

The reverse sensing system may warn you
if there is an object behind the vehicle that
may be too low for you to see. A warning
tone will sound which increases in frequency
as the object gets closer and then will sound
continuously when the object is less than 10
inches away. The system is active when the
vehicle is in R (Reverse) and traveling less
than 3 mph (5 km/h). Note: Visibility aids
do not replace the need to watch where the
vehicle is moving.

ENGINE ONLY
TRACTION CONTROL

(ALL DUAL REAR WHEEL VEHICLES)

This system helps you maintain stability and
steerability of your vehicle, especially on
slippery road surfaces such as snow, ice or
gravel. During traction control operation, the
traction control light will illuminate.

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

Your new Ford Super Duty comes with the
assurance and support of 24-hour emergency
roadside assistance. To receive roadside
assistance in the United States,
call 1 [phone]. In Canada,
call 1 [phone].

TRAILER SWAY (IF EQUIPPED)

Trailer sway uses the vehicle’s AdvanceTrac®
with RSC® system to detect and help reduce
trailer sway by applying brake force at
individual wheels and, if necessary, reducing
engine power. This feature defaults to on. To
turn off, refer to the Message Center section
in the Instrument Cluster chapter of your
Owner’s Guide.

SIDE AIRBAGS AND SAFETY
CANOPY SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)

Your vehicle may be equipped with side
airbags and a safety canopy system which
help protect you in the event of a crash.

ADJUSTABLE HEAD RESTRAINTS

Your vehicle’s front row head restraints can
be adjusted to suit your needs. Simply pull
up to raise the head restraint. To lower, press
the head restraint down while pressing and
holding the guide sleeve adjust/release button.

You may also be able to tilt the head restraint
forward or backward for additional comfort.
Pivot the head restraint forward to the
desired location. After the head restraint
reaches the forward-most tilt position,
pivoting it forward again will release it to
the rearward un-tilted position.

FunCtion

CENTER CONSOLE (IF EQUIPPED)

• One 12V power point inside the
storage compartment and one on
the rear of the console

• 110V/150W AC power point outlet
on the rear of the console

TAILGATE STEP (IF EQUIPPED)

Your vehicle may be equipped with a tailgate
step that allows easy entry into the truck
bed. To use, open the tailgate. Pull the yellow
latch lever to the unlock position to release
the grab handle from its stowed position and
raise the handle upright until you feel it latch
and see the latch lever in the lock position.
(The yellow lever only needs to be used when
releasing the grab handle.) Rotate the center
molding to unlatch the tailgate. Flip open
the panel to widen the step. Always use the
grab handle when stepping up or down on the
tailgate step. Keep the step load (you + load)
below 350 lb. (159 kg).

To close the tailgate step, fold the step panel,
then lift and fully slide the tailgate step into
the tailgate. Slide the latch at the bottom
of the handle, then lower the handle. Never
drive with the step deployed. Ensure that you
fully close and latch the tailgate step before
moving the vehicle.

UNDER SEAT LOCKING
STORAGE

There is also an auxiliary power point within
the compartment which you can use to power
or charge your electronic devices.

(IF EQUIPPED)

The under seat storage
compartment in the
second row has a
programmable lock

which provides a safe

place to store items.
Use your ignition key
to program the lock.

MYKEY® (IF EQUIPPED)

Allows you to program certain driving
restrictions in order to promote good driving
habits. When MyKey® is programmed, the
following features are adjusted:

• Belt-Minder® will sound continuously and
the audio will be muted until the safety
belt is buckled.

• Audible and visual low fuel warnings
are provided.

• Audio volume can be limited.

• Vehicle speed can be limited.

• Audible and visual warnings can be
congured at preselected speeds.

• AdvanceTrac® cannot be programmed off.