2003 Ford Excursion 7.3L Diesel Supplement 3rd Printing - Page 27
2003 Ford Excursion Manual
Page 27 highlights
General maintenance information Do not use fuel intended for agricultural use (agricultural fuel is dyed red), home heating oil or any Diesel fuel not intended for highway use. Damage to the fuel injection system or engine can occur if an improper fuel is used. Do not add gasoline, gasohol or alcohol to Diesel fuel. This practice creates a serious fire hazard and engine performance problems. It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket additives to your fuel tank if you use a properly formulated Diesel fuel that meets the ASTM D 975 industry specification. Aftermarket additives can damage the injector system or engine. Do not blend used engine oil with Diesel fuel under any circumstances. Blending used oil with the fuel will significantly increase your vehicle's exhaust emissions and reduce engine life due to increased internal wear. Do not crank the engine for more than 30 seconds at a time as damage to the starter motor may result. If the engine fails to start in 30 seconds, turn the key to the OFF position and wait 30 seconds before trying again. Truck stops have pumps and nozzles designed for larger, heavy-duty trucks. When refueling at truck stops: if the nozzle shuts off repeatedly when refueling, wait 5-10 seconds; then use a slower rate of flow (don't depress the nozzle trigger as far). If air is allowed to enter the fuel system (during fuel filter change or if you run out of fuel) the engine will purge the trapped air as it runs. The engine may run rough and produce white smoke while air is in the system. This is normal and should correct itself in a short time. An engine that suddenly becomes noisy or operates poorly after a fuel fill could be using substandard fuel (i.e., high water content, low cetane rating or gasoline in the fuel). Diesel fuel should be purchased from a reputable station which sells a large amount of Diesel fuel. Care should be taken whenever Diesel fuel is stored. Use only clean, approved containers which will prevent the entry of dirt or water. Diesel fuel must not be stored in a galvanized container. The fuel will dissolve the zinc in a galvanized container. The zinc will then remain in solution until it is run through the engine where it will be deposited in the fuel injectors causing expensive-to-repair damage. 27