1997 Ford F150 Owner Guide 1st Printing - Page 170

Maintenance and care cooling mode. If the engine coolant supply is depleted, this feature allows the driver to drive the vehicle (with limited power) for a short distance in order to get the vehicle to a service facility. Take your vehicle to a service facility as soon as possible to minimize engine damage. The actual distance your vehicle can be driven depends on vehicle load, road conditions and outside temperature. How fail-safe cooling works If the engine overheats, the engine will automatically switch from eight to alternating four cylinder operation. Each disabled cylinder acts as an air pump and cools the engine. When this occurs, the engine coolant temperature gauge will move into the red area and the light illuminates. CHECK The ENGINE light will illuminate, indicating that vehicle service is required. The vehicle will still operate, but will have limited engine power and no air conditioning capability. Continued operation will increase engine temperature and cause the engine to completely shut down. The vehicle will coast to a stop. As the engine temperature cools, the engine may be re-started. Take your vehicle to a service facility as H C 171