2001 Ford F250 7.3L Diesel Supplement 2nd Printing - Page 16

General maintenance information SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE The Scheduled Maintenance Services in the Service Guide are required because they are considered essential to the life and performance of your vehicle. Use only recommended fuel, lubricants, fluids and service parts conforming to Ford specifications. Motorcraft parts are designed and built for best performance in your vehicle. WASHING THE DIESEL ENGINE Never wash the engine when it is warm, hot or running. Spraying water or other cleaning fluids on a warm engine can seriously damage the engine's fuel system. When washing the engine, the air cleaner must be in place to prevent water from splashing into the engine. FUEL REQUIREMENTS The engine is designed to use low sulfur number 1-D or 2-D diesel fuel only. At temperatures below -7°C (20°F), number 1-D or winter blend number 2-D fuel is recommended. (See "Cold Weather Operation" in the Starting chapter.) 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. 16