2014 Ford Fusion Energi Owner Manual Printing 1 - Page 218

Driving Hints BREAKING-IN You need to break in new tires for approximately 300 miles (480 kilometers). During this time, your vehicle may exhibit some unusual driving characteristics. The engine also needs to break in. Avoid hard accelerations and driving too fast for the first 1000 miles (1600 kilometers). If possible, avoid carrying heavy loads up steep grades during the break-in period. There are also some things you may want to avoid doing because they reduce your fuel economy: • Avoid sudden or hard accelerations. • Avoid revving the engine before turning off the car. • Avoid long idle periods. • Do not warm up your vehicle on cold mornings. • Reduce the use of air conditioning and heat. • Avoid using speed control in hilly terrain. • Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. • Avoid carrying unnecessary weight (approximately 1 mpg [0.4 kilometers/liter] is lost for every 400 lbs [180 kilograms] of weight carried). • Avoid adding particular accessories to your vehicle (e.g. bug deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski racks). • Avoid driving with the wheels out of alignment. ECONOMICAL DRIVING Fuel economy is affected by several things such as how you drive, the conditions you drive under and how you maintain your vehicle. There are some things to keep in mind that may improve your fuel economy: • Accelerate and slow down in a smooth, moderate fashion. • Drive at steady speeds. • Anticipate stops; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop. • Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving. • When running errands, go to the furthest destination first and then work your way back home. • Close the windows for high-speed driving. • Drive at reasonable speeds. (Traveling at 65 mph/105 kph uses about 15% less fuel than traveling at 75 mph/121 kph). • Keep the tires properly inflated and use only the recommended size. • Use the recommended engine oil. • Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance. DRIVING THROUGH WATER Note: Driving through deep water above the recommended levels can cause vehicle damage. If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very slowly. Never drive through water that is higher than the bottom of the wheel rims (for cars) or the bottom of the hubs (for trucks). 215