Ford Escape: What you should know about automotive fuels

Important safety precautions

WARNING: Do not overfill the fuel tank. The pressure in an overfilled tank may cause leakage and lead to fuel spray and fire.

WARNING: The fuel system may be under pressure. If you hear a hissing sound near the fuel filler door (Easy Fuel “no cap” fuel system), do not refuel until the sound stops. Otherwise, fuel may spray out, which could cause serious personal injury.

WARNING: Automotive fuels can cause serious injury or death if misused or mishandled.

WARNING: Fuel ethanol and gasoline may contain benzene, which is a cancer-causing agent.

Observe the following guidelines when handling automotive fuel:

• Extinguish all smoking materials and any open flames before fueling your vehicle.
• Always turn off the vehicle before fueling.
• Automotive fuels can be harmful or fatal if swallowed. Fuels such as gasoline and ethanol are highly toxic and if swallowed can cause death or permanent injury. If fuel is swallowed, call a physician immediately, even if no symptoms are immediately apparent. The toxic effects of fuel may not be visible for hours.
• Avoid inhaling fuel vapors. Inhaling too much fuel vapor of any kind can lead to eye and respiratory tract irritation. In severe cases, excessive or prolonged breathing of fuel vapor can cause serious illness and permanent injury.

• Avoid getting fuel liquid in your eyes. If fuel is splashed in the eyes, remove contact lenses (if worn), flush with water for 15 minutes and seek medical attention. Failure to seek proper medical attention could lead to permanent injury.
• Fuels can also be harmful if absorbed through the skin. If fuel is splashed on the skin and/or clothing, promptly remove contaminated clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Repeated or prolonged skin contact with fuel liquid or vapor causes skin irritation.
• Be particularly careful if you are taking “Antabuse” or other forms of disulfiram for the treatment of alcoholism. Breathing gasoline and/or ethanol vapors, or skin contact could cause an adverse reaction. In sensitive individuals, serious personal injury or sickness may result. If fuel is splashed on the skin, promptly wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Consult a physician immediately if you experience an adverse reaction.
• FFV fuel tanks may contain zero to 85% ethanol. Any fuel blends containing gasoline and ethanol should be treated the same as “Fuel Ethanol.” Flex fuel vehicles have a yellow bezel placed over the fuel fill inlet.

Pure ethanol is the alcohol which is the intoxicating agent in liquor, beer and wine. It is distilled from the fermentation of plants such as field corn and sugar cane. When ethanol is produced for use in motor fuels, a small amount of gasoline is added to make it unfit for beverage use. The resulting ethanol blend is called denatured fuel ethanol meaning that it is denatured with 2% to 5% gasoline and is suitable for automotive use.

During the summer season, fuel ethanol may contain a maximum of 85% denatured ethanol (Ed85) and 15% unleaded gasoline. The fuel ethanol has a higher octane rating than unleaded regular or premium gasoline and this allows the design of engines with greater efficiency and power.

Winter blends may contain up to 75% denatured ethanol (Ed75) and up to 25% unleaded gasoline to enhance cold engine starts. Severely cold weather may require additional measures for reliable starting.

Ethanol is more chemically active than gasoline. It corrodes some metals and causes some plastic and rubber components to swell, break down or become brittle and crack, especially when mixed with gasoline. Special materials and procedures have been developed for flexible fuel vehicles and the dispensers used by ethanol fuel providers.

WARNING: Flexible fuel components and standard unleaded gasoline fuel components are not interchangeable. If your vehicle is not serviced in accordance with flexible fuel vehicles procedures, damage may occur and your warranty may be invalidated.

WARNING: When refueling always shut the engine off and never allow sparks or open flames near the filler neck. Never smoke while refueling. Fuel vapor is extremely hazardous under certain conditions. Care should be taken to avoid inhaling excess fumes.

WARNING: The flow of fuel through a fuel pump nozzle can produce static electricity, which can cause a fire if fuel is pumped into an ungrounded fuel container.

Refueling

WARNING: Fuel vapor burns violently and a fuel fire can cause severe injuries. To help avoid injuries to you and others:
• Read and follow all the instructions on the pump island;
• Turn off your engine when you are refueling;
• Do not smoke if you are near fuel or refueling your vehicle;
• Keep sparks, flames and smoking materials away from fuel;
• Stay outside your vehicle and do not leave the fuel pump unattended when refueling your vehicle — this is against the law in some places;
• Keep children away from the fuel pump; never let children pump fuel.
• Do not use personal electronic devices while refueling.

Use the following guidelines to avoid electrostatic charge build-up when filling an ungrounded fuel container:

• Place approved fuel container on the ground.
• DO NOT fill a fuel container while it is in the vehicle (including the cargo area).
• Keep the fuel pump nozzle in contact with the fuel container while filling.
• DO NOT use a device that would hold the fuel pump handle in the fill position.

Easy Fuel “no cap” fuel system

Your fuel tank is equipped with an Easy Fuel “no cap” fuel filler system.

This allows you to simply open the fuel filler door and insert the fuel filler nozzle into the fuel system. The Easy Fuel system is self-sealing and protected against dust, dirt, water and snow/ice.

When fueling your vehicle:

1. Turn the engine off.
2. Open the fuel filler door.
3. Slowly insert the fuel filler nozzle fully into the fuel system, and leave the nozzle fully inserted until you are done pumping. Pump fuel as normal.
4. After you are done pumping fuel, slowly remove the fuel filler nozzle—allow about five seconds after pumping fuel before removing the fuel filler nozzle. This allows residual fuel to drain back into the fuel tank and not spill onto the vehicle.

Note: A fuel spillage concern may occur if overfilling the fuel tank. Do not overfill the tank to the point that the fuel is able to bypass the fuel filler nozzle. The overfilled fuel may run down the drain located below and in front of the fuel filler door.

If the check fuel fill inlet lamp or CHECK FUEL FILL INLET message comes on, the fuel fill inlet may not have properly closed. The inlet may have stuck open or debris may be preventing the inlet from fully closing.

At the next opportunity, safely pull off the road, turn off the engine, open the fuel filler door and remove any visible debris from the fuel fill opening. Insert either the fuel fill nozzle or the fuel fill funnel (see Refilling with a portable fuel container for funnel location) provided with the vehicle several times to dislodge any debris and/or allow the inlet to close properly. If this action corrects the problem, the check fuel fill inlet lamp or CHECK FUEL FILL INLET message may not reset immediately. It may take several driving cycles for the check fuel fill inlet lamp or CHECK FUEL FILL INLET message to turn off. A driving cycle consists of an engine start-up (after four or more hours with the engine off) followed by city/highway driving. Continuing to drive with the check fuel fill inlet lamp or CHECK FUEL FILL INLET message on may cause the service engine soon lamp to turn on as well.

WARNING: The fuel system may be under pressure. If you hear a hissing sound near the fuel filler door (Easy Fuel “no cap” fuel system), do not refuel until the sound stops. Otherwise, fuel may spray out, which could cause serious personal injury.

Flex fuel vehicle (FFV) fuel fill inlet

If your vehicle is flex fuel capable, it will have a yellow bezel placed over the fuel fill inlet.

Choosing the right fuel

If your vehicle is a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV), use only UNLEADED FUEL and FUEL ETHANOL (Ed75–Ed85).

If your vehicle is not a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV), then only use UNLEADED fuel or UNLEADED fuel blended with a maximum of 10% ethanol. Do not use fuel ethanol (E85), diesel, methanol, leaded fuel or any other fuel.

The use of leaded fuel is prohibited by law and could damage your vehicle.

Your vehicle was not designed to use fuel or fuel additives with metallic compounds, including manganese-based additives.

Note: Use of any fuel other than those recommended may cause powertrain damage, a loss of vehicle performance, and repairs may not be covered under warranty.

Octane recommendations

“Regular” unleaded gasoline with a pump (R+M)/2 octane rating of 87 is recommended. Some stations offer fuels posted as “Regular” with an octane rating below 87, particularly in high altitude areas. Fuels with octane levels below 87 are not recommended.

Do not be concerned if your engine sometimes knocks lightly. However, if it knocks heavily under most driving conditions while you are using fuel with the recommended octane rating, see your authorized dealer to prevent any engine damage.

FFV engine (if equipped)

If your vehicle is flex fuel capable, it is designed to use Fuel Ethanol (Ed75–Ed85), “Regular” unleaded gasoline or any mixture of the two fuels.

Use of other fuels such as Fuel Methanol may cause powertrain damage, a loss of vehicle performance, and your warranty may be invalidated.

It is best not to alternate repeatedly between gasoline and E85. If you do switch fuels, it is recommended that you add as much fuel as possible—at least half a tank. Do not add less than five gallons (18.9L) when refueling.

You should drive the vehicle immediately after refueling for at least 5 miles (8 km) to allow the vehicle to adapt to the change in ethanol concentration.

If you exclusively use E85 fuel, it is recommended to fill the fuel tank with regular unleaded gasoline at each scheduled oil change.

Fuel quality

Unleaded gasoline engines

If you experience starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability problems during a cold start, try a different brand of “Regular” unleaded gasoline.

FFV engines

If you experience starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability problems during a cold start, try a different brand of E85 fuel. If the driveability problems continue, fill the vehicle with regular unleaded gasoline and drive vehicle normally until gasoline is used. See your authorized dealer if the problem persists.

Do not add aftermarket fuel additive products to your fuel tank. It should not be necessary to add any aftermarket products to your fuel tank if you continue to use high quality fuel of the recommended octane rating. These products have not been approved for your engine and could cause damage to the fuel system. Repairs to correct the effects of using an aftermarket product in your fuel may not be covered by your warranty.

Many of the world’s automakers approved the World-Wide Fuel Charter that recommends gasoline specifications to provide improved performance and emission control system protection for your vehicle.

Gasolines that meet the World-Wide Fuel Charter should be used when available. Ask your fuel supplier about gasolines that meet the World-Wide Fuel Charter.

Cleaner air

Ford endorses the use of reformulated “cleaner-burning” gasolines to improve air quality, per the recommendations in the Choosing the right fuel section.

Running out of fuel

Avoid running out of fuel because this situation may have an adverse effect on powertrain components.

If you have run out of fuel:

• You may need to cycle the ignition from off to on several times after refueling to allow the fuel system to pump the fuel from the tank to the engine. On restarting, cranking time will take a few seconds longer than normal.
• Normally, adding 1 gallon (3.8L) of fuel is enough to restart the engine. If the vehicle is out of fuel and on a steep grade, more than 1 gallon (3.8L) may be required.
• The service engine soon indicator may come on. For more information on the service engine soon indicator, refer to Warning lights and chimes in the Instrument Cluster chapter.

Refilling with a portable fuel container

With the Easy Fuel “no cap” fuel system, use the following directions when filling from a portable fuel container:

WARNING: Do not insert the nozzle of portable fuel containers or aftermarket funnels into the Easy Fuel system. This could damage the fuel system and its seal, and may cause fuel to run onto the ground instead of filling the tank, which could result in serious personal injury.

WARNING: Do not try to pry open or push open the Easy Fuel system with foreign objects. This could damage the fuel system and its seal and cause injury to you or others.

When filling the vehicle’s fuel tank from a portable fuel container, use the funnel included with the vehicle.

1. Locate the white plastic funnel. It is attached to the inside of the rear passenger side cargo compartment access door.

2. Slowly insert the funnel into the Easy Fuel system.

3. Fill the vehicle with fuel from the portable fuel container.
4. When done, clean the funnel or properly dispose of it. Extra funnels can be purchased from your authorized dealer if you choose to dispose of the funnel. Do not use aftermarket funnels; they will not work with the Easy Fuel system and can damage it. The included funnel has been specially designed to work safely with your vehicle.

Engine coolant

Essentials of good fuel economy