2008 FORD EXPLORER child seat

Seating and Safety Restraints 163
Seating 163
Safety restraints 177
Airbags 192
Child restraints 206
Tires, Wheels and Loading 220
Tire information 222
Tire inflation 225
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 237
Vehicle loading 242
Trailer towing 249
Recreational towing 254
Driving 256
Starting 256
Brakes 261
Traction Control™/AdvanceTrac264
Transmission operation 269
Roadside Emergencies 289
Getting roadside assistance 289
Hazard flasher switch 291
Fuel pump shut-off switch 291
Fuses and relays 292
Changing tires 301
Lug nut torque 310
Jump starting 311
Wrecker towing 316
Customer Assistance 318
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 324
Reporting safety defects (Canada only) 325
Cleaning 326
Table of Contents
2
2008 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)

BREAKING-IN YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle does not need an extensive break-in. Try not to drive
continuously at the same speed for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of
new vehicle operation. Vary your speed frequently in order to give the
moving parts a chance to break in.
Drive your new vehicle at least 500 miles (800 km) before towing a
trailer. For more detailed information about towing a trailer, refer to
Trailer towingin theTires, Wheels and Loadingchapter.
Do not add friction modifier compounds or special break-in oils since
these additives may prevent piston ring seating. SeeEngine oilin the
Maintenance and Specificationschapter for more information on oil
usage.
SPECIAL NOTICES
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
For a detailed description of what is covered and what is not covered by
your vehicle’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty, refer to theWarranty
Guidethat is provided to you along with yourOwner’s Guide.
Special instructions
For your added safety, your vehicle is fitted with sophisticated electronic
controls.
Please read the sectionAirbag supplemental restraint system
(SRS)in theSeating and Safety Restraintschapter. Failure to
follow the specific warnings and instructions could result in personal
injury.
Front seat mounted rear-facing child or infant seats should
NEVERbe placed in front of an active passenger airbag.
2008 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Introduction
6

These are some of the symbols you may see on your vehicle.
Vehicle Symbol Glossary
Safety Alert
See Owner’s Guide
Fasten Safety BeltAirbag - Front
Airbag - SideChild Seat Lower
Anchor
Child Seat Tether
AnchorBrake System
Anti-Lock Brake SystemParking Brake System
Brake Fluid -
Non-Petroleum BasedParking Aid System
Stability Control SystemSpeed Control
Master Lighting SwitchHazard Warning Flasher
Fog Lamps-FrontFuse Compartment
Fuel Pump ResetWindshield Wash/Wipe
Windshield
Defrost/DemistRear Window
Defrost/Demist
2008 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Introduction
10

Wired headphones
Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle and do not let
children operate the system while unsupervised. If wired
headphones or auxiliary systems are used, children may become
entangled in the cords and seriously injure themselves.
You may purchase wired headphones for your FES (Family
Entertainment System). Plug them into the 3.5 mm headphone jack(s)
located on the left and right sides of the system. (Channel A is located
on the left side and Channel B is located on the right side.) These
headphones will be active when in Dual Play mode.
To listen to the audio on wired headphones (not included), connect the
wired headphones into the headphone jacks on the sides of the DVD
system. The wired headphone jack for Channel A is located on the left
side of the FES and is labeled
A. Headphones plugged into this
headphone jack will hear audio from the audio source selected to be the
Channel A source. The wired headphone jack for Channel B is located on
the right side of the FES and is labeled
B. Headphones plugged into
this headphone jack will hear audio from the audio source selected to be
the Channel B source.
Adjust the headphone volume using
the volume control on the DVD
system.
Operation
Single play/Dual play
Your DVD and audio system work together with the infrared headphones
and wired headphones (not included) to allow the rear seat passengers
to listen to the radio (and other media sources) over the headphones.
This enables the front and rear seat passengers to listen to a variety of
sources a variety of ways.
Single Play:Single play consists of all occupants in the vehicle listening
to the same playing media over the front and rear speakers. When the
DVD system is on, and the same source is playing through the front and
rear speakers, SINGLE PLAY will appear in the front radio display.
Dual Play:Dual play is when the rear seat passengers choose to listen
to a different playing media than the front seat passengers. With the
2008 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
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Safety information
Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehicle control,
accident and injury. Ford strongly recommends that drivers use
extreme caution when using any device that may take their focus off
the road. The drivers primary responsibility is the safe operation of
their vehicle. Only use cell phones and other devices not essential to
the driving task when it is safe to do so.
Read all of the safety and operating instructions before operating the
system and retain for future reference.
Do not attempt to service, repair or modify the Family Entertainment
System (FES). See your dealer.
Do not insert foreign objects into the DVD compartment.
Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle and do not let
children operate the system while unsupervised. If wired
headphones or auxiliary systems are used, children may become
entangled in the cords and seriously injure themselves.
The front glass on the liquid crystal display (LCD) flip-down
screen may break when hit with a hard surface. If the glass
breaks, do not touch the liquid crystalline material. In case of contact
with skin, wash immediately with soap and water.
The driver should not attempt to operate any function of the
DVD system while the vehicle is in motion. Give full attention to
driving and to the road. Pull off the road in a safe place before
inserting or extracting DVDs from the system. A remote control is
included in the system to allow the rear seat occupants to operate the
FES functions without distracting the driver.
Do not expose the liquid crystal display (LCD) flip-down screen
to direct sunlight or intensive ultraviolet rays for extensive
periods of time. Ultraviolet rays deteriorate the liquid crystal.
Be sure to review User Manuals for video games and video game
equipment when used as auxiliary inputs for your Family Entertainment
System (FES).
2008 Explorer(exp)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Entertainment Systems
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To reduce the risk of possible serious injury: Do not hang objects
off seat back or stow objects in the seatback map pocket (if
equipped) when a child is in the front passenger seat. Do not place
objects underneath the front passenger seat or between the seat and
the center console (if equipped). Check the “passenger airbag off” or
“pass airbag off” indicator lamp for proper airbag status. Refer toFront
passenger sensing systemsection for additional details. Failure to
follow these instructions may interfere with the front passenger seat
sensing system.
The control is located on the outboard side of the seat cushion.
Press front to raise or lower the
front portion of the seat cushion.
Press rear to raise or lower the rear
portion of the seat cushion.
Press the control to move the seat
forward, backward, up or down.
2008 Explorer(exp)
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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To operate the heated seats:
•Push control to activate.
•Push again to deactivate.
REAR SEATS
To have an unobstructed rear view, you can fold down the second and
third row head restraints. Refer to theFolding down the 2nd row
60/40 seats and bucket seatsand3rd row folding seat (if equipped)
sections later in this chapter.
For instructions on how to remove the 2nd row head restraints to install
a child seat, seeChild booster seatslater in this chapter.
Folding down the 2nd row 60/40 seats and bucket seats
Ensure that the head restraint is in the down position and no objects
such as books, purses or briefcases are on the floor in front of the
second row seats before folding them down.
1. Lower the head restraints by
pulling on the strap.
2008 Explorer(exp)
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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The fact that the pretensioners or airbags did not activate for both front
seat occupants in a collision does not mean that something is wrong with
the system. Rather, it means the Personal Safety System™ determined
the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage, etc.) were not
appropriate to activate these safety devices. Front airbags are designed
to activate only in frontal and near-frontal collisions, not rollovers,
side-impacts, or rear-impacts unless the collision causes sufficient
longitudinal deceleration.
Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints
The dual-stage airbags offer the capability to tailor the level of airbag
inflation energy. A lower, less forceful energy level is provided for more
common, moderate-severity impacts. A higher energy level is used for
the most severe impacts. Refer toAirbag supplemental restraints
section in this chapter.
Front crash severity sensor
The front crash severity sensor enhances the ability to detect the
severity of an impact. Positioned up front, it provides valuable
information early in the crash event on the severity of the impact. This
allows your Personal Safety System™ to distinguish between different
levels of crash severity and modify the deployment strategy of the
dual-stage airbags and safety belt pretensioners.
Driver’s seat position sensor
The driver’s seat position sensor allows your Personal Safety System™ to
tailor the deployment level of the driver dual-stage airbag based on seat
position. The system is designed to help protect smaller drivers sitting
close to the driver airbag by providing a lower airbag output level.
Front passenger sensing system
For airbags to do their job they must inflate with great force, and this
force can pose a potentially deadly risk to occupants that are very close
to the airbag when it begins to inflate. For some occupants, this occurs
because they are initially sitting very close to the airbag. For other
occupants, this occurs when the occupant is not properly restrained by
safety belts or child safety seats and they move forward during pre-crash
braking. The most effective way to reduce the risk of unnecessary
injuries is to make sure all occupants are properly restrained. Accident
statistics suggest that children are much safer when properly restrained
in the rear seating positions than in the front.
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Seating and Safety Restraints
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